Twin Cities Walleyes Unlimited - Monthly Newsletter |
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Drake Herd & Robert Cardenas
Headline as guest speakers
Thursday March 7, @ 7:00 pm
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TCWU is thrilled to welcome long time professional fishing friends Drake Herd and Robert Cardenas to speak at our March 7th club meeting.
Robert finished among the top 5 anglers in his rookie season on the AIM Pro Walleye Series for Angler of the Year, and has been fulfilling his passion to fish and work in the fishing industry ever since.
Drake achieved the NWT Angler of the Year honor at Otter Tail Lake on September 23, 2021. He was sitting in sixth place heading into the tournament's final day before making his final push to the top of the standings and realizing his amazing personal achievement.
We hope you can join us at our March club meeting and meet with Robert and Drake in person. They have achieved a wealth of fishing knowledge throughout their fishing journey to share, which will help us all improve our angling skills.
To learn more about Drake and Robert check them out on their social media pages.
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TCWU Guest Speaker line up 2024-25 |
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TCWU - Sonar Workshop
Saturday April 6, 2024
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Featuring Industry Experts
From Lowrance, Garmin and Humminbird
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Twin Cities Walleyes Unlimited are excited to host our Fishing Electronics Workshop at Scheels Eden Prairie, Saturday April 6 |
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Nathan Whiting - Industry Expert Lowrance
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Scheels Eden Prairie Training Center - 2nd Floor
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Danny Thompson - Industry Expert Garmin
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Location: Scheels Eden Prairie Training Center - 2nd Floor
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Scotty Peterson - Industry Expert Humminbird
Time: 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Location: Scheels Eden Prairie Training Center - 2nd Floor
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This is a free workshop, there are no fees to attend! |
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There are three 2 hour courses that you are welcome to attend for free, featuring; Nathan Whiting from Lowrance, Danny Thompson from Garmin and Scotty Peterson with Humminbird.
This is a great opportunity to receive expert training and ask questions to industry leaders.
Check out the event details below to learn more about each session.
- Please do not bring your personal electronics
- Please do not contact Scheels for Workshop information
- Contact Kail Lavigne for information, registration and questions
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EDEN PRAIRIE SCHEELS
2nd Floor Training Room
Address:
Hours:
Mon-Fri: 9:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturdays: 9:30 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday: 10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
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Sponsor Spotlight Scheels
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A special shout out to Trophy Sponsor SCHEELS in this months Sponsor Spotlight. They are a great club partner and if you haven't visited their Eden Prairie store yet, we urge you to check out their top notch retail experience! |
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SCHEELS FEATURES
Customer service experts passionate about the products within their department. They are dedicated on providing the best retail experience in the eyes and minds of their customers. You will experience, an engaged team employees who deliver plus one for the customer and all with a positive attituded.
They carry world-class brands and back every product they carry with the SCHEELS guarantee. You can feel confident knowing you’re purchasing the same footwear, apparel, and gear professionals rely on.
They host seminars with well known fishing educators such as Johnnie Candle, Tom Boley, and Joel Nelson.
Provide events such as Ice Fest and Fish Fest, which include awesome prizes, speakers, sales and giveaways.
SCHEELS is gearing up for Spring fishing and loaded up on all the outdoor gear and tackle you need. Make sure to get a head start on the fishing opener by coming early to get what you need before it gets picked over!
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Atlas Marine Insurance Brokers are client focused to protect the things that matter most to you – your family, business, home, Boat and livelihood. That’s why we always take your coverage seriously.
Kevin Valento is a leader in the marine insurance industry and provides comprehensive coverage to ensure your boat is properly protected in the event of a total loss. He represents over 30 carriers, which insures you will receive the best protection, save time and money.
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:
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The Valento Insurance Agency, LLC
Office: 651-457-5444
Cell: 651-855-8289
Fax: 651-457-5515
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Onyx is the exclusive life jacket sponsor of professional bass fishing leagues; Major League Fishing Cup Tournament, Bass Pro Tour, and now TCWU!
They are offering a 40% discount on all online purchases
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From innovative inflatable life jackets to high-performance rainwear, every piece of Onyx gear is designed to help you experience the outdoors on your terms. Whether your next adventure involves fishing, hunting, paddling or cruising your favorite lake, our gear keeps up with your every move and gets you back home safely. So, when you’re prepared to take on whatever the day throws your way, you can be sure that we’ve always got your back.
