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DNR explores reducing MN’s daily bag limit for walleye. | |
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I recently came across this Tony Kennedy write-up in the StarTribune talking how MN could potentially reduce the daily walleye bag limit from 6 fish to 4. Saw on FB that Tony had asked if we should: “Follow the science or be proactive?” Which really is a great (but difficult) question....
Anytime you talk about changing regs, folks get a little “passionate” (lol). It’s okay to disagree! I always enjoy hearing both sides to any argument.
My quick-ish 2 cents: I’d be in favor of reducing the walleye limit from 6 fish down to 4.
A lot has changed since 1956 👀 which is when Minnesota’s original 6-fish walleye limit was put into place.... IMO it’s time to be proactive instead of reactive and reduce Minnesota’s daily walleye limit from 6 fish to 4. Why? To help protect the walleye population going forward and ensure our future generations have the same (or better!) walleye fishing opportunities that we are accustomed to today. Of course this is just 1 piece to the big walleye-fishing puzzle.
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Some interesting takes in the full write-up. One that caught my attention was:
> ...scientists have said most walleye fishing outings result in 2 walleyes per angler or less. Catching a limit of 6 is out of the ordinary across MN and remains a badge of honor, at least for one day.”
Kind of a funny take on it. I mean if most folks only catch 2 walleyes or less in an outing then why don’t we just make the walleye limit 50 per day since most folks won’t fill it anyways.... 🥴
I’ll give you one example of why...
You can’t talk about advancements in fishing technology without also talking about social media. It has never been easier to find a hot bite, figure out where fish are biting, what time of day, what time of year, specific depth, best baits and colors, you name it. You can even go on some social media apps (Instagram, SnapChat, etc) and open up a map and see locations of where photos are being posted right now. So yeah there's absolutely times where it's not easy to catch those 6 fish for your limit, but limits are in place to protect those hot bites, those fisheries that are on fire right now, or smaller waterbodies that can’t handle the pressure, and help keep more walleyes in that system for the future.
It’s absolutely okay to disagree [!] but I know I’m not the only one that feels that way. If this interests you, please take a few minutes to watch this video and hear how a few other MN walleye-nuts feel about reducing Minnesota’s daily walleye limit:
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New CO state-record crappie caught. | |
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Eric Allee (great dude!) is the content marketing coordinator at Eagle Claw. He’s also a diehard fish-head, which is awesome because that should be a prerequisite for a position like that! I’ve gotten to chat with him a handful of times at different sport shows, etc and his love for the sport maxes out the passion meter. 🔨💥📈🔔
Quick scroll thru Eric’s IG and you can see he doesn’t discriminate by species. 💯
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I saw a couple months back that Eric had posted a short IG video about a big crappie he caught while kayak fishing on a small lake east of Denver, CO. I knew it was big, but didn’t know how truly special the thing was until I finally saw the weight/length stats.... Here’s 3 lbs 15 oz and 18.25" of slab! 🤯 | |
And your “prove it” of the week 😅 mouth closed and all: | |
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> “It’s a deadly tactic, but it takes patience and concentration for it to work. The fish didn’t take it right away. I watched them on my ActiveTarget sonar for 2 minutes before one hit. And I’m not sure the crappie that took the lure was the largest of the three.”
Bunch more insight from this great Bob McNally write-up in Outdoor Life:
> Using a 7’ spinning rod with 15-lb braid and an 8-lb fluoro leader, Allee just felt weight on his line, and he lifted the rod to set the hook. It wasn’t a stressful fight because of the cooler water temps. Until, that is, Allee got the fish near the surface.
> “I was nervous netting it when I saw how big it was, and thought that it might be a Colorado record. When I measured it, and weighed it carefully, that made me even more nervous because I knew it was a giant of a crappie, especially for Colorado.”
> A seasoned kayak tournament bass angler, Allee carries measuring boards and a scale to document his catches. He says that he regularly catches and eats crappies, but when he realized it was a potential state-record fish, he decided to release it into the lake.
> Along with some other state fish and game agencies, Colorado Parks and Wildlife maintains fishing record books for both weight records and length records. Weight records must be kept and weighed on a certified scale, while length records must be measured in inches and then released to qualify for record consideration, according to CPW.
> Allee explains that his 18.25” black crappie weighed around 3 lbs 15 oz on his hand scale, which would have been enough to break the state’s weight record as well. (The previous state length record for black crappie is a 16.25” fish caught in 2023, while the standing weight record is a 3.48-lb fish from 2017.) He says he measured the fish multiple times before releasing it, in the hopes that it would surpass the 4-lb mark.
> Although Allee’s new state-record crappie hasn’t been announced yet, CPW records official Brandon White confirmed in an email to Outdoor Life that “the black crappie that Eric Allee caught is the new state record by length for Colorado.”
