Today’s Target Walleye is gonna be quicker than 'the yoozh' because we’re on the run...but still wanted to get some fishy goodness your way.

TW’s Chris Philen is hosting his annual Fishing 4 the Kingdom event and it’s been incredible getting to connect with fellow fishing brothers. 🙌

> Fishing 4 the Kingdom is about connecting people to each other and Jesus through fishing. We use fishing as a way to fellowship, worship, encourage and support one another, serve others, and create opportunities to share the hope of Christ.

Thanks so much for reading! 👊 Here we go....

Obviously if we get the chance to hop in the boat with Tom Huynh 🏆 we’re not not (yup, a double negative lol) going to ask him some Qs on what he’s doing and why!

Here’s a few quick-hitters we had to pick his fishy brain on.... And a big thx to Tom for putting up with us even while he's off the clock HA!

Bottom presentation: Let the bait fall all the way down passed 'em 👇

> Tom: "Whenever I make my casts, I'd say 100% of the time on my original cast on a fish, I'll always let it go to the bottom slow. 

> "I'll bring the bait by the fish so he can see it, and then slowly control the fall all the way to the bottom.

> "Sometimes the fish will disappear into the bottom with the bait. I've learned not to stop that bait. I let it go down to the bottom and then start just vibrating it along the bottom. I don't want to stop it because I've seen so many times when I stop it, they just instantly go away.

> "I've also had them follow that bait for 30-60 seconds before they even hit it, just crawling that thing along the bottom. I like to have them go to the bottom so they're not looking up where anything above them can spook them. 

> "If they go to the bottom and don't eat, and it's a big enough fish, I will dangle it above its head to see if they want to eat it suspended higher. But typically, to me, it's a bottom bite."

> Tom Huynh: "A lot of times they bite it back here, and then when I put pressure on it, all of a sudden you'll feel a second, harder thump. That's when they're touching more of the hardware.

> "Even then, I put a little bit of pressure on it just to make sure, and then I'll set the hook. It's not an instant hookset, and I think that's changed big time in the walleye world since FFS. Now we're understanding what those fish are actually doing.

> "A lot of guys pulling creek chubs or minnows will do that little pull, make them feel like it's getting away, and they'll readjust it."

> Tom Huynh: "The only reason people traditionally set the hook immediately with plastics, I think, is because for years the only plastics available were made out of PVC. They smell like a beach ball.

> "So I think when a fish puts that in its mouth, it's like, 'Oh, that's not right' and spits it. That's why we were taught, when using plastics, that when you feel that bite, set the hook immediately. But that's why we lost a lot of fish, too.

> "Now with the new generations of plastics coming out, like TPE, there's no scent at all. We're now adding scent and they hang on a little bit longer."

> “I put scent in the trays of my Northland baits and just let them sit there until I use them. I can literally use one almost half a day and I can still smell it afterward [thx to TPEs sponginess and ability to hold scent].

> "I'm not sponsored by anything like that. I've been using Smelly Jelly since I bass fished and just started adding it to the baits." [They also have a liquid version now, too]

Q: You're purposefully not casting very far at your fish today?

> Tom Huynh: "I don't cast very far. I've noticed in the few years I've been doing this that the first cast means the most.

> "Let's say I cast 80-100' at a fish and the wind is blowing me toward it. If I have to reel it back in and recast, I could already be blown over that fish. That's #1.

> "#2 is target precision. I want to make sure I get that bait close enough so I can guide it to the bottom.

> "Since I'm turning that fish around anyway, I don't need a far cast where the bait is hovering above its head and the boat could spook it. 

> "When that bait gets to them, I'm instantly turning that fish around so it's looking downward and not up at the silhouette of the boat."

Tom Huynh truly doesn’t keep any secrets. In case you didn’t know, he offers a forward-facing sonar master class that’s packed with tips, tricks, and know-how to seriously help folks step up their FFS game. Go at your own pace with videos, guides, and testing models for a simple, easy learning environment. He puts it all on the table.

Thank YOU for always telling it how it is, Tom!

And folks have noticed...to the point there’s literally been a song released called “Heyyy Professa” that’s all about Tom’s winning ways, and dang is it catchy lol.

The ultimate finesse rig for fall walleye fishing?

The split-shot rig is a finesse walleye presentation that was being used far before the word “finesse” was even applied to fishing techniques. It can get you bit when all else fails – especially when talking about pressured fish in the fall.

This video also shows a little twist we've been using the last couple seasons with a bunch of success. The bite will really start to ramp up as water temps (finally) dip into the upper-50s.

Have a great + safe weekend, Target Walleye fam! 👊

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026