We are excited to host Captain's Jarrad and Jordan Fluekiger of Rutting Ridge Outfitters at our club meeting on Thursday February 6th. 

​

Captain's Jarrad and Jordan Fluekiger are multi-generation, legendary guides who grew up fishing the Mississippi River and Lake Pepin. Jarrad is a third generation and Jordan is an amazing 4th generation guide. Along with guiding, they are professional walleye fisherman and have fished at many professional levels including H2H (HEAD2HEAD), FLW, Masters Walleye Circuit, and AIM. Jarrad's achieved several prestigious finishes; 1st in the AIM Saginaw Bay, and 4th in the FLW Championship. He has been ranked as high as 1st in the nation and was selected to fish the H2H TOP 32 fishing tour. 

Jarrad and Jordan specialize at fishing wing dams, three-way and suspended trolling. They are experienced Bass and Perch anglers on Pools 4 thru 7. Jordan is one of the youngest river rats with a Captains license on the Mississippi River. When he is not fishing, hunting, or on the ice, he works for the Corps of Engineers, which really keeps him locked into what is happening on this amazing stretch of water. 

We hope you can join us at our February club meeting to learn from Jarrad and Jordan. They have accumulated 4 generations of fishing knowledge throughout their lifetime and we look forward to learning how they fish this beautiful and somewhat intimidating stretch of water.

To learn more about Jarrad and Jordan check out their Social Media Pages

Website: Fluekiger Rutting Ridge Outfitters

Facebook: Rutting Ridge Outfitters

Happy New Year

Greetings Club friends! I hope your Holidays were Grand and the New Year is off to a great start. Our club has been very busy planning several events and this Newsletter has a lot of valuable club information we would like you to know about. Please take the time to read up on the club engagement and volunteer events we are hosting.

We kicked off the holiday season with Tyler and Sara Trampe from Sportsman's Journal TV, who presented on ice fishing spoon tactics and seasonal walleye behavior. Their meeting re-cap is featured below and is loaded with detailed strategies to help you improve your fishing skills. They also provided all club members with a 20% off online discount code at Northland, which is awesome. Just type in SJTV20 when you check out. Thank You Tyler and Sara!

Park Rapids area guide Jason Durham ushered in the New Year with presentation on a lifetime of guiding, and educating anglers. You'll see his meeting re-cap in our next newsletter.

We have two club events coming up quickly that we want you all to take note.

On Saturday January 25th, we have partnered with Tony Roach to guide us out on Lake Mille Lacs for our 5th Annual Club Ice Fishing Event. We had a great turn out, in 2023 but were unable to connect in 2024 due to poor ice conditions. We are excited to invite our club members to get back out on the ice with Tony and his crew this year. They do an outstanding job to make sure we will all be comfortable on the ice, giving us advice on the right tackle and sharing techniques to catch fish. Make sure to check out the full details below in the newsletter and follow the registration link Tony Roach Outing to our website.

On Saturday February 8th, We are partnering with the MN National Guard Youth & Child Program's to host our annual youth Ice Fishing camp. This is a special opportunity to support our mission of Giving Back to our Community and provides meaningful social engagement FUN for up to 150 kids and their families. We are looking for 40 plus volunteers to support four event roles; Setup, Assist Kids with Fishing, Serve Lunch, and Tear Down. For Volunteer registration go to TCWU-SignUpGenius. Please email us if you have questions at tcwalleyes@gmail.com. View the full event details below in the newsletter.

I look forward to seeing you all at one of our events and at our February club meeting featuring guest speakers Jarrad and Jordan Fluekiger who have four generations of experience fishing on Lake Pepin and the Mississippi river. Don't forget to bring a friend!

Connect - Educate - Give

Dale Meinders

President - Twin Cities Walleyes Unlimited

Check out the Minnesota DNR Fishing Home Page

The Fishing Home Page on the Minnesota DNR website is loaded with all the latest updates, tools such as Lake finder, regulations, helpful tips and more all on one easy to navigate page. Take a look If you haven't had the chance to check it out. We recommend bookmarking this to your web favorites. It is a one stop shop for all MN fishing information. Click on the link below to learn more.

