Treble-hook tweaks, Most insane Live yet, Don’t pause jigging spoons

You don’t always need live bait to catch hardwater walleyes…. 👀 Ever try adding a feathered- or glow-resin treble hook to your favorite jigging spoons? Or maybe a tiny willow-leaf blade to rattlebaits??

I’ve got nothing against live bait (it flat-out catches ’em!) but I think you’ll be shocked at how many walleyes you can put topside with these treble-hook tweaks…just gotta step out of your comfort zone and get them on the water:

Btw I put direct links to all the gear I talked about in the video description on YouTube — waaaay too many to list ’em all here.

Drop a comment on the video to let me know what you wanna see next. Thanks much for watching!

Here’s a sneak peek of the full YouTube vid:

Nope, that’s not Garmin LiveScope, the leaked Humminbird MEGA Live, or Lowrance ActiveTarget….

It’s a FlexView Probe made by Norwegian company Kongsberg, looks like this:

> This technology is intended for scientists or professionals to carry out structural exploration missions, maintenance or to ensure security missions with very high quality.

> It should be noted that it is Simrad (same company as Lowrance) which provides the probe, proof that…already has a foothold in this technology.

This stuff just keeps getting better and better.

Thx to Jason Durham for hipping me to this ice-making chart. Of course there’s lots of variables — and you ALWAYS gotta check for yourself — but it should give you a good idea of just how much ice your favorite spots should be adding before your next trip out:

– That’s @mtnmanoutdoors and @pro_crush_angling icing fish so big they’re spitting up schtuff the rest of us would hope to catch:

That fish looks 38 weeks pregnant and still reaching for its fourth pint of ice cream. 😂

Sounds like those fellas have been using a combination of big PK Rattle Spoons and Berkley Snap Jigs (yup through the ice!) to stick some absolute giants — and they get even more bigger-er…. More on that in Friday’s Target Walleye.

MN fishing guide Brad Hawthorne always seems to be tweaking and playing with everything he gets his hands on, so I wasn’t not going to watch this short video of him doing a walk-around of his ice-fishing wheeler:

I’ve been shopping like crazy for a cheap used wheeler I can deck-out for ice fishing…striking out ‘cuz my budget is too small lol. But if/when I find the right deal, the first thing I’m gonna slap on it — after an auger rack — has got to be that Otter Rear ATV Box aka the “Monster Box” Brad was bolting all those gadgets on.

If you want a little better look at the inside of the Monster Box, this vid helps too:

1. OH: Port Clinton “Walleye Drop” going virtual.

Forget the “ball” drop in Times Square…Port Clinton, OH does a walleye drop with a custom-built 20′ fiberglass walldawg.

Will be able to watch Wylie the Walleye make his 23rd annual NYE “Walleye Drop” streamed live here. He’s been working out for months in preparation:

2. Women Ice Angler Project hit Lake of the Woods.

Women’s ice fishing group that’s met up on a different lake to fish every winter since 2015. Started as a one-time media event to create positive images of women ice fishing independently.

> Barb Carey: “Because I see how women’s lives are changed…see how all of a sudden they’re backing their boat in, they’re going fishing, they have confidence and pride in doing things they never thought they could do.”

I’ve said it before, but thank YOU Barb for all you do to help grow the industry.

3. UT had 10 state records broken in 2020.

Lake trout, tiger muskies, and everything in-between…including a 1-lb 14-oz (15.75″) crappie that broke the “spearfishing” record?!

4. Shout-out to all those oddball fish out there!

Burbot, tullibee, rock bass…keep being you lol. #StayWeird

The AnglingBuzz crew just kicked out a sweeeeet video talkin’ all those “unique” fish on ice. It’s super long (53:12), but worth a watch if you’re stuck NOT fishing right now:

5. TN: Record water levels could help walleye reproduction.

> …traditionally spawn in the tailwaters — the swift water areas immediately downstream from TVA dams — can actually benefit from high water flows.

> …often congregate at dams during spawning periods and I think (high water flow) is really good for them. They are non-nest builders. They spawn and then the female releases her eggs to either drift downstream or simply settle in the substrate where highly-oxygenated water can benefit them.

> Walleye and sauger don’t actually build nests and water levels are not critical. Their eggs simply settle to the bottom to hatch, preferably on rock or gravel shoals swept clean of sediment by the fast-moving water.

6. PK Lure’s has new crappie-size…

…Spin a Jig Jrs now, and they’ve been stacking slabs with ’em:

Looks like a few more are waiting with their mouths open on that Vexilar FLX-28?

Speaking of which…

7. Have you seen the Vexilar Glo-Ring yet?

For lighting up ice jigs/spoons. Plugs straight into the quick-connect charging cable and doubles as a rod holder. They work GREAT:

Lots of features I’m not going to try and break down ‘cuz I haven’t had the chance to wear one yet (lol) but recommend hitting the jacket and bibs here if you wanna learn more. They’re already sold-out most places so if you’re in the market I’d jump on ’em if/when you see them.

14. Science claims it can tell fish populations just by DNA now.

15. KS reducing daily fishing license fee.

Hopin’ to get more new folks fishing.

16. I gotta call out the description…

…for the StrikeMaster Lazer hand auger on SM’s site — check this out:

> “The snickering stops when someone brandishes a Lazer. A hand-auger, yes, but one with ninja skills and blades like Japanese throwing stars. In the right hands, the Lazer cuts to the quick, outpacing off-brand, bottom feeding hand-augers, even cheap gas-augers.”

🤣 Love that.

Are you letting your jigging spoon sit too long?

Bringing back this solid write-up from Jason Mitchell:

> “One of the most common mistakes anglers make is letting the lure settle too much between strokes. The longer the lure hangs, the more the lure turns.

> “On the next stroke, the lure comes off a different direction and this direction is unpredictable. One second the lure is 6 inches in front of the fish and then the lure shoots towards the fish disappearing…game over.

> “Remember that walleyes don’t back up that well and they need room to turn around, this is why staying in front of the fish is so crucial.

> “Don’t let the lure settle at the bottom of the jig stroke. Start your up stroke before the lure settles so that the lure dances and the cadence and direction of the dart or swing becomes locked into one direction and becomes predictable. The target becomes much easier for fish to hit.

> “The moves that pull fish into the cone angle from 20′ away often have to change as a fish gets close. This understanding of how to use tempo and cadence to find fish while reading your electronics to trigger fish will help you catch a lot more walleyes this winter.”

You can keep reading Jason’s walleye-infested article here.

“And on the 12th day of Christmas the Red River gave to me, a nice greenback suspended at 20 feet.”

– That’s @jessicadduffy’s #money caption under this Instagram post:

Wrassled it in with her 42″ Fenwick Elite Tech Ice Rod — rockin’ and rollin’ a Jackall TN lipless crank in the fish-sexxy “RT holo bluegill” color:

Only in MN do folks stick their new PB (personal best) largie through the ice:

That’s Nick Lindner whacking 6+ lbs of LARGEmouth on the new Northland Rattlin’ Puppet Minnow, and proving that hot-pink baits aren’t just for smallies (but they are just for Lindners lol). 👊 Congrats on the MASSIVE green carp, dude!