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Super slick bottom-bouncer storage hack! 💯 |
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Using those pipe cleaner dealios from an arts-and-crafts store. Love it! |
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How to choose the best ice-fishing line for panfish. |
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It's almost time to rig-up those ferry wands! With SO many options, it can be downright overwhelming to pick a spool of line off the shelf. So where should you start?
Well, there's no one specific line type that's perfect for all situations – each has its own time and place depending on how you're fishing. Here's a few things to consider the next time you're spooling up for hardwater panfish and when/why I use each:
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The versatility of mono
> If I was heading to a lake I had never fished before – and could only bring one rod – I'd grab one that's spooled up with 3-lb Sufix Advance Ice Mono. Lo-vis, less memory than fluoro (less coiling) and offers just the right amount of stretch to help keep fish pinned.
> That slight stretch is going to act as a shock absorber to the fish's thrashing head. At the end of the day you'll have less torn-out hooks and put more fish topside. Even better...mono is the cheapest option out there.
> For most situations you're going to want to run a clear line. One exception to that rule is for a technique called 'tightlining.' The key component to this technique is running a high-vis line (neon orange, hi-vis gold, neon lime, etc) and detecting the bites by watching the coils in your line as you pound the jig.
Finesse 'em in with fluoro
> If fish are finicky or just straight up smart, I'll reach for my rod rigged up with 100% fluorocarbon. Fluoro is going to be more 'invisible' than mono, making it one heck of a weapon in ultra-clear water, or when targeting heavily-pressured fish.
> Sufix InvisiLine Ice Fluorocarbon also sinks 4 times faster than mono, which allows you to get those tiny ice jigs back down the hole more quickly when there's a hot school waiting below.
> The downfall to fluoro is that it needs to be replaced more often. The added memory means it's going to get 'the coils' more quickly on the tiny spools of micro ice reels. You can make it more affordable by filling the spool with cheap 'backing' or old line, then put on just enough fluoro (say 50′ or 60′) to be able to fish for the day.
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Braided line in ridiculously deep water
> Braided line like Sufix 832 Advanced Ice Braid shines in ultra-deep water, say 30′, 40′, or 50′. Can come into play during early-ice when crappies (on some lakes) are still piled in the deep main-lake basins you left 'em in late-fall.
> Same can be true late-ice if you find 'em gorging on bugs in deep mud basins. But unless you're fishing ridiculously deep water, leave the super lines at home imo....
> Personally, I think braided line is overrated in the panfish world. Don't get me wrong: I love it for a ton of different applications, but most of the time hardwater panfish just isn't one of them. The obvious disadvantage is that it's much more visible to the fish.
> Also, braid is not your friend if you're someone that likes to hole-hop outside the shack – it's going to freeze up far more often since it absorbs moisture.
> Sure you have a little better feel thanks to the no-stretch qualities...also means you're more likely to set the hook too early and/or rip the bait from the fish's mouth.
> But again, you need braid in some deep-water situations...like this Devils Lake, ND jumbotron I plucked outta 38-40′ – couldn't feel/catch 'em without it:
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Of course it's all personal preference – maybe you prefer to despise my preferences lol – but hope this quick rundown can help a few of you that were strung up on the topic. 👊 |
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Check out this merp muskie! |
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Had these pics of a mondo snub-nose muskie sent in by a TW fan...said his buddy Al Hamburg caught the freakzilla on Lake St. Clair: |
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Thought maybe the fish took its dentures out, but I do still see some teeth in there: |
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Fishing meets Halloween. 🎃👻🧟♂️💀 |
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Btw - If you're looking to test your pumpkin carving skillz 🎃 the crew at 13 Fishing just kicked off their 11th annual pumpkin carving contest. Gotta enter a pic of yours by Oct 31 for a chance to win. Full scoop on the contest here, but up for grabs is:
- Concept A Gen II 8.3 Reel in an extremely limited edition color (*only available in a right handed model)
- Envy Black III 7'9" Heavy Casting Rod
- The Light Bender Hat
- And a Prize Pack of 13 Fishing Baits including the Whipper Snapper and El Diablo!
