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Today's Top 5
Walleye tourney cheaters caught lead handed?!?!
I'm sure you've seen by now...but a couple of walleye fishermen were caught doing THIS:
That's roughly 8-pounds of lead and walleye fillets found stuffed inside the bellies of a team's 5-fish bag during a recent tournament on Lake Erie.

And because we live in the amazing US of A, they are technically innocent until proven guilty in a court of law....

It blows my mind what people will do for some bragging rights and money. There's a lot that I want to say, but probably shouldn't 😅 and I'm still trying to find those words. If I do end up talking about it more, you know where to find me.

And for those asking why their fish were checked in the first place...here's the tournament director, Jason Fischer, talking in a podcast he did with Ross Robertson:

> “I’m fairly accurate with my weights...I see a lot of fish go across the scales...I’m usually within a pound or so. So I’m watching them put their fish in the basket and I’m thinking there’s a 4 pounder and I’m thinking okay this is a 20-plus pound bag. You know you have a 4 pound average. You got 5 fish. That’s 20 pounds. You know if it’s a 4.2 or a 4.3 you’re going to go over 20 pounds. So I’m expecting that. And the scale jumps to like 33.9 almost a 34 pound bag. And to me that’s better than 6- or 6 1/4-pound average. You’re almost looking at a 7-pound average to get to 35 pounds. I’m just like there’s just no way. There’s zero chance that those fish weighed that.”

HUGE props to the tournament director, Jason Fischer. It takes some serious courage to confront guys in a crowd like that. 👏👏👏

Moving on....
Sneaky Jigging Rap tweak for walleyes.
You didn't hear it from me.... 🤐

In case you still haven't seen the VMC Bladed Hybrid Treble (where ya been?!) it has a resin-sealed swivel with a BLADE for flashy goodness:
It has been my #1 crankbait tweak for walleyes...but it's just as deadly paired-up on Rapala Jigging Raps, too. Here's a slow-motion look at the flash and flutter it can add to an already deadly technique:
This simple tweak WILL get you more bites. Sometimes it's 2:1...sometimes it's 7:1...and so far worst-case scenario it's been 1:1. I'm sold and have been adding the VMC Bladed Hybrid Treble to nearly all of my hardbaits.

Soooo yesterday I found a pod of BIG walleyes cruising shallow water (7-10') up on the top of a very sharp breakline:
I threw jigs, dropshots, sucker minnows, chubs, 'crawlers – you name it – at 'em and couldn't get bit. Started to think it was a school of big suckers moseying around....

BUT first cast into 'em with a bladed-out #9 Rapala Jigging Rap (purpledescent) and I got smoked by a giant on the drop. She took me for a wild ride [!!!] but graced the camera with her presence for a brief moment before sending her back. Full cast-to-catch video below.

Btw I've got to apologize to my mom for ignoring her call so quickly 🤣❤️but I was on the other line:
The #6 size VMC Bladed Hybrid Treble is the one I use probably 90%+ of the time on my hardbaits. It's perfect for #11 Original Floaters, #7 Shallow Shad Raps, #12 Husky Jerks, #9 Jigging Raps, and #6 Rippin' Raps.

Most sites will list the stock hook size that comes on their cranks – go by that and it's a direct swap. Typically they're gonna be #6, but some larger cranks will be a #5, #4 or #3. I think for the slightly smaller #7 Jigging Raps you should be able to get by with the #8 size Bladed Hybrid Treble.
7 steps to protect your boat during the off-season (winterization).
Saw this in Sea Foam's Shop Talk Fall 2022 e-newsletter earlier today (can sign up here if you're interested).

> If you own a boat and plan to store it this winter, this is one of the best boat and motor storage prep instructions we've seen...covers everything including stabilizing fuel, engine storage, lower unit lube, prop, batteries, drying out your boat and more.

Whether you're wrapping up your open-water season now, or in 2 months when some folks are ice fishing, these are some useful tips from Wired2Fish's Ryan Dechaine:
Remember last week when I said...
...that it's so weird how my brain works 🥴 how literally everything I see and hear somehow automatically gets some kind of fishing correlation....

So, I was watching Thursday Night Football last week and noticed the Cincinnati Bengals were sporting a new uniform. Legit the very first thing that came to my mind was how it reminded me of VMC's new-last-year "glow tiger" color they released in several ice-fishing spoons and jigs:
Tell me I'm not alone LOL. 🤷‍♂️🥴🤓
Here's last week's "Top 5" of the week! 🍿
Episode 20 already! Here's what's on the menu:

1. The one that got away....
2. Spinnerbait walleyes are a thing
3. Merc's 600-hp V12 Verado
4. Catch LESS fish on purpose?!
5. Some seriously strange catches

Hope you enjoy!
News

With 59-15 (14 fish) over the 3-day derby on the Bay of Green Bay out of Oconto:


Luckily a watercraft inspector was paying close attention:

> A DNR watercraft inspector saw what appeared to be grass in the motor intake of a boat whose owner approached the Agate Bay public water access to Lake Superior in Lake County. Upon closer examination, the inspector noticed the small star-shaped bulbils that indicate starry stonewort. The boat owner said the boat had been on Bowen Lake in Cass County the previous weekend. Starry stonewort was confirmed on Bowen Lake in Aug. The inspector used the decontamination station on site to ensure the invasive species was removed before the boat entered Lake Superior.

