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Sorry for the late send – ran into some technical difficulties. I think it might be time for a new computer considering there's smoke coming out of this one...knew I shouldn't have done the last couple of updates lol. ????

Tourney pro Dylan Nussbaum and his dad, Jesse, battled big waves and bigger walleye to snag 3rd place at the Lake Erie MWC, hauling in a 2-day total (10 fish) of 72 lbs even.

We caught up with Dylan to spill his pre-spawn playbook: clean water, upwind moves, and baits that stick fish in the face. Time to get after it:

On clean water

Dylan: “Basically, when we got out there, it was all about finding the right water color right away. Them fish are heading to the cans to spawn this time of year. From there, it’s just chasing clean water.

“You can drive around in the mud in open water and see thousands of walleye, but 80% of the time, good luck getting ‘em to bite – it’s too dirty. Around islands, it’s easier to pattern where they’re gonna be...it necks ‘em down, makes it easier to target than out in open water.”

Q: How do you know when you’ve hit that sweet spot for water clarity?

“Anything from 1' to 2' visibility was doable...if you could find 2' to 4', it was game on – but finding schools in that 2' to 4' range was really tough.”

“The biggest key was getting the bait right in their face...not 3' off, not a 1' off – right in front of ‘em.

“In 2' clarity, it was tough...but in 4', fish would react to a bait 3' away. We had to find the right fish in the right clarity."

On tough conditions

“The first couple days were rough, to say the least. One day, the waves were so bad (6-7') north of Kelly’s Island. We looked at each other like, ‘What are we doing?’...I turned around, dropped the Power-Poles [with their Drift Paddles], and started casting in 5-7' waves.

“Right off the bat, we were catching fish in that clear water. They were firing. I got sick in like 20 min, though. We picked up and went around the other side of the island to get out of the mess and salvage the day.

“Found a really good clean patch of water, a little colder, and went over some marks...it was pre-spawner after pre-spawner. As soon as we hit that clean, colder water, it was on.”

Strategy

Q: What’s your trick for setting up on a school once you find ‘em?

“I always go upwind of my schools. A lot of guys set up downwind and work into the waves...I go the opposite – upwind, then work my way down...drop the Power-Poles, slow the drift, and start casting.

“95% of the time I throw a 1/4- or 3/8-oz VMC Neon Moon Eye Jig with a 4" Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ...it’s the perfect combo.”

“Some guys go for thicker wire hooks, heavier line, but I’m 100% sold on the Moon Eye’s thin-wire hook.

“One day, I threw the same bait, jig, and plastic all day...caught probably 25 walleye, 15 of ‘em were 26–28 inches. I’m a believer.”

Gear setup

“My rod’s a 6’8” KastKing Wide Eye – a medium-fast action Power Jig rod.... It’s the most balanced, perfect setup you can have...doesn’t matter what rod you use, as long as it’s comfortable for you.

“On Lake Erie, I’m usually throwing 12- or 15-lb Sufix 832 [main line] with a flouro leader, around 6-8’ most of the time.

“I use 10- or 12-lb Sufix Advanced Fluorocarbon depending on water clarity and fish size."

Bait selection

Q: Did bait color matter on Lake Erie?

“Only in super low visibility, like 6 inches to a foot. Then I’d switch to a ‘fire tiger’ jig and ‘pro perch’ Z-Man Scented Jerk ShadZ...otherwise, I stick to ‘fathead’ or ‘bluegill’ for the jighead, and ‘pro perch’, ‘perfect perch’, or ‘bad shad’ for the plastics. That’s all you’ll find on my boat.

“They’re buoyant, so they’ve got a unique action. When you’re dragging the jig across the bottom, it falls, then pops back up when you pause.

“When a walleye grabs it off the bottom, 95% of the time, they’re hooked in the roof of the mouth.

“...the buoyancy helps a ton with suspended fish.

“I caught 25 or 30 walleye on one jig and plastic in a day. I’d rip a plastic off, toss it on the deck, grab another, and 3 days later, hook that same plastic back on and still catch fish. Unbelievable. ElaZtech is the strongest stuff on the planet.”

