Last week we hit ya with some Qs with your 2026 NWT AOY Beau Schilling and got his top-producing setup of the year. 

Well, now we're rounding up the top 5 in NWT AOY with their best setups of the season and what they learned about chasing these golden critters.

Here's what put the most fish in the bag for #5 Dylan "newly-wed" Nussbaum:

> "I would say probably the biggest [fish catcher] was my go-to 4” Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ on a 3/8-oz VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig. That was probably #1.

> "I threw it at every single event. I will always have it in my boat – it's one of those deals that just works.

> "Whether it's bottom fish, suspended fish, river fish, it doesn't matter. It's just my go-to in any situation. It doesn't matter if it's 37° or 80° water temps.”

Q: What about that bait gives you so much confidence in it?

> "...ElaZtech is so key for a couple different reasons – it's indestructible, [and] it's buoyant. 

> "[The buoyancy] is a huge thing for me. Z-Man and I were doing a little bit of underwater footage with it. Pulling that thing across the bottom, when you slack line it, that thing will instantly float straight up like a Ned rig. When you're fishing for bottom fish, that's absolutely key.

> “Even when you're fishing for suspended fish, it just keeps that bait very [horizontal] and very supple in the water. It's just killer. It's a bait you can speed up and slow down to fit pretty much any situation.

> "Along with that, it's salt-infused and scented. In my opinion, I don't think there's a better minnow style bait out there."

Q: What's your go-to size and colors for that bait?

> "The 4" is pretty standard for me across the whole country. A 3.5" is probably my second option, and third would be the new 3". 

> "I usually like the smaller baits a lot more – it's a lot easier for them fish to inhale that bait and you get better hookups.

> "For color, #1 for me is 'perfect perch', #2 'bad shad', and #3 is 'pro yellow perch'. That's basically the 3 colors that you need anywhere in the country, any watercolor, any condition.” [pictured from top to bottom]

Q: Is there a reason you lean more on perch colors?

> "It's really just a confidence thing, and 'perfect perch' is a great imitation of a lot of different species."

Q: Why do you prefer that Moon Eye Jig?

> "It's a thin wire hook, which a lot of people are afraid of, but in my opinion, it's one of the best hookups. 

> "I catch little walleyes, giant walleyes and I never worry about the hook. And, it has probably one of the best bait keepers on it for a Z-Man. Once you get it up over that bait keeper on that thing, you're not ripping it back off. It's basically superglued on.

> "3/8 oz is my standard. 30 feet [deep] is where I'll start going a little bit heavier – 1/2-oz jigs. If it's really windy, really nasty, they're 30 feet or deeper, I'll even jump up to a 3/4-oz.

> "If I have to jump up to a 3/4-oz, I'll still use a Moon Eye or use a VMC RedLine Series Tungsten Swimabit Jig – it's a lot smaller and gets down there a little bit better.”

Q: You're a big Jerk ShadZ guy. How specific is that setup for you?

> "Honestly, I've been running the same exact setup for probably at least 3 years other than the rod. 

> "For the most part it's 10-lb Sufix 832 [braid], a 6-10' leader of 10-lb fluorocarbon and a 6' 8" to 6' 9" medium, fast-action rod – this year a 6' 9" 13 Fishing Myth [Spinning] Rod with a 2000-size spinning reel. That's kind of the go-to thing.”

Q: Why the shorter rod instead of something like a 7' 6"?

> "It's more about the balance and comfort of the rod. 

> "With that Myth – 6' 9" – and with that 2000-size spinning reel, it's just the perfect balance and the most comfortable for me.

> "Action-wise, I think it's just about perfect for working the Jerk ShadZ. As for fighting the fish, there's plenty of backbone in it, and there's still a lot of give to that rod for fighting those fish too.”

Dylan’s Jerk ShadZ setup from top to bottom:

> 4" Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ, 3/8-oz VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig, 10-lb fluoro leader, 10-lb Sufix 832 braid, 2000-size spinning reel, 6' 9" MF 13 Fishing Myth Spinning Rod.

Couple other setups he keeps on deck:

> "#2 would have probably had to have been just a jig and a crawler on a VMC tungsten jig, and last would probably be the jerkbait. I would say those 3 were kind of my go-tos for the season.

> "The Rapala Deep Mavrik was one of the players just to get fish fired up that were not very aggressive.”

Chat, is this tough...

