Massive Huron walleye, How fast fish actually grow, Longer ice rods better 🔥

Came across this super interesting write-up from MN DNR fisheries specialist Steve Kubeny that I thought others might like to see, too. First a little background from Steve:

> Fish grow at different rates depending on which part of the country and what type of lake they're living in. In general, fish in the southern parts of the country grow much faster than fish living in the northern part of the country. The growing season or the length of time that water temperatures are ideal for fish growth are longer the farther south a fish lives. There is even a difference in growth rates between southern and northern MN fish.

> In Otter Tail County [MN], fish typically only grow during 3 months of the year, Jun, July and Aug. Once water temps begin to decline in Sep, fish growth stops and excess calories are preserved as fat for the long winter ahead instead of continued growth. In the spring, energy is spent on spawning instead of growth. With such a short window of opportunity for fish to grow, many anglers are surprised to find out how long it takes to produce a "keeper" sized fish.

> The type of lake a fish lives in also determines how fast it may grow. Shallow, fertile bodies of water tend to warm quicker in the spring and have more productive food chains. Growth rates tend to be faster in these types of lakes. Deep, less fertile lakes take longer to warm in the spring and have less productive food chains, which leads to slower growth rates.

Now, here's Steve outlining the average growth rates for the more-popular species in MN's Otter Tail County. Keep in mind that most gamefish species sexually mature at about the same age as anglers consider them keepers:

> Walleye: Typically about 6" in length after their first year of growth. On average, a 14-15" walleye (1 lb) is 4-5 yrs of age. A 20" walleye (3 lbs) is usually 7-8 yrs of age. Walleyes in excess of 20 yrs of age have been documented in Otter Tail County.

> Bluegills: In most lakes, bluegills don't reach a "keeper" size of 7-8" until they're 6-8 yrs of age.

> Black crappies: Most anglers consider a 10" crappie a "keeper" and on average, a fish that long would be 5-6 yrs of age.

> Bass: A 14-15" bass (2 lbs) is on average 5-6 yrs of age. A 20" bass (5 lbs) is approximately 10-12 yrs of age.

> Northern pike: Typically reach an average length of 25" (4 lbs) at 4-5 yrs of age. A 34" pike (10 lbs) is 8-10 yrs of age.

> Muskies: Can reach lengths of 50" or more, which typically takes 15-20 yrs.

> Lake sturgeon: Don't sexually mature until they're 20-25 yrs of age, and will have attained a length of 50-60" or greater at that point.

If this stuff interests you like it does me, here's some more info on how DNR biologists age fish. Thanks Steve!

There's a time and place for everything, but IMO the longer the ice rod = the better.

First, here's the 2 times I'd argue shorter sticks shine:

1. If you're fishing inside a smaller portable shack where you physically can't use longer rods because they'll hit the roof on a hookset.

2. And when you're "tightlining" finicky fish. A style of detecting bites by watching the coils in your line as you pound the jig – hunched over the hole as close as you can be, watching as far down the hole as you can see. When you think you have a bite, drop the tip of the rod to see if the line floats...if it does, you set the hook.

Okay, so why is longer more better?

1. Longer rods flat-out give you better hooksets. You're simply moving that much more line on your sweep. Ever been working/jigging a fish up on your flasher and run out of room to set the hook? If you're not constantly choking up, you can get caught in a bad position to set the hook – sometimes up over your head – and then you've gotta crank like a crazy person to try and catch up to the fish. Longer rods can overall keep you in a better position to whack 'em.

2. Also have waaaay more control over that fish once it's hooked. There's a lot more rod to help absorb the fight of the fish (instead of tearing hooks out) and also keep your line tight when they thrash or make runs (instead of getting enough slack to throw the hook).

3. On windy days, it's super important to keep your rod tip as close to the water line as possible. The farther the distance between your rod tip and the ice, the more the wind is going to take away your feel for what's going on below. So unless you want to hunch over all day (your chiropractor might not mind lol) a longer ice rod is going to let you keep wind out of the equation while still letting you stretch out.

4. There's times when I'm fishing shallow panfish – or say late-ice crappies riding right under the ice – where I literally don't even touch my reel handle. With a longer rod, I can walk from hole to hole with the right amount of line out (sometimes that's 4′, other times that may be 8′) and drop right down to the fish's level...set the hook and swing 'em right in like I'm using a cane pole. Talk about efficient hole-hopping!

And it's tough to explain, but once you fish with a longer rod (whether it's open water or ice) it's hard to go back to shorter sticks. It legit just feels better [!!!] aside from the benefits I chatted about above that can help you catch more fish.

3. NY: Sept Lake Erie creel survey results.

> While angling effort was down from the 20-yr average, the survey showed that there were more than 13,000 hours of fishing effort over 2021. Nearly 60% of fishermen targeted walleye.

> The walleye fishing daytime effort in Sept was the fifth highest in the last 20 yrs with just under 22,000 angler hours. Cattaraugus Creek and Barcelona were the starting points for most of the Sept walleye fishing. Anglers averaged about 5 fish per boat trip with a catch rate of .52 fish per hour, the 4th highest rate in 2 decades. Only 2017, 2018 and 2019 were higher. Only 15% of anglers caught a 6-fish limit, and the average size was 20.6".