Electronics

Dylan is running several units on the bow, but his main ‘sniping’ setup is a Garmin GPSMAP 8616 with the LiveScope Plus System (LVS34) transducer:

“I use the Moss palette and I keep settings close to stock – gain at 70%, right out of the box.... If you crank sensitivity or contrast too high, you see fish better but lose detail. I don’t feel the need to mess with it too much.

“I could tell pre-spawners from post-spawners. I could even estimate fish length...6-lber vs 8-lber. That made a huge difference.

“One day, we had our weight by noon, threw our last 8-lber in, and I spent the rest of the day hauling with the trolling motor on 10, looking for another big fish.

“My dad was throwing at a bunch of fish that looked like 5- to 6-lbers [on the Garmin]... That’s what they were, too. Didn’t see another 8-lber, so it saved me from wasting casts on smaller fish.

“[Navionics Vision+ mapping is] out of this world. The shade relief paints a picture of the lake bottom – you can see individual rocks, color shading, 1' contours.... That was huge for finding fish.”

- That’s Tom Neustrom talking about the MN DNR’s proposal to drop the statewide walleye limit from 6 to 4. Tom went on to say:

“The last time MN had a walleye limit change was in 1956. With the new electronics that people have, you tell me what’s going to happen to walleyes in the next 15 or 20 years if we don’t do something. This isn’t about one person or one group. It’s about MN and its fish.”

That quote is from this new Dennis Anderson write-up in The Minnesota Star Tribune. I’ve read numerous write-ups from Dennis in regards to the proposed walleye limit reduction, and I could be wrong, but he sure appears to be against it. It’s okay to disagree! I always enjoy hearing both sides to any argument. And anytime you talk about changing regs, folks get a little “passionate” (lol).

My quick-ish 2 cents:

So much has changed since Minnesota’s original 6-fish walleye limit was put into place in 1956.... My vote is that it’s time to be proactive instead of reactive and reduce Minnesota’s daily walleye limit from 6 fish to 4. Why? To help protect the walleye population going forward and ensure our future generations have the same (or better!) walleye fishing opportunities that we are accustomed to today.

Of course this is just 1 piece to the big walleye-fishing puzzle.

One argument that gets brought up quite a bit from folks who oppose the limit reduction is in reference to how...

...[lowering limits] won’t improve walleye fishing because very few anglers catch more than 1 or 2 walleyes an outing....

Which IMO is kind of a funny take on it. I mean if most folks only catch 2 walleyes or less in an outing then why don’t we just make the walleye limit 50 per day since most folks won’t fill it anyways? ????

I’ll give you one example of why...

You can’t talk about advancements in fishing technology without also talking about social media. It has never been easier to find a hot bite, figure out where fish are biting, what time of day, what time of year, specific depth, best baits and colors, you name it. You can even go on some social media apps (Instagram, SnapChat, etc) and open up a map and see locations of where photos are being posted right now.

So yeah there’s absolutely plenty of times where it’s not easy to catch those 6 fish for your limit, but limits are in place to protect those hot bites, those fisheries that are on fire right now, or smaller waterbodies that can’t handle the pressure, and help keep more walleyes in that system for the future.

It’s absolutely okay to disagree [!] but I’m not the only one that feels that way. If this interests you, please take a few minutes to watch this video from a few of years back and hear how a few other MN walleye-nuts feel about reducing Minnesota’s daily walleye limit:

Okay this is sorta wild. A tiny detail, but wild. Came across this post by Wild Dakota back in 2019 – have you ever heard anyone talk about it?

Mike V: “How many of you actually tune your baits? It doesn’t matter if you’re casting or trolling you should. Here’s a little trick that Bill from Walleye Nation taught me.

“Sometimes it’s not the front eyelet on the bait that needs adjustments, it’s actually the front treble hook.”

“Look at the two baits pictured, the one on the left is installed properly and the one on the right is not. The eyelet, split ring, and hook are all 90° with each other. This allows 2 hooks of the treble to straddle the bait and the third hook will be centered below. The bait on the right is not 90°, this will make 2 hooks want to favor one side of the bait. This will make your crank bait want to pull to whatever side the hooks are favoring.

