Today’s Top 5
What’s your guess on the weight of that fish?? We thought it might be world record caliber, but it’s not…though it would have been a NY state record at 17 lbs and 32 inches. Netted by biologists in Ashokan Reservoir.
Snap-Rapping for walleye.
Open-water fishing with “ice-fishing jigs” (these baits were designed in Europe for open water!) ain’t all about the Rapala Jigging Rap. Here Al and James talk about using the Rapala Snap Rap and compare it to the Jigging Rap.
Lots of different ways to use this amazing technology, here’s what Al does:
> “You can set a Depth Highlight, which is the most important factor for me. Key in on the initial breakline the fish are using on the first dropoff edge, whether it’s weedline or just a natural breakline that rolls into deeper water, and you can stay spot-on all the time.”
> “In particular, it’s been a huge asset for fishing weedbeds where I want to lean in at certain points from deeper water and find funnel areas that hold fish….”
> For example, if the weed edge is in 15 feet of water, Al will set his Depth Highlight at 13 feet and key in plus or minus 2 feet to reveal areas of 11-15 feet where the bottom flattens out, forming a funnel going up on to the flat.
> “When you’re fishing shallow-water breaklines, fish will penetrate farther up into these funnel areas than you might expect. What you find is a living space that is much more extensive than the sharp breaks on the weedline. You’ll find groups of fish, not just a single here and there.”
How to catch bigger walleye.
Brian “Bro” Brosdahl in a radio interview:
> Most of the bigger walleyes tend to be on the best looking spot possible — the steepest break, saddles, access to deep water, near weedbeds. A lot of the fish in [Minnesota] are weedbed dwellers. The biggest of the big walleyes love vegetation.
> Fatty forages like tullibee, shiner minnows and perch are very important to grow big walleye. Insects and crawfish just help them make it through.
> Big walleyes like creek chubs, red tails — if you can’t get any of that, sucker minnows will work just fine, but they want a big bait. Many times in tournaments, we are pulling 6+ inch minnows. Big leeches are expensive and harder to find, but can be extremely effective.
We call this the “sand-eye”…
…not sure if related to the sand worm…
…which for sure are real, according to this Kevin Bacon documentary:
Funny movie if you haven’t seen it yet….
News
1. WY: Spearfishing tourney allows walleyes.
Spearfishing for freshwater game fish is news to us.
> …rod and reel anglers are allowed to keep six walleye, while spearfishermen are allowed only two.
2. MN: Mille Lacs had 1/3 average…
…fishing pressure in May. No one is surprised what with the fishermen can only keep a quarter of a walleye rule…lol.
> A multi-colored jig tipped with a shiner minnow worked the best, but the key was the color of the jig. A stand up 1/8- to 1/4- ounce jig with a combination of yellow, orange and blue worked great, but we also caught fish on a green and white oddball jig.
> Fathead minnows seem to work and are abundant with most bait dealers. Walleyes were also caught this week by pulling spinners with either a leech or a crawler.
4. MN studying muskie pops/genetics.
5. MB: Walleye diets in Lake Winnipeg.
> Walleye and sauger diets in the South Basin had more diverse species composition, whereas in the North Basin, the diet consisted almost entirely of the introduced rainbow smelt (as well as troutperch (Percopsis omiscomaycus) for sauger). Some seasonal variation was also documented and found to be attribu to the emergence of young-of-year fish and mayfly larvae.
> The predominant incorporation of the abundant and large rainbow smelt in the diets of walleye and sauger in the North Basin may lead to increased growth and condition of fish in this basin.
6. WI: The good and bad of tournaments.
Question after reading it: Is it better to keep tournament-caught walleye, especially ones that look like they may not make it, or release them all? Give us your opinion here on Facebook.
7. ND: Devils Lake ‘eyes on fire.
> “Water temperatures finally hit 65 degrees and the fish are biting like crazy.” The action is widespread…from back bays to windblown banks and main-lake structure.
> “You can pretty much fish any presentation you want to and catch walleyes. Slip-bobbering, casting crankbaits, jigging and trolling are all producing fish.”
…that people are coming over from Europe to sample it:
Who needs zander!
9. IA: Walleye club looking for kids to take fishing.
10. ON: Locals vs govt at Nipissing.
1. MN: Leech Lake NWT now underway!
2. ND: Devils Lake Fishing Tournament June 26-28.
Some tips for fishing the Devils Lake derby:
> TV host and guide Jason Mitchell: His guides and their clients locate numbers and quality walleyes over deep rocks, flooded timber, shallow weeds and a variety of locations during this period. “What is really cool is that no matter how you like to fish, you can find a good pattern that fits what you like to do.”
> “If I were to fish it, I would target shallow weedbeds or possibly flooded timber in less than 6 feet.” He would cast Berkley Ripple shads, Impulse paddle tails or Kalin’s Sizmic shads (all plastic on jigs) or Salmo 8F crankbaits in perch pattern and shallow Shad Raps in sizes 7 and 8.
> A Devils Lake guide who always seems to be on the move to locate walleyes, Jason Feldner, said, “Be mobile. Keep rotating through spots until the big walleyes show themselves. I would fish shallow weeds with slip bobbers, and cast jigs and cranks all day.”
GREAT places to fish – check ’em out!
‘Eye Candy
Target Walleye’s own Jim Kalkofen is on Leech Lake this week fishing the NWT event — looks like he found at least one hahaha!
Tip of the Day
If your fish haven’t all made it out to their summer spots yet:
> …understanding the spring migration is a lot easier if you keep two things in mind. The first to remember is where you’ve been catching the fish since the season opened…. The second is where you normally catch them in the middle of the summer. …right now you’ll find the walleyes somewhere in between.
> To…pinpoint your best options, grab your lake contour map and start by highlighting where the walleyes spawned and where you’ve been catching them. Next, circle your favorite summer hangouts — the places you either catch walleyes in late June, July and August or would anticipate doing so.
Quote of the Day
We keep state records on five types of redhorse alone….
– Mike Kurre talking, who coordinates the state record fish program for the MN DNR. Who knew there were 5 types of redhorse sucker?
Shot of the Day
Pic and caption say it all — get out there and fish folks!
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