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Today's Top 5
I just found my new favorite swimbait color.
Buuuut I don't think it exists yet...? πŸ€”πŸ˜…

Apparently we have these thingamajiggers called rainbow darters in some MN waters, and they are also supposedly related to walleye:
Few details from MN DNR:

> ...while these 2-3" fish may not look like much from a distance, upon closer observation, their colors are brilliant! Their presence is often an indication of great water quality, as these fish have a low tolerance for pollution.

> Rainbow darters, which are a miniature cousin of the walleye, are found in clear rivers and streams of southeastern MN [Cannon, Zumbro, Root, and Cedar] but these fish have also been found in the lower St. Croix, tributaries of the Minnesota, and Otter Tail rivers.

> Lake Phalen in Ramsey County is the only lake in the world where rainbow darters have been found.

If you somehow get your hands on one: They are illegal to use as bait. So they must work well LOL.

Alexa - add a "nano blue" color Sharpie to my cart. Oh, and some "HD fire perch" color Berkley PowerBait The Champ Swimmers:
Another one bites the dust. 😳
This one's from TW reader Ian P. (πŸ‘Š thx man!!!) who said:

> "Just saw your recent newsletter with the walleye that expired after trying to eat a bluegill [Top Item #2 here]. Thought I’d send some pics of one I found last fall also!

> "This is a nearby lake that we get some really good-sized panfish. While working some shoreline for smallmouth bass I came across a 27.5” walleye that went belly-up after trying to eat a rather sizeable bluegill! Sad to see as I would’ve liked to reel this one in someday. Nature at its finest!"
Wild! 😲 "A" for effort tho.
Why northern pike are sometimes referred to as "snakes." 🧐
Something you might hear when someone catches a skinny one...but here's a completely different reason from Dick van Hattem (@predatorguide_nl) on Insta:
Yikes! That thing is more snake-y than an actual snake:
Speaking of weird pike shenanigans…
Big ones are sometimes called "water wolves." Maybe a little inspiration for this pike pelt mount??? First I'd ever seen one like it. Came across the pic on @sloanjay's Insta who said "not my style, but unique." Spotted in northern WI of course. 😏
We've got a new "Top 5" video coming in hot!
Episode 7 already – time flies! πŸ‘Š Big thx to our friends at Sea Foam for making this video series possible! Alright, here we go:
News
> Lindner's Angling Edge: "We are very saddened to hear the passing of a legend, IGFA Fishing Hall of Famer Mark Sosin. He was an award-winning writer, photographer and television producer, and considered an authority on both freshwater and saltwater angling. Sending our condolences and prayers to Mark’s family."

πŸ™βœοΈ


> ...28.3 mil walleye fry, 529,404 walleye fingerlings...and 101,800 saugeye at various locations....

Saugeye = hybrid of a male sauger with a female walleye.


Tami Sanderson's perch weighed in at 1.46 lbs and was 13.66" long. Congrats!!!
The previous record was caught in 2000 (tough to believe that's 22 year ago!) and went 1.06 lbs and 14" long.


Interesting idea!

> The Frabill WITNESS Weigh Net is the first all-in-one fish net, scale and ruler for fresh and saltwater anglers. With a built-in 30-lb scale, anglers can now quickly get the weight of a fish and release it without having to hang the fish on a handheld scale.
> ...capture a fish's weight, length and snap a quick photo before returning the fish safely back into the water. Simply scoop up any fish up to 30-lbs and remove the hook. Turn on the scale and hold the net in a vertical position with the net portion down to record the quick weight of any catch.


ASA = American Sportfishing Association, the national trade association that represents the sportfishing industry.

Elected to the At-Large board seats:
   β€’ Ken Eubanks – CEO, Rather Outdoors
   β€’ Daniel Nussbaum – President, Z-Man Fishing Products, Inc.

Elected to the Regional board seats:
   β€’ Todd Hammill – CEO, Wired2Fish; Northern Plains and Inter-mountain
   β€’ Mike Powell – General Manager, Mason Tackle; Great Lakes

6. Jay Harris joins American Baitworks as vp of sales.

> Jay has worked in the fishing industry for 16 yrs, having spent the last 4 yrs as national sales manager at Savage Gear Americas, where he was integral in the sales development, growth, and new product offerings.



...the Leech Lake Walleye Tournament:

> Chuck Hasse and Randy Topper (1st place), Dylan Maki and Joe Bricko (2nd), and Sean Colter and Dave Hernesman (3rd). In addition, 5 other Lund teams landed in the top-20.

> The team of Hasse and Topper finished the event with a total bag of walleye measuring just over 48-inches to take home the $15,400 prize.


Predicted to be 13% lower than average. Interestingly because of LESS rainfall = fewer nutrients from farms, etc in the system.

Btw walleye are not native to Chesapeake waterways, but are a "welcome sight." They were "intentionally introduced into the Bay watershed in the late-1800s for sport and as food. Once established, walleye rapidly developed a reputation as one of the tastiest fishes in the region."


The 65th-annual fishing biz trade show that's happening July 19-22 in Orlando, FL:

> "ICAST [International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades] is the annual gathering point for the entire sportfishing industry. We bring more manufacturers, buyers and media together than any other sportfishing industry event of the year. That means hundreds of new products, dozens of new connections and many new business opportunities for everyone who attends."


Mahnomen County


Otter Tail County


Me either. Big Palomar guy 🀣.

Apparently the "Tornado HH Knot" is supposed to be the πŸ’£ for fluorocarbon because the knot strength "is nearly 100 % of straight strength."
If you're interested in learning how to tie that ^ bad mamma jamma – or most other popular knots – Sunline has some really great videos and graphics that can help.


15. Heads up! 🚨

Make sure to charge the batteries on all of your ice electronics throughout the off season – monthly if possible – to get the most out of 'em. Same goes for your electric ice augers. Yup, I forgot too!
Few TargetWalleye.com Highlights




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Tip of the Day

Ultra informative video from Tom Boley breaking down the where/when/why/how he puts his Humminbird Side Imaging, Down Imaging and 2D sonar to work on summer 'eyes:
Meme of the Day
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. 🀣🀣🀣
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.
Today's 'Eye Candy
Another πŸ”₯fireπŸ”₯ shot from Matt Addington on Insta:
Someone check on Matt to make sure he's not still down there!
Parting Shot
Gotta send it off with a little #FishFlopFriday action from Merle Brubacker. Tight lines (and grips πŸ˜‚) this weekend if you're getting out!
Sign up another fish-head!

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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, Jim Kalkofen, Jay Kumar, Brett McComas and other diehard fish-heads like you!
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

ο»ΏTo 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.
 P.O. BOX 2782
Baxter, MN 56425
 (218) 824 5026