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My #1 crankbait tweak for walleyes. |
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This simple tweak WILL get you more bites. Sometimes it's 2:1...sometimes it's 7:1 π³...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:
Oh, and we've got some underwater footage in this vid so you can π for yourself:
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Most sites will list the stock hook size that comes on their cranks β 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.
Side note:
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> Tony Roach: "There are a lot of jigs that you can't use a stinger hook on unless you use this new [Crossover Cap] system. And it is so easy β you put the cap over the clip, thread your main hook right through it, and then voila! You can start using stinger hooks on any jig you have. Your stinger hook is attached inside the connector, but the cap's there, so it can't get free because there's that rubber material there." |
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The definition of "biting off more than you can chew." |
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My buddy Chuck Eggert ( local Brainerd, MN guide) sent me this crazy pic that I just had to share with the rest of you. His daughter found this 23" walleye washed up on shore that had apparently choked on a 6" bluegill! |
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Crazy find! And just more proof that walleye aren't scared to take down a big meal. π Thx for the pic, Chuck! |
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Well, there's a GIANT hole in my boat.... π |
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And I did it on purpose. One of the scariest things I've ever done (lol) was take a jigsaw to the front of my boat and slice out a big ol' hole in the deck....
Why: Because I'm crazy.
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Yes, that is all sweat π₯΅ in the top right pic hahaha. Mostly hot sweat, but also nervous sweat. Can't say I recommend other folks do this 'cuz I don't want to be held liable if you mess something up LOL. But now that it's done, I couldn't be happier!
I bought the ComforTroll U4 as it's 4.5" deep and specifically designed for the beefy Minn Kota Ultrex pedal. I did have to take a Hackzall to the top rod tubes so that super-deep tray would fit. But checked and my rods are still able to slide in the rod locker.
This tray allows the pedal to basically be flush with the deck of the boat so that I don't need to stand like Captain Morgan all day on the water.
Got to try it out last night and my legs/feet/back were all about it. Also pumped to be standing much more stable (stably?) up front when the wind is blowing β so basically every...single...day this summer. π¨
Brought me a tiny-little-smidgen of luck in our local walleye league last night when I went back-to-back casts with a Ned rig (3/16-oz VMC Ned Rig Jig + Z-Man Big TRD) including one reeeeally good one for around here: |
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But it was all downhill from there. The highs and lows of tourney fishing are wild!
Big props to Nick Cekalla and Jake Stockard who put together a basically perfect bag of 19.09 lbs (6 fish but only 2 can be >20") in the short 3-hour derby. πππ |
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Fish can get addicted to meth and even go thru withdrawals?! π€¨ |
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I swear I'm not making any of this up hahaha. There's multiple newsy articles out there ( like this one) sayin' drug addiction in fish was/is/can be a real thing. |
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> "..after being used by humans, methamphetamine enters waterways through sewage systems and discharges from wastewater treatment plantsβ¦.
> "Meth pollutes rivers all over the world, with concentrations of the drug ranging from a few nanograms to dozens of micrograms per liter of water...."
Soooo apparently "researchers placed 60 trout in a drug-free holding tank and another 60 in a tank laced with 1 microgram of meth per liter of water."
> "The researchers had the latter group of fish soak in the meth-tainted water for 2 months β a step meant to simulate the effects of persistent drug exposure that might occur in a polluted river. The researchers then transferred the drugged fish into a clean tank for 10 days....
> "To test for withdrawal symptoms, the team devised an experiment where fish could choose between swimming in clean water or water with trace amounts of methβ¦the tank is designed such that the 2 streams of water don't mix but the fish can still swim between them. When previously exposed fish showed a preference for the meth-tainted water in the experiment, that was taken as a sign of addiction to the drug....
> "The team ran select fish through this experiment on the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th days after they'd been moved to the drug-free tankβ¦they also ran drug-free fish through the same experiment.... They found that, in the first 4 days after the tank swap, the meth-exposed fish showed a stronger preference for drugged water, compared with the fish that had not been exposed to meth. This difference waned the more time the exposed fish spent in the drug-free tank.
> "The researchers also noted that, in general, the meth-exposed fish became somewhat sedentary in these first 4 days of withdrawal, while the drug-free fish swam about as usual. This lack of movement hinted that the fish were stressed out due to their meth withdrawal...."
Wow. π₯΄ Not even sure what to say.
