Today’s Top 5
Walruses of the week!
TW fan Curt Hoffbeck cracked this 12-lb 14-oz tusk-less walrus on a Rapala Ultra Light Rippin’ Rap (pink tiger UV). Said he was, “downsizing lures to try and get a couple more eaters for the fish fry.” Guess that thing’s worth going hungry for:
Record burbot caught on video.
Sebastien Roy just smashed the Ontario burbot record while fishing on Lake Simcoe — fish weighed 17.95-lbs (39″) and had a cow-sized kisser:
James Holst: Rigging set lines.
Set lines (tip-ups, rattle reels, deadsticks, etc) account for a ton of bites, but can be tough to convert. Most of those misses are caused by the hook points burying back into the minnow when the walleye has the bait in its mouth.
Won’t have that problem with a VMC SureSet Treble. They’ve got a third treble with a much larger shank, which keeps the other hook points clear of the minnow. You’ve probably seen ’em before, but have you ever tried ’em?
How Gerald Swindle really feels about ice fishing.
> “I hear a rumor, somebodies turned over Viagra in y’alls water and it’s hard. Y’all cut holes in it, put your bobber in it. When we get ice at home, we wreck…buy bread. I don’t get it. Sit in a hut. Build a fire on ice…that’s the first thing that don’t make any sense to me. And drop your crickets straight down…come on guys.”
But G-Man: Think about how many of your Dude Wipes you could sell to the permanent fish houses guys staying out days on end….
Is it called a “goose egg,” or “getting skunked?”
TW fan Brent Meyers came across this hardwater honker while ice fishing on Lake Diefenbaker, SK. Would have to say that throwing up the “goose egg” now sounds better than getting “skunked” on the ice:
News
Dangit. Carbon monoxide poisoning has taken 64 lives in Minnesota since 2011. Did you know that CO detectors have expiration dates? Us either…. Make sure yours is good to go or get a new one for $30. Either way always #crackawindow.
2. WI: Angler caught with 2,500+ panfish.
> “In his boat and house, authorities found 2,066 bluegills, 418 perch and 88 crappies. The possession limits are 50 for each species.
> “The DNR issued [him] seven citations for exceeding possession limits between 1989 and 2011.”
But he still had a fishing license? Now prosecutors are proposing that he be fined $10K…but get this: He told the warden that he’s been selling bags of fish for $5 in Chicago for over 20 years. He’s probably more than made the $$$ back to cover that fine. #RespectTheResource
3. MN: World’s largest chari ice derby tomorrow…
…on Gull Lake. Can expect 10,000+ people to fish for a chance at the $200K in prizes. So how do you drill enough holes for that many people? A bunch of volunteers + this pile of StrikeMaster augers = 20,000 holes in just a few hours:
> “There’s currently only three waters in the state [that they know of] where zebra mussels are present…it’s essential that efforts focus on containing the mussels at these waters and slowing their spread to additional water bodies.”
Make sure to let your neighbors over in MN know if you figure anything out….
7. WI: Winnebago sturgeon spearing chat.
DNR is hosting a live online chat (Tues, Jan 31) to answer Qs.
8. New Rapala clothing released.
Stuff looks sharp — here’s a few of our favs:
Fishing Reports
> A lot of fish are being caught in 29-31′ with rattling jigging spoons (glow red, chartreuse, pink and gold). There’s 20″+ of ice on the lake in most areas along with only 3-6″ of snow. Ice roads are allowing full sized vehicles.
> The Rainy River has had a great morning/evening bite, but there’s lots of slush on the ice right now. Know the river or use a resort or guide for safety. The snowmobile trail is staked from Wheeler’s Point to Baudette on the river.
> Great fishing continues up at the NW Angle. There’s 20+ inches of ice on ice roads traveled by resorts and they’re in good shape. Walleyes, saugers and perch are being caught in 21-29′, with the best colors being glow red, silver, pink, green and gold. On the Ontario side, good numbers of slab crappies are being caught in 28-34′.
Things are still rockin’ at Lake of the Woods — head up there and gitcha a 30″ bruiser like Kaylee’s from earlier this week. Hefty:
> We’re currently sitting with around 20″ of ice. The warmer weather/rain helped bring down the snow to make for better traveling conditions. All of our access points have been cleared again. ATVs with chains and pickups are getting around in some areas, but there’s still some areas with good snow drifts.
> Perch fishing’s been good. Focus on the basin areas in deeper water or fish in the submerged trees. With the very light bite we have been experiencing, it’s best to have an ultra-light rod and small blade baits, Genz worms, or tungsten jigs.
Great places to catch ’em!
Tip of the Day
Prime burbot time is just a few weeks away in the Midwest, so of course Target Walleye/Ice’s Brett McComas is getting a bit antsy pantsy. All the more reason to pick his brain on how/where he chases ‘pout. You can read the full article on TargetWalleye.com, but here’s a few excerpts:
> “Daylight: Cruise the basin looking for 40-60′ water near the deepest holes in the lake. These deep-water haunts may hold fish, but consider any fish caught to be a bonus. But pinpointing these areas makes it easier to predict and follow their evening migration.
> “Evening: Slide up towards the base of the dropoff where the basin meets the bottom of the break. These areas will look like classic walleye structure. This breakline bite is usually best the hour before and after sunset.
> “After dark: Gradually work your way into shallower water until you’re fishing on top of the hump/flat that levels off in 10-20′. Focus on fishing the very edge of the top of the flat before it breaks off into deeper water.
> “I prefer using jigging spoons that are 1/2 oz up to 1-1/8 oz depending on how deep we’re fishing. You want it to be heavy enough to allow you to pound the lake bottom, stirring things up and calling those nosy burbots in from a distance.
> “The brighter it glows, the better. I’ll usually reel up and recharge my bait about every 10-15 minutes.
> “Tip ’em with a pair of torn-in-half shiners…don’t be stingy on the minnows either: Pile ’em on and replace ’em often to make sure you’re getting as much scent into the water as possible.
> “Burbot primarily feed tight to bottom — they don’t mind picking their dinner right up off the lake floor. I like to pound bottom several time to stir things up, then lift my spoon 6-12″ off bottom and dance it in place for several seconds…then I’ll do a larger lift of the rod tip and let the bait crash back down into bottom.”
Good info, but when are you going to catch one as big as your wife’s?:
Quote of the Day
Buddy, he’s bigger than your leg…I’m not exaggerating.
– What Sebastien Roy said while hooked up with the ON record burbot. He for sure wasn’t kidding! The real question: Are you still going to get your deli meat from this place? Lol:
Today’s ‘Eye Candy
How b-e-a-utiful is THAT walleye! Love the colors — kind of a refreshing break from all of the greenback pics. Jason Rylander caught her somewhere up in Canada (eh?) on a 5/16-oz Custom Jigs & Spins Pro Glow Slender Spoon (blue glow tiger). Said it hit on the fall after the 3rd rip. #textbook
Sign up another ice-head!
Check this stuff out!
Who is Target Walleye/Ice?
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
TargetWalleye.com | Rapala.com | IceForce.com