Congrats on the fish of a lifetime, man! Although I have a feeling you’ll be back looking for the other 2 that were with it. 😏👊
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Awesome new “Troll & Stow” trolling motor system. 😲 | |
The term “game changer” gets thrown around a lot in the fishing industry, but this awesome, innovative design is definitely a first of its kind! Premier Marine just outed their new “Troll & Stow” trolling motor system: | |
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Can completely be hidden under the deck when not in use!
Now you see it...now you don't:
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Get a first look at the design in this YouTube video: | |
Ever see a Rapala with a chrome bumper? | |
That carbon fiber handle is sweeeeet. It’s light, sensitive, looks awesome, doesn't get dirty like cork, and has a flat bottom for mounting reels straight: | |
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I’m not sure if this was an ice-show-special type of thing they were playing with or what, because I don’t see the carbon fiber handle or gold recoil ice guides as an option under most of the custom builds. But they do have a “special requests” box under each. Or when in doubt ya could always call the shop 612-408-5590. Either way this one is mine so keep your grubby paws off of it HAHA!
2. Mark Fisher is retiring from radio.
> Reel Talk Outdoors Radio: “After 31 years of sharing his stories, knowledge, and love of fishing and the outdoors with you every Sunday night, Mark Fisher is retiring from radio. Join us this Sunday from 7-8pm for his farewell show. Leave Mark your well wishes on this post or call in to the show on Sunday, 763-450-0100.”
3. Amped now has built-in Bluetooth monitoring...
...on all lithium batteries 50Ah and larger. 💯 Can tell you estimated time remaining, and way more info:
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> This app is a high-precision meter that allows you to check the status of your battery via your smartphone with the Amped Outdoors app. The Bluetooth app will allow you to monitor a single battery or a full system. Precise voltage and amperage measurements are taken and displayed in real-time.
> Your dashboard has all of the information you need to monitor a single battery or multiple batteries. If monitoring a single battery, you will have all the information listed such as capacity, power, status, temperature, cycles, and min and max voltage of cells....
4. WNC has new Death Jig colors and sizes for 2024.
Looks like they now have a lighter 1/4-oz size and also these gems:
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5. Uncut Angling claps back. 🎥
With a(nother) new YouTube video talkin’ baratrauma drama. This time he tanks 6 crappies he pulled from a deep basin and studies ‘em for a few days to see if they will survive or if they had any fatal internal damage:
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6. Rapala VMC lures Mike Baumgartner to Regional Sales Manager role.
Serving the Western United States and select national accounts:
> “Mike brings a deep, grassroots understanding of what customers want and expect from manufacturers,” said Travis Tuma, Vice President of Sales for Rapala VMC. “Mike’s experience, knowledge, and passion for his customers fits perfectly into the Rapala culture. And now with the addition of 13 Fishing and CrushCity, we’re looking forward to growing our strong portfolio of brands with Mike’s expertise. We’re very excited to have Mike become part of the Rapala family.”
> Born and raised in MN, Baumgartner has been an avid angler and hunter his entire life. He spent countless hours in pursuit of walleyes, muskies, and bass on Minnesota’s waters growing up, and calls himself a true multi-species angler who enjoys fishing year-round.
> Baumgartner brings a deep understanding of what local dealers and regional/national retailers face in attracting anglers to their stores. During his time at St. Cloud State University, where he graduated with bachelor’s degree in marketing, Baumgartner worked at Scheels as a fishing and hunting sales associate. There he grew his knowledge base of sporting goods retail and knew he wanted to pursue a career in the fishing industry.
> Later, he joined Pure Fishing as a Key Account Manager. During his 12 years there, Baumgartner worked closely with dealers and national accounts across the country to drive key initiatives and grow sales in all fishing categories.
7. KastKing announces partnership with Frontier Rep Group.
> ...KastKing is transforming its brand and product line from an online provider of entry-level rods and reels to a high-tech, performance fishing brand accessible online or through traditional brick-and-mortar retail. A huge step into that brick-and-mortar space is the recent partnership with Frontier Sales and Marketing, based in Katy, TX.
8. Wisconsin Fishing Expo is happening Feb 23-25.
At The Alliant Energy Center. The speaker/seminar lineup is chock-full of fishiness:
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Those are the smallest #12 size VMC Stainless Steel RS swivels. I definitely recommend getting yourself a pair of Mini Split Ring Pliers – makes the whole process 10x faster + your brain and fingernails will thank you.
Of course if you’re planning on switching baits often (profiles, colors, sizes) then you’re better off just running that little #12 swivel off your main line, then about a 12-18” fluorocarbon leader to a #00 VMC Crankbait Snap so you can swap out baits quickly.
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When you post a fish pic on literally any of the social mediaz (lol): | |
Thx so much for reading! 👊 Hope you have a great + safe weekend!! | |
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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, Jay Kumar, Chris Philen, 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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