MNDNR Fishing Home Page

Minnesota DNR retains 4 walleye limit on Upper Red Lake for winter season

Due to excellent results in the fall netting assessment of walleye on Upper Red Lake, the winter season walleye limit on Upper Red will continue to be a four fish possession limit, with only one walleye longer than 17 inches allowed. Click on the link below to learn more.

Upper Red Lake Walleye Limits

Minnesota DNR retains 2 walleye limit on Mille Lacs Lake for winter season

State-licensed ice anglers on Lake Mille Lacs will be able to keep two walleye 18-20 inches long, or one walleye 18-20 inches and one walleye longer than 28 inches, from Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024, to Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025.

Lake Mille Lacs Walleye Limits

Great news members, we have scheduled our 5th Annual Ice Fishing Camp with Tony Roach as our guide and coach. Tony is stoked to host this event and has an awesome day of Fishing Fun planned for us. See below for all of the event details and we look forward to seeing you January 25th!

Get Dialed in for the event! Learn the latest Angling updates, ice fishing tips and reports from Tony by checking out his Social media and TV show Dialed In Angling that airs on FanDuel Sports Network 

Website: Dialed In Angling TV

Guide Service: Tony Roach Guide Service

YouTube: Dialed In Angling

Facebook: Tony Roach

Facebook: Tony Roach Outdoors

Instagram: Tony Roach Fishing

Event Details

• Meet at Nitti's Hunters Point Resort at 7:00 am. Come a little early if you want breakfast, Nitti's start serving at 6:00 am and it is delicious
• Tony will coach us up and lay out the game plan for the all day fish
• Tony will provide shelters, bait and transportation.
• You are welcome to bring your Portable Ice House, Bait, ATV's, and Snowmobiles
• Bring your fishing gear; Tony will make sure you are rigged up for success
• Lunch will be served on the Ice, but bring your favorite snacks and beverages
• Prizes, you Betcha! Tony has some cool stuff to award and so do we
• If you and your fishing buddies want to turn this into a weekend of fishing fun, contact Nitti's directly (see contact information below). Nitti's offers lodging and a variety of fish house rentals. Book your lodging now if you plan to make it a weekend of fishing fun!

Cost is $200.00 each (Tip not included) Kids 16 and under attend for Free!

Camp includes shelters, lunch, bait, personal coaching from Tony and his guides and the latest ice fishing technology and equipment to try out

Have Questions, Call Russell Nelson at 612-616-9964

Space is limited to 25 - 30 participants

MN National Guard

Child & Youth Programs

Ice Fishing Camp

Saturday February 8th

9:00 am - 2:30 pm

On Saturday February 8th, We are partnering with the MN National Guard Youth & Child Program's to host our annual youth Ice Fishing camp. This is a special opportunity to support our mission of Giving Back to our Community and provides meaningful social engagement FUN for up to 150 kids and their families. We are looking for 40 plus volunteers to support four event roles; Setup, Assist Kids with Fishing, Serve Lunch, and Tear Down.

We created the Volunteer link below in SignUpGenius that lists the available shifts. Friends and family are welcome to sign up and Volunteer!

Please email us if you have questions at: tcwalleyes@gmail.com

Setup includes:

• Setting up ice houses - Thank you to Eskimo for providing shelters!
• Cutting holes and scooping out ice
• Setting up heaters and chairs
• Mentor kids and family fishing

What to bring:

• A couple extra chairs
• A heater if you have one
• A hub ice house if you have one
• Two or three fishing rods

We may not need to use your personal equipment but it would be nice to have extra supplies on hand.

