Target Walleye/Ice email

Modify jigging baits, Fish warmest water, Unicorn caught

Posted on

If you’re getting this Target Walleye email for the first time, a friend probably signed you up!

Today’s Top 5

Ever seen a 25-year-old walleye?

The Technological Angler’s boat caught and released this 23″ tagged Mille Lacs walleye that was guesstimated at 25 years old, or roughly 112 in walleye years?

The fish was the exact-same length when it was caught 5 years earlier, and was originally tagged at 20″ in 2004. Wish we had more info, but the fish just talked in riddles when asked about his stunted growth:

You can see the DNR’s recapture info on this fish by clicking here.

How Kavajecz mods hard-bodied jigging baits for open-water fishing.

When Keith Kavajecz is feeshin’ hard-bodied jigging baits in open-water — like the Moonshine Shiver Minnow — he swaps out the stock treble for a big #4 Mustad Triple Grip. Looks goofy, but says it helps him to “fish cleaner” and land more fish. Check it:

Works for dogfish too:

All-natural unicorn walleye caught.

Aka Alfalfa walleye. This one was pulled out of MB’s Dogskin Lake. Mikey Smith said in his post, “No scars…wasn’t ripped off…it was born this way.”

Sorry Mikey, but don’t think that fish likes you very much…judging by the “thumbs up” (*cough*cough*) he’s giving you:

Bass guys: The dorsal fin usually looks a bit more like this [heart-eyes emoji]:

Columbia River hawg caught!

Andy “only-catches-bigguns” Fiolka wrassled in this Columbia River water mule that measured a catfish whisker under 32 inches!

Said he was using a 3/8-oz VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig with a 3.25″ BfishN Tackle Pulse-R Paddle Tail in firecracker/chartreuse tail. That’s a combo he’s got tied on 24/7 – judging by his fish pics, you probably should too!

Giant ice-fishing spoons for open-water walleye?

Either that’s the world’s smallest walleye, or someone was feeding steroids to Northland Tackle’s lead:

It’s called the Casting Buck-Shot Flutter Spoon from Northland Tackle, and comes in sizes up to 1.5-oz with a 4/0 hook! #GoBigOrGoHome #WeArentGoingHome

News

1. WI: Fluctuating water complicates NWT.

They’re fishing on pools 9, 10 and 11 of the Mississippi River, but fluctuating water levels have made things a mess:

> Tommy Skarlis: “It’s almost a waste of time to go fishing right now — things are changing so fast and they will continue to change. Guys will find something two days before the tournament starts, but then have to throw the whole pattern out the window.

> “When you’re packing for this tournament, you throw in everything and the kitchen sink. Trolling leadcore, 3-way rigging, casting cranks, jigging, soaking live bait…everything is going to be in play.”

If we had to guess the winning bait/presentation:

2. MN: Outside experts to review Mille Lacs.

Sing it: This is the topic that never ends…and it goes on and on my friends….

3. MN: Fishing Challenge raises $250K…

… for MN Adult & Teen Challenge. Believe someone bumped Al Lindner outta 1st in the walleye division this year?? We’ll find out the deets soon…

Fundraising team Wes Anderson and Don Karlgaard had the lucky raffle ticket and took home a new Lund 1650 Rebel XS:

4. Have you tried any of these…

…custom-colored Rapala Jigging Raps from FishUSA?

They look sweet to us – here’s what they look like to walleyes:

5. NY: Upstaters worried about walleye catch.

A walleye was recently caught in Skaneateles Lake — where they aren’t native, stocked, and can’t possibly get into without someone playing “bucket biologist.” Has peeps worried ’bout how it could impact the rainbow/brown trout and salmon fishery.

6. Yo-Zuri baits on sale at FishUSA.

They’re buy 2, get the 3rd free right now. Here’s a few walleye flavors:

Check the rest here at FishUSA.

Headline of the Day

Every walleye costs that much $$$ with all the schtuff we “need” to buy lol.

Tip of the Day

Greg Bohn with Scott Richardson:

> Forget the myths about the big spawned-out females heading to deep water to rest…. Walleyes will seek out the warmest water they can find, which can often be less than 10′ where the fishing pressure is almost nonexistent.
> Warm water turns on early weed growth that ignites the food chain. Weeds — even young ones — provide oxygen and microscopic plankton that attract forage fish (like young-of-the-year perch). Dead weeds also absorb heat from the sun.
> Vegetation also gives walleyes a place to hide from the larger fish like muskies and northern pike determined to eat them.
> Green cabbage comes in broadleaf and narrowleaf varieties. How high the plants will be early in the season depends on how warm the water is. Any cabbage growing in 8′ or less is key.

> Brownleaf cabbage is present in dark water, which warms sooner than clear water. Unless you knew better, its color may make it appear dead. But, it is very much alive.

Keep reading here.

Quote of the Day

Although I probably caught a few more fish, she caught almost all the big ones — and that’s why wives make the best fishing partners!

– Spot on! That’s Nick Lindner talking about their day at the charity MN Fishing Challenge on Gull Lake. We’ve all been there….

Today’s ‘Eye Candy

Here’s one of several giants Shacoda Leed caught while pulling Off Shore Tackle Planer Boards with walleye-nut Randy Gaines:

#Stout
Sign up another ice-head!
If you’re forwarding Target Walleye/Ice to a friend who loves to walleye-fish or want your fishing buddies to get these emails, just send us their email addresses and we’ll take care of it! (We won’t sell the addresses, use ’em for spam, etc.)

Check this stuff out!

Who is Target Walleye/Ice?
Target Walleye/Ice — walleye during open water and all species during hardwater — is brought to you by Al and Ron Lindner, Jim Kalkofen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish nuts like you! #fishheads
Brett McComas is the main man for Target Walleye/Ice. He was discovered in Brainerd, MN after years of wondering how in the heck people break into the fishing biz. He’s in it now, but still can’t answer that question…. Brett is one of those guys who quit sports in high school because they were interfering with his fishing time. Get him at brett@targetwalleye.com

To send us walleye pics, ice shots or whatever, just respond to this email or click here to email us. Or post it on the Target Walleye Facebook page.

Related Items:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Recommended for you

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

To Top