...is probably what was going thru Dylan's head when he took this pic! 🤣 But I would say yes, yes it is. 😤

Dylan also is a great teacher and the dude shares some serious intel thru his new baby, Walleye Academy, so we couldn't let him go without asking a few Qs on things he's learned in the 2026 season.

Here's 3 more Q's with him:

1. What was the biggest thing you learned about walleye behavior this year?

> "I don't know if I had any crazy breakthroughs this year about walleye behavior. I would say the biggest thing for me was just fine-tuning exactly what those fish are doing.

> "Say that fish turns [on LiveScope]...just dialing in and trying to figure out exactly what move to do next and what the walleyes want. That was probably the biggest thing.

> "In the past 3 or 4 years, I've had a lot of big breakthroughs every season where it was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is exactly what these walleyes are doing on this body of water and how they're setting up.

> "This year, I would say it was just fine-tuning those presentations to give those walleyes exactly what they want."

2. Do those "Oh my gosh" moments just come from watching how fish react on LiveScope?"

> "Exactly. You have 1,000 scenarios where you catch a walleye or trigger them, and after those 1,000 times you just start to learn, 'When they do this, this is what you have to do.

> "That is so crucial when you're competing on the NWT. You can't be burning any fish. You've got to make adjustments in a split second to get some of these fish in the boat."

3. On the bass side, we're seeing some "strange" techniques take off right now. Do you see walleye fishing eventually moving toward more off-the-wall techniques?

> "100%. Especially if we are going to have artificial-only for the national walleye series. That's not set in stone or anything yet, but it's a topic that's been brought up.

> "I think you're going to start seeing some pretty crazy stuff. Over the years you definitely see techniques that stand out, and it's nothing crazy like the Coike-style stuff yet. But I think we're going to get there.

> "This past year, and even the past 2 years, the craze has just been a jig and a crawler. Everyone feels like that's what you've got to be throwing – and it works.

> "But is that going to change? I think it is. I think you're going to start seeing some cooler stuff come out for sure, especially if we get into more artificial-only fishing."

Semi-related side note:

Dylan got on a killer bite during his prefish for the Lake Erie NWT while throwing Z-Man Fuzzy BugZ on 1/4‑ and 3/8-oz VMC Neon Moon Eye Jigs. Said the bait excelled in extremely dirty “chocolate milk” water, with only 3 to 6 inches of visibility, where "its buoyancy and profile helped trigger reaction bites."

But his fuzzy program had to be put back in the vault thanks to 35+ mph south winds and near surf-able waves come game day. 😢

Then he busted out ol’ trusty: a Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ (pro yellow perch) and went on to bring in the heaviest 5-fish bag of the tournament at 48 lbs 3 ozs and finish in 2nd place on the big stage. Amazing.

BUT let this be a little reminder to think outside the walleye box. There’s a lot more crossover in bass vs walleye techniques than folks realize. It wasn’t that long ago when folks would think you were crazy for throwing a Ned rig for walleyes on purpose....

- That's the GOAT 🐐, Al Lindner, in a Lindner's Angling Edge YT vid chasing fall walleyes during the fall turnover.

Folks, it's cooling off which means the fall feedbag is about to go down. So what better way to celebrate the upcoming bite than some info from Al for when the fall transition is officially on!

> "There's another movement of fish in fall...where you get a lot of walleyes coming up shallow again, and ironically, some of them that were suspended start going in on those deeper structures.

> "After that thermocline breaks, a lot of those walleyes start going down to structure. They start bunching up together, and that's why you can get so many fish in one spot at one time.

> "You don't see as many suspended fish in that water after the thermocline. Prior to that, you had a lot of big suspended walleyes scattered out in the middle of nowhere.

> "At the same time that this is happening, we could go out on these deeper structures on this lake with a Jigging Rap and fish 25-40' of water and be catching walleyes – and yes, an occasional pike on a Jigging Rap in that deep water."

And a little bonus intel from the vid:

> "If you have the choice to fish a lake with many islands, that can be a good option. You can tuck behind them for protection navigating out or in, and many times you’ll get wind-current flushes between them, drawing in fish.

> "Then again, sometimes the fish are in the teeth of the wind and you just have to roll up your sleeves."

And you KNOW Al means business when the sleeves are rolled up!

And I’m not talking about these kind of turn-overs:

We’re talking what happens when water temps start to drop in the fall. Obviously we still got a bit of “hurry up and wait” to do...but trying to prep ya! Info is from this throwback Rick Olson write-up. 

