Target Walleye/Ice email

Ridiculous 18-lb walleye, Strange catches, ND peacock perch

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Everybody welcome Sea Foam to Target Walleye/Ice! They make the #1 automotive additive in the U.S. Was actually invented for outboard motors and still works great in ’em (video) to dissolve fuel residues AND for fuel stabilization.

We’ve been using it for years and of course put a zillion hard miles on everything we use. Big thanks to Sea Foam for keeping us running smooth! They’ve got a rebate going on, check it out right here.

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Today’s Top 4

18-lb walleye caught on the Bay of Quinte!

For sure one of biggest (if not THE biggest?) walleye ever plucked through a hole in the ice. This freak o’ nature measured 33″ x 21.5″ and weighed a stout 18.5 lbs! Brace yourselves:

Few deets from the guy who caught it:

> Fish was caught in Big Bay [Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario] on a 1/2-oz ACME Kastmaster. I doctor them up by putting red prism tape on one side and silver prism tape on the other…also add a larger treble hook.

> My normal strategy is to run-and-gun [on an ATV]…pop a hole and if I don’t have a solid hit after 30 min or so I move to a new spot. I [ice] fish pretty low tech…no fish finder or camera. I have a GPS so I punch in waypoints when I catch or lose a fish.

> I just keep moving and hope I drop my lure in front of one that’ll bite. This guy hit in the 3rd hole I cut at about 8:30am…was the only bite I had all morning [besides] a jumbo perch. This is actually only the 3rd [walleye I’ve caught this] ice-fishing season. Previous two were small eaters.

> Over the years I’ve caught a lot of fish in the 8- to 10-lb category and honestly this guy didn’t fight any harder than those…made a couple of runs against the drag…getting his head in the 8″ hole was the toughest part.

> When I laid him on the ice I knew it was probably the biggest walleye of my life. Had no scale or tape measure with me, but I suspected it was over 14 lbs. I normally put these big girls back but since I was pretty certain she was my new PB, I decided to keep her for the wall.

> When I got home and measured/weighed her I was in shock. I thought 17- to 18-lb walleyes were only a myth…never dreamt I’d catch one myself.

You know a fish is stupidly-big when you’ve gotta throw in a support arm on the hold:

Congrats on the fish of 10 lifetimes man! WOW!!

Devils Lake has peacock bass?

Looks like it when you see how freakin’ big some of their jumbo perch are. Waited a long time to get into perch-zillas of this caliber…guess I should’ve made the road-trip to Devils Lake sooner!

Not a big braid guy on ice, but the 4-lb Frost Ice Braid and an Ice Team Professional Series Zippy Dahl rod was one heck of a duo for detecting light bites in 38-40′. This slob inhaled the big 1/8-oz Clam Drop Jig XL tipped with a pair of waxies:

The interwebz Photoshop “fish police” are gonna love that one….

No it’s not “Photoshopped.” But yes it is a rather-generous hold (lol) on a quality jumbo. Semi-easy to hide your hand behind a fish that’s dang near 5″ deep from belly-to-back.

Evidence room exhibit-1a for the non-believers:

We had a pile of fish in the 12-13″ range that day, a few over 14″, and a couple of crazy-THIQUE ones that were pushin’ 2 lbs.

Check this one Steve “Zippy” Dahl is hoisting up — he even flashed a little skin (hand) so you can get your bearings — shot from IceFishingFIRST’s Tyler Mohr:

Things don’t even look real when they’re that big, but they are and now you know where to get ’em! Will be back soon-ish, but not soon enough.

Interesting snags of the week!

Either this Manitoba greenback is working on its third eye, or Jimmy Skyzebra caught himself a baby unicorn:

ND fishing guide Jerad Newgard caught a Cracker Jack box walleye outta 21′ on Devils Lake, ND that had a frog in its belly. #PrizeInside

Good thing those Jason Mitchell Meat Sticks have soft tips, else Adam Jarnagin wouldn’t have seen/felt this merp crappie [!] “mouth” the bait:

Bret “T-Bone” Amundson of Prairie Sportsman caught this paunchy Lake of the Woods, MN burbot using a balloon full of helium:

Obviously kiddin’ on the bait (lol). Don’t know what he caught it on, but do know that Lake of the Woods grows ’em fat and juicy. Crazy ’nuff 5 of the last 7 state record burbs (since 1980) have come from the same water.

Brent Getzler’s current record (caught last Dec) came on a deadstick in about 26′ north of Pine Island. Here’s what 19.67-lbs of belly-draggin’ horsepower looks like:

The DNR assistant fisheries manager happened to stop by the grocery store at the same time Getzler was having that fish weighed on a certified scale. He also happened to stop by the grocery store back in Feb 2012 when the last record burbot was weighed. Quite the cowinky-dink:

Super Bowl ice-fishing shenanigans.

Probably know by now that the Super Bowl is happenin’ this Sunday in Minnesota — without the *cough* Vikings *cough*. Sensitive subject ’round here. Doesn’t matter who you’re cheering for, we’re all winners when football meets ice fishing….

No surprise Rapala is participating in stye: They teamed up with WCCO-TV to celebrate the big game with the MinneCentric Rooftop Experience, a charity event that turned a downtown Minneapolis rooftop into an ice-fishing village. Complete with:

> “An ice bar, curling sheet, warming house and — most importantly — an icehouse studio stocked with live perch, northern pike, trout and panfish ready to be reeled through the ice by visiting celebrities, pro athletes and notable media personalities.”

