> “…allowed to keep 1 walleye per day that’s between 21-23″, or over 28″. There are no live-bait restrictions….”

> …lake covered 45K acres in 1993…at its peak level, spread over 200K…[now] an estimated 50K acres of once-flooded farmland is back in production.

> “…casting a windblown, baitfish covered, break-line point on Lake Webster with magnum and pounder Bulldawg lures in gold/black color pattern.”

> …a significant portion of the long-lived fish have hooks and other fishing tackle in their digestive tracts, but they seem to be able to process and pass the metal without harm. The metal eventually breaks down from oxidation.

> DuPont said 1 sturgeon sampled during the study had 14 pieces of fishing gear in it. …caught in the fall, appeared skinny and he wondered if it would survive the winter. However, the fish was recaptured in the spring and had passed most of the metal and returned to a normal weight.

Things are freakin’ incredible. Already looking forward to chasing ’em on the Rainy River again next spring.

> The abundance of walleye 14″ and longer in the lake recently was estimated at 727K fish, up significantly from population estimates in 2013-2014 when walleye stocks were measured at around 250K fish.

Ice: Get away from the crowd for bigger panfish.

> The biggest fish are often the dominant fish in that particular school. They eat first and eat the most. The little fish don’t usually get to eat until the big fish are done. Guess who gets caught first?

> Community holes [can be] very difficult to catch the largest fish in unless you get to them first. You see it every winter — the first people on the ice catch some nice fish, and then the size of the fish drops off through the winter.

> If you want to catch the largest panfish beyond first ice, find fish that are not using the community spots. Might mean finding an unassuming lake that doesn’t have a reputation or is difficult to access…look for a secondary basin or figure out the small details like an inside turn or soft-bottom point.

> Don’t overthink fishing…success is often simply leaving the pack and drilling holes over fresh ice. Moving 50 yards away from the crowd can often produce a nicer class of fish. As a rule of thumb, some of the first fish you pull off a location will often be some of the nicest fish.

> Anglers who have a knack for catching bigger panfish through the ice typically have a lone-wolf mentality. They put in the work looking for fish and cycle through fish on fresh spots.