> As water temps reach their summer high, a layering process occurs...an upper warmer layer and a lower cooler layer – separated by a quickly changing narrow band known as the thermocline.

> This deeper, cooler, bottom layer can quickly become totally void of oxygen.... ...dead water can be a complete waste of time. ...concentrate your efforts at the thermocline and shallower.

> Fish-finders display density of objects.... The upper warmer layer is less dense than the cooler bottom layer – it’s this change in density that will show up on a graph...looks like a constant narrow band.

> Some lakes are so shallow and windswept that they may never thermocline, like Mille Lacs.... The big lake circulates every time you get a decent wind, and the temperature remains relatively consistent from top to bottom....

> It’s not just the fact that a lake will turn over that causes tough fishing conditions...more likely due to the rapidly-dropping water temps. The body temp of a fish is subject to its environment – rapid changes in water temp can shut fish down...it may take some time for their body to adjust.

> The turnover usually coincides with the first hard frost of fall, but not always. Some years the change is so gradual that it becomes difficult to pin down. One of the indicators to look for is water temperature.

> When surface temps drop into the lower 60s and upper 50s, you can figure you’re in the turnover zone. Walleye activity can range from bad to good depending on how quickly water temps cool off. A gradual slide can make for better fishing....

> Another option, would be avoiding the negative effects of the turnover by trying to find a lake that hasn’t turned yet, or one that already has and had a week or 2 to settle down. The first ones to go are the shallow lakes as they have less mass and cool quicker.... There may be as much as 2 weeks difference – or more – as to when it all begins and ends.

> Typically you can still find walleyes sticking to deeper summer patterns, but on certain bodies of water there is also a move to shallow water and is where you can expect to find the largest number of active fish.

> The move to shallow water will depend on how much good shallow-water cover is available (shallow weed-choked bays, rocky bars/reefs, as well as larger weed flats). The food [baitfish] that has been hiding out in shallow cover is now getting pushed out into the open where it becomes extremely vulnerable. It’s the very reason why walleyes can be found up tributaries on big reservoirs, schooled up on shallow rocky reefs in natural lakes, or running the edge of weedy flats.

Ever get dialed on walleye (or anything that swims), go out the next day knowing you're gonna whack 'em and the bite just disappears? Without a big weather change.

We can throw around all kinds of “reasons”, but what’s really happening? Here’s one possible explanation, from a good In-Fisherman post by Dan O’Sullivan with help from Hook n’ Look's Kim Stricker).

After a day of catching smallmouth on Lake Champlain, NY, Kim went back to the same spot the next day and didn't catch any. He put on his scuba gear and took his underwater camera to see what was going on.

> [Kim] and his son Danny found that the water had [divided into layers] differently in the area than it had the day prior. On the 1st day the water was evenly mixed with turbidity and fertile aspects that were visible to the [men] and the camera lens. 

> On the 2nd day, the water several feet up from the bottom was crystal clear, and much cooler, while the turbid, warmer water was elevated off the bottom.

> In this case, the wind drove cooler water into the area, and because cooler water is more dense than warm water, it sunk to the bottom – forcing the fertile warmer water towards the surface.

> [What Kim] found was that the fish tend to follow the warmer water upwards....

On Hook n' Look's YouTube video, these new layers of water are even visible on camera.

The cooler, new water is on the bottom, and the warmer, cloudy/nutrient water is on top:

> "That’s why these fish moved out. This pattern-alternating phenomenon we’re experiencing is caused by [the seiche effect] – the result of sustained winds and wave movement blowing across a large body of water out of the same direction for several days.

> "[Going down to] 15-17', the water temperature had abruptly dropped 10 degrees. And the visibility at that depth became crystal clear. The layer of warmer more-fertile water loomed directly above.

> "It appeared that the cold water was upwelling from the deep, compressing the warmer fertile upper layer, in turn directly pushing the bass and baitfish shallower within their comfort zone."

What’s this mean for walleye fishing? Well for me, it might explain why those spots I found prefishing were absolutely loaded the day before the tournament, and then completely empty the next day even though the weather/wind was identical to the couple days prior. Or why big schools of bait with walleye around ‘em move around and change depth so much.

So how do you combat this? 😅 If you figure it out let me know. But maybe it’s one reason why those spots with deep-water access close are so good. Lets walleye slide up and down, and not have to completely vacate an area when the water starts changing.

