Here she is, a 36-inch-long, 18-inch-around, 16-lb 3-oz golden ham hock, caught by Bob Walker from the Pembina River in Alberta:
> It doesn’t seem important to the average person, but the size of the fish could help draw potential tourists to the area in hopes of breaking that provincial record.
> Fishing tourism in Alberta is a primary focus for the province, as the amount of lakes, rivers, and streams are in the thousands.
Sounds like a good road trip….
33.25″ West Virginia walleye!
That’s right, West Virginia! Joel Miller caught this 33.25″ specimen in an unnamed river while musky fishing — with a 14″ [!!] glide bait. Fish was released.
West Virginia! Even Batman was surprised:
More 30-pluses.
Have to show ’em:
Niko L. nailed this 33 in Quebec from the bank. Nice!
A 30 (11.4 lbs) caught by Brian at the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers, jigging with a fat head…minnow (haha!):
Another 30, this time from NE. Caught by Philip K with a Northland Rock-It Jig:
Most-used blade colors…
…according to Mepps. Which ones would you add? Get on Facebook and let us know.
When you can lip a perch like a bass, then….
News
Jason Kopf and Roger Riggs won with a huge 47.03-lb bag of five — wow!
Btw, Jason Plant and Rod Weaver won the Team of the Year.
Dave Kolb and Rob Hoover, 29.80 lbs:
3. CN tournament updates.
4. Rapala Take a Kid Fishin’ photo contest.
5. TN: Lights out ‘eye fishing on Watauga.
> “It’s crazy when you’re turning 5-pounders loose because the ones you’re catching are so big….”
6. MN: How to fish Leech Lake.
Sounds like 8-oz (??) jigs tipped with minnows and “wherever the wind is blowing in.”
7. MN: Pike management by zone?
8. Karl Kalonka likes color contrasts…
…in jigs:
9. MN: Upper St. Anthony L&D to close.
To stop invasive carp.
10. Rapala Father’s Day gift guide!
11. NS: New Halifax Cabela’s store coming.
> Great mix of slot walleyes and limits of walleye and saugers. Some anglers are headed across the lake to Stony, Garden, Knight, and Bridges Islands anchoring and jigging with a frozen shiner 19-21 feet. Those staying close are hitting up Lighthouse Gap 16-25, Morris wash-out 14-22, Graceton Beach 24-27, Zippel Rock 19-23, Long Point to Gull Rock Reef 20-28. On windier days all locations are great for pulling crawler harnesses and spinners. Hot colors are gold, pink and white.
> On the Rainy River, move in toward shorelines, 14-16 feet. Jigging with a shiner, using gold, green, and orange. Fish the mud flats by Wabanica, the International Bridge, the windsock by the resorts, or east between Timbermill Park and Clementson.
> Up at the NW Angle, awesome fishing continues. Walleyes are moving a little deeper in the 18-22 foot range near Crow Duck, Little Oak and Oak Islands. Sticking with the same bright colors jigging with a minnow is the way to go. Pike and smallmouths have been active with flashy spoons near shallow bays. Fish full of insect larvae. Starting to relate to reefs, about 1 week ahead of schedule.
Events
Leech Lake, June 13.
Make sure you fish these places!
‘Eye Candy
Instagram user @jdavis5__ working his biceps with this 16-lber. This 32-inch HogZilla fell for a cinnamon tiger Reef Runner pulled through Lake Erie.
Awesome catch!
Tip of the Day
Quick good practical tip:
> A consistent wind direction allows the lake to form residual surface and sub-surface current paths that offer eddy pockets that focus higher densities of [plankton], the food source for the favorite forage of walleye – emerald shiners, smelt and alewives. These forage then all hang out to feed there. Find those magical eddy current places and you also find the walleye there in big numbers.
> The eddy current locations are a function of wind direction. [For example]…with a southwest wind…there is a normal eddy current established on the downwind side of all the major points and undulating underwater peninsulas along the Lake Erie shoreline.
Quote of the Day
Save a walleye, eat a rock bass!
– MN’s Walleyedan talking about only keeping enough ‘eyes for dinner. Jimmy Lindner agrees:
Shot of the Day
This can happen when you’re walleye fishing, but with 4-lb test?? Great 40-POUND mammoth Canadian Master Angler pike:
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Joel Miller
June 12, 2015 at 1:41 am
Wow. I’m very honored to have made this article. Never thought I’d be holding a walleye of that caliber. This experience has had me playing with ideas in my mind on how to consistently catch these fish. In this river, you don’t catch a whole bunch of them, but when you do catch one, it’s a big one. I cannot leave my passion for muskies behind, but I am taking a musky angler’s perspective at walleye fishing after this. I will have a “backup rod” with some gear I’m thinking about tossing in when I come across a hole that I know has some giant walleyes in it as well.