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4608 Tower St.
Edina, MN 55424
(612) 440-7171
tcwalleyes@gmail.com
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Twin Cities Walleyes Unlimited Monthly Newsletter
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Featuring Steve Fellegy
Thursday February 6, 2020
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Steve Fellegy is coming to speak at our February 6th, club meeting. Mark your calendar's and reschedule any conflicts, you don't want to miss out on a chance to learn from the Minnesota Walleye Master!
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TCWU hosts Steve Fellegy at our February 6, 2020 Club Meeting
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TCWU welcomes fellow Minnesotan fishing legend and
Former Pro fisherman Steve Fellegy to our Club meeting on Thursday February 6th.
Steve is a three time PWT Winner and 2 time Champion.
Known for finding walleyes and then making them bite when no one else can, he
pioneered the early days of the national Walleye tourney’s starting in 1984.
Don't miss out on this great opportunity to spend the evening with Steve!
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Meeting Location:
BLOOMINGTON KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS, (aka Bloomington Events Center)
1114 American Blvd. W.
Bloomington, MN 55420
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Socializing - 6:30 PM
Presentation - 7:00 PM
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Ice Time Is Now, Finally!!
Hello to all my Fish Head friends of TCWU!
Winter has finally come to us and ice conditions are finally good enough to go out grinding. I am hopeful that everyone is getting out and having success out on the ice, and having tons of fun as well. I have seen several photos sent to me from Club members that have fetched up some really nice fish. I urge everyone to send in your photos so we can add them to the website and Facebook page.
I want to send a big thank you again to our speakers from the January meeting. Thank you to Robert Cardenas and Drake Herd. I learned a lot and cannot wait to take the techniques to the water next spring. I see more walleyes living in my frying pan!!
We are coming off the first annual Walleye Camp on Mille Lacs, hosted by our friend and club member, Tony Roach. We had a really great day on the lake and Tony showed us some of his secrets. It is so fun to watch the Roach Guide Service do their thing. They are professionals and good folks! Thanks to you guys!
We had an awesome club ice fishing outing on February 1, out on Long Lake. The one by Long Lake, Mn. The weather was perfect, the fish were biting and fun was had by all. For those who couldn't make it here's a little update. The ice conditions are good and driving out was a breeze. You are able to drive out and fish everywhere. We had fun with our make shift slay rides and served up a nice spread of food featuring Doc's Dogs and Rusty's Chili. We will be posting pictures in the next newsletter and found a couple nice hot spots that we can share at the club meeting on Thursday. It was a great day with our club friends.
Our big Club project is coming up this weekend on Saturday February 9th.
This is the Minnesota Military Youth Outing. TCWU is leading the event this year and we are looking forward to taking on this event. I want to send a call to action for our Club to rally around this event. The past sponsors and supporters of this amazing event have decided to step away this year and we are stepping up as TCWU to accept this challenge. I urge everyone to join in and help us make this a success. We need people, equipment, and positive attitudes. Call me, Doc, at 612-269-8393, or John Jordan at 612-719-3834 if you have questions or want to help us make this a huge success. We are counting on our Club to make this happen!! Thanks to you all.
I am loaded the truck to head North with my friend, fellow TCWU Board member, and hardened ice angler, Dale Meinders, to fish the Whitefish Chain and to participate in the Brainerd Jay-C's Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Gull Lake. I hope to write next month about the new pickup truck that one of us (me) drove home from the winning podium!
I look forward to seeing everyone at the February 6th meeting and we are welcoming Steve Fellegy to our group. I look forward to seeing everyone there as well.
See you all on the ice!! Doc
Jim "Doc" Wood
President of Twin Cities Walleyes Unlimited
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Twin Cities Walleyes Unlimited and Child and Youth Services are hosting a youth ice fishing clinic for Military connected youth.
Come and join us in supporting our Minnesota Military Youth for a day of ice fishing fun at Big Marine Lake Veteran's Campground.
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The youth will be given a safety brief, and there will be a handful of expert fishermen featuring joining us.
Minnesota's Hall of Fame Inductee and outdoor's legend Steve Pennaz will be leading the the youth with a special Ice Fishing educational clinic.
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Hot drinks and snacks will be provided, as well as a lunch at noon.
Youth can clean and take the fish home.
The event will be open to the first 150 registered. Parents are encouraged to participate. All persons 16 years and older that plan to fish will need to have a fishing license.
Event Details:
Date:
Saturday February 9, 2020
9:30: Volunteer arrival and set-up.
10:30:
Registration/Check-in- Find Ice House, get equipment.
11:45: Steve Pennaz Demo
12:00:
Lunch
Fishing:
11:00 - to 2:00 pm.
Meeting Location:
Disabled Veterans Camp Ground 11300 180th St. N.
Marine on the St Croix, MN 55047
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See the Minnesota Military Youth Flyer below for full schedule, Sponsors and Volunteer Partners
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Atlas Marine Insurance “Is a World of Choices”
Hey club members, have talked to Kevin about your most prized possession, (your boat)?
