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If you’ve been hanging around here long enough, you’ve probably heard us call those big, pre-spawn females “egg cannons” before. This pic from the IA DNR of an 11- to 12-lb bruiser they netted at Rathbun is all you need to know for the why. 💣 #BOOM |
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Now here’s a couple other grandmas caught the old-fashioned way...
Came across this 14.2-lb walleye of a lifetime posted on the @midwest.madness Instagram page. Dude said he caught it jigging a chartreuse bucktail jig tipped with a nightcrawler in a river channel on the Missouri River in MT. 🙌 Insane fish! |
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Guide Doug Wegner caught himself a 29-ish incher that still went 12.02 lbs on the scale while slinging a #6 Rapala Rippin’ Rap. “This is what gets me up every morning in the Spring no matter how little sleep I’m on!” 😳 No doubt!!! |
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John Hoyer’s cold-water killas. 🥶🥵 |
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The man, the myth, the probably-doesn’t-have-anymore-room-on-his-wall-for-trophies legend 🔨 John Hoyer was recently asked for his top presentations to catch walleyes on a late ice-out year like this. Here’s his take on how to get it done during this year’s fishing opener in MN: |
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> An 1/8 or 1/4-oz jig and very soft plastic. The Berkley PowerBait Curly Bones and Bonefish are specifically designed to excel at very slow speeds. This makes it a perfect bait to pitch out, raise your rod tip a few feet, hold it there, and watch your line for the bite or when you hit bottom. Repeat and set the hook periodically. Natural whites by day, bright stuff at sunrise and sunset.
> A shallow-running crankbait. A Berkley Hit Stick or any shallow running minnow-style bait , trolled at 1.2-1.5 mph after dark. This can be the best catch rate of the weekend...especially if dealing with calm conditions or super clear water.
> Slip-bobber/leech. I will never say bobber fishing is boring because of the simple fact that it never gets old watching that bobber go down. If I've learned one thing from forward-facing sonar, set your bobber at least 2’ off the bottom...3’ is probably better.
> 1/8-oz jig and minnow. Simple yet very effective. Use the wind to create some float in your minnow, cast quartering casts to the waves, and let the jig swing back to center. Another tip – especially when using a shiner – is don't worry about touching bottom.
> Push the envelope. Rattlebaits known to work on the great lakes excel at times throughout any given day in May. Other fast-moving presentations like a 3/8- or 1/2-oz jig and The Champ Swimmer can outfish everything if the fish are in a good mood.
> I generally don't fish any deeper than 12’ on opener, which makes it some of the most fun bites of the year. Good Luck!
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Some big, golden things coming to the walleye world! 🫢 |
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My jaw dropped yesterday when I came across this teaser video posted by a page called @TourLevelGold on Instagram. It’s legit motion picture quality schtuff and sounds like it’s going to be a behind-the-scenes look (from an angler’s perspective) on competing at the highest level of walleye fishing...from lowlights to limelight: |
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So pumped!
It sounds like the first episode “Beyond Fishing” is dropping today at 5pm cst. I’ll keep you posted. Or you can stay ahead of the curve by following their IG page here. |
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Another reason to be thankful we live in walleye country. |
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Don’t have to worry about these things going for our baits: |
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> “Crazy dude ate a 13 Fishing Trash Panda [topwater frog] like a bass. A quick dehooking and a picture, and he’s back to his reptilian business.”
And I thought loons were bad!
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> ...the alligators are entering brumation, a process similar to hibernation where the animals’ metabolism slows down and they enter a lethargic state. Brumation kicks in when the water is too cold for them to remain active....
> During brumation, the gators will pop their nostrils up out of the water to catch a breath while the rest of their body stays in the water.
> ...alligators that froze in place last year thawed out after a few days with no injuries....
Now you know.
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> Cory Klocek: “...this morning I harvested a beautiful 10-point buck, this was my first-ever deer with a shotgun.... As I’m walking around a pond, tracking my deer, I look down to see a 3′ alligator 10′ in front of me. After contacting the game warden, I was informed I could shoot it.
> “No clue how it got there, or why. I’m guessing someone had it as a pet and released it when it got too big. I’m still at a loss of words lol. Legit speechless.
