If you're getting Target Walleye for the first time, a friend probably signed you up! |
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Dobias/Bonsack win Gull Lake derby. π |
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The Fishing to End Hunger charity derby happened last Saturday on MN's Gull Lake. Not a national tour, but still gonna break it down here for a couple important reasons:
1) It's a heavily-pressured lake with ultra-clear, zeeb-infested water. Can't just go anywhere or throw anything, and expect to catch a walleye...let alone the right bites to win a tourney.
2) The derby has some seriously-stiff competition (over 100 boats) including full-time guides, tourney pros, and local sticks that have been breaking down the water longer than you or I could shake a stick at. Wait, why is anyone ever repeatedly shaking a stick at anything? Anyways....
Chaz Dobias of First City Guide Service and Jake Bonsack pulled off the 'dubyah' with a 5-fish bag for 17.84 lbs. Only allowed 1 walleye over 20" in this tourney and theirs was a 28.5" kicker that went 8.21 lbs = took home the $15K payday! |
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Messaged with Chaz a little bit to get the scoop on how they caught 'em, and it sounded like the equivalent of what some folks call "junk fishing" in the bass tourney world...aka using multiple techniques throughout the day vs sticking to a specific pattern. Said that creek chubs, leeches, crawlers, and Rapala Jigging Raps all came into play β piecing together their winning bag.
Targeted their bigger fish by rigging chubs and ripping Rapala Jigging Raps ("bluegill" color in the biggest #9 size was best) out deeper in 30-40'. Their first big "over" was a 26-incher they didn't think was going to be enough to give 'em the win, so stuck with the deep program a little longer and were rewarded with the 28.5" hawg that scarfed a 6" chub.
Chaz said they focused on 15-23' weedlines for their "unders" and that he had been saving big leeches all summer long just in case, knowing others wouldn't be able to find them this time of year. Ended up being a key move with the fish turning ultra negative on game day and preferring leeches over minnows.
Not sure how many different places they hopped to on tourney day, but it looks like they could've snatched the winning bag off just this one spot in Chaz's snap of his Humminbird MEGA Down Imaging. #dialed |
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These guys put in their time and can obviously catch 'em. π Big congrats, fellas! |
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Top 30 ice-fishing pet peeves! π€¬ |
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Pet peeves: Those particularly annoying things that get under your skin no matter how hard you try and ignore 'em.
We polled Target Walleye fans to find out their biggest ice-fishing pet peeves and compiled 'em into one big-nasty list. How many are you doing?? π€πββοΈ
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Check the full list by clicking here, few of our favorites below:
β’ Garbage left on the ice. If you bring it out, bring it back with you!
β’ Losing a fish after it gets wrapped up in the transducer.
β’ Snowmobiles are the jet skis of ice fishing.
β’ Sunflower seeds in my hole.
β’ When people set up right on top of you, even though there's a whole lake.
β’ People complaining about you being set up too close (^ lol).
β’ Snake northerns. 'Nuff said.
β’ Trying to re-tie with frozen fingers.
β’ People drilling holes during prime time.
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Btw if you like "lighter" schtuff like this, keep an eye out for Friday's TW...trying to wrap-up a similar post on the top fishing superstitions.... ππ± |
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Rapala Jigging Raps aren't just for walleyes... |
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> This time of year, panfish begin pulling away from weedlines and start making their way towards winter haunts. But first they spend time suspending on breaklines between the weedbeds and drop-offs into deeper water.
> As the weeds start to die off, you'll find big schools of fish adjacent to weedlines. They'll suspend 10β², 15β², 20β² down on those breaks...that's really where Jigging Raps shine.
> I'll drive around with my big motor to mark schools and figure out what depth they're at before I even drop the trolling motor....
> I fish vertically right underneath my graph on my bow. Jigging Raps are so dense...show up really well on sonar, so you can drop it down just above a school and watch fish come up to the bait and strike β just like you do ice fishing.
Tony likes braided main line with a 2β² fluoro leader attached using a small swivel to reduce line twist:
> You're not ripping it aggressively...it's more of a vertical-hover presentation. I might jig it to get them to come up, but then I'll slow it down β just like ice fishing β where I barely raise that bait and allow those fish to come up and strike it.