Club member and Sponsor Kevin Valento specializes at making sure your covered from storage and all the way to the lake.
Atlas Marine Brokers is a leader in the marine insurance industry providing comprehensive coverage to ensure your boat is properly protected in the event of a total loss. Representing over 30 carriers insures you will receive the best protection.
Kevin is very involved with the community and volunteers his time with many youth programs. He is also an avid Walleye fisherman, nice Marble Eye Kevin!
Kevin is very experienced with protecting our precious Boats, definitely check him out at :
The Valento Insurance Agency, LLC
Office: 651-457-5444
Cell: 651-855-8289
Fax: 651-457-5515
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2020 aquatic invasive plant control grants now available
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January 30, 2020
Grants for projects that control invasive aquatic plants are being offered by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources invasive species program.
These grants are available for the first time in two years after the Minnesota Legislature approved a boat license fee increase that will also fund other initiatives.
About $530,000 is available to lake associations, watershed districts, cities and counties for projects that control curly-leaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil and flowering rush using herbicides, mechanical control or a combination of both.
Applications will be accepted starting at 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 31. The deadline is 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 24. Find more details about grant requirements and application materials on the
grant website
. Grant applications will be reviewed and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
A copy of the permit application must be submitted with the grant application.
The grant offer will be based on the estimated permit acreage, which will be determined by DNR invasive species staff after a review of the application.
The DNR will reimburse grantees for eligible costs associated with a required invasive species delineation survey and treatment up to the grant amount. Eligible costs include the cost of delineation, the cost of treatment by a contractor, and the cost of herbicide if purchased separately. The DNR will only reimburse the cost of treatments done under an invasive aquatic plant management permit. If the delineation survey results in no areas suitable for treatment, the DNR will reimburse the cost of the delineation up to the grant amount.
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Mille Lacs safe walleye harvest level set
January 30, 2020
A joint committee of Minnesota Department of Natural Resources fisheries biologists and fisheries biologists from the eight Chippewa bands that retain fishing rights under terms of an 1837 treaty reached agreement on the 2020 Mille Lacs Lake safe harvest level for walleye. The committee established those levels on Jan. 22, setting the walleye safe harvest level at 150,000 pounds, the same as last year.
State-licensed anglers can harvest 87,800 pounds of walleye during the 2019-2020 ice fishing season and the 2020 open-water season. Tribal fishing is subject to a 62,200-pound limit during the same period.
“The amount of walleye we can safely harvest from Mille Lacs remains the same as last year,” said Brad Parsons, fisheries section manager for the DNR.
Open water walleye regulations will need to consider this winter’s harvest and the expected conditions during spring and summer. That work will occur during the next six weeks as winter walleye fishing comes to an end on Mille Lacs. The DNR will announce open-water fishing regulations for Mille Lacs Lake in late March.
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Special Thanks TROPHY Level Sponsors
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Did you know there is a
Take a Kid Fishing weekend, and its FREE!
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Minnesotans 16 or older!
who take a child fishing who is 15 years or younger do not need a fishing license of any kind on this special weekend.
Click on the Take A Kid Fishing Logo for more information and helpful tips.
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Thank You LUNKER Sponsors!
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A direct and compelling headline
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Guest Speaker re-cap featuring
Robert Cardenas and Drake Herd
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What a treat to have Robert and Drake join the Club and kick off 2020 at our January Meeting. We all appreciate you trekking in to share your many cool fishing insights and strategies. Here is a re-cap of the presentation For those members who
couldn't make it.
Here is a little bite about
Robert Cardenas & Drake Herd:
Robert grew up in Stillwater Minnesota, and played competitive Tennis while idolizing tournament fishing pro’s and dreaming of becoming a pro fisherman. He quickly found his way into competitive fishing and partnered with Drake Herd on tour.
Drake grew up in Alexandria Minnesota played hockey and graduated from Hamline University. He quickly found his way back to his passion of fishing as a business owner of Renegade Outdoors and a pro fisherman on the NWT partnering with Robert.
Together they joined our club to teach us about trolling, using planner boards and the strategic tactics on catching walleyes with these presentations.
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If you’re not trolling you’re not catching fish
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Planer Boards are one of the most useful, yet underutilized tools in the fishing industry today. The main reason there are not too many fishermen currently using planer boards is that they are not widely advertised, and not many people know exactly what they are, or how to use them.
At its very basic, a planer board is a device that allows fisherman to cover more area at one time, have more control over their lines and reach places they would not otherwise be able to reach. They are an awesome tool to distance your lure presentation from the boat and prevent spooking, especially in calm shallow waters.
Equipment - what to use
Line, Counters and Apps
- They like to troll with 10 lb. mono using line counter reels.
- FireLine is more sensitive and they will switch over to that when they need sensitivity.
- Check out the Precision Trolling Data App, it will give you instant data on how much line and how deep to fish based speed and the lure you choose.
