Top fishing superstitions, Money Badger clicks, Get those baits deeper

We asked Target Walleye fans to drop a comment with their biggest fishing superstitions – good or bad, something they HAVE to do or something that’s NOT allowed on their boat…. Full list on TargetWalleye.com, little 5-piece McPreview below:

  • Don’t fill the livewell until you catch one.   • Always dip the net when I start the day.
   • Never harvest fish while pre-fishing for a tournament. Never.
   • The last numbers on all the line-counters need to be the same.
   • Can’t end an open-water or ice season with a pike.

I love these – they make me feel less weird about my habits. Make sure to check all 30 fishing superstitions here.

Lol!

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) that’s an absolute workhorse. 💪

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. If you can’t tell, I come with a lot of baggage (lol):

Made in the USA and sold exclusively at Batteries Plus. Couple quick battery specs from X2Power’s website:

> 30% longer life per charge…lasts 3x longer and recharges 5x faster than traditional batteries.

> …28x more vibration resistant than conventional batteries [and] performs as both a starting and a deep cycle battery.

> AGM Technology: non-spillable, non-gassing and maintenance free.

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

Also super cool to see them supporting walleye pros and catch-and-release walleye derbies.

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.

Or ever…. 😳

From Lake Powell Guide Services – believe they’re in southern UT near the AZ border:

Lake Erie captain Ross Robertson’s full throwback write-up here, few excerpts below:

Dipsy Divers

> Originally a salmon tactic, Dipsy Divers have proven very effective on the Great Lakes when you need to get deep quickly and efficiently. While many know their effectiveness on large lakes, I personally know anglers who’ve had great success with them on smaller lakes and reservoirs…you can quickly spin back around and go over a productive area without picking up gear or making a large circle turn.

> …the trip mechanism keeps the diving device forced down (and diving) until it’s released by a fish strike. A dial allows the weight to be adjusted and dive at different angles, allowing more water to be covered and multiple lines to be used per side of the boat without tangling. Shallow-diving crankbaits and thin trolling spoons are most frequently used.

Snap weights

> …adding a snap weight onto your line changes the line angle and causes your lure to run deeper. [It’s] simple, inexpensive and keeps you from having to store a lot of extra gear.

> While clipping on a snap weight is simple, knowing where to attach it can be slightly more complicated. Anglers commonly attach them anywhere from a rod length above the lure, to as much as 50′.

> In situations where you have clear water, fish are spooky or you need a more subtle approach…try placing the snap anywhere from 30-50′ to start. Day in and day out I run mine anywhere from 20-30′ up from the lure. This is a good compromise for subtlety and added depth, while still giving me enough time to unhook it before netting.

> A shorter lead is best when you need to get extra deep, trolling at faster speeds or are worried about tangling. …putting the snap a rod length above the lure helps minimize [those] issues and allows you to keep the snap on while netting.

Glide baits

> Lures like the original Rapala Jigging Rap have been getting so much attention as of late that it has become their best-selling lure. The likes of Al Lindner have taught us that these style lures aren’t just for ice fishing. While they can be cast out and worked, many anglers in the cooler-water periods seem to have the best results working them at or near vertically. This allows anglers to “video game” and work individual fish, reeling up or down to target what you see.

> In most cases you can fish these lures right out of the package, but replacing the treble hook with a larger size seems to increase landing percentages. One rigging tip that will help eliminate some headaches is to use an 18″ leader of heavy fluorocarbon…with a small swivel to attach to your mainline…helps fight abrasions and reduce wind tangles….

Ross also has a few videos to go with all this info in his full write-up.

Has an aggressive tail thumping, balsa-like roll action with a slow rise.

I saw a video of the thing running underwater (don’t think it’s been released yet) and the way it deflects off structure/cover without getting hung-up looks special. Couldn’t believe some of the snags it rolled thru. I’ll share a link to that video once it’s out.

The 3 largest sizes (6.25cm dives 9-11′, 6.75cm dives 10-12′, 7.25cm dives 11-13′) have an insane tungsten weight-transfer system which helps it cast like a bullet. I was able to get my hands on a few samples and the first thing I noticed was they has a bigger, slower “KNOCK”ing or clicking sound thx to that tungsten ball from the weight-transfer system.

Most cranks have multiple BBs and a higher-pitched, faster rattle. But I’ve seen many days where that slower, singular “knock” blows everything else out of the water. Especially in cooler water or later in the season on pressured fish that have gotten accustomed to other “normal sounding” cranks.

