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If you're getting this Target Walleye email for the first time, a friend probably signed you up!
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Know anyone that finds "their" fishing spots like this?
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Or fishes the bent-rod pattern?? Aka looking for other boats that are hooked-up or waving their net around like a flag....
I like to call those folks "beep beeps." Not expletives (lol) but the sound it makes when they slowly drive past and drop a waypoint where they see you fishing....
There's a big difference between someone "sliding in" who's maybe on a family vacation and struggling to get bit after 3 days on the water...and someone who's out there legit sniping spots for an upcoming tourney....
Now that I'm done spewing my thoughts all over the keyboard:
Got to thinking about the topic while listening to Pete "Mr. Tiller" Harsh chat on the newest JMO Podcast. Love how Pete always keeps it real and says it like it is:
> Pete: "Chasing nets...chasing other boats...chasing good fishermen...does not make you a better fisherman. It just gives you a chance to go in for leftovers. Being able to go in and find a fresh school that hasn't worked...once you learn your own abilities or teach yourself to do that by trial and error...you're going to be the fishermen that everybody else is talking about.
> "...there's a tremendous number of anglers that can really catch 'em good once they're on 'em. But there are only so many anglers in the walleye world that are fish-finders. That's the whole key to being successful. If you can make yourself a fish-finder, instead of a fish-chaser, then you will be successful...the kind of guy everyone wants to go fishing with...that everybody's watching and talking about what he's doing...."
Pete was a top 3 all-time career $$$ earner in walleye tournaments until he retired from professional tourney fishing in 2012...because he was ready to start sleeping in his own bed (lol). Has been guiding 7 days a week on Devils Lake, ND ever since.
Btw - absolutely love Pete's bio over on his FB page:
> "Fair to middlin' fishing guide, has-been walleye pro and politically incorrect grumpy old man...."
LOL!
Can listen to the full JMO Podcast here where Pete also talks about the fall walleye bite on Devils:
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How to find (big) fish on NEW lakes.
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Fishing the same lakes each time out can get a bit stale...plus you'll probably never stick that new PB (personal best) if you're pokin' around the same community holes day after day! Gotta step outta your comfort zone -- you game?
We tracked down a couple of ice-heads who love practicing karate in the garage hitting new lakes, and picked their brains on how/where to start. Talking ice-fishing, but the same tricks work great for finding new "honey holes" all year-round.
Waaaay too much info to post it all here -- I'll give you 1 snippet below -- otherwise click the pic to read the full TargetWalleye.com write-up:
If you fish in MN: LakeFinder is probably one of the biggest not-so-secret secrets of diehard ice-heads (your state might have something similar). Can search most any lake in the state by name -- or searching the map on the mobile version -- and it'll kick out tasty info like:
1. Whether there's a public access or not, and where it's at.
2. Fish stocking info: when, what and how many. 3. Water clarity, quality and levels. 4. And my personal favorite...the DNR's trap/net data.
That trap/net data (under the "Fisheries Lake Surveys" tab) breaks down the weight and length of all fish sampled by the DNR. It's a KILLER tool for finding lakes with above-average size fish...right from your couch [zipped-mouth emoji].
Read the full write-up here on TargetWalleye.com.
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Ever cooked a walleye whole before??
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That's chef Mario DiBiase, owner of Sottovoce Restaurant in NY, doing up a "whole roasted dragon-style walleye" with a "spicy mirin dipping sauce." You drooling yet? Or still too busy staring at the thing's head?? Lol.
> Chef Mario DiBiase: Whole fish eating is, in my opinion, the best. Cooking the flesh on the bone and with the skin add gelatin for a silk mouth-feel and extra flavor. Experiment one day: Take a drab skinless fillet and cook it alongside the same fish just gut and scaled...report back.... You also get the benefit of no-waste eating. The meat pulls away leaving the bone picked clean.
> Walleye meat is soft, mild and flakey. It is one of the most sought after freshwater gamefish for this reason. It fries up tender and juicy, and roasts up flavorful and moist.
> I tried a new-to-me Carolina blend from @porkmafia. Message me if you want to get your hands on some. Perfect for coating this fish. Sweet, tangy and a little spicy.
> Preheat oven to 450°F. Gut and scale your fish, slit it every half inch to the bone. Rub generously with Carolina rub. Prop cavity open with skewers and set on a grate in a sheet pan. Roasts at 450°F until the skin is crisp and the internal temp is 140°F. Serve with my Mirin dipping sauce.
Here's the before, during and after -- not much for leftovers!
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Fall crank trolling: more tip, less speed.
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General rule of thumb: start slowing down as the season progresses and you'll catch more fish. People get so focused on what exact mph they should be trolling at, but Brad Hawthorne will actually watch his rod tip more often than he looks at the speed:
We know you analytical folks out there probably skipped the vid thinking:
Don't worry, this will get you started:
> 62-66 degrees - 1.8-2.2 mph > 56-59 degrees - 1.6-1.8 mph > 50-55 degrees - 1.2-1.4 mph
But like Brad said, don't be afraid to go by the wobble of the bait if you feel good about the action.
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Q: Why did the nightcrawler cross the road?
