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First off: Dan Spengler is Berkley's "senior project manager for bait development, specializing in hard bait and terminal tackle design and development." It wasn't Maybelline, he WAS born with it...dude started hand-carving lures from sticks and testing them in a horse tank when he was just 9 yrs old. Flash forward and now 2 of the baits he designed (with pros) won 2 pro championships in the last 2 years.

So when Dan says he's pumped about a new bait they have coming, and that it's "one of the best crankbaits we have ever developed," you know it's about to go down!

Enter the Berkley Money Badger: A bait that Dan, Gary Parsons and Korey Sprengel have been working on for 3+ years! 👨‍🔬

He says it has an aggressive balsa action with a slow rise. And a tungsten weight-transfer system for long-distance casting. Here's a look at the "special red craw" color and how the Money Badger sets up on the pause:

Of course it's gonna come in some reaction-bite type of colors, but I know a bunch of you will be equally jacked to see this ultra-realistic pattern...so here's another first look for you:

Sheesh! 🥵🙋‍♂️

I was able to get my hands on several samples of the Money Badger (thx to Pure Fishing category manager Aaron Wavra. Thx dude!!!) and the first thing I noticed was it has a bigger, slower "KNOCK"ing sound thx to the tungsten ball from the weight-transfer system.

Most cranks have multiple BBs and a higher-pitched, faster rattle. But I've seen many days where that slower, singular "knock" blows everything else out of the water. Especially in cooler water or later in the season on pressured fish that have gotten accustomed to other "normal" cranks. Pretty dang excited to chuck it!

Just came across this video on The Next Bite's YouTube channel with Dan doing a little intro of the bait. #SneakyPeaks

Apparently they are for this guy anyway! From @dwayned465 on TikTok:

That's no redneck job, either...the trailer was designed specifically for that purpose. He has a bunch of short trailer walkthrough videos on his TikTok. Never seen anything like it – wild stuff!

And I can't share something like this without rattling off a few of my favorite comments under the post:

Jokes aside...no rock chips, no bird poop, no stolen gear. Maybe dude's onto something.

Seems like the BIG fish are always biting on "Area Lake" (a central MN term meaning "lake name omitted") and we finally found it! Just take the first left after this sign:

Lol! Any lake could turn into "Area Lake" when you're throwing Rapala Original Floaters....

With all the artificial vs live baits talk, here's another one of my new favorites:

Can't get enough:

Love that they do these each year. 🙌 Keep killing it!

Where I'm at in central MN we still have a week-ish to go before the walleye season opens 😑🤦‍♂️⏳. Man, what I wouldn't give to have an early catch-and-release walleye season here! Oh, and the ability to use 2 lines at times.... But those are conversations for a different day lol. So while we hurry up and wait, chasing panfish can be a good way to kill time.

If you've never thrown micro crankbaits for spring panfish = you're missing out! It can be a super fun way to target pre-spawn crappies soon as they're staging in 6-10′ weeds just outside of shallow spawning areas.

Here's how I use the tiny #4 (1.5", 1/16 oz) and #6 (2.5", 1/8 oz) Rapala X-Raps to make crappie fishing feel a bit more gamey:

It's Friday afternoon, so that little bugger better start watching out for icebergs....

...during the Fort Peck spawn. Crushed their goal of 60 mil eggs ✅ and kept additional in the event of poor hatching success.

Because they were illegally introduced and "biologists fear walleye may cause a decline in kokanee and other high-demand sportfish, such as rainbow trout, native bull trout, cutthroat trout and bass."

Happens occasionally when the ice starts going out, and they get enough space (open water) for big winds to stack the ice up in heaves on the wind-blown side of the lake. This pic posted by Dean Radtke on 4/25 is from the north end:

Some years cabins are destroyed. 🤞 Hope everyone made it out unscathed this season.

Hanging out at the walleye shore-fishing capital of the world:

> J-Mitch: People have been asking all winter how the spring shore bite is going to be on Devils Lake with the anticipated run off. Been some huge walleye caught from shore this spring and it is just starting to cook. White Northland Mimic Minnows have been working like always.

It's scary how often I daydream about living in ND...especially in spring.

Previously Russian built:

Called the Impact Slash 12S and is 4/3″ and 5/8-oz:

And in typical Lunkerhunt fashion they #nailed the colors:

And I love when he does. 😂 Check it:

'A' for effort, JD. Per usual lol.

Chance to win THREE new "Genesis Series" spinning rods from 2B Fishing! 💯

Awesome brand under Paul and Gregg Thorne's Two Brothers Innovations, which are the same fellas who make Elliott Rods. Little different feel, little wallet-friendlier price tag, equally killer sticks in their own way.

Whether you're pitching jigs, snapping plastics and reaction baits, or pulling live-bait rigs...these 3 rods will have you covered!! Quick rundown of each rod from tourney-nut Will Pappenfus:

> 2B 63ML-F: Bigger isn't always better.... This short, yet incredibly versatile rod is an early-season jig pitching machine! Its length of 6'3″ is ideal for putting the correct action into a jigging presentation while either fishing vertical or pitching towards a pod of fish.

> 2B 71M-F: Enjoy fishing reaction baits or throwing plastics for big walleyes? Pick up a 2B Genesis S71M-F and you will instantly feel the power of this rod. Stout enough to drive hooks home at a distance, yet features a great 'fish fighting' fast action.

> 2B 73ML-F: The Swiss Army knife of the Genesis walleye rods! This particular rod is soft enough to detect the lightest of bites while rigging, yet has enough power for sweeping hooksets when pitching light jigs (or Ned rigs 🤫). The medium-light power shines when you're looking to detect the bite and keep that fish pinned all the way to the net!

Takes just 10 seconds to enter by clicking the pic below – can share the link you get for bonus entries. 👊 Good luck!

I shared a quote in the last TW from this Ontario Out of Doors' write-up talking how the Lake Erie walleye survey set a hatch record:

> "In the 34 yrs the trawl series has been taking place in the western basin, the 2003 year class has been the benchmark for strong year classes with results of 183 YOY walleye per acre. For 2021, preliminary results from various agencies indicate 325 YOY walleye per hectare, almost double the 2003-yr class."

I must've been reading too fast, 'cuz I didn't notice that quote was comparing acres to hectares, which is more like 2.5 acres. So that'd mean 2021 was more like 130 YOY (young-of-year) perch per acre. Thanks for everyone who sent in a heads-up!

Short answer: A technique that lets you fish crankbaits deeper than they'd normally run by attaching a 2-oz snap-weight ahead of the bait.

Every. Single. Time.

Good luck this weekend if you're getting out!

Props to Tyler Flynn on Rippin' and Rappin' this chunk of Green Bay gold into the net! 👊 Love when they get all perky for the photo:

National Professional Anglers Assoc.