Event Details:

• 9:15 - Volunteers arrive
• 9:30 - Set-up shelters, scoop and cut holes, add chairs and heaters
• 10:30 - Registration begins. Meet and greet families, and guide them to a fun day of fishing
• 11:00 to 2:00 - Fishing!
• 12:00 - Lunch is served
• 2:00 - Big fish awards, give out prizes and pictures
• 2:30 - Tear down and close it up

Location:

Disabled Veterans Campground

11300 180th Street North

Big Marine Lake

Marine on St. Croix, MN

TCWU December guest speakers, Sara and Tyler Trampe, hosts of Sportsman's Journal TV shared this “Pro Tip of the Month“ with Club President Dale Meinders on Deadsticking for Winter Walleyes.

Thanks for the great meeting Tyler and Sara! And special thanks for sharing our club members a 20% off discount code SJTV20 at Northland Fishing Tackle!

Click on the photo below to hear what was shared!

TCWU welcomed Sara and Tyler Trampe at our club meeting on December 5, 2024. The couple host and produce the very popular television fishing series Sportsman’s Journal (SJTV), which showcases fishing tactics for a variety of species that allow anglers to catch more fish. They focus on differing locations, while considering the impact of the changing seasons and conditions that are present in the upper Midwest and Canada.

Sara’s Sportsman’s Journal TV journey evolved from a shared vision of creating an educational fishing show with Tyler, and becoming on camera fishing educator. She literally had no intention to be on camera, and when the opportunity presented, she accepted and exceeded the challenge.

Tyler’s angling passion began at an early age. He grew up fishing and loved it so much that as a child he was caught eating fish food because he wanted to become a fish. His Sportsman’s Journal TV journey evolved to include Sara as an on camera-fishing partner, which created a really cool show with a couples concept.

Tyler’s approach to educating is instinctive and developed over years of fishing, while Sara’s approach is based on learning as an adult. Her approach to educating is very different, which makes their show unique and connects anglers of all skill levels to new educational perspectives on learning how to achieve fishing success.

For those who missed the meeting you will find a recap of their presentation that featured

Tyler and Sara's SJTV vision of teaching anglers techniques for catching fish. They want us all to learn these universal techniques, understand the where, when, and why of fish movement. They shared an in depth explanation about fish movements, in relation to seasonal conditions and why its important to think about how fish act in order to catch them. They provided a detailed breakdown the top Northland Spoons for catching walleyes through the ice and which ones to use based on the conditions.

They also offered our club the Northland Fishing Tackle online discount below.

Thank You Tyler and Sara!

Club Member Offer - Receive 20% off all Northland Fishing Tackle

online orders Use Discount Code SJTV20 - Thank you Tyler and Sara!

Safety practices to use on early Ice - Sara provided an important safety refresher to kick the meeting off.



"I know everyone's heard it, but it's good to remind everybody on early Ice Safety. We are all itching to get out and if we are not careful, that is when unfortunate accidents happen. We have seen a lot of vehicles going through the ice already and here are a few important steps to take to keep you safe"

Leadership – if you're taking out people who aren't as familiar on ice, take the time to educate you friends. Set them up on safe ice, discuss ice thickness and set boundary’s. 

Wear a float suit - Float technology has evolved and gives you the ability to stay above water, which allows extra time for help to arrive and get you back on safe ice. There are several different brands, find one that you're comfortable with and fits you well.

Drill your way out - especially during early or thin ice conditions. Use a spud bar, or light weight augers to check ice thickness on your path.

Mark your lake access point and travel trail - Changing conditions, such as winter storms, high winds and light conditions can dis-orient your travel. Marking your trail is a necessary move to keep you on safe ice and get you back to the access safely.

Tell a friend - where you are going if you are go fishing by yourself.

Understanding Walleye Movements - Science tips:

Fall fishing is a little bit different than other seasonal cycles. The water conditions are cooling, and lake turnover impacts fish behavior. Walleyes are feeding, just not all the time. They are tuning in on larger meals, but feeding less often. So you could be out in the boat on a day when they're not feeding, and then you go out the next day and the bite is on. In the spring, the water conditions are different. The water is warming and the walleyes kind of swim around with their mouths open and just eat everything.