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Did you see our newest "Top 5" video yet?! |
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Episode 6, presented by our friends at Sea Foam. π₯ If you can't tell we're having a lot of fun with it, hope you are too! |
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> All were wearing life jackets and were safely brought to shore and taken to the hospital to be examined. One person was found about a 1/2 mile from where the boat capsized.
> The boat was not taking part in the Devils Lake Chamber Walleye Tournament which had been called off for the day due to the weather.
So glad everyone was okay!
...on Lake Pokegama. Randy Topper and Brock Anderson took home the 'dubyah' with 5 for 47.98 lbs = $18K payday and the second time (also won it in 2018) they've gotten to kiss the cup: |
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They were understandably a little vague on how they caught 'em. Said anywhere from 12-25'...and that they had "a couple reactionary things going...and bobbers going."
Took some wild weights to make the top-10 this year! Saw that John Hoyer and John Bradley (2nd) were nipping at their heels with 46.59 lbs. There's absolute giants in Pokegama, it's just a matter of getting 5 bites. Cool to see it line up for some teams.
Btw I absolutely love the GRAHA's high-energy weigh-in...they actually pull the boats through the stage like it's the Bassmaster Classic. π₯
> Researchers are planning on tracking the movements and habitat preferences of the walleye for the next 2 years. There are over 100 acoustic receivers currently active in the Goulais Bay, Batchawana Bay and greater Whitefish Bay area that are operated by a number of local resource mgmt agencies, and these receivers are constantly 'listening' for tagged fish that swim by.
Can NOT catch and release...you're not even allowed to look at walleyes from July 1-15 π "in an effort to reduce hooking mortality due to heavy fishing pressure that the deeper mud flats typically receive...."
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A catch-and-release walleye szn opens back up on Sat, July 16.
> "Stocking the shad further upstream will give them more time to grow larger, hopefully increasing their chance of survival and ultimately the success of restoring this migratory species."
> Alewife, small prey fish that reach 2-9" in length, are experiencing a seasonal die-off in Lake Michigan, an event that frequently occurred 20-60 yrs ago but has been rare in recent times.
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> Alewife spend most of the year in deep, cold waters. In the spring and summer, they migrate to nearshore areas to spawn and search for food. Some alewife come out of winter in a weakened state and don't tolerate changing conditions such as large temperature swings. The combination of poor over-winter condition, temperature changes and spawning stress cause the die-off.
> "The die-off is larger than normal this year and something we have not seen in years. We are seeing the die-off extend from Muskegon all the way up to Cross Village and out to the Beaver Island complex."
> The DNR...believes this is a natural event and not caused by pollution or disease. Both state and federal agencies annually collect alewife to evaluate their condition and abundance in Lake Michigan.
> Please double-check your order upon opening the box and make sure your purchases are not discarded inadvertently. Keeping in mind that the new item bags look similar to the packing material.
July 1. Currently in Sandusky.
Kandiyohi County.
Use the code WALLEYE at checkout. And free shipping on orders over $60.
Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation:
β’ Louis Chemi (Freedom Boat Club)
β’ Carly Hysell (Garmin International)
β’ Wade Middleton (Careco TV)
β’ Bryan Seti (Yamaha)
β’ Shelley Tubaugh (Grady-White Boats)
β’ Kendra Wecker (OH DNR)
Final reminder to enter our giveaway for a pair of 13 Fishing setups π₯ including (2) Omen Gold 6'6" medium spinning rods with (2) Kalon C 2.0 spinning reels to boot.
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What's π₯ on Target Walleye's YouTube π₯
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Shallow or deep...weeds, rock or mud...slip-bobbers straight up get it done all year round. Especially when walleyes are fussy and you NEED to get bit. Here's a complete head-to-toe breakdown of my slip-bobber setup for walleyes, plus a few bonus tips you maybe haven't seen before....
Btw all the gear I used (specific sizes, weights, rod, reel, you name it) is linked in the video's description. Hope you dig it and thx much for watching!!!
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So you're telling me if I just donate plasma 87 times.... π‘ |
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This right here is Jace Peterson's new personal-best walleye... AND it was caught on his birthday... AND it won him and his brother $12,500 at the KC Walleye Classic on Lake Bemidji = can't get any better than that! |
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They caught the majority of their fish on a new Weedless Stand-Up Fire-Ball from Northland Tackle. It has a titanium weed guard that he said "pulled through the cabbage even better than the original and kept our shiners hooked up on long casts."
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Friends of Target Walleye |
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Who is Target Walleye
Target Walleye β walleye during open water and all species during hardwater β 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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P.O. BOX 2782
Baxter, MN 56425
(218) 824 5026
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