Oh, and don't worry...the dude that dominated the competition for multiple years has been booted...sorta LOL. He has his own division now. Lucky for the rest of us! |
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How about the bonus protein on this waldo? 🤢 |
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He did keep the fish to eat, but no word on whether he made that little nugget into an appetizer or not. 🙅♂️ |
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Federation Angler's taking over "operational responsibilities" for the National Walleye Tour:
> "All existing circuits and programs under the Federation Angler umbrella [Masters Walleye Circuit, National Team Championship, Mercury National Walleye Tournament, etc] will continue as is and we certainly have no plans to cut back anywhere. Jeff Kelm our MWC Tournament Director will also become the Tournament Director for the NWT and we will focus our more than 50 years of tournament operational expertise toward the National Walleye Tour alongside the NWT ownership group and our long time partners who are working hard in their areas of expertise in a joint effort to elevate walleye fishing and build a platform where the walleye anglers everywhere can showcase their talents to the world."
Well-deserved. 🙌
For the 2022/2023 ice season. Video covers everything from new Fish Trap shelters with XT doors, Clam Pro Tackle lures, Gaff Treble Hooks, new IceArmor items, rods/reels, bobbers, gadgets, and more:
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Speaking of RAZR, I saw this post the other day of a RAZR Scout they had chromed-out. Not something they sell, but did said they "happen to have 1 or 2 lying around...maybe we should give one away this ice season...?" Yup! |
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Made by 2B Fishing ( short Instagram video here). 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. The regular size holds four rods up to 36" and the XL holds four rods up to 46". |
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Smith Lake (Douglas County) and West Rabbit Lake (Crow Wing County).
Put on by the crew at Smackdown Outdoors. They've done a virtual show the last couple years and it went over really well. It's done live, so a great chance to ask questions and get answers directly from folks that work in the industry. Also means you can do so while sitting on the couch in your jammies lol.
...who have never caught a 30-inch walleye before called "the UN- dirty 30 club" lol. They said the "entire idea behind this group is to get kicked out for finally catching a 30"+ walleye hahaha.
No idea what kind of shenanigans take place over there, and I'm actually disappointed that I have a dirty-30 under my belt so I can't find out – 😅 might have to make an alias....
...but here's proof from Cameron Swanson that they aren't born at 6-7 lbs lol. And also a little "proof" that mudminnows are not juvenile bowfin:
> Cameron: "Since I have seen the debate over whether a central mudminnow was a baby bowfin on this page before and I happened to catch both together, I took a side by side picture to compare them. While there are a number of differences between mudminnows and juvenile bowfin, the easiest way to tell them apart is the length of the dorsal fin. Note that the bowfin on the left has a long dorsal fin (which they undulate to swim) while the mudminnow on the right has a relatively small dorsal fin."
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Few TargetWalleye.com Highlights
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What's 🔥 on Target Walleye's YouTube 🎥
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> "So why would you use a dropshot rig over a jig or slip sinker setup? ...it's about getting the bait down to the fish fast and keeping it in the strike zone. Generally speaking, walleyes prefer hugging the bottom and feeding in this zone. A dropshot rig keeps your bait at a set distance off of the bottom.
> "Now, pair your dropshot hook with a realistic and scented plastic. Courts shares his favorite baits from Berkley's scented lineups: PowerBait, MaxScent, and Gulp!, and when he uses each. ...walleyes rely heavily on their sense of smell and color. He shares a few proven soft bait colors. Get these 2 attributes right, and you'll be in the fish.
> "A dropshot rig also provides rigging flexibility with a hook swap. While nose-hooked plastic on an octopus-style hook is the most common, Courts ventures into bass territory by Texas rigging walleye plastics using a small offset worm hook when fishing around snaggy cover like grass and wood."
Vid below – Mark always does a great job of explaining the "why" and not just the "what."
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And bonus points 'cuz I know for a fact I look way better in Simms than I do in worky-outy-spandexy schtuff 😳 LOL. |
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Have a great weekend and thx much for reading! |
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Friends of Target Walleye |
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Who is Target Walleye
Target Walleye – walleye during open water and all species during hardwater – is brought to you by Al Lindner, Jim Kalkofen, Jay Kumar, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!
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Brett McComas is the main man for Target Walleye He was discovered in Brainerd, MN after years of wondering how in the heck people break into the fishing biz. He's in it now, but still can't answer that question.... Brett is one of those guys who majored in marketing, only because there was no such thing as a "fishing degree" at the time.... Get him at brett@targetwalleye.com
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422 Laurel Street
P.O. BOX 541
Brainerd, MN 56401
(218) 824 5026
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