Just looking higher in the water column or right on that thermocline in the same areas can also be the ticket. If the water's got baitfish high and moving, that's where the big predatory ‘eyes are going to be too. But they can also ride that thermocline and use that change in water clarity to ambush bait. Just speculating of course....

Last year – the day beofre our local walleye league’s end-of-year championship – I had found a huge school of walleyes up in about 8-14’ on the weededge in a big corner. The weather and wind direction was going to be identical for the next 24 hours so I thought for sure we’d pop in there and fill our limit quickly. But of course they were gone....

I wasted a ton of time poking around even shallower on top of the flat thinking maybe they had slid up, but just found some hungry bass hahah. Ended up spotting pods of walleye that had slid down off the bottom edge of the break into that 25-30’ range. What was once a single, big school of probably 100+ walleyes was now little groups of 3-4 fish all scattered around and roaming that basin edge.

Interestingly enough, I came back to the same spot about 4 hours later in the day once the sun finally poked back out...and then all of the little pods of deep fish had grouped back up in that shallower 8-14’ stuff.

My whole life I was told that walleyes will be up shallow and aggressive at low light, mornings and evenings...then push out deeper during the daytime or when the sun comes out...but what I’ve been seeing lately on these central-MN lakes is the exact opposite. 🤷‍♂️

So were those fish looking for cooler water then? No idea if any of this is even related...I’m basically just spewing a bunch of thoughts and observations out, trying to piece together this walleye fishing puzzle that we will never 100% be able to solve – but that’s also why I love it so dang much.

1. MN: Cass Lake MWC happening Sept 18-19

Season finale and 'Team of the Year' showdown.

2. MN: Champions Tour walleye event is Sept 22

The Classic Bass Champions Tour will be running a catch-weigh-release format WALLEYE tournament on Gull Lake (in the Brainerd Lakes Area) on Tues, Sept 22.

This tournament is a catch-weigh-release format where every fish over 2 lbs counts towards the total weight, and all fish are recorded by a boat marshal via their Reel LiveWell App. The top-finishing individual will take home $15K!

The field will be capped at 50 boats. Registration is open right here, and you can snoop thru the walleye rules towards the bottom of this page.

See you there! 👊

3. ND: Lewis & Clark Big 10 Showdown, Sept 25-26

On Lake Sakakawea.

4. MN: Safelite Legacy Challenge, Lake Vermilion, Sept 26

2nd-annual derby with a $15K payday to 1st. Proceeds from this non-profit event produced by The CAG Foundation are donated to organizations that uplift, educate, and improve the lives of area kids. 🙌

5. MN: Walleye Alliance Fall Classic is Sept 26

On Pelican Lake just north of Brainerd. They’re doing a guaranteed $5K to 1st place again this year! It’s a $400 team entry fee and they’re capping it at 70 boats.

Such a fun, well-ran event by a team of folks who work their tails off to better walleye fishing in the Brainerd Lakes Area.

6. ND: World Walleye Championship, Oct 1-3

The stacked field will be hitting Devils Lake.

7. MB: Red River Greenback Classic is Oct 2

19th-annual derby on the Red River with hundreds of folks registering their single biggest fish of the day for a chance at thousands of $$$ in prizes. I can’t wait to see the biggest “greenback” walleyes that come in!

8. SK: $150K Vanity Cup happening Oct 3-4

I’m surprised we don’t see more US teams road-tripping up to this Tobin Lake derby for a crack at the $150K payday! 🤑

9. MN: Fishing to End Hunger charity derby is Oct 3

Already filled up with 120 boats and 9 teams on the waiting list 😳 for this Gull Lake (Nisswa) derby with folks trying to fish their way into a top-15 finish for their slice of the $36K pie.

This fishing tournament is about two things: Walleyes of course, and raising donations to support The Outreach Program of Brainerd Lakes:

> Outreach BLA provides meals to soup kitchens, food shelves, community meal programs, shelters, churches and wherever there is a need for food. No child – regardless of age –should be worried about where their next meal is coming from. ...80-90% of the meals they package will be distributed in MN. The remaining 10-20% will be used for disaster relief and/or international distribution.

> They buy ingredients in bulk, package them with community volunteers and distribute them for FREE to area food shelves, community meal programs, shelters, mobile meal distributions, school backpack programs, take-one-need-one carts, etc.

