If you're getting this Target Walleye email for the first time, a friend probably signed you up! |
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How John Hoyer tracks down trophy bluegills – RIGHT NOW. |
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First ice might be your best opportunity of the year to catch truly huuuuge bluegills. Here's how (and where!) big-fish junkie John Hoyer targets 'em when things lock up, and it's likely not where you'd think. Full write-up on TargetWalleye.com, few excerpts below: |
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Most folks zip straight off to the weeds…while Hoyer runs with the bulls in 15-30', focusing on soft-bottom basins that flatten out at the base of a saddle or shelf:
> Hoyer: "They're out on deep flats that have bug life going on -- especially the trophy-sized fish. They're following the food and not really holding to structure."
When drilling holes, he starts in deep water at the base of a drop-off and moves OUT from there.
Bluegills are picky when a lake first caps. Hoyer says, "they're crabby" and "it takes a week-ish for them to adjust to it." When fish start actively feeding again, time of day is crucial:
> "Big bluegills will shut off completely for long stretches – you have to hit the feeding windows, which are usually at first light and then dusk into nightfall."
Says you can NOT rule out a lake for big 'gills until you've spent time trying to locate fish at lowlight dusk. He's also a big believer in overcast days with a falling barometer = fish are more likely to feed all day:
> "That's when we'll make a long run to a known trophy lake. Other than that, it's basically the 2 feeding windows."
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Invasives can slow walleye growth up to 14%? |
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> "Both invaders reduce lake levels of zooplankton, an important food source for young walleye. Zebra mussels act as filters, reducing the amount of algae in the water…a food source for zooplankton. Spiny water flea eat zooplankton directly."
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Makes total sense (to me) that the little'uns would have a harder time putting together a meal...but I really wouldn't think invasives are slowing the growth of adult fish, too? Maybe. Who knows? I don't.
Oddly enough, I have noticed that the fishing seems to be getting BETTER on a lot of these lakes infested with zeebz and whatnot. That being said...
...zeebz come in and change the whole ecosystem of the lake. "My grandpa used to catch 'em here" will only work for so long – fish aren't going to be in the same spots they used to be. That goes for whether you're trying to catch 'em with a rod, or survey 'em with a net or trap.
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Why? Zeebz filter the water, which increases water clarity and allows vegetation to grow deeper. So the fish are typically moving deeper -- or sometimes pushing WAY up farther, burying in the weeds -- and so should you. Clearer water can also make fish "more smarter."
Okay, now I'm getting waaaay off topic compared to the original write-up. Just some random somewhat-related thoughts I felt like spewin'.... Take 'em for what it's worth, which isn't much! Lol. |
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Love me some unusual fish! |
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Here's a couple you don't see every day -- or ever?
Cheeseheads aren't the only thing WI grows... Check out this wild perch Lyle Chapman caught and posted in the Ice Junkies Outdoors Facebook group: |
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Mike Frisch is out on Upper Red Lake filming an episode of Fishing The Midwest TV right now. Caught a walleye they named "The Humpback of Red Lake" working a Clam Tikka Mino in 12'. Said they found 8-10" of good ice and a strong bite out on Center Bar...humpback strong! |
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Heard that fish spent too many hours hunched over a keyboard typing Target Walleye emails.... 🤣 Thx man! |
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Gravel lizards are chewin'! |
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Feel like I've been sorta lacking on the big-fish pics, so here you go!
Ashley Rae ( @shelovestofish) is setting the stage with 300 ponies and 1 big mule! Stuck her biggest 'eye of the season -- 30.5" and 11.5 lbs -- trolling a #11 Berkley Flicker Minnow on the Bay of Quinte. She said, "these fish make the 4am alarms worth waking up for." No doubt! |
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> "When it's mid-50s in December you take advantage."
Shot him a message to get the scoop on how he's catching 'em, but he's behind the wheel (of his boat!) right now and will get back to me. #Diehard!
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Heck of a fish, man! As his buds at Team Yukon Outdoors said, it looks like it's still eating Thanksgiving leftovers.... |
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Simple trick to make fussy walleyes bite (flasher cam!) |
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Sometimes you've gotta stoop to their level and frustrate 'em into biting!
Doesn't matter if you're ice fishing with rattlebaits or jigging spoons…this fun little trick can help turn sniffers into biters:
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That Vexilar FLX-28 is a nasty unit! If you know, you know…. #Crisp!
BONUS: This tip isn't just for walleyes. Works well for jumbo perch, and I even do the same type of thing in the middle of the water column for suspended crappies….
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I was there in person, but had to go back and watch Ron's military honors (1:36:08) again. Get goosebumps every time.
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RIP brother. And thank YOU for making us all better people, let alone better fishermen/women. |
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Survivor style, torches and all….
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I'm 100% kidding of course!