"Dropping water temperatures and the impact of lake turnover, combine in slowing fish metabolic rate, which results in their intermittent feeding pattern"

What is the Metabolic rate

Metabolic rate is the at which being expends energy to maintain basic body function. Fish metabolic rates are uniquely determined by their environment. They consume energy when they breathe, eat and swim, and their metabolic rate rises and falls with the water temperature.

"So that's why fish movements are so important. If we understand what they are doing, based off the impact of seasonal metabolic rate, we can prepare, fish with confidence and catch more fish."

Let’s look at this from a summer perspective

We can all relate to sitting in the boat with the sun is beating down on a hot summer day. Our first thought is to pack it in because we are getting baked by the sun. We assume the fish are not going to bite in this heat. But, if you consider the impact of higher water temperature on metabolic rate then we should realize that they are biting, and they have to eat because their metabolism is high due to warm water conditions.

What is the metabolic rate impact during ice fishing?

In winter, fish will experience their slowest metabolic rate of the annual calendar.

• They will have slower movements, almost like they're in a hibernation state
• They expend the least amount of energy because they're not using a lot of energy, which results in a less frequent need to feed
• There is one factor that increases fish metabolism during winter and that is when walleyes start developing eggs in preparation for spring spawning. Producing eggs takes energy, increases their metabolism and their need to feed more often

Early Ice Fishing

• The ice isn’t very thick, and walleyes are active
• Their is less traffic on the lake and the fish experience minimal pressure. Many of us are walking out, there is limited ATV and snowmobiles traffic but no trucks or permanent ice houses
• Oxygen levels are higher and more evenly dispersed
• Higher oxygen levels, combined with and less ice traffic enable the fish move around more freely, which results active fish scattered throughout the lakes

Mid-Winter

The ice is 2 feet thick, oxygen levels are diminished and the fish have reached the stage of their lowest seasonal metabolism.

• Fish are still moving, circling around structure, or mud flats but they're not moving fast 
• This is the time to use smaller baits.

Late Ice

Their movement is still limited but they are beginning to prepare for their spring spawn. 

• We have melting ice which infuses more oxygen in the ecosystem
• Sunlight penetration induces weed growth, which fish utilize. The new weed growth produces oxygen and attracts bait fish
• Spawning instincts are kicking in, which triggers the need to feed more often

Spoon's provide an effective presentation, that allows you to place your bait right in front of a fishes face.

• They are often tipped with a minnow, minnow head, wax worms, spikes, or whatever you use
• They keep the presentation right where you want it and they are easy to maneuver
• You can't really jig a spoon wrong, which is one of the great things about spoons
• They come in many different sizes, are heavy and they get down the hole fast with lots of built in action
• You can use them anywhere, in the weeds, in the rocks and mud flats
• Spoons are phenomenal on the mud flats because they are heavy, and get your bait down to the fish. They are great at popping up stuff off the bottom, which is like a beacon for those cruiser walleyes

Northland Fishing Tackle Ice Fishing Spoons. How to fish them, what to use and when

Bro Bugs – aka the larva spoon

• Have a very slender profile, which makes it a really good finesse jigging spoon
• What’s really great about this spoon is the narrow end of this bait, that gives you exceptional hook set penetration
• This is a great multi-species jig as well. We use it for crappies all the time. When a fish comes up and looks at this from underneath, they see the two little eyeballs bulging out, so it looks like a really small presentation but can handle big fish

Eye-Ball Spoon

“How many people use the Eye-Ball spoon? This thing is awesome!”

