Special Holiday Issue: Gotta Have Walleye/Ice Stuff

Heads up: This will be the only Target Walleye this week. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! Hope your day is filled with family, food and fishing…or at least fishing stories….

Heck, you might even be serving up walleye instead of turkey? Know this guy is:

Those ice-safety charts are great and all but they do ZERO good unless you actually know how thick the ice is = checking every step with a spud bar (aka ice chisel). Just because a spot had walkable ice yesterday, doesn’t mean it will have safe ice the next day, or later in the day when the wind picks up. When in doubt, give it a few extra days to thicken up.

Okay, now here we go!

1. Spoon feed ’em!

VMC Bull Spoon:

Rattle-bearing jigging spoons have taken over the tackle trays of most walleye-nuts, but don’t forget about those silent options when times get tough 👀 especially in clear zebra-mussel-infested water, during a cold-front or on heavily-pressured fish:

> A quick-sinking, minnow-shaped jigging lure, VMC’s new Bull Spoon falls with an erratic, fish-attracting wounded-baitfish action that will improve your odds of hooking up in your next outing on the ice – no matter what species of gamefish you’re targeting. Packing a mean punch in a compact package, it features a 3D holographic eye and an ultra-sharp VMC treble hook.

> IDO’s James Holst: “We absolutely smashed some really nice walleyes on prototype Bull Spoons last winter…. Not only do they give you that classic, wounded-baitfish action on the fall, but they also dart around this way and that with every movement of your rod tip when you’re fishing them. That action triggers aggressive strikes even from fish that you might normally expect to be a little negative and reluctant to bite.”

Comes in 16 colors and 3 sizes (1/16, 1/32 and 1/8 oz) to cover bluegills, perch, crappies and walleye. FishUSA has ’em in stock right now.

Clam Jointed Pinhead Pro Spoon:

It’s no secret how well jointed baits can work during the open-water season – gives the bait an extra little wobble – this was the first I had ever seen designed specifically for ice with a darting, dancing, injured-minnow profile. And that face-down design is for upward feeding fish:

Northland Glass Buck-Shot Spoon:

> “…constructed of a lead frame, features a high-pitched glass rattle and is entirely encased in a clear hard resin. The resin’s contact with the rattle transfers sonic vibrations to the exterior of the spoon triggering fish to strike. The exterior resin also looks like a natural, semi translucent baitfish while protecting the paint against scratches and chips.”

PK Lures PK Spoon:

I’ve said before and I’ll say it again: Every walleye fisherman/woman should AT BARE MINIMUM own a 3/8-oz PK Spoon in the “red dot glow” color. It’s that good – especially when fished aggressively 2-3′ of bottom. And I think that once you try it, you’ll be going back to snag more colors to play with.

> “Uniquely weighted to offer ultimate action and vibration. On the drop, the counter-weighted system gives these spoons an erratic action that triggers fish to strike.”

They also have a newer rattling version.

> The PK Rattle Spoon is truly a triple threat! Includes a loud brass rattle chamber that will stay on, attached #2 PK Wyoming Blade out of the packaging, and a silver or gold hologram on one side with a cool glow paint design on the other. Noise + flash + action.

Quick look at the front/back of 4 different color patterns:

Freedom Tackle Flash:

> The premium zinc, UV-coated body carries an Indiana blade mounted on the belly which swings loosely on the rise and fall to maximize both flash and vibration while creating the erratic action of a baitfish in trouble.

> Super-sharp black nickel treble hook. The through-wire construction transmits vibration throughout the bait and ties in an elongated bait keeper wire for adding a minnow head.

That way your minnow heads won’t fall off from jigging, and can sometimes catch multiple fish on the same minnow head = dropping back down faster when a pod is rolling thru:

2. Gettin’ jiggy with it

Na-na, na, na, na-na-na…. Na-na, na, na, na-na:

On your mark, ready, set, let’s go!