“It doesn’t matter what brand you use, a lot of them come out of the package this way. With everything being mass produced it’s very easy for this to happen. So next time you have that bait that wants to run to one side or the other check your front treble. It might be as simple as turning your hook around.”

Did some more digging trying to figure out why I had never heard this talked about, and was able to find a TacticalBassin YouTube video from 2016 going over this. So maybe I’m just late to the party?

Here it is for you visual learners:

Learn something new every day!

Lots of hilarious ones, but my favorite one so far might have to be this gem posted by Lake Erie Walleye Trail of the iconic “We’ve got weights in fish” scene.

And the robots absolutely nailed this Al Lindner "Old School Bass Edition" action figure, including a Humminbird Super Sixty Depth Finder, 50hp Merc and a single-colorado spinnerbait. ????

I finally had to jump on the bandwagon while typing this, and it appears to know me too well lol:

You think this ditch dog was hungry? Fish was mid-scarf on ANOTHER WALLEYE yet still took down @ssenske’s “hot steel” color Rapala Original Floater on the Knife River, ND. ????

More proof you don’t always have to be using tiny-little baits to catch walleyes – them big ol’ chompers aren’t just for smiling!

1. BIG props to Tom Huynh!

Who hopped in the boat with Pierre, SD’s Volunteer Fire Department for their Rescue & Dive Squad Training last night. He spent several hours helping them understand “how to map water depth, currents, and underwater obstacles, detect movements, and identify submerged objects for reducing time spent during recovery efforts.”

They even placed mannequins in the water to simulate emergency situations in which they may be called on.

“This new technology can not only help us locate a target in the water quickly but also assist us in getting a diver on that target to retrieve it without having to conduct search patterns. We greatly appreciate these gentlemen taking the time out of their day to give us some pointers!”

So dang cool. ???? Thank you, Tom!

Btw if you want forward-facing sonar guru Tom Huynh to help you with walleye recovery, hit up his master class and can use the promo code TARGETWALLEYE to save some coin.

2. SD: Lake Sharpe NWT is THIS WEEK

Happening Apr 24-25 out of Pierre. Some insight from Bill Shimota in this NWT write-up:

“The last time there was a National Tour level event on Sharpe was way back in 2008 when the FLW Tour visited. I’m not even sure if guys like Hunter Nitti or Drake McCarthy or Eric McQuoid were even born yet....” ????

“Sharpe is a unique body of water that has basically 2 different eco-systems. You have the upper or northern 1/3 or so that is very river-like with shallow water, good current and plenty of sand bars. The lower 2/3 is more lake-like with deeper water and a lot of flooded timber. With that being said the entire pool makes for tricky navigation so anglers will have to really be careful as they explore unfamiliar territory.

“It is also unique in that the walleyes generally do not grow very large in that system. I’m not sure if it’s a forage thing or habitat thing, probably a combination of both but the majority of the walleyes are under the 20” line. But don’t be fooled because there are still some giants roaming around and it’s usually the guys that stumble into one of those that finish at the top on Sharpe.

“Another wildcard for this event will be the spawn. It’s looking like we will be there right when their annual rituals will be happening and that could mean a lot of here today gone tomorrow and also could mean a lot of fish will be more focused on reproducing than eating. It’s been hard to pack for this event because you just don’t know what you’ll be doing there to catch fish. With a river and lake type body of water you need to bring about everything you own. Either way it will be great to be in a boat chasing walleyes!”

3. OH: Max Wilson won the Lake Erie MWC

They knew they were on the right fish, making a long run alongside a few other boats. The key to their strategy was keeping on the fish that were relating to structure, while avoiding the dirty water that was creeping closer by the hour. Their technique of casting a jig and nightcrawler is a common occurrence when using live sonar, but only at the right size fish and not losing time catching all the smaller walleyes in the school.

4. WI: Walleye stock is up in the Winnebago system ????

"Since 2016 the system's walleyes have consistently produced year classes ranging from slightly below average to near record highs. This has resulted in a robust population with a variety of year/size classes and overall excellent angling opportunities."