Check it:

It’s giving out-of-towners a glimpse at just how nutso us ice-heads really are, but more importantly it’s raising money for Twin Cities charity Athletes Committed to Educating Students (ACES). Every fish caught triggers a donation. #Stout

They’ve had more big names come through than you can imagine, but if it came down to a fish-off our money would be on this pair:

News

1. MN: Walleye advisory committee wants 4-fish limit.

Instead of the current 6-fish limit that’s been in place since 1956:

> Tom Neustrom: “It’s time to talk about more than catching a big meal. Let’s go beyond that. What we have to do is conserve fishing in our state.”

Spot on, brotha!

2. MN: Guardian Anglers Memorial tourney.

Happenin’ on Mille Lacs tomorrow. A memorial event for Melissa and Zeth who went down on Upper Red Lake earlier this winter. RIP.

Cheap buy-in with some great prizes — including an Ice Castle Fish House — and proceeds go towards promoting ice safety in the north country. More info here.

3. NWT registration now open.

Fish against some of the best! #walkthewalk

4. If you think baseball > football…

…then you might wanna check these new Favorite MLB rods comin’ soon-ish:

They’ll have all 30 teams, but we heard the Detroit Tigers rod loses a lot…of fish…. (lol)

5. Knew Tundra Tackle had somethin’ up their sleeve….

That something is the new Painted Series of their water-activated LED FireFly Spoons. Pictured left to right: flamingo, smurf, kermit and frost. Check ’em:

Also added an “orange” and “chartreuse/yellow” to their original Gold Series FireFly Spoons. #GetLitGetBit

6. IA: Sewage spill makes Storm Lake ice unsafe?

> Repair work on Friday damaged a 24″ sewer line, allowing untreated wastewater to flow into a storm sewer that runs into Storm Lake…anglers encouraged to avoid the area. Fish should be safe to eat, but should be thoroughly rinsed off before cleaning.

Pizza it is!

7. ND: 2017 G&F violations new PB.

Had a record number of outdoorsy lawbreakers last year, makin’ all the rest of us look bad. C’mon people!

8. WI: Foxconn wants 7 mil gallons of water per day…

…pumped from Lake Michigan to its proposed LCD screen factory. I’m no hydrologist, but that seems aggressive.

9. Can now get Crystal Reaper hooks separately.

Same glow-resin treble hook that comes on the Vexan Crystal Reapers, but now you can add ’em to any of your fav baits. #Purtty

10. MI Gov proposes Great Lakes partnership…

…to block Asian carp.

In related-unrelated news: IL and LA are working to utilize Asian carp as food. Mmmm….

11. Will Pure Fishing start selling off brands?

Need a biz-talk translator for some of this, but here you go:

> Michael Polk, Newell Brands CEO, said: “This announcement is a significant acceleration in our transformation plan. We believe that exiting non-strategic assets, reducing complexity and focusing on our key consumer-focused brands will make us more effective at unlocking value and responding to the fast-changing retail environment.”

Now you know?

12. MO: Free ice-fishing clinic, Mozingo Lake, Feb 10.

That’s MO as in Missouri. Hope the ice holds on long enough for ’em.

13. MI: DNR looking for recruits…

…to attend Conservation Officer Recruit School:

> A 23-week training academy that is the first step in becoming a conservation officer. The app deadline is Mar 1.

14. DC: White House suspends “Clean Water Rule.”

Ever think there’d be a day you could drill a single hole and scan for fish 100′ away in any direction…? Us either (lol) but now you can with the Garmin Panoptix Ice Fishing Bundle.

Ain’t cheap, but can’t put a price on outfishing the snot outta your buddies. Lucky for you: we’re giving away (another!) one of their top-of-the-line $1,800 ice-fishing bundles!

Yup, this is real life!!! Just enter your email addy, then share the link you get for more chances to win. Good luck!

Tip of the Day

How Brent Long fishes Water Puppets.

That’s the Water Puppet from Someday Isle Tackle. Looks like this:

> I suggest a large crankbait snap on the jig and a swivel about 18″ above to prevent line twist. Mix and match different plastic tails (or minnows) on the back to change the look/action.

> You can make it 1) dart off the side of the hole and swing in a pendulum motion, 2) work it to swim in a figure-8 motion, or 3) the one I like the best: snap the jig up and let it fall on a slack line.

> Makes it dart off and fall in a different direction with each snap and drop. It’s really cool…takes practice but you can work it like a puppet lol.

Here’s an underwater look at what he’s talking about:

Meme of the Day

What’s better: Begging for forgiveness, or asking for permission?

So you’re tellin’ me there’s a chance? Better yet, go fishin’ together instead….

Today’s ‘Eye Candy

Don’t know how many BIG walters Marc Tremblay has caught on Yo-Zuri stickbaits, but do know it’s a rather significant amount! Awesome shot/fish, dude!!

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Who is Target Walleye/Ice
Target Walleye/Ice — walleye during open water and all species during hardwater — is brought to you by Al and Ron Lindner, Jim Kalkofen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-nuts like you! #fishheads
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 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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