ACME Mick-E Tungsten Jig:

Has a silicone bill that creates a darting action almost like a glide bait:

Shimmies when jigged…darts, hops, glides and “dances through the water like a real water bug.” Durable ACME HD2 high-definition finishes in an array of colors, including glow, and comes in 3 sizes (size 2: #12 hook, size 3: #10 hook, size 5: #8 hook)

Lunkerhunt Straight Up Jig:

The colors and patterns on these things are amazing – they’re designed to “mimic baitfish better than any other vertical jig.” Great on pressured fish and big smart ones! The realistic patterns allow you to slow the bait way down when there’s a fish staring at it, without scaring ’em off:

Eagle Claw Arctic Tungsten Wide Gap Jig:

Because wide-gap hooks aren’t just for open-water:

> “We’ve curated an ice jig with the proven technical brilliance of a wide gap hook design, a compact tungsten profile, and the surgical sharpness of a Lazer Sharp hook. The Wide Gap Tungsten Arctic Ice Jig is a masterful piece of ice tackle, micro-adjusted and fine-tuned to help you catch more fish.

> “Wide gap Tungsten Arctic Ice Jigs give anglers more room to pile up bait and offer a better hook up ratio than traditional ice jigs. The wide gap Tungsten Arctic Ice Jigs are made with premium, American Made, Lazer Sharp hooks in a platinum black finish.”

Acme Rattlin’ Google Eye Tungsten Jigs:

Its “eyes” have a built-in glass rattle that reflects light, adds sound and movement to seal the deal when it’s getting the once-over from a big pannie. Nice looking colors, too:

JB Lures Tungsten Spindrop:

> Made of tru tungsten, this jig offers a faster fall and more sensitivity than other lure materials. It features a small propeller blade for extra flash and vibration on the rise and fall of the jig. The blade can be tuned to spin faster or slower depending on presentation. Offered in two hook sizes (#8 and #10) and 6 panfish catching colors!

Moonshine Lures Fat Bottom Shiver Minnow:

You already know (and probably really love) the OG Shiver Minnow…but did you know that Moonshine has a new-ish “Fat Bottom Series” with even more gliding action? Primarily designed for ice fishing:

Here’s a quick video with fish-head John Hoyer talkin’ how he works the bait thru the ice, and why he says it’s key to let the lure “wander back to center” when it comes time to trigger a bite.

3. Some open-water treats

Still some diehards hitting the open-water. Go big or go home…and they ain’t goin’ home:

Berkley Gulp! SR Crawler:

The Gulp! SR Crawler “was purpose built for walleye spinner rigs” (SR hint hint). They’re brand spankin’ new and have been starting to trickle out here and there, but being bought-up quickly. I finally spotted a smattering of ’em some in stock on FishUSA. Here’s the starting lineup that’ll come in 4″ and 7″ sizes…for now….

I’m not sure there’s anyone who pays more attention to fishy details than NWT pro Korey Sprengel. It’s one of the reasons why when he talks = I listen word for word. So when he gets excited about a new bait – that he personally helped develop for several years – you can bet I’m excited about it too.

Korey does an awesome job of explaining why they made it the way it is in this video. Thing looks filthy!

Walleye Nation Creations Death Jig:

Not sure what took me so long…but I finally ordered myself some Walleye Nation Creations Death Jigs this fall and man do they ever catch ’em! Reminds me of someone taking a bunch of good walleye baits (jig, bottom-bouncer, ‘crawler harness, spinner) and combining them into one hybrid fish-catcher:

Sounds like you can fish it a zillion different ways, but the most popular might be slow-rolling it – over the tops of fish or structure – with a steady/straight retrieve and letting the twirling crawler do the work.

You obviously don’t need forward-facing sonar (LiveScope, Mega Live, Active Target) to fish with ’em…but “sniping” those big, suspended marks you see moseying around all over was an absolute blast. The 3/4-oz size seemed to be the most universal for how and where I like to fish.

Don’t have to fish it with live bait either. I’ve heard of a lot of folks using things like Slimers, Gulp! or Uncle Josh Pork Night Crawlers on the business end.

Freedom Tackle Ultra Divers:

Check out the oversized “soup cooler” on the front of these bad boys = pushes the larger 105 Minnow model down to 31′ max depth (unassisted!) on the troll:

Rapala’s new SmartHub system:

I looove this type of stuff for customizing wheelhouses = put what you want, where you want it, when you want it:

But it doesn’t have to just be for wheelhouses…they have clamp mounts for portable fish houses, bucket mounts, you name it. Lot more info on the different accessories and options here.