• Its the best spoon for dead sticking or tip-ups because of it's small profile and natural look
• It has a big eyeball and perfect size treble hook
• Simple, natural and comes in many different colors 

Macho Minnow

This spoon is a perfectly engineered for lakes with clear water such as Mille Lacs

• Its a finesse spoon with a little more action
• Features kicker tail that makes a light noise to attract fish but not too loud as to scare fish off

Forage Minnow

• This is probably the second go spoon to use for set lines
• It features a slim profile, is natural looking, and good for clear water
• Has a simple design and can catch every single species of fish
• Many different sizes for panfish and walleyes as well
• Shaped like a banana, it has good action, tumbles really well, gets down real quick, and makes good hook sets

Buckshot Family of Spoons

Buckshot Spoon

This spoon has caught countless Sauger and Walleyes on Lake Woods over the years. Its basically a large forage minnow with a rattle.

• It's not tumbling spoon, just straight up and down
• They put a tube with rattles in the back, which really cranks up fish attraction
• It's perfect for the mud flats, especially the south side of Lake of the Woods mud
• The Rattle and big profile really calls the fish in!

Buckshot Glass Spoon

• Features a high-pitched glass rattle and is entirely encased in a clear hard resin.
• The exterior resin also looks like a natural, semi translucent baitfish while protecting the paint against scratches and chips.

Buckshot Tungsten Rattle Spoon

• Tungsten, is 70% more dense than lead and allows you to downsize your lure size and keep the same weight.
• You can fish a 1/4 ounce tungsten spoon, and the size will be the same as a 1/16 ounce lead spoon.
• Tungsten spoons show up on your electronics better and the downsizing is a big deal when smaller presentations are needed for fishing clear water 

Glo-Shot Spoon

Features a light-stick that provides anglers a powerful Red, Green, or Chartreuse glow lasting over 8hours.

• In stained water, the glo-sticks stand out by attracting fish in to the enhanced illuminating glow
• In clearer water, Glo-Shots attract fish from further distances

Coffin Spoon

• The angled body uniquely reflects light, while the flat-sided profile produces an enticing tumbling action on the fall
• The internal brass rattle and Kicker-Tail team up to make this the loudest spoon Northland Tackle offers.

Flutter Spoon

• These spoons are little lighter, which helps them flutter all over the place. 
• They also feature a rattle
• They flutter when you jig up and on the drop, so you get action both ways. 

Tungsten Slim Spoon

Definitely the best new finesse spoon from Northland.

• Tyler uses these in clear water
• Its universal, you can use it all over the place
• It's profile, looks like the Coffin Spoon with a larva spoon look
• No rattles, but it has a kicker-tail that creates noise
• Tungsten, downsizing makes this a key spoon to use in clear water for finesse fishing

Thumper Spoon

• A perfect new spoon when a little more flash, flutter and finesse is needed
• The Thumper Spoon is constructed of a premium stamped brass with strategically placed bends giving it incredible fluttering action
• It features a micro kicker-tail blade that flashes, flutters and clicks when the spoon is being worked providing visual and audible attraction for fish

Horizontal Presentations

Puppet minnows provide a horizontal fishing presentation compared to the vertical presentation of spoons. The Pitchin’ Puppet is slightly different from the Puppet Minnow. It doesn’t have the nose hook, which is new. These lures are designed to fish a four-foot section of water opposed to an eight inch section under the ice.

Puppet Minnow

Pitchin' Puppet

Fishing techniques

• Try a minnow head on underneath treble hook to add a little extra on the presentation. It looks a little goofy when you put a minnow head on but it works
• Let it drop and bang that thing down on the bottom, then jig it and it goes all the place. Be careful over the rocks, so you don't get snagged
• Fish it aggressive, there are lots of hooks, which makes hooking walleyes up easy

Question, do you slow down your presentation when a fish comes in?

It depends how they come in. It’s a reaction strike bait and its movement triggers the fish to strike. When ripping it, the natural instinct is to slow down, but that can turn away the fish when slowing it down. Then when you rip it again, they come back. Its kind of like a cat with a ball of yarn. When that toy or ball of yarn is moving around, they are all over it and when you stop, the cat walks away. Sometimes we slow it down when the fish are spooky, and we experience the walleyes hitting these baits on the rise in this situation. 

