Yo! I’m comin’ at you with some new walleye and ice-fishing schtuff that caught my eye while at ICAST (the fishing biz trade show) in Orlando, FL.
Of course I can’t fit every cool new thing in a single email, so will have a bunch more headed your way in upcoming Target Walleyes.
Some of it’s available right now, others will be released in the coming months. I hope you enjoy, fish-heads!
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Reminder: If your email program cuts off the bottom of this email, click “View this email in your browser” up top to see the whole thing. Sorry about that – email programs keep changing stuff.
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Na-na, na, na, na-na-na…. Na-na, na, na, na-na:
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On your mark, ready, set, let’s go! In no particular order….
1. Berkley PowerBait Power Switch
> Designed to excel when fishing with forward facing sonar, the Power Switch features a weight-forward design for precision casts, fast drop-ins and a wide range of actions to draw a strike out of the most finicky fish when you’re video game fishing. Available in 14 versatile colors and 6 sizes (from 1.75” to 5”).
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Few quick details and some observations:
It’s 2.75” long (same as a #7 original) but weighs 1-1/8 oz. 💣
Falls fast and true if you’re targeting specific fish on forward-facing sonar so you know it’s hitting them right in the face. Same proven Jigging Rap swimming action on the rip.
Has a solid ONE-PIECE body and fin design…the tails are not separate.
There’s a plastic type of finish on the outside similar to what the newer Jigging Shadow Raps feel like imo…seems like it would protect the internal metallic finishes and avoid chipping.
Has a built-in heavy duty swivel on the #5 belly hook to help prevent fish from getting the leverage to throw the bait:
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More info soon once I’m able to get them on the water – 🤞 maybe even this weekend….
3. “Hammered” pattern Moonshine Shiver Minnow
New “Patent Pending” hammered design with a gold-plated finish. Only comes in #3 size at this time, but it’s already available for shipping to stores. Word is they lit it up in testing.
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> …a new articulated jig head design allowing a presentation to flow and move more naturally at any speed or depth. This allows anglers to go heavier for longer casts and better bottom contact and deeper finesse presentations without sacrificing the bait’s ability to stand up. The adjustable fluorocarbon keeper is for rigging plastics straight or weedless.”
> Dan Quinn: “No matter how the articulating jig lands or how heavy the jig is, your ned bait is always able to float up. Having a floating worm on a Ned rig is a big deal – it gets you more bites. And, equally as important is the versatility of rigging, you can thread the worm on like a traditional ned rig or Texas rig it for a weedless presentation.”
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Has that nasty VMC Finesse Neko Hook and is comes in 1/16, 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, and 3/8 oz.
5. Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Holographic Live Image Jigs
> “Imagine casting a jig that doesn’t just mimic the hatch – it embodies it – introducing Lazer Sharp’s Holographic Live Image Jigs, where reality and illusion blend to create the ultimate natural forage presentation. The precision-crafted design merges live images with shimmering holographic finishes allowing you to match the hatch like never before.”
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Pics and videos don’t do ‘em justice compared to in person. |
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Let’s soften things up. 😏
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> “…a 3” tapered worm. It combines durability and high floating, while also retaining maximum action. It’s built with TPE, so it’s super-flexible and has some really good colors to it…”
Ned baits don’t usually have a whole lot of (or any) action, but as you can see in this video’s underwater footage 👀 the Ned BLT has a nice, subtle little tail quiver.
Comes in 16 custom colors with 10 baits a pack and MSRP $5.99.
2. Rapala CrushCity The Mayor
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> The Mayor’s tail does not kick super hard, but instead steadily and naturally swings from side-to-side. With a subtle body roll, this swimbait performs thanks to a salt- and scent-infused body. But the density of the plastic gives this swimbait the perfect kick.
> Available in 3” and 4” sizes, 16 custom colors, 8 in a pack (3”) and 6 in a pack (4”), MSRP starting at $6.49.
3. Z-Man TRD GobyZ
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> Featuring an anatomically accurate sculpted body with realistic eyes, fins, and tail details, the Z-Man TRD Gobyz is a wide-bodied Ned rig sized swimbait that accurately mimics an invasive round goby and other bottom-dwelling forage. Poured using Z-Man’s 10X Tough Elaztech soft plastic for extreme durability, the TRD Gobyz are made with a highly buoyant material that allows the tail to float off the bottom at rest to imitate a small baitfish feeding on the bottom.
> Ideal for swimming and dragging along the bottom in a variety of scenarios, these bite-sized swimbaits are designed to pair perfectly with a variety of Z-Man Ned Rigs and small jig heads like the Z-Man Pro Shroomz or Z-Man Football Nedz.
> Delivering subtle yet lifelike swimming action with a small rounded paddle tail, the Z-Man TRD Gobyz is a deadly option for smallmouth when they are keyed in on small forage like gobies, bullheads, sculpins, darters, or mud minnows.
Coming in Octobrrrr, but this 30-sec teaser vid on YouTube is hot! 🔥
Obviously that new 2.4″ ElazTech GobyZ will catch ’em in lakes with gobies…but did you know there’s a species of walleye candy called the “sculpin” that’s native in more waters than you’d think? 🤫 Google ’em. Learn ’em. Walleyes devour ’em.
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> “The shapes, sizes, and colors were designed and chosen based on real-world walleye fishing experience of Northland team members. The goal was to create something entirely new, different, and effective. There was a lot of ‘If you could design the ultimate walleye plastic, what would it look like and how would it move?’”
> …Eye-Candy’s unique composition – a deviation from the typical PVC-type soft plastics – Northland chose a Super TPE material that’s ultra-stretchy, beyond tough, ultra-buoyant, absorbent, and incredibly long-lasting.