FishUSA has most of the accessories in stock, couple other ones on Rapala’s site.

Simms Rogue Hoody:

In my 34-ish yrs on this planet…this lightweight Simms Rogue Hoody has been my absolute favorite piece of clothing I have ever bought myself. It’s a masterpiece = insanely comfortable, warm, dry, not bulky, and stylish:

I wear it fishing, to the grocery store, to dinner…I’m almost never not wearing it lol. For real, do yourself a favor and snag one. At $99 it’s worth every penny – and then some.

Also can never go wrong with a quality pair of “bum” gloves! And the next thing I’m gonna treat myself to – ‘cuz Santa keeps neglecting me lol – is a pair of their Challenger 7″ Boots. 😍

Lakewood “The Greenback” Ice Rod Case:

> “Hold all your gear while protecting a half dozen ice rods and reels up to 44″ long! Customizable foam and TONS of storage.”

> “Straps and D-rings deck the outside of the case for placing ice tools and strapping the case to the back of your ATV/UTV or snowmobile.”

> “Designed to fit other Lakewood storage cases, such as the Lure Vault and Lure Wallet (each sold separately). You’ll get additional gear storage options on the exterior with two oversized zippered pockets. …helps bring all you need to be at the top of that food chain.”

And love me some made in the USA. 🇺🇸

Clam Deluxe Spoon Boxes:

Not new, but people have literally been asking me for years where to snag one because they always seem to be sold-out. Just saw that FishUSA got ’em in stock so wanted to shout it out again asap.

The large size (14″L x 9″W x 3″H) holds 81 spoons, and the small size (9″L x 8″W x 3″H) holds 33 spoons. 🔥 Individually slid into slots so they don’t get tangled or have the paint chipped off from bouncing around in the sled.

Same box (large size) I’ve been using to store my #7 and smaller Jigging Raps for yeeeears.

I didn’t know this…but apparently they have an XL size (14.5″L x 10.5″W x 4″H) that holds 104 spoons, and that extra inch of depth would let ya stick bigger #9 Jigging Raps in their straight up and down…and of course bigger spoons.

I Fish Pro Tip-Up 2.0:

The diehards know! 💯 Similar to a tip-up but lets you catch the fish on a rod and reel, instead of hand-over-hand. Soooo you’re gonna be needing a new excuse for why you lost your fish lol:

Catch Cover wheelhouse goodies:

The ice-heads over at Catch Cover have a bunch of slick gadgets for wheelhouses – if you don’t have Safety Covers or Hole Sleeves yet…what are you even doing?!

Another slick accessory is their wall-mounted Utility Tackle Box Holder that’ll hold one 3700-size box, two 3600s or three 3500s. Of course it comes with a “handy-dandy beverage holder” built in:

Good timing…Catch Cover just kicked off their once-a-year site-wide sale with 20% off all products now thru Dec 4. 👊

Sufix Rattle Reel V-Coat line:

Folks have been asking for this for a long time. Basically a neutrally-buoyant fly line that lasts forever-and-a-half. Best part = WAY less tangles! Has a vinyl coating that’s waterproof so it doesn’t freeze and won’t cut your hands when that slimy pike makes a big ol’ run. This stuff should literally be required to be on every single rattle reel – once you use it, you’ll never go back:

Can get it in a 50-yards spool or a mega 150-yarder that’s metered every 50 yards so you can consistently spool up several rattle reels.

Clam Feathered Gaff Treble Hook:

I was literally JUST talking about how I wish someone would come out with high-quality feathered treble hooks in smaller sizes for ice spoons…and BOOM Clam comes to the rescue. #Jackpot

> The Feathered Gaff Treble Hooks from Clam Pro Tackle…has a genuine Hackle feather so you can attract the fish even more! These hooks can be easily switched out to replace dull hooks or to get a different look and catch more fish all-season long. With Extra Tough Sharp (XTS) points and a wide gap, make sure you are ready to set the hook.

> Available in four fish attracting colors (white, pink, chartreuse, and black) and in three sizes (12, 10, and 8). MSRP $4.99 for 3 pack.