1. MN: World’s largest charitable ice-fishing contest happenin’ Jan 28.

Of course talkin’ Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake. Just up the road from us. About 10,000(ish) people come from all over to try and catch a fish and maybe win a new truck, or a bunch of other prizes. Something everyone’s gotta experience at least once or thrice

2. FishUSA announces sponsorship of “Lake Erie Fishery.”

> FishUSA has announced its sponsorship of The Lake Erie Fishery initiative, a 12-month campaign that is supported by the OH Dept of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. The yearlong effort has been created to bring additional awareness to the world-class walleye fishing industry along Lake Erie in Ohio.

3. CO: Adult zebra mussel found in Highline Lake.

This is the first time an adult zeeb has been found in CO, however 8 different reservoirs have been “suspect or positive for mussel veligers, the larval life stage of the mussel, since 2008.”

4. ON: Round gobies found in the Otonabee River.

I honestly don’t know a whole lot about gobies (we don’t have them around here) but I do know that fish love to fatten up on them. This blip from the write-up sounds alarming:

> Brook Schryer, an aquatics specialist of 7 yrs: “[Round gobies] will just voraciously eat our native species, thus, over time, leading to fewer native species within an ecosystem or within a water body.”

I’ve heard they eat fish eggs and fry around spawning sites, but not sure what else they munch on. Will have to do some digging just for curiosity’s sake.

5. WY: Asian clams confirmed in Glendo Reservoir .

They’ve been found in WY before…in nearby Guernsey Reservoir in 2019 and the North Platte River in 2014.

> Asian clams are native to Asia, Africa, the Mediterranean and Australia and are believed to have been introduced intentionally as food or incidentally imported with the Pacific oyster. The AIS was initially discovered in 1938 in the Columbia River and is now in 47 states.

6. New Northland Tackle ICE FISHING baits for 2023 out now.

Including the new Glass Buck-Shot Spoon that is…

> “…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.”

Thing looks nasty. Quick video walkthrough below:

7. MN: “Chili Bowl” walleye derby happenin’ Oct 15.

12th annual tourney hosted by Border View Lodge on Lake of the Woods’ Rainy River.

Catch-measure-release format with 100% payouts and prizes, followed up with a chili dinner/celebration afterwards…and I haven’t met a bowl of chili I didn’t like after a day of fall fishin’ hahaha.

I signed up to fish it with my bud Nick Lindner. We probably have a combined 8 hours of fall river walleye fishing experience ever between the two of us LOL but will be a fun learning experience. Gotta step outside your comfort zone if you wanna grow!

Btw here’s the tourney boundaries:

> Tourney boundaries: “The North Concrete ramp of the public access at Wheelers Point there will be an imaginary line going straight across the river. Ending at Manitou Rapids there will be an imaginary line going north to the CAN border. All fishing must be done in MN waters between these two points.”

Bunch more info here.

8. Lake Superior: Lake trout documented spawning in 300′.

The deepest lake trout have ever been known to reproduce. Also interesting that the females were dropping eggs in early-summer, when lakers typically spawn in the fall.

9. DC: USFWS banned lead tackle in some places.

Here’s the tackle industry’s lobbying organization, the American Sportfishing Assn:

> “It is deeply disappointing that the USFWS ignored science and the concerns of the sportfishing industry. USFWS is charged with ensuring fish and wildlife resource management is rooted in the best available data and science. This proposed rule runs counter to that charge and sets a dangerous precedent for future unwarranted bans on fishing tackle.

> “…USFWS provided zero evidence of lead fishing tackle causing any negative impacts in these refuges.”

10. MN: Tuned Up Custom Rods is hiring part-time positions.

For 1) office/store front, 2) back shop/evenings and 3) a rod finisher.

I believe their shop is in shop in Coon Rapids, MN.

Some tricks on how to unload your boat.

With so many new people being introduced to this sport we all love so much, I need to remember to do a better job of sprinkling some back to basics type things in these here emails. Shoot, I see plenty of “seasoned” folks that could learn a thing or 2 from this vid:

“After Sept 1 these are referred to as pumpkin spice sunfish….”

– That’s central MN guide Garett Svir with another plus-sized reason why his guide service earned the name Slab Seeker Fishing:

National Professional Anglers Assoc. 

MN-FISH