> “Previous to Eye-Candy, you couldn’t find a TPE-based walleye soft plastic in bright colors like pink and firecracker or natural colors like green pumpkin and black.”
> An addendum to TPE’s durability is its sponginess and ability to hold scent, a big deal with professional walleye tournament anglers like Northland Pro Staffer Tom Huynh, known to smear his baits with secret sauce….
Rundown of all 5 shapes in this post.
5. Great Lakes Finesse
First time I’d seen it, and man do they ever have some finesse-y looking treats for clear water and pressured fish. True neutral buoyancy as you’ll see in their underwater shots.
Geared towards smallies, but some of the stuff sure looks like it would cross over well on the walleye side…especially if you’re “scoping” fish.
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There’s a bunch of new hardbaits coming down the pipeline, too. Quick glance at a few…
1. Berkley Deep Hit Stick
You already know and love the original Hit Stick, so now Berkley is going deep. I don’t know the dive curve of all the sizes, but did jot down that the #9 size (3.75″ long and 1/3 oz) runs 18-24′.
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> True balsa-like action with the durability and precision tracking of a premium hard-plastic lure. The Berkley Deep Hit Stick delivers an aggressive, wider tail action than our Flicker Minnow perfect for deep, big or more aggressive fish that do not always react to the more finesse minnow baits.
Those poor Lake Erie walleye! Keith Kavajecz told me the Hit Stick got its name ‘cuz they hit it like a 6’ 5”, 255-lb linebacker:
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> PXR stands for Precision, Xtreme, Redline. The first in a series of elite, professional-grade lures to be introduced by Rapala, the PXR Mavrik is a suspending jerkbait. Features start with Rapala’s Long-Cast System, which provides accurate, ultra-long casts to maximize time in the strike zone, and 3 premium VMC RedLine Series #5 treble hooks.
> The lure’s suspending, head-down attitude mimics an injured baitfish, while a hard-cutting, semi-erratic action makes the PXR Mavrik a versatile jerkbait for any condition. You can fish it slow with short twitches to walk the bait side-to-side, or give it a quick snap to get the bait to turn nearly 180 degrees.
> The 110 model is being introduced as a No. 11 (4-3/8″ body length) weighing 1/2 oz. Available in 18 colors.
Closer look in this YouTube vid.
3. Bill Lewis PWC Lite
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> “Following up on the success of Mark Romanack’s signature PWC (Precise Walleye Crank), Bill Lewis is rolling out a smaller version – the PWC Lite. While maintaining a strong, rolling-body action, the PWC Lite will have a bit of a tighter action than its big brother.
> “It will also be perfect for warm water months and matching smaller baitfish. Everything else about the PWC Lite will be much like the original, larger PWC. A full-bodied sound will come from the customized rattle chambers and all PWC Lite’s will come equipped with oversized Mustad Triple Grip hooks.”
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Some more fishy new gear!
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> Meet the baddest bait cooler on the water. With over 120 hours of run time from the lithium-ion battery-powered aerator, chill plate insulated lid, pump airflow of 3.2 liters per minute, & an indestructible rotomolded shell with over 1.25” thick foam insulation, the Flop Box is an extreme bait cooler built for extreme conditions. Unmatched direct-to-consumer customer service, quality, and reliability combined with the simple convenience of the USB Type C charging port – what’s not to love?
2. Z-Man Rattle-Snaker
Specifically designed for injecting rattles into plastics.
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With traditional soft-plastics, you can kind of just shove them in…but if you’ve ever tried it with the ElaZtech stuff, you know that’s not happening lol. But this thing looks slick!
And then the ElaZtech material sort of seals back up and “has a way of essentially vapor-locking the rattle inside its body.”
This video does a good job of quickly showing how it works.
3. Engel Live Bait Aerator XL
Won best “Fishing Accessory” in the New Product Showcase.
> Based on the game-changing Engel USB Lithium-Ion rechargeable aerator introduced last year. The Engel Live Bait Aerator XL is equipped with not one, but three 2000mAh Lithium-Ion rechargeable batteries, a new 2.5″ hockey puck style aerator stone, double the air pressure at 3.0 STL/minute, and up to 72-hour battery life. Still the quietest pump on the market!
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> …a premium soft-shell pullover built for warmth, comfort, and weather protection. Featuring ThermalSnare technology – fleece bonded with a windproof shell – keeping heat in and cold out. This soft long-nap warm fleece inner lining, a zippered hand-warming pouch, and a weather-proof shell, make this a must-have for all seasons and activities!
> The Gale Pullover is available in sizes Small-5XL and in various colors, including multiple colors with Prym1 Camo.
5. Gamakatsu G-Case 3000
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> …the newest addition to the G-Box series, the G-Case 3000 (dimensions: 17.1” x 9.2” x 10.7”)…perfect for storing tackle, boat accessories, tools, or anything you want to keep shielded from the elements. It features a hinged lid that has a secure plastic flip latch that keeps the lid shut, a large comfortable handle that has a locking feature when in its upright position, top and bottom adjustable compartments allowing the angler to customize to his or her needs, and a table on the inside of the lid. In addition, there are slots on the side of the box for other accessories. MSRP – $69.99
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This is just barely scratching the surface….will have WAY more new walleye and ice-fishing stuff coming your way soon-ish. Thanks much for reading!
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Friends of Target Walleye
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Who is Target Walleye
Target Walleye – walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jim Kalkofen, Jay Kumar, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!
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Brett McComas is the main man for Target Walleye 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 majored in marketing, only because there was no such thing as a “fishing degree” at the time…. Get him at brett@targetwalleye.com
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