If you’re receiving this Target Walleye/Ice email — covering the best of walleye fishing during open water and the best of ice fishing during hard water — for the first time, a friend probably signed you up! Target Walleye/Ice is brought to you by Al and Ron Lindner, Jim Kalkofen and other walleye and ice fishing nuts like you.
Just ONE Target Walleye this week — we will be taking a short hunting break! Until next week, get your walleye- and ice-fishing fixes on Target Walleye Facebook and TW Instagram.
Today’s Top 5
“Country Girl” Mel’s 11.5-lb Quinte, ON gold brick, caught on a Rapala Tail Dancer:
Barbara M.’s Green Bay GIANT:
Big WI ‘eye, giant smile:
7-year-old girl boats a new PB with grandma and mom:
Lake Tobin, SK monster:
Northland pro Eric B.’s CPR from SD:
Brian M. with an urban monster caught on a Rapala Shadow Rap:
Fatty from Lower Manitou Lake, ON:
The ones we liked anyway:
We’ve heard of printing money, but it sounds like they’re printing greenbacks up there:
Er, these:
And they don’t exactly disappear come early ice:
You will be educated and surprised:
News
Ice fishery too. Check out the new map:
Story behind the map (and Target Walleye/Ice) is here. You can also download the map there (pdf file).
2. OH: MWC coming to Lorain in June.
3. MT: $15,000 walleye reward.
4. $30M to improve Mississippi River water quality.
5. IN: Late-season walleye tips.
6. Fall weedline ‘eyes? Sorta.
In Maine it’s “chow-duh.”
8. 10 Lindner walleye DVDs for under $40!
Target Walleye’s Jim Kalkofen:
How ’bout 58″ long with a 28″ girth. On the St. Lawrence River.
11-year-old Petra S. caught this 36-lb 10.4-oz (5.6-oz shy of state record). Keep ’em in Okie-ville — and off our planer boards!
12. GoPro’s first drone video…
…ain’t great? So says this article.
Ice Fishing
2. Deep auger discounts at Reeds.
Catch Covers and ice cleats too.
3. Iced Out Walleye Tour schedule.
4. Frabill’s new hardwater shelters.
5. AK: Two drown on ice fishing trip.
RIP fishing brothers.
Events
1. FREE web Humminbird Tech Talk TONIGHT.
7 pm, sign in to FB, learn and ask questions.
2. SD: Dakota Ice Institute THIS WEEKEND.
3. MN: Hardwater Expo in Blaine Nov 20-22.
Events
‘Eye Candy
Because it’s okay to ice-dream:
Tip of the Day
Following baitfish upriver.
> When water temperatures start approaching 50 degrees, baitfish (shiners, smelt, etc.) begin migrating out of large bodies of water into adjacent feeder rivers. Anglers need to be keyed in on this because big walleyes are always close behind.
> This migration occurs all across Walleye World. Big greenbacks move from Lake Winnipeg into tributaries like the Red River and Pine Falls. Lake of the Woods ‘eyes will follow schools of shiners into the Rainy River. Some Lake Superior walleye will run into the St. Louis River. The list goes on and on.
> It’s often a good idea to start near the delta areas where the river dumps into the lake and work your way up from there. You will primarily be looking for holes, current breaks and back eddies. Feeder rivers and runoff pipes that pour into the primary river are also key spots if you can find them. Scan with your electronics until you come across some activity. If you can find the bait, you’ve found the fish!
> Once you’ve located the fish, there are several ways to target them. Lindy Rigs with a redtail chub is a tried and true tactic that will catch fish. The classic jig and minnow works great too. You could even try a jig tipped with a salted minnow (“salties”).
> Alternatively, trolling stickbaits and glidebaits ( Shadow Raps, Husky Jerks, etc.) can be quite effective. Anglers targeting monsters will slow-roll big swimbaits — 4-5 inch paddle tail swimbaits are a great option.
> These bites can continue until these rivers are almost unnavigable due to ice. In spring of the year, the walleye will start dumping back out into the lake after they spawn, but that’s another story.
Quote of the Day
> Obsessed walleye-head Jim Perry talking about how they don’t have the numbers in KS that lakes up north do, but they have quality.
[Cue music: “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”]
Meme of the Day
Yep, lots walleye (and deer) widows lately:
Shot of the Day
Cornhusker heavy from the Pig Patrol. Great fish, great shot, but everything looks…weird. Must be something in the water.
TargetWalleye.com | Rapala.com | IceForce.com
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