A local company, National Conductor, has issued an incredible fundraising match challenge again this year: For every dollar the fishermen/fisherwomen raise, National Conductor will match it up to $20K = incredible! 🙌 

Team Target Walleye (here’s our fundraising page) will be out there chasin' some gold ones – hope to see ya there!

10. MT Glendive Walleye Tournament, Oct 3

11. IA: Clear Lake Fall Fishing Classic, Oct 4

12. MB: Pine Falls Walleye Challenge is Oct 10-11

Brand new derb for '26 on the Winnipeg River downstream of Powerview dam.

13. Lake Erie: ‘The Walleye Derby’ kicks off Oct 16 🆕

A brand‑new fall walleye tournament on Lake Erie: The Walleye Derby. Craig Lewis (Erie Outfitters) and Brian Zarembski (Erie Marine Sales) were both part of the original Walleye Fall Brawl before it was sold, and together built the Walleye Slam over the past five years. After stepping away from the Slam, they are launching one final, flagship event – The Walleye Derby – built on everything they’ve learned from running two of the biggest derbies on Lake Erie.

> We wanted more than another weekend event. We wanted a Lake Erie fishing tournament that gives you more time on the water, more chances to catch a trophy walleye, and more opportunities to make memories with the people who make every fishing trip worth it. Whether you're casting from shore, fishing from a kayak, or chasing giants from your boat, this is your chance to write the next great fish story.

Costs just $40 to enter and can fish anytime from Oct 16 at 12:01 am thru Nov 29 at 11:00 am on US Lake Erie Waters. Massive prizes with a huge twist. 🤑

> The Walleye Derby is raising the stakes on Lake Erie this fall by offering 2 equally valued boat packages (Warrior Boats V238 and Caymas DV 22) for the 1st AND 2nd place anglers in our derby. 

> But here’s the kicker, both 1st and 2nd place will have the option to cash out for $100K.

> You gotta be registered [here] by Oct 15th at 11:59 PM to be eligible to compete. Clock is ticking.

14. OH: The "Walleye Slam" kicks off Oct 17

15. OH: The "Fall Brawl" kicks off Oct 17

16. MT: Yellowstone River Rats, Oct 17

17. MB: Selkirk Walleye Championship is Oct 17-18

On the Red River. Catch-photo-release format, 2-person teams, with a 5-fish bag of their longest walleyes each day. Believe it’s $12K to 1st place if they fill up.

Brosdahl: The summer-to-fall walleye migration

We’re not quite to true fall fishing here yet, but summer is starting to slip away. Brian “Bro” Brosdahl talked about the fall walleye migration in a MidWest Outdoors collab, droppin’ a few fishy excerpts below:

> Water temps determine most of the long-term patterns in lakes...summer patterns will hold as long as the surface temps remain above 70 degrees.

> When the real fall cool-down begins, summer patterns fall apart pretty quickly and the fish start their fall migrations and put on the feedbag to get ready for winter.

> Minnows and small fish gather in larger schools and make their way into deeper water. Their main defense...when they move deep…is to travel in large schools, so they can ‘hope’ somebody else gets eaten instead of them.

> Where walleyes go and what they do depends largely on the type of lake they live in, and what options they have for habitat. Access to deep water is a critical aspect of fall/winter locations for most species of fish.

> ...walleyes in large shallow lakes that don’t experience thermocline during the summer will often move towards the shallows in the fall.

> Walleyes in deep lakes usually move into deeper water in the fall, using complex structures that can provide all of their needs when the lakes eventually ice over for the winter.

> ...I like to concentrate on the big shallow lakes early in the fall, and then move to the deep lakes later in the fall, when the water temps cool into the 50s.

“Fish a metro lake... It'll be fun, they said....”

- That's Lake Minnetonka, MN guide Jonah talking about turning his boat trailer into a combine harvester lol. #woof

WARNING: You are now entering arguably the best fishing of the season.... So get your life right, John! 🤣

But when you do eventually store your boat for the winter, don’t forget to use Sea Foam! Their Marine PRO product is designed just for marine engines – cleans and lubricates your motor, helps prevent corrosion caused by ethanol and water, and stabilizes tank fuel up to 2 years!!

If you can’t find Marine PRO near you, original Sea Foam still works great in ’em to dissolve fuel residues AND for fuel stabilization. May be the #1 automotive additive in the US, but it was originally invented for outboard motors.

This is either good or terrible news, depending just how crazy you are. 😅

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026