> “I will be able to keep the gator after speaking with state and federal fish and game wardens. No meat will go to waste, it will be eaten. The plan is to mount them together in a fun taxidermy piece.”
Only in 2020.... 🤷♂️
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The next time you poke fun at someone... |
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...for rocking a backwards snapback, just remember Al Lindner did it first lol: |
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Back when “selective harvest” meant selecting the biggest fish to harvest. 😅 |
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And it sounds like you can thank Vaughn Paragamian for that. His genetic analysis and research helped push IA from stocking itty-bitty walleye fry, to instead putting in larger fingerlings that “grow exceptionally fast in IA’s interior rivers, typically attaining lengths of 15” just 2.5 yrs after stocking.”
Catch-photo-release style derby thru Angler’s Atlas where folks register their longest walleye caught for a shot at some serious dough and prizes.
They announced on their FB page that Ontario is July 21-30, and Alberta is Sept 1-10. The Manitoba and Saskatchewan dates will be posted soon.
Btw the longest walleye caught last year out of all 4 provinces/events was Ryley Desautels’ 83.8 cm (aka right at the 33” mark) which won him $2,775 cash + a new Garmin LiveScope unit + an Echomap 95SV. 🤑 If you’re gonna catch your new PB walleye, might as well do it when money is on the line! |
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And some people will still say he’s HoLdInG iT oUt ToO fAr even in that photo. 🤣🥴
I’ve never evaaaaa seen as many stacked-up in one spot as I did in this Apr 23, 2023 video from the Peshtigo River. 😳
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Looks like a bank vault with all that gold.
Set their 1-day ticket sales record.
> 2022 was the last year The Lions Club held the derby which started in '79. WalleyeFest Festival & Derby was born in early '23 to carry on the tradition beloved by generations and thousands of anglers. Now in its 44th year the derby will be updated, expanded, and made into a 3-day music, food, and vendor festival to kick-off SPRING in CNY!
Ticket sales close at midnight tonight if you plan on fishing it this weekend. Think someone is gonna catch that tagged fish and win a new boat?!
Must be a student in the area:
> ...looking for a new design for the shirts that are handed out to the first 150 people who catch a fish at the contest. Are you a student in the Brainerd Lakes Area who is interested in having your design seen by over 10,000 people? Send us your submission! The winner of this contest will have the design featured on the 2024 Extravaganza t-shirts, be recognized on social media, get a free contest ticket, and will receive a free t-shirt with the design on it!
Keith and Brittany Dahl.
> Bass fishing in MN has become increasingly popular. Anglers have questioned the need for closed bass seasons. In the interest of increasing bass opportunities, the DNR’s Bass Technical Team (Fisheries staff dedicated to bass research and management) has discussed a year-round angling season concept. The Team looked at available biological information from MN and in the scientific literature and is seeking public comment on updating the existing catch-and-release season.
We’ve been waiting a long time for this and it sounds like it’s gained a ton of momentum! There is some really good information at the beginning of this survey so folks can help make an informed decision.
> This transfer completes a two-phase donation from TPL totaling more than 700 acres.
> An Oklahoma angler hoping to snag a giant paddlefish on Sat instead landed a bighead carp that weighed 20 lbs more than the existing world record.
Strap a saddle on this thing and see if you can stay on for 8 seconds!
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> Brannick’s carp won’t qualify for a world record because it was snagged instead of baited. (Snagging is the common method for catching paddlefish.)
I find it absolutely astonishing that these thing can get that big by eating mostly zooplankton and algae?!
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Few TargetWalleye.com Highlights
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> “Walleyes can often be located on the shallow sand flats early in the season. These shallow locations often have sporadic short growing weeds scattered along the bottom, so long lining small jigs or casting from the boat is the ticket to catching these fish as they spook from the boat.”
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Sorry it’s not fishing related...but I saw this post on Sea Foam’s Insta and got a chuckle out of it, so thought you might too. 🤣🤣🤣 |
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The clicks are definitely mandatory! Just like giving any power tool a little braaap braaap, or saying “that’s not going anywhere” after strapping something down lol. |
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Kim Runge busted out the waders and stuck this WI cheese headbelly from the bank. 👊 |
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Hope you get to set the hook this weekend, too! Or at least get to play in the garage for a few hours getting ready to lol. 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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