Equipment

So having the right type of rod is a personal thing, its personal preference. We use Kramer custom rods and feel they are probably best that you can buy.

We choose rods depending on if we are fishing inside or outside

• If inside short rods are preferred, which is important in short pull over portable ice houses 
• You can use a longer rod in the hub houses, We like the 36 inch rod for most fishing inside or out
• Some anglers are using 42 up to 50 inch rods but its hard to find cases to fit them in and we don’t like standing that far away from the hole

Use stiffer rods when fishing Ice spoons

• The number one reason is when you're jigging, you can put your finger on the rod and feel the weight of the spoon
• They also allow you to have stronger hook sets and leverage on the fish in deep water, which is key on successfully landing big fish.
• Soft tip rods are great as well and allow you to watch the fish on your line. Fish will hold on to the bait longer than a stiff tip

Side note for soft water bobber fishing:

The Kraemer Custom Slip Bobber Rod is a must have for soft water bobber fishing.

• It’s perfectly designed for longer casts at 7’9 feet in length.
• It features larger eyelets, which allow your knot to slide through with less resistance
• The softer tip allows you to lob that bait a long way
• Its length allows you to pick up the slack quicker

The only bad thing is that you are going to want to buy another one. 

Fishing Tips

• Tyler and Sarah always plan to start out fishing using two different presentations, which helps them quickly determine what lure will work best that day
• Tyler’s top two Ice Spoons are: Tungsten Slim and Coffin spoons
• Sarah’s top two spoons are: Buckshot Glass and Tungsten Slim
• Use an Eye-Ball spoon for deadsticking, its a must!
• Dirty water - use spoons with rattles that will attract fish
• Clear water, early ice, no snow cover or sunny days – use finesse spoons with no rattles
• Walleyes don't like the sun and that's why I always traditionally fish early, late or on cloudy days.
• Northland features thin wire hooks on their spoons. They work great for finesse fishing, feature less metal and slide through tough jaw of a walleye with ease
• Swivels are great and keep your line from looping but if you are by yourself its hard to get the fish up the hole with a short ice rod
• If you have a partner use a swivel when ice fishing
• If you are by yourself its debatable, do what works best for you!
• Use a swivel with a jig in open water and you will never get line looped
• Sunny days use bright colors, cloudy natural patterns or dark colors black and purple. Typically we are indifferent on color. We both have a confidence color and tend to stick with.
• Fish will always follow their food source. Identifying and patterning seasonal bait fish movements will keep you in touch with feeding walleyes
• Understanding the spoon application and the structure you are fishing is so important. Sometimes you pick a bait and it doesn't work, but it doesn't mean it doesn't work. It might just mean the structure you were fishing wasn’t ideal for that spoon. For example, we were using Bro-Bugs on a rock point and the fish weren't seeing it. It wasn't calling fish in, and it wasn't the right application. But when fishing the mud it matched the hatch of bugs coming up out of the mud, so all of a sudden fish can't get enough of it because it looks like a larva coming up out of the mud.
• Don’t overlook the insect aspect of ice fishing. Try fishing spikes in the mud for walleyes. They have a huge advantage over wax worms because they move a little bit and don’t turn to mush when you hook them

Special thanks to Sara and Tyler for joining our club to talk fishing. We had an amazing meeting and appreciate all the walleye fishing tips along with the different techniques and presentations you can use to successfully catch walleyes through the ice. Below find their Social Media contact information. To learn and view more fishing tips, videos and check out the links below!

Website: sportsmansjournaltv.com

Facebook: SportsmansJournalTV

YouTube: Sportsman's Journal TV Channel

Instagram: @sportsmansjournaltv

Tik Tok: Sportsman's Journal

You can View their TV Show on the FanDuel Sports Channel on Saturday Mornings Click on the image below to find their complete show schedule and times