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A: Probably 'cuz it was chasing you if it was this big:
Those are bass-head Clark Reehm's size 11s next to that 'crawler-opotamus...had hundreds of 'em covering his LA driveway. Thing would look like a dang wind turbine pulled on slow-death hook.
Only know one guy that's not impressed:
How'd you like to fish that 'crawler? Throw it on a 47/0 hook with a 6-lb bottom-bouncer and hold on!
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News
1. SK: Mooney/Copeland win $100K at Vanity Cup!Tyrell Mooney and Michael Copeland took home the mega win(nings) at the Vanity Cup on Tobin Lake, SK with a 2-day bag of 48.60 lbs, fattening up their wallets by $114,980 after bonuses! Wow! BIG congrats!! Full scoop on how they caught 'em in Friday's Target Walleye. 2. MN: Soderholm/Hittle win Gull Lake derby.Fishing to End Hunger charity derby with some stiff competition. They sacked-up 5 for 17.77 lbs including their 7.98-lb kicker. Could only weigh 1 fish over 20", so they must've had some massive "unders" to go with it. Earned 'em a 15K payday -- congrats fellas! Full results here. 3. NWT championship headed to Lake Erie.Oct 14-16 out of Huron, OH. Besides ultimate bragging rights, check what they're fighting for: > The winning pro at the championship will be awarded a fully-rigged Ranger 620FS Pro, valued at $75,995 plus $15K cash. 2nd place will be awarded a Ranger 2080MS, outboard and trailer package valued at $64,595. 1st place for the co-angler will be a Ranger VS1882 package valued at $39K.
#ChaChing! Gonna be a slugfest.
8. CatchCo will regularly donate some profits.> ...the company behind brands like Mystery Tackle Box and Karl's Bait & Tackle [and BioSpawn, among others] is proud to announce a new initiative called Catch Co. Gives Back. The program advances Catch Co.'s mission of "rescuing people from the indoors" by partnering with select nonprofit organizations that are doing amazing work across the fishing industry and society at large.
> For 1 week every quarter, Catch Co. will donate 10% of sales from the Karl's Bait & Tackle ecommerce site to a nonprofit organization. The company is proud to announce that C.A.S.T. for Kids has been selected as its first partner organization. 9. Walmart says 10 MILLION MORE folks are fishing now?> ...before Feb, 25 mil Americans would go fishing on a regular basis, said Brett Biggs, the company's executive vice president and chief financial officer, in an August conference call for stock market analysts. That number has since grown to 35 mil...
10. PA voted chain pickerel to be featured......on the 2021 PA fishing license button. Case you're curious, walleye wasn't even an option to vote on?!?! Was between: chain pickerel, a conservation green, red/white bobber, and a life jacket.... 11. Academy is now worth $1.1 bil.
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TargetWalleye.com Highlights
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Tip of the Day
River mouths
Go-to lure: #14 Rapala Husky Jerk> When walleyes move to river mouths in fall, nighttime is the right time to cash in. In this scenario, it's tough to beat a long, thin stickbait...can be fished close to the surface or down to approximately 8', and you can cast them or troll them.
> Target the edges of deep holes or eddies where baitfish can rest out of the current. If there's a pier or breakwall with lights shining in the water close by, that's often the jackpot because light naturally attracts baitfish.
> I'll start by casting a stickbait behind the boat on a spinning rod and then slow-troll it with the electric motor. Every once in a while, I'll cut the motor to let the lure pause, or snap the rod to make it dart forward. This is a great way to locate a concentration of feeding walleyes, and once I do, I'll stop the boat and fan-cast.
Shallow reefs
Go-to lure: #7 Rapala Rippin' Rap> On smaller bodies of water that don't feature any bays or river mouths, walleyes typically migrate to shallow reefs -- perfect scenario for casting lipless crankbaits. Much like when you're bass fishing, cast the lure and work it back from deep to shallow until you pinpoint the holding depth of the walleyes.
> Once I start getting bites, I reposition the boat so I can cast parallel to the reef...allows me to keep the lure in that key depth range [the entire cast]. If you find the fish holding on the deep edges, letting the lure sink and then working it back in a series of sharp rod pumps can be very effective.
> Occasionally pausing after snaps causes the lure to flutter down like a wounded baitfish, and that's often when a fish will strike.
Open basins
Go-to lure: 800-Series Reef Runner> Don't overlook trolling deep-running crankbaits in bays and basins. This is especially effective on larger bodies of water...shad or shiners often migrate to bays and basins, congregating in giant pods in the deeper water within them.
> While it's true that the bulk of the walleyes will slide shallow in fall, quite often the biggest fish in the system spend the majority of their time out in deeper water, feasting on these open-water baitballs.
> Troll your crankbaits off planer boards to cover as much water as possible. Staggering lures at different depths is critical...baitfish often move up and down in the water column as water temps change. A switch in wind direction can blow in warmer or cooler water...all it takes to quickly alter the holding depth of the baitfish.
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Quote of the Day
"It's that time of year! Don't forget to put tire chains on your Crocs and flip 'em into 4×4!"
- Hilarious post from Ben Kron talkin' what might just be the most popular permanent fish-house accessory out there: Swore I'd never own a pair...now I can't live without 'em lol.
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