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Special Thanks to all our Sponsors |
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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.
Fishing licenses - Learn about the different options and where the funds are allocated
Fishing licenses are effective from March 1 to the last day of February of the following year. A fishing license for the current 2024-25 license year is effective until Feb. 28, 2025.
Click on the link below to learn more.
DNR seeks public input on updates to Lake of the Woods fisheries management plan
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking people interested in Lake of the Woods fisheries management to share their perspectives about future management of the lake.
Click on the link below to learn more.
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Join the Minnesota Angler "Meet-Up" for an exciting fishing tournament and a chance to connect with fellow anglers from Twin Cities Walleyes Unlimited, Minnesota Valley In-Fishermen, Women Anglers of MN. |
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Join the Minnesota Angler "Meet-Up" for an exciting fishing tournament and a chance to connect with fellow anglers! This event aims to create a friendly and welcoming atmosphere where passionate anglers can come together, build camaraderie, and learn from each other.
Modeled after the annual Minnesota Valley In-Fisherman tournament on Lake Vermilion every September, this meet-up offers a unique opportunity to gain valuable skills and learn techniques for catching walleye while in their Spring pattern. Anglers from around the state and of all skill levels are invited to participate in this multi-species catch-and release tournament, hosted by Minnesota Valley In-Fishermen and Twin Cities Walleye Unlimited.
The weekend spans four days, starting with pre-fishing on Thursday afternoon, May 16th, followed by the tournament on Friday and Saturday. Fun fishing on Sunday morning is an option. In the evenings, participants gather in the Event Center for informative meetings. Guest speakers and teams will use a laser pointer to share their fishing spots and techniques on a projected map of Lake Vermilion.
The open sharing and detailed discussions about successful fishing strategies make this event truly special. Sign-up with a family member or friend. If you are coming on your own with a boat we may be able to help you find a partner. There are also boats available to rent at Vermilion Dam Lodge.
Event Details and Registration
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Cost - $550 per person plus tax includes: 3-nights lodging, breakfast, lunch & dinner, launching, boat slip, bait, ice, and evening networking.
Lodging for those wanting to come early and pre-fish is $75 plus tax per night (meals are not included for those who come early to pre-fish i.e. M, T, W).
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TCWU February guest speaker Jeremy Smith of Lindner's Angling Edge shares this “Pro Tip of the Month“ with Club President Dale Meinders on catching fish with Jerkbaits in early season cold water.
Thanks for the great meeting Jeremy!
Click on the photo below to hear what was shared!
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TCWU welcomed Jeremy Smith from Linder's Angling Edge to our February club meeting.
He has held roles in almost every element of the fishing industry since joining Linder Media in 2005, which include sales, writing, television and producing.
We were excited to have Jeremy present on the latest technology and sonar advances and how to use them. He also showed us the importance of older tech and the advantages on combining old and new to develop an effective fishing strategy.
For those who missed the meeting enjoy a re-cap of Jeremy's presentation below!
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Electronics Technology is constantly evolving and will help you catch you more fish.
Mapping is an important technology that is sometimes overlooked by anglers. with all the new sonar advances today, it is a key technology for planning, patterning, targeting, and effective fishing. The distance you can fish is greater and more efficient compared to paper maps. A few key features to utilize are Depth and Shallow water highlight.
- Shallow water highlight (Red) is usually set at 10 feet but should be changed depending on your fishing strategy, time of year and fish species you are targeting
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Depth highlight (Green) allows you to select and shade a particular depth range, so you can easily target productive water, fish patterns and stay in the strike zone. You can shade a depth range of 12 to 18 feet for example
- Allows you to plan ahead and eliminate unproductive water. Spring fishing for crappie for example. Set your Shallow water highlight for 6 feet or less and you will eliminate 90% of the unproductive water
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Spots really stand out when using depth highlights. The color contrasts inside turns, points and depressions. Mapping is definitely a big thing to have in the boat. |
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AutoChart Live gives anglers the ability to map depth contours, aquatic vegetation and changing bottom hardness. This "trifecta" of information is critical to finding fish as they relate to depth, weed lines and transition points in bottom type. The biggest benefit is that it provides you with detailed contours and depth information on bodies of water that have a basic contour map or no chart at all.