> Fish a little bit higher in the water column...the fish at the top of the school seem to be more aggressive β especially when they're bunched up in a big group. Don't just drop it right in their face...try to slow the presentation down 2β² or 3β² before it gets to the fish, allowing them to come up to the bait.
Favorite clear-water colors: Natural patterns like "perch" and "chrome blue."
Stained-water colors: "Orange tiger UV," the "glow yellow perch," and BIG crappies especially love them some "pink tiger UV!"
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Ice fishers are definitely a different breed... |
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...and we wouldn't have it any other way.
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Don't you just love the highs and lows of ice fishing? Crazy to think about the type of stuff we're willing to sit through β for hours or even days on end β just to catch a fish through a dang hole in the ice! π₯Ά And it's coming sooner than you'd think.... |
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Can you imagine winning $100,000 [!!!] in a walleye tournament?!?! π€― INSANE.
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Only reason this isn't a "Top Item" in today's TW is 'cuz I couldn't really find any details on their winning program. Will follow up if I'm able to track down a pattern. Amazing job guys, and well deserved on what sounded like a tough bite.
Big congrats to Peter and Ted Mart on taking home hardware on the Mississippi River! π― They lead every day of the event. Sorta look like they need a break from each other after 3 days in the boat together (lol):
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> ...will add 30% more square footage to its manufacturing operation in Flippin...a $4.2 mil investment. ...will increase its workforce by 50 new full-time employees.
> Randy Hopper: "...will provide added space for our custom trailer production as well as extensive engineering and cutting-edge product development. At the same time, the addition will significantly enhance the production flow and efficiencies of our aluminum and fiberglass boat manufacturing."
Comes standard with the featherweight Lite-Flite Lazer Drill Unit and has a beefy new 6-amp battery. #MorePowerBaby
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Fingerlings are usually 4-6" whereas fry are typically the size of a mosquito.
6. MN: Few invasive updates...
11th-annual tourney hosted by Border View Lodge on Lake of the Woods. Catch-measure-release format with great payouts (100%) and prizes, followed up with a chili dinner/celebration afterwards...and I haven't met a bowl of chili I didn't like hahaha! Especially after a day of fall fishin'. Click the pic for more info or to register: |
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House of Outdoors (based in Frisco, TX) is the owner of Googan Baits.
White-on-white:
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> ...HondaLink Marine provides boat owners and operators, whether onboard or on land, the ability to monitor boat and engine data, maintain navigation and safety information, and connect to a Honda dealer....
Named "Manufacturer of the Year" β for the 7th consecutive year β by the National Marine Electronics Association.
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Will be dropping water levels by "8 feet in preparation for the maintenance of the sediment basins later this fall."
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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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> When the water is cooling, you can focus on a spot or location. When the water warms during the fall, you need to cover as much water as possible. Many fish will be transitioning and trolling crankbaits can be a great way to target them.
> As fish transition and travel between point A, and point B, they typically take the shortest and easiest route. What this means is that primary main lake contours and the old river channel on reservoirs essentially become underwater highways for traveling fish.
> Cover water over big locations. For specifically targeting big fish, bigger profiles typically catch bigger fish. Don't be afraid to double the length and profile from what you would typically use the rest of the year.
> Don't get hung up on an icon or waypoint...or troll until you find the fish and then assume that you will catch more from the same location. Instead focus on your fish-per-hour. On a tough bite, I 'm happy with 1 bite an hour...2 would be considered good in some cases.
> Anticipate a grind where you simply put in the time over a general location and pick fish off one at a time.
> Scattered fish often have a more difficult temperament...they're not competing with other fish and in some cases, are stressed from the distances traveled.
> This is exactly why I love to troll crankbaits in the fall when dealing with tough conditions. Not only do I cover water and contact more fish, I can also do a better job of getting a reaction strike by using speed to trigger fish.
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Been a bunch of fall tourneys the last couple weekends, and gotta say I've been enjoying all the awkward conversations at the ramp.... π No matter how someone's pre-fishing actually went: Slooooow, it's always slow.... |
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Still lots of great fall fishing left, but diggin' this chilly teaser from @clamoutdoors on Insta: |
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Btw dude on the left is fishing YouTuber Sam "Sobi" who is genuinely ALWAYS that pumped to be fishing β whether he's catching or not β and it's super contagious. ππ₯π― Keep doing your thing, man! |
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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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