Props. 👊


> Parts of the Otter and Cloquet rivers accessible upstream from Island Lake would have the same regulations as the lake.

> The proposed regulation for the Otter River from the mouth to the Boulder Lake dam, and the Cloquet River from the mouth to the rapids a half-mile upstream, would require anglers to release all walleye 15-20" in length, with 1 fish allowed > 20", the same regulation in place on Island Lake Reservoir. ...also would increase those sections of river to the 10-walleye daily possession limit....


Which at first sounds like good news...but they're worried about walleyes preying on young salmon and steelhead:

> Walleye have spread throughout the Columbia River basin following an unauthorized introduction to Lake Roosevelt in the mid-20th century. These fish have remained downstream of ID's salmon and steelhead rivers until recently. Data collected at the Lower Granite Dam adult fish trap has shown that walleye have been moving through the fish ladder and likely passing over this dam since at least 2016 (2016=2; 2017=11; 2018=49; 2019=20; 2020=45; 2021=75).

> Walleye are effective and opportunistic predators that will prey on emigrating salmon and steelhead smolts. Juvenile salmonids in ID rivers and streams are already affected through predation by native and non-native birds and fishes, and as more walleye continue to move and colonize upstream of Lower Granite, predation rates will continue to rise. Researchers downriver have estimated that the average walleye eats around 2.5 smolts per day in the spring (McMichael and James 2017), and that non-native predators, including walleye, might be eating up to 17% of certain populations of juvenile emigrants (Harnish et al. 2014). This scale of mortality can reduce adult returns.


...last week by the Minnewaska Lake Association (MLA).


Due to drought – water levels haven't been this low since 2012. Game and Parks has been doing some repairs where they're able to.


> Do-It Molds, the global leader in the custom tackle making industry for over 55 yrs, has launched a new educational video series named How We Do-It...intended to teach custom tackle making tips and tricks to both beginners and experienced tackle makers. The videos are short, extremely informative and give the viewer a hands-on look on all aspects of the tackle making process.

Love it! Some more info here. And can tell by their quick intro video that this series is going to be awesome:
> The interactive store features best-in-class products from fishing and outdoor brands, including brands from parent company Catch Co's portfolio. Following the successful launch of the first Karl's Fishing & Outdoor store in Fort Worth, the new store will host fishing meetups, seminars, philanthropic events and entertainment.

> "As a Minneapolis native, I grew up visiting Mall of America. To be opening a store here is sort of a dream come true for me," said Ross Gordon, founder and CEO of Catch Co. "I grew up fishing in this area and know how many anglers, both young and old, are here. My wish is for more local Minnesotans to be able to experience our products up close and find a product they love...."


Connor Summers and Lee Noland are the new owners.

Reminder that former owner Mike Dahl is fighting cancer. 🙏✝️ Prayers.


...thx to the GeigerTec billet aluminum adjustable mount and 50" transducer shaft. More info and a video here:
Few TargetWalleye.com Highlights




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Tip of the Day

It's a rig designed to be slowly pulled upstream – especially when the water's running high, fast and dirty – and it's all centered around one of those 3-way swivels you never thought you'd use. Like this one made by Eagle Claw. #OriginalFidgetSpinner

Gives you the weight to keep your bait down in the current and sloooowly worked along bottom, but your plastic will still have lots of action 'cuz it's not muted by a mondo 1-oz jighead.

Some more insight from Chase Parsons in this quick video from The Next Bite:
Something I might have to play with when I head up to the Rainy River in a couple weeks....
Meme of the Day
It's a busy time of year – hope fall fishing isn't taking the hit. From NPAA on Insta:
If you saw this one go down live during the game 😳 you already know that "weddings" aka Bobby Wagner won by a large margin lol....
Today's 'Eye Candy
I looooove when walleyes show-off their pearly whites for the cam 😍 like this one that walloped a 3/4-oz Berkley Fusion19 Snap Jig paired with a 4" Gulp! Minnow:
Sign up another fish-head!

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Friends of Target Walleye
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!
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

To send us walleye pics, ice shots or whatever, just respond to this email or click here to email us. Or post it on the Target Walleye Facebook page.
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