The [annual trawling assessment] data show multiple strong walleye year classes in the population, including the 2022 year class, the third-largest on record since 1986. When assessed in that year's trawling study, the 2022 year class of walleyes was measured at 17.4 young-of-the-year per trawl [the long-term avg is 5].

In addition to the young-of-the-year data, the 2024 trawl showed a catch of walleyes age "2-plus" (about 10-12” in length) that was in the top seven in 39 years.

5. MI: Bays de Noc walleye are reproducing and healthy ????

Natural reproduction is the most important contributor to its adult walleye population, but they’re also being stocked with larger fingerlings (versus itty-bitty fry). Of course fingerling take more time and money to raise, but here’s another great argument why it’s worth it:

When [zebra and quagga] mussels invaded the Great Lakes in the 1990s and 2000s, one problematic side effect was that they fed on the same zooplankton consumed by walleye fry and others. Competition for food didn’t get so drastic that the population was endangered, but increased clarity of the water means that fewer forage fish are found in the middle of the water column and there are “more seasonal movements of walleyes out of Little Bay de Noc....”

One recommendation by the DNR a few years ago when plankton levels were low was for those stocking fish to wait until the fish had grown past the planktivorous stage before release. Some recent stocking efforts have been placing larger fish into the bay.

Recognizing that slightly fuller-grown fingerlings have better survival rates, a walleye restoration project that releases young walleye up to 8” long into Little Bay de Noc is committed to helping the area remain “a premier destination for fishing enthusiasts year-round” and has been ongoing for almost 15 years.... That stocking is done by the Hannahville Indian Community, Great Lakes Sport Fishermen, the DNR, Visit Escanaba, the Chamber of Commerce, and volunteers.

6. ID proposing spearfishing szn for walleyes

7. MN: Local ‘Women Who Care’ group donates $9K...

...to the Brainerd Lakes Area Chapter of Let's Go Fishing. ????

The group was founded in Oct 2021 and consists of women in the Brainerd Lakes Area community who want to make a difference, and wow do they ever! Check this out:

The process is simple: the women show up with $100 each, five local nonprofits are nominated at random, an elevator pitch is given about each organization, and the women vote on which one should receive the money. The top two organizations then receive the funds.

They've now donated more than $338K to 27 different local non-profits over the last 4.5 years!

8. MN: Walleye Alliance Spring Banquet is this Thurs

At The Woods Event Center just outside of Brainerd, MN. They get an incredible turn out every year (few spots left) and it's always a blast chatting with other walleye-obsessed folks. They posted a preview of their raffles on FB a few hours ago. See you there!

9. Minn Kota’s new ‘Drift Mode’ looks slick!

Awesome looking new feature on their new QUEST series trolling motors:

Drift mode works like a GPS drift sock, combating wind and current to maintain your desired speed and path so you can focus on casting instead of steering.

10. Sufix's new ultra-finesse braid is out

Called Sufix Revolve and is specifically designed for finesse applications with spinning setups. Won best of category for fishing line at ICAST last summer.

I had the chance to run a couple reels with 10-lb (perfect all-around size for most walleye applications) in the "neon lime" color last season and it's LEGIT. Few things that really stood out to me:

• Casts soooo dang smooth – I could get an extra 30’+ casting distance or so when throwing 3/16-oz jigs.
• Very thin diameter: ???? 10-lb Sufix Revolve has the same diameter as 6-lb Sufix 832.
• It’s a “greater bodied line to reduce annoying wind knots.” Used it all last summer – a TON of casts – and never did get a wind knot. And doesn’t jump off the spool like some others will occasionally.
• I also really like that they put a “midpoint marker” at 100 yards on the spool...a color-break indicator so you can equally spool 2 reels.

Our friends at SCHEELS are stocked up with it so you can be too – ‘tis the spooling season! I plan to rig up about 90% of my spinning reels with it this spring. The other 10%? Well, gotta have a few mono rods of course. ????

