If you're getting Target Walleye for the first time, a friend probably signed you up! |
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Ice fishing for crappies after dark (shallow weeds!) |
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Nothing's more frustrating than hearing about a good daytime bite while you're stuck on the clock...work seeeeriously cuts into fishin' time π but without it you couldn't buy that basketful of new baits...or pay the mortgage lol.
What you might not know is some of the best hardwater crappie fishing happens about 45 minutes after everyone else has already packed up.
We had TW friend Will Stolski track down MN metro native Matt "Waldo" Waldron to help us get the scoop on after-dark crappies. Waldo spends a pile of time on the ice β especially during "workin' man's hours" β and has a soft spot for some salt 'n pepper.
π― Here we go:
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> Matt: "I started pursuing this deal simply 'cuz I couldn't fish during the week until after 4:30 (work gets in the way) and I wanted to spend more time on the ice than just the last-light bite window."
Location
> "When picking a lake, look for clear, clean water that supports solid weed growthβ¦those clearer-water fish seem to bite better after dark anyways.
> "During early-ice I'm looking for larger weed flats in 6-10', specifically areas that have coontail and milfoil mixed together. Mid-winter I'll fish the same areas, but a little deeper (10-14'). Seems like the mid-winter fish like having access to deeper water, so steeper breaks are betterβ¦or depressions in the weed flats."
Right now, green means go:
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> "Regardless of time of season, finding living green vegetation is key. Don't waste your time on the dying or dead stuff. Living weeds give off oxygen which equals bait and fish.
> "I drill out a grid pattern over flats about 5' apart from each other, sometimes can visually see weeds otherwise I check [each hole] quick with my Vexilar.
> "Start by fishing the sparser weeds first (easier to read on your unit), then move to the thicker clumps if you don't get bit."
Gear
> "Beefed-up...big crappies will dog you into the weeds and break off if you get too light on your gear.
> "M or ML rods...like 'em a little longer (at least 32-36") with a more moderate action (think parabolic bend).
> "4-6 lb mono spooled on a 1,000-size spinning reel because they have better drag systems than most inline reels...important when pulling big ones (14- to 16-inchers!) out of thick cover.
> "I use a 1/8-oz Clam Blade Jig or something similar like an original Demon β any color as long as it glows, and has white or chartreuse in it.
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> "These weed crappies are usually eating baitfish β not bugs like basin dwellers. I tip my jig with a full crappie minnow hooked through the back."
Cadence
> "Big sweeping jig strokes (2-3'), letting it free fall on the way down β gotta get their attention. When I do mark a fish, I speed up my cadence into quicker and shorter strokes. If the fish react negatively I'll switch to a complete deadstick.
> "Sometimes I have to tighten up my 'calling' strokes in the real thick weeds."
Timing
> "Pre-frontal days are my favorite. Typically if I can get out within a few hours of a front moving in is when I catch the biggest ones.
> "I think the moon phase plays a big role in early- and late-ice situations. Full or new moons seem to fire them up more than any other phase."
Thx for all the info, fellas!
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Ice fishing: How much moving is too much? |
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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 a write-up talking making moves...or not.... π
> "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. |
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How to tie a snell knot with itty-bitty ice jigs. |
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We shared some of ice tourney pro Lawrence Luoma's tungsten ice jig modifications in the last Target Walleye email and got a bunch of great feedback. One thing that's asked (over and over again!) is how the heck Lawrence ties a snell knot with those tiny, goofy-shaped tungsten jigs...?!
First: Why the snell knot?
He says it helps keep the bait perfectly horizontal, and that horizontal ALWAYS gets more bites from fussy bluegills. Like how Dave Genz always shows to straighten your knot by sliding it back on the eyelet.... When you snell, even the fish can't move the knot β the jig bounces right back how it's supposed to hang:
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Lawrence shot us a little how-to video from last year's deer camp. If you're having trouble seeing the specifics in the vid, he also hipped me to this Akara diagram that might help walk you thru it: |
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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 when fish are showing interest, but not committing.
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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That Vexilar FLX-28 is still one nasty unit! If you know, you know.... #Crisp! |
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Random thought of the day. π |
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Ice fishing is JUST like fantasy football...
Usually come into the day (or matchup) with lofty expectations, and leave embarrassed about your (team's) abilities π€£. Once in a great, greeeeaaaat while the stars align, and you're feeling on top of the world. But usually you're just trying to hang on for dear life hahaha.
You might not know this, but I am obsessed with fantasy football. Have a pretty decent track record in the handful of leagues I'm in each season β been playing for over 10 yrs now β but this season has been downright brutal with all the flops, injuries [!!!] and now of course covid forcing starters to take a seat...sometimes when they aren't even the one who had it. π€¦ββοΈ
In most leagues this is the last week before fantasy playoffs. Hopefully you've already clinched a spot (I'm happy for you...I really am lol) but if you're season has gone anything like mine, it's do or die time and the only way to make it in is by winning this week.
Just wanna say good luck to everyone out there riding the fence β unless you're going against me (sorry Jake Caughey). Here's a few super-relatable memes so you know you're not alone: |
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Had things lined-up to share the winningest fish ($125K+) but last I had checked the final standings weren't so final? Some funny business allegedly went down, but I haven't seen anything official put out...so for now you'll have to do your own investigation while I steer clear from all of that lol.
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Break into the biz! π₯
Releasing 'em at the Fargo Ice Fishing Show this weekend, but posted sneak peaks on their FB page. Looks like they've got a new live-scan hardwater pole and some techy new shuttle designs. |
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First occurrence of the invasive species in the Hudson. By the end of the DEC's summer sampling, a total of 112 round goby were collected in Albany, Coxsackie, and as far south as Poughkeepsie.
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Spotted this nugget in the last BassBlaster email. Apparently it's from their recent 10-Q filing β not sure if it's a typo or what, but:
> "...the change in consumer behavior associated with the presidential election, change in presidential administration and social unrest."
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Few TargetWalleye.com Highlights
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What's π₯ on Target Walleye's YouTube π₯
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There's a night and day difference between glow and UV jigs...lol. Seriously: One acts as a sponge to absorb/emit light while the other reflects it. Some knowledge from Northland Tackle's Eric Naig β older video but science is science:
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And lots more info here for those of you that wanna get all scientific about it. |
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No better feeling than crushing it β no worse than curb-checking yourself lol. From @mysterytacklebox on Insta: |
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Now if you wanna try level 10, take your rig thru any/all Taco Bell drive-throughs. π€¦ββοΈ |
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Good luck + be safe this weekend if you're sneaking out! |
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Sign up another fish-head!
If you're forwarding Target Walleye to a friend who loves to walleye-fish or want your fishing buddies to get these emails, just send us their email addresses and we'll take care of it! (We won't sell the addresses, use them for spam, etc.) |
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Friends of Target Walleye |
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Who is Target Walleye
Target Walleye β walleye during open water and all species during hardwater β 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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P.O. BOX 2782
Baxter, MN 56425
(218) 824 5026
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