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AutoChart Live draws a map of your lake's depth contours - complete with actual depth labels - as you drive your boat. |
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AutoChart Live utilizes your sonar to measure and chart bottom hardness, which will tip you off to likely hotspots. |
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AutoChart Live can now instantly map weeds, brush & other vegetation |
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Charting. Typically, it is best to zig-zag back and forth in a pattern to ensure you’re covering the whole area at different angles and directions.
Detail. AutoChart Live data is as accurate as you want it to be. The more you drive your boat over an area, the more GPS and sonar information is gathered by your Humminbird unit, meaning the more accurate your data will be.
Speed. There is no scientific number for what speed you should cover an area, but know that slower speeds allow for better sonar coverage. A good baseline would be 1-10mph – depending on your boat.
Data Storage: Humminbird fish finders come equipped with eight hours of AutoChart Live data to your fish finder’s internal hard drive. For years of recording, you will need a AutoChart Zero Line SD Card.
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Breaking down Sonar technology
2D Sonar – Is great for high speed running and deeper water situations
- Deep water 2D is still a great tool. Change your sonar frequency to 83khz to achieve the best picture as Low frequency projects at longer distances
- Down Imaging – is great at helping you confirm what is below you; weeds, bait, fish and provides a more accurate picture of what is below you.
Side Imaging - is one the most powerful fishing tools to understand what type of habitat/structure we are fishing
- It makes marking waypoints on key structures, transitions and fish holding spots easy
- Rocks are easily spotted but provide such a strong return that they can mask the return of fish. Make sure to try a few casts and trust your instincts.
- In sand or mud fish are much easier to see on side imaging
Side imaging 101 - what you need to know
- The dark center portion of the image represents the water depth below your boat
- The measurement from the white center line to the edge the dark portion calculates the water depth
- Remember to subtract the depth from the distance you are targeting. If you are in 20 feet of water and fish are located 80 feet out, the actual distance is 60 feet
- You can observe fish in the dark center portion. Look for tiny white marks
- The shadow can be easier to spot than the fish at times. Remember that shadows are several feet further away than the fish.
- If you have Side Imaging transducer on your trolling motor you can spin the trolling motor to achieve a 360 view
Forward Facing Sonar - Is the most incredible technology created for locating fish, learning fish behavior and putting more fish in the boat. It shows you so incredibly much and what you can learn is stunning.
- It features a 135 degree cone that can reach out to 200 feet. You can see real time images of depth, cover, fish, your lure, and how fish are responding to the lure
- Allows you to always fish on fish
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Do fish spook from the sonar signal? Sometimes, and experienced anglers will turn off their sonar when they recognize this situation
- Side Imaging shows you where the fish were and Forward Facing shows you where the fish are real-time
Take a little time to learn your technology and you will gain knowledge, improve your skills, target fish holding waters, and catch more fish.
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Glide Baits - Just gained popularity 12 years ago still relatively new, especially in Canada. You should give them a try if you haven't
A few tips
- Casting in mud, sand and gravel are the best bottom habitat
- Al Linder proclaims that mono is the best wat to fish them
- Jeremy has two set ups, braid and mono.
- Jeremy loves Suffix advanced sinking mono lower stretch 6lb test with a 10 lb mono leader and swivel
- Braid with a 10 lb fluorocarbon leader and swivel. Braid is more responsive
- Recommends a medium fast rod
- Short casts and let it fall with slack line
- When it hits the bottom, snap it up in a quick motion and throw the rod tip back where you started that way bait will jump turn and crash, which gives the bait its erratic darting action. You don’t want tight line when the bait is falling
- Likes Hi-Vis braid
The Jigging Shadow Rap - is another option, its pure lead, crazy fast, and has a different action than a jigging rap. Depending on the day, it will out produce the tradition jigging rap. You are almost pulling this one up opposed to the quicker snap of the traditional
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Special thanks to Jeremy 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 shared.
Jeremy is an amazing educator, and is active on social media, which provides a great source of information, on the latest techniques and fishing tips.
To learn more about Jeremy and Linder's Angling check out their Social Media Pages
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TC Walleyes Unlimited, Inc. |
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