11. Still one of my favorite accessories…

...I’ve ever added to my rigs is the Drotto Catch and Release Boat Latch = an automatic boat loading/launching system. Imo every trailer should come with one from the factory. If you pay attention at boat ramps you’ll start to notice just how many trailers have ’em nowadays:

There’s lots of videos on the interwebz showing ’em in action. Makes loading and unloading the boat a breeze. Absolutely no walking in the water...or hanging upside down trying to reach the latch...or dang near breaking your hand when the handle gets away from you. Things are legit.

My favorite response anytime someone asks me if it’s worth the money: Have you ever seen a used one for sale...? Lol nope! Roller trailer or bunk, once you have one on your rig there’s no going back.

12. Speaking of must-have boating goodies

I’ve had a bunch of people ask me in the past about my flat boat fenders (aka bumpers), but I couldn’t even tell you where I ever found ‘em at years ago. I see now that Scheels carries some:

I like them because 1) they don't roll or ride up the side of your boat, 2) they’re much easier to stash in compartments, and 3) they make a great knee pad when you've gotta wrench on something lol.

13. MN: Hunter Nitti won the Mississippi River MTT

On Pool 4 out of Red Wing.

14. I hopped on the Bigwater Fishing Podcast...

...to chat with the always-eccentric (lol) Ross Robertson during one of our blow days while at Lake Erie. We chatted about everything from spread-crowders, losing a giant, catching a new PB, how oblivious I am to all things trolling, and why I had to learn how to sew lol.

15. Seaguar seeks assistant sales manager

16. MN: Jon Thelen is speaking at the May 1 TCWU meeting

Btw I just saw that Jon was over at Lake Erie putting the Bandit Walleye Deep Divers to work for an upcoming episode of Destination-Fish:

17. MN: St. Croix River got a new public access

Located in Oak Park Heights directly north of the St. Croix Crossing Bridge between MN and WI, the new St. Croix Crossing PWA features 35 parking/trailer spots, a double boat launch, an area to clean and drain boats to remove aquatic invasive species, and a portable toilet.

Shooting walleyes in the Great Lakes Ii growing because of this spearfisherman

Some might call it sacrilegious. But for Jon Durtka, the outcome of spearing a keeper walleye in Lake Huron isn’t that much different than catching one with a rod-and-reel for the cooler. Targeting game fish with a speargun is no less sustainable than hook-and-line fishing, Durtka says, and it’s arguably more challenging. Which is why he and a few other divers from Michigan are trying to normalize the sport in the Great Lakes even as traditionalists oppose their efforts.

Some springtime walleye crankbait basics

From AnglingBuzz:

As walleyes wrap up their spawn, they begin moving out to adjacent flats and shallow water structure. Crankbaits can be an excellent tool for intercepting these wandering walleyes, which can be scattered anywhere between 4-12’.

Look for shallow-running walleye crankbaits that drive down and hit the bottom as you retrieve them back to the boat. Bottom contact is important, but don’t opt for baits that dive too deep as they won’t run optimally in the shallow water.

One of their go-to cranks for cooler water in the springtime is the #5 Rapala Shad Rap:

Make sure you’re fishing your cranks slowly this time of year, as that’s often the only way to get bit. A couple of retrieves work well in the spring:

Slow and steady. Simply cast out the lure and retrieve it slowly back to the boat. Anyone, even beginners, pull this one off.

Pull and pause. Sometimes this is the deal. Cast your lure out, reel it down and then slowly pull the lure forward with your rod tip. Reel up the slack in your line, and then slowly pull the crank forward again. Continue this retrieve all the way back to the boat.

With either of these retrieves, it’s important that you’re fishing the bait slow. Ultimately, you need to experiment with different speeds to find out what’s working best on that particular day.

“If you were fishing a tournament, would you weigh this fish as is?

- That’s Toby Kvalevog talking about this walleye he caught that was sporting some slimy jewelry. I’m sure it depends on the tournament, but I believe most say to weigh the fish in as it was caught?! ????

This has to be a world-record snag. ???? Eric Roberts pulled this lifetime supply of jigs out of the Maumee River (near Fort Meigs, OH) last week. Even Ed the Diver would be impressed with this one:

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026