But Keith has decided to take a different path...sounds like one that involves a lot more fun fishing -- dude flat-out just LOVES to fish. More from Keith:
> As many of you saw in The Next Bite TV show opening for this year, I am no longer a host of the show. There were no disagreements, no blowups and no bad feelings amongst the owners of TNB. This is just something I always planned to do. I am not retiring from professional fishing!
> Gary, Chase, Kemos and I will still be working together fishing NWT tournaments, we are still great friends. I am also fishing the AIM Wisconsin events as I have done the past few years with my sons.
> I was involved with 16 seasons of TNB and over 200 shows. What most people don't realize is that there is a lot of behind the scenes work that has to be done to produce the kind of show we did -- time I'd rather spend fishing.
> I will still be part of TNB, maybe as a guest -- maybe do some tip segments -- and as always "I'll keep you informed on what's happening, on my Facebook page and The Next Bite Facebook page" 😎
And here's Gary Parsons talkin' at ya from the heart:
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> Daphnia [are]...tiny animals are critical to lake health: Besides providing food for fish, they graze on floating algae, beating their legs constantly to create microcurrents that pull the algae toward their miniature maws. By keeping algae in check, Daphnia help keep the system in balance.
> But Daphnia are declining in Lake Superior and nearly every other body of water in the Great Lakes region...decimated by...invasive predator, the spiny water flea.
> ...populations of native plankton in some of MN's lakes have fallen by as much as 60% since the arrival of the spiny water flea. The plankton die-off in turn has affected yellow perch, walleye, and other native gamefish.
> Fish in lakes invaded by the spiny water flea grow more slowly during their first year of life, which makes them more vulnerable to predators.
...on these ACME Kastmaster Tungsten DR Spoons. Not positive, but believe they may be FishUSA exclusives 'cuz I hadn't seen 'em before. ESPECIALLY digging that "glow hulk" color on the top-left: |
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Longest 'eye caught wins $5K. Top 10 spots are also paid + a $1K lottery draw if you only catch small ones lol.
And no, I did not make up that word lol. Sounds like it has something to do with making boats more electronics/systems friendly. Brunswick owns Lund and Mercury among other brands.
Roast those chestnuts by a fish-house safe fire!
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...EVERYTHING you need to transform it from a flasher-mounted system to an Ice Defense for your tip-ups and setlines:
> Just strap it to an extra flasher battery with the included strap, hook up the power cable and you never have to worry about your setlines freezing again!
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Yup, I'm gonna have to try that. Tip-ups freezing into the ice are the biggest reason I don't run one on frigid days, which means I'm catching half the fish I could be. |
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No doubt lipless cranks are all the rage when it comes to catching mondo walleyes through the ice, but you might wanna consider playing with 'em for BIG crappies too.... Few tips below on how HSM Outdoors' Chad Peterson sniffs out the chubbiest specks from the batch: |
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> During the ice season, you will have opportunities when the crappies are riding high in the water column (especially on overcast days!) when you see that, you better break out the Chubby Darter. The crappies are normally feeding and are very aggressive, as the slow wobble of the Darter approaches the target zone.
> Sometimes you won't make it to the targeted zone, because they will have raced up to the lure -- those are the best bites and normally the bigger, more-aggressive fish of the school. So, where do we look?
> ...deep breaklines or over the deeper basins are the high-percent areas to find schools of crappies. Just scouting these areas will provide good opportunities to see high-riding crappies that are easy to graph...typically it's bluegills that are near the bottom. If you're not marking fish -- keep moving and drilling!
> Other overlooked areas include shallow flats with weed patches where crappies and bluegills like to hold, and feed. ...I'm typically looking for 7-13' depending on the water clarity.
> Your approach should be a little different when using the Chubby Darter in the shallows...try fishing it just 2-3′ below the ice for those aggressive up-feeders. One of my favorite parts about this shallow-water bite is you can often sight-fish them and see how they react to the action of the Darter.
The Salmo Chubby Darter is no secret -- invented in 2002 and has been harassing fish for 18+ years now. But if you haven't heard, they dropped 6 new fish-sexy colors last ice season: |
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"We don't mind the fishing reports, but let's reserve 911 for emergencies." |
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> "Crouching over an ice hole with your phone in your pocket can press the magic call 911 buttons."
> Some smartphones have an emergency SOS feature that if you press a button enough times, it'll automatically call 911. For iPhones, it'll call 911 if you rapidly press the side button 5 times.
And here I thought they were being called for all the "generous" holds I'm seeing in folks' pics on social media lol:
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I just picked up a Mag Lurchin' for this ice season. It's a 34" M fast-action carbon blank, a rod action that I was missing in my lineup as I always tend to go overboard with super-stout whoopin' sticks. But this rod legit says in the description that it's great for "average walleyes," which is what I put topside more often than I'd like to admit lol. Pumped to give it a go on my next trip out. |
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Friends of Target Walleye |
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Target Walleye -- walleye during open water and all species during hardwater -- is brought to you by Al and Ron Lindner, Jim Kalkofen, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-nuts like you! #fishheads
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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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