Berkley Line Stripper Max:

Attaches to a cordless drill so you can peel off a pile of line right quick. Still trying to figure out how I ever managed without one – I literally use it ALL of the time. Work smarter, not harder:

Off Shore Tackle OR40 EZ Crankbait Tuner:

The best trollers in the game do things differently, but are always precise. One of their overlooked tweaks is running “tuned” crankbaits to get the best possible action out of a bait – it’s been proven to flat-out put more fish in the boat.

No doubt tuning baits with a pliers can mess up a crank’s action more than it helps – been there! SO did you know there’s now a tool that’s actually designed for the job, called the Off Shore Tackle EZ Crankbait Tuner?

Some great insight from guide Charlie “Turk” Gierke:

> “I would describe the EZ like this: It does what the torque/clutch setting on your drill does. You know, the torque setting [list of numbers from 1 to 10, or 20] on the drill so you don’t strip screws or over-tighten nuts. The EZ does the same thing but on cranks! Really cool.

> “The EZ has these same pressure setting features, so when the prescribed pressure is reached it “slips.” Visibly the short plier jaw pops up…audibly a CLICK noise is heard.

> “This tool will allow you to systematically apply the tiny amounts of pressure needed to tune baits and keep your best baits in the water longer.”

Little more insight on how he uses it here.

Tuned Up Custom Rods Bullwhip:

They don’t need an introduction, but I’m gonna give ’em one anyway! Tuned Up Custom Rods are hand built from the ground up in Coon Rapids, MN. 🇺🇸 They have a ton of great rods in their lineup, but the one I’m gonna specifically call out right now is the Bullwhip because it literally set the bar for hardwater panfish sticks. And I know numerous diehard ice-heads who say that out of all the ice rods they have ever owned, the Bullwhip is their absolute favorite:

> “The most versatile Noodle rod around. The Bullwhip features a solid fiberglass blank with an extra-long Hi-Viz yellow tip, perfect for visual bite detection, yet strong enough to fish larger tungsten jigs and small spoons while still having control of the bait. The quick, noodle tip transitions into a very strong backbone [incredible action!] that makes fighting slab crappies a breeze and has been known to land 40″ surprise pike.”

And yup ^^^ you can customize them (if you want) to make it your own. Not just the Bullwhip, but any TUCR:

> Customers can specify exactly how long they want their rods to be, down to the fraction of an inch. We then custom fit the handle of your choice, and add the highest quality titanium Recoil guides to the rod. Each guide is hand wrapped in the color or colors of your choosing and then finished with slow curing epoxy to ensure a clear, clean finish for the life of your rod. Any rod can also be custom written on with a meaningful name or phrase of your choosing.

Glorious. 🙌

Okuma Ceymar Baitfeeder:

If you’ve never seen a “baitfeeder” spinning reel, they are THE DEAL for set-lines or deadsticks. Lets you disengage the spool so the fish can run – then just flip the switch or start reeling and your normal drag is automatically engaged again = never miss a beat on the hookset. The CBF-1000 is my go-to size on walleye setups:

Something that isn’t talked about a lot, is that these “baitfeeder” reels basically let you use ANY rod as a deadstick. You don’t really need a super mushy, soft rod anymore so that the fish doesn’t feel any resistance when grabbing the bait…

13 Fishing FreeFall Trickshop Special Edition:

13 Fishing drops a new “Trickshop Special Edition” inline reel each year, and they always kill it with some kind of fish-sexiness. Limited-run…if you try to call them in January to ask if they have more – they don’t. 😂

This year’s model features a unique 2-piece special anodized spool design housed in our ultra-lightweight Carbon Chassis (full specs here):

Yummy.

Elliott Rods Evolution Ice Series:

We’ve come a long way from those wooden jiggle sticks your grandpappy used to use in the darkhouse…hand-lining in panfish next to a wood-burning stove. Nothing wrong with that [!] unless you’re looking to up your game….