Make sure to calibrate your counters, they can be off. It’s not uncommon to find inaccuracy up to forty feet at times. The dynamic duo recommends checking out Mark Romanack’s video on line counter calibration, check it out at:
Trolling rods
- Telescopic planer rods are nice for staggering your rods apart.
- They like to run short with 6’6 rods and long with 10 footers to keep the lines separated.
- They make rod holder extensions, which help get your planner boards or help improve rod staggering.
Baits
- Trolling with Swim baits can be exceptional, especially through the weeds
- They like Strike King 4.75 inch with a 1 ounce jig head. It’s a big swim bait thing. Large baits up to 5.75 inch at a speed of 2.4 – 2.7 mph works best.
- There are days when a subtle plastic presentation works and they also run through weeds swimmingly.
- They will add an 8 ounce snap weight at times to get the bait down deep. They clip on the snap weight approximately 20 feet from the jig. You can adjust your depth quickly with the snap weights to match depth and structure.
Pulling Spinners with bottom bouncers and in line weights
- High baits will catch the feeding fish.
- You can double hook crawlers and leeches.
- Use bullet or inline sinkers half way down in the weeds where fish are commonly found to suspend for an alternative presentation.
Planer Board Set-up
- Planer boards have preset direction to travel away from your boat. They are usually marked left or right.
- Tie a leader of at least 3 feet in length, with a large bead and swivel. The Bead keeps the planer board from running up on the fish as you reel it in.
- Let line your line out behind the boat and attach the Planer Board at at the length of line you want out behind the board.
- Attach rear snap swivel to the line and then attach the the line pinch clip.
- Feed Planer Board out as far away from the boat as necessary.
- Remember the lure you choose can be set at the exact depth you want to reach by using the Precision Data Trolling App.
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Above is an illustration rod staggering and planer board deployment
Pictured below is a nice set of planer boards in action based above deployment.
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Images of of Planer Board rigs and different set-ups to consider
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Use a 3 foot plus leader with swivel and Bead to keep released Planer Board from the fish as you retrieve.
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Down Rigger weight systems and options for use with Planer Boards or standard trolling
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Guppy Weights pictured above can be attached with swivels or with snaps as pictured
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In-line Beaded weights are an old favorite and they do work.
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Tadpole down riggers create a natural wavy wandering action, which can trigger strikes.
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As you can see the Snap Weight system allows for greater flexibility over
in-line options as they can be placed anywhere on your line and are easily removed when reeling in fish. All of the above options are charted in the Precision Trolling Data App Tool.
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Tips and Tricks
- Start trolling after spawn 43 to 53 degrees. When the temp reaches 50 the big females are usually recovered.
- Hot summer months = spoons on planner boards at 2 mph.
- Key to trolling is to prevent your baits from surging due to wind and waves. Use drift bags to slow down and prevent surging.
- Check out the mini-planer boards for smaller baits.
- The lighter snap weight you use the easier it is to keep it steady on speed changes.
- Bobber trolling is a nice twist on presenting live bait. Run your boat at 2 mph and when you see a mark, let the line go to play the fish. Prepare to neutral the boat to slow play the fish
- Trade Secret. Put your fish in your live well and they will regurgitate allowing you to match your bait to the forage.
Know your weeds:
- Work the edges and in the beds of early season cabbage (when it’s not fully grown). Don’t worry about going through it you can rip right on through.
- Milfoil has defined edges and walleyes will be on one edge or the other, when they are on the inside its game on.
- Look for breaks or room above the weed beds. Mark those spots as forage will frequent these spots.
- Side image the weed beds and mark the edge with waypoints for precise trolling.
- Fishermen are using Garmin Panoptics more than ever now to get right on top of the fish. Panoptics allows you to pinpoint fish, whereas 2D sonar doesn’t pinpoint where the fish are.
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Special thanks to Robert and Drake for an awesome presentation, you reeled in an awesome member turnout! We truly appreciate you both sticking around to help us with a lot of questions and personal demonstrations.
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Off Shore Tackle
Robert and Drake both highly recommend Off Shore Tackle for Planer Board equipment, supplies and accessories. They are a one stop shop with everything you need to get started.
The Offshore website is loaded with informational videos, blogs, articles, instruction sheets and dive charts. Click on the image below to link right to their website or click on the link below. It will be well worth the visit as they really put in the effort to make it easy for you to get started.
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Newsletters are now posted on
the TCWU Website!
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Hey great news members, We have made a few changes to the www.tcwalleyes.com website, which include PDF's of our past newsletters posted to the News and Newsletters tab. If you are looking for those missing Guest speaker fishing tips, well now you got them any time you need.
Click on the link below to check it out.
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Thank You KEEPER Sponsors!
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Thank you VALUED Club Donors
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Click on their logo or go to www.targetwalleye.com to check out
their website and see what its all about
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TC Walleyes Unlimited, Inc.
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