4. MN: Mille Lacs walleye catch rate way down?

According to the most recent creel survey results from Aug 15 thru Sept 15.

> "The general consensus is it's because of a booming perch hatch that is keeping the fish naturally fed."

5. MN: World's largest charitable ice-fishing contest happenin' Jan 28.

Of course talkin' the Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza – just up the road from us on Gull Lake's Hole-in-the-Day Bay. About 10,000(ish) people come from all over to try and catch a fish and maybe win a new truck, or a bunch of other prizes. Something everyone's gotta experience at least once or thrice.

6. Anglers raise $50k for Casting for Recovery in < 4 hours.

> Using the physical and social aspects of fishing, Casting for Recovery (CfR) has helped deliver healing to over 11,000 women battling breast cancer since the organization was founded some 26 yrs ago.

https://castingforrecovery.org/

> A not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization, CfR relies on donations from individuals, foundations, companies, and other organizations to provide therapeutic outdoor retreats at no cost to participants. The demand is high. "Unfortunately, we have many more applicants for each retreat than we can facilitate," says CfR CEO, Faye Nelson. "So, we are constantly looking for ways to expand our reach to serve and help even more women."

> Earlier this month, St. Croix Rod and the greater angling community stepped up to raise $50,000 for CfR. A special run of 500 Limited Edition Casting for Recovery St. Croix rods were put up for sale at 7:00 AM on Sat, Oct 1, and were sold out before noon.

7. MI: Tribe's stocking program strengthens walleye fishery.

> The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indian's Walleye Stocking Program released 2.1 mil walleye this year (1 mil fry and over 1 mil summer fingerlings) from its walleye rearing ponds in the eastern Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula.

> Making a major impact on local fisheries, the tribe's program has stocked nearly 19 mil walleye fingerlings throughout the Great Lakes, inland lakes and the St. Mary's River since 1995.

👏👏👏👏👏

8. SK: 290 walleye tagged at this year's Vanity Cup in Nipawin.

9. FishUSA announces sponsorship of "Lake Erie Fishery."

> FishUSA has announced its sponsorship of The Lake Erie Fishery initiative, a 12-month campaign that is supported by the OH Dept of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. The yearlong effort has been created to bring additional awareness to the world-class walleye fishing industry along

10. G-Man headlining the NPAA annual conference.

Jan 6-8 in Fort Meyers, FL.

11. You've probably seen AquaTraction marine flooring...

...in boats, but have you ever thought to use it as a fish-house floor?

Super cool! AquaTraction isn't a Target Walleye sponsor, but I'll call-out cool new products anytime I see 'em. Keep killing it, fellas and felletts!

12. Fishing the Midwest to hit Sportsman Channel.

Fishing the Midwest will air 4x a week on the Sportsman Channel starting in late Dec of 2022 and continuing thru first quarter of 2023.

13. CS Coatings has 3 new Pro-Tec Powder paint colors.

For you DIY jig makers – black neon, melon copper, and chartreuse pepper.

14. Sickle darter listed as threatened...

...under the Endangered Species Act.

Another nice swimbait-looking color. 😂 And proof the "HD red belly Goby" color Berkley PowerBait The Champ Swimmer mimics more than just gobies, it can look a little bit like a lot a bit:

Wish I was tech-savvy enough to plop Jason Mitchell's face on that GIF but you'll just have to use your imagination. J-Mitch recently posted this write-up over on Virtual Angling talking making moves...or not.... 👀

> "Should I stay or should I go? That is the biggest question we probably ask ourselves each day on the water. Should I sit in a spot or should I keep moving, keep looking? There are plenty of adages like never leave fish to find fish. Over the past few decades, mobility has been a mantra preached in ice fishing. People brag about drilling a hundred holes per day. People talk about the importance of moving to find fish. If you're not catching fish, it must be because you are not moving enough to find the active fish.

> "Here is what I can also tell you. The worst days I have ever had fishing were indeed days where I drilled well over a few hundred holes. The toughest days on the ice are often the days where all you do is drill holes and move. Some of the very best or most memorable days were days where I drilled a few holes and sat in those same holes all day catching fish."

There's a ton of arguments for laying low, including:

> "One of the most difficult situations for catching fish regardless of species is shallow clear water with thin, clear ice. Every time you move, every time you drill a hole, you just push these fish further away."

And of course just as many for running and gunning:

> "What are factors when sitting doesn't work so well? Realistically when you are not on fish. When the fish are not moving and if you have a lot of people around you.

> "...big moves find fish whereas small moves catch fish. Catching fish is often about sampling water…create bites by simply working hard and dropping a line down as many different holes as we can. Drill grids of holes and move until you contact fish."

Of course there's a ton of variables...and in typical Jason Mitchell fashion, he does a great job of breaking down his approach for different scenarios here.

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.

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

(218) 824 5026

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