You diehard hole-hoppers already know the benefits of loooonger ice rods – better hooksets, keep fish pinned, more control over your bait, etc – so pumped that Elliott launched the “Evolution Ice Series” with a 5-rod lineup of longer 42-45″ hardwater sticks. High-end, ultra-sensitive, with Syncork handles and all:

In case you missed the memo 👀 we’re giving away a pair! Just a few days left to enter. Including their Evolution Ice Series ES42M-F and a ES44L-F! 💯 Quick rundown of each:

> The Evolution Ice Series ES42M-F is a 42″ solid carbon, fast-action blank that is a master at working rattle spoons, Jigging Raps, or any reaction lure presentation. The fast-action tip section parlays into a perfectly structured mid and butt section for the best hooksets and fish fighting performance. This will become your “go-to rod” for chasing walleyes.

> The Evolution Ice Series ES44L-F is a 44″ solid carbon, fast-action blank that excels at small spoon presentations for jumbo perch, slab crappies or light-line presentations for walleyes. This rod weighs nothing in your hand and fishes with both finesse and authority. If you love chasing panfish or hunting for jumbo perch, you’ll want to own one.

Oh, and they’re throwing in a 2B ICE XL Rod & Gear Case that holds 4 rods up to 46″ in length! They’re almost like a hybrid between a hard and soft rod case thx to the full-length PVC tubes to protect the rods and keep ’em from tangling.

Takes just 10 sec to enter and can share the link you get for bonus entries. 👊 Good luck!

😂😅

Amped Outdoors 30Ah LiFePO4 Lithium Battery:

In case you’re looking for “mo powa baby” and wanna upgrade your LiveScope Ice Bundle to lithium, this 30Ah beast lets you get 18 hours of runtime out of a single charge. I’ve been running this exact battery since 2020 and it’s incredible.

She’s hefty at 6 lb 10 oz (dimensions: 5.875″ x 5.125″ x 3.91″) but was designed to squeeze into the stock shuttle that LiveScope ice bundles come with. If you’re grabbing a charger, I would scoop this Charging Barrel Plug at the same time for a super quick and easy connection.

X2Power Group 31 AGM Marine Battery:

I’ve had lots of battery issues over the years. Not buggy issues, but I can never even get a full season out of a cranking battery because I straight-up abuse them with all the gadgets I’m running. I’m always left dead on the water at some point each fall when the temps drop, and hoping my little jump pack has enough juice to turn the motor over…otherwise I’m scrambling to pull out one of my trolling motor batteries and jumper cables.

Not no more….

I finally ponied-up for a big boy X2Power AGM (SLI31AGMDPM) and it was an absolute workhorse this season. 💪 Made in the USA and sold exclusively at Batteries Plus.

This battery is dual purpose which means it can crank the engine and provide deep-cycle power for all your electronics. Check these stats!

• Marine Cranking Amps (32°F): 1370
• Cold Cranking Amps (0°F): 1150
• Reserve Capacity Minutes: 220
• Capacity: 100AH

If you don’t have room for – or don’t want to mess with – running 2 separate batteries for cranking/electronics/accessories…this thing is a BEAST. It would blow your mind how many things I’m running all day off this single battery…I come with a lot of baggage (lol).

Oh, and props to X2Power on backing their goods with a 48-month free replacement warranty. Which is basically unheard of.

I know they’re not cheap…but repeatedly having to replace cheaper batteries all the time has actually added up to costing me more $$$ over the years. And definitely cost me waaaay more frustration. Just my 2 cents and hope this helps if you’ve been on the search for more juice.

MarCum Pursuit HDL:

Even underwater cameras are getting extra juice nowadays…. MarCum upgraded their Pursuit HDL to lithium and now that bad little number can get 6 hrs of runtime.

Still no idea how they stuffed a full HD image sensor (1920X1080p) into this compact 5″ unit, but I’m not complaining! I have one, and LOVE it.

Early-ice walleyes on Upper Red Lake (tough-bite tactics).

Anyone can catch ’em when they’re snapping, but what do you do if they’re not?

Even if you’re on a walleye factory like MN’s Upper Red Lake, walleyes are still walleyes…they can still get fussy and turn off. The old “should’ve been here yesterday” saying, am I right?! And for whatever reason the fish always seem a little funky the first week-ish after the lake locks-up.

This video breaks down a few tricks I use to get those fussy buggers to bite when the going gets tough(er). Hope it helps and good luck this weekend if you’re sneaking out:

National Professional Anglers Assoc. 

MN-FISH