Super sorry for the late send (again). Like I mentioned on Tues, I've had nothing but issues with tech the last few days. ????‍♂️ I think it might be time to go computer shopping considering there's smoke coming out of this one...knew I shouldn't have done the last couple of updates lol. I swear that's how they get ya, with computers AND for sure with phones...

BUT...I still wanted to get another TW out, so here we go! ????

A couple springs back I was finally able to knock a little something off of my fishing bucket-list and spend some time in the boat with walleye hammer Korey Sprengel. Man, is that guy ever dialed!! Every single thing he does or uses has a reason behind it – literally down to the smallest detail. It was fascinating and I can’t begin to describe how straight-up fishing talented he is.

No joke, I think Korey put 3 fish in the boat in about 90 seconds...all while I was still switching my reel over from lefty to righty LOL. But he kept that same pace up even after I was fishing too. I felt like a clueless little kid while dad was crushing! ????

I couldn’t get them to touch a swimbait, Ned rig, you name it. And he was absolutely whacking walleyes on a Berkley Stunna 112 – good ones too!

I’ve chucked a jerkbait plenty before, but I usually end up putting it down if I don’t get bit in the first few casts because hot dang it’s a lot of work LOL. After watching Korey put on a freakin’ clinic, I figured I had better take some dang notes! ???? Here’s why he started with it:

Dark, gloomy days with some wind are always good. If it’s sunny and windy, you’re good. I may do a few casts when it’s sunny and calmer, but usually that’s when you want to grab the swimbait instead.

If the water is clean with 3’+ visibility...some wind blowing...it’s a great reaction bait. It moves fast and you can cover water to find out if something is around. Don’t need to worry about boat control or the wind blowing your line.

When the water is clear, they’re used to going after something...they’re trying to get away from it. Jerkbait isn’t in the weeds as much as it is over the top of weeds.

Here’s his scoop on the Berkley Stunna 112:

The Berkley Stunna 112 runs very shallow...about 2-3’ (with the stock hooks). l throw it in 6’ or less.

Comes standard with the Fusion19 Medium Shank EWG Treble. Swapping out with round-bend Fusion19 Treble 1x Hooks gets it down to 4-5’. Just a heavier gauge hook...more weight. It’s a slight difference, but you’re adding 3 of them that are heavier. The Stunna slowly sinks, so longer pauses during the retrieve help get it down there....

(If you need to get a little deeper yet, they now have a 112+1 that will run 6-10' out of the package.)

The strike zone for a jerkbait depends on the water clarity you have. In clear water, it’s nothing for a fish to come up 5’ for a bait if you’re fishing in 10’. They don’t know if they can catch up to it, then all of a sudden it stops and they smack it.

I also like the open round-bend hooks because fish are swatting at the jerkbait most of the time. And some days that more open bend can help with hookups.

How he works the Stunna:

Initial cast I’m trying to get the bait down. Longer jerks pulling the bait down 5-6 times with a longer pause (the Stunna slowly sinks) at the end to get it down. Then I will start to speed up with 3-4 quick snaps and pause.

And he SNAPS those puppies. Tough to tell from this little cadence preview, but my arms are sore just looking at it again hahaha:

Pause time depends on water temp. The colder the water the longer the pause. I’ll do 5-second pauses once or twice in a cast in 50 degree water or less. As the water warms up, pick the speed up...they’re feeding and their metabolism is up.

Have to experiment to see what they want that day. Sometimes you’ll stop and be talking to someone for 5 seconds and they’ll come up and smack it.

Like I said before...everything Korey uses, he uses for a specific reason. So here’s a rundown on his complete jerkbait setup including the WHY and not just the WHAT. Did the best I could, he talks fast lol.

Rod:

Korey was using a Fenwick Elite 7’4” medium, moderate fast:

And here’s why he was slinging that specific model:

I like a longer rod, this one is a 7’4” medium mod-fast. Long enough to really bomb the bait out there. Long casts helps to be more efficient...more time to get your bait to depth. Also need to be away from the boat in clear water...a lot of times that last 30’ is useless.

The action part of the rod is the most important (moderate fast). I’m implying action with the rod: If it’s too wimpy, too moderate...you’re going to have to work harder to make that bait move and dart...you don’t get that snappiness. That slack line snap is what gives the bait its darting actions.

Longer rods have a little more forgiveness. Need the crispness for working the bait, but the forgiveness for fighting a fish. That combination with a smooth drag...everything works together.

Reel:

Korey likes using the size-30 Abu Garcia Revo Rocket, which is a high-speed spinning reel with a 7.6:1 gear ratio = brings in 43” line per crank!

I’m implying the action with the rod. The reel is picking up the slack. The less I have to do, the better.

He doesn’t use baitcasters for jerkbaits because he says he can cast farther and “the drag on spinning reels is so much better and smoother.”

I have my drag backed off so it clicks on a hard rip of the bait. Need some give to not bend hooks or tear them out – you don’t know how you’re going to have them hooked when they’re swatting at the bait.

Line:

Korey runs 10-lb FireLine (8-strand fused) with a 15-lb Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon leader that’s 3-4’.

Braid because fluorocarbon deadens the action. They’re just pulling that bait, not snapping it...not getting that bait to turn sideways. Getting the bait to turn sideways is a big deal...it flashes so much when it turns 90 degrees.

And he runs a 15-lb fluoro leader for most everything (way heavier than “normal”) because then he doesn’t have to worry about breaking off fish, having zebra mussels slice it, or waste time constantly re-tying.

I know what you’re thinking, and he said he hasn’t seen any difference in the # of bites or walleye he catches since experimenting with heavier leaders. And he runs a short 3-4′ fluoro leader because he doesn’t want the knot to go through his guides.

So much info in so little time! Really hope to get back on the water with him again some day.

This is a really great Gord Pyzer write-up on In-Fisherman that’s packed with a TON of info on spring walleye migrations. For sure worth diving into the full dealio here, but I’m going to drop a few juicy nuggets below that caught my attention instantly:

Larger walleyes also move from spawning areas in a hurry – much faster than most anglers think. “We got into a bunch of small males,” is the usual opening-day refrain from frustrated walleye anglers. “The bigger fish are recuperating and refuse to bite.” But according to Colby, smaller male walleyes predominate in the spring catch because males outnumber females on the spawning grounds. Males mature at least a year earlier than females, adding at least one extra year-class of them on the shoals.

Colby also says that larger female walleyes quickly vacate spawning areas in search of a deep-water refuge. They head for deeper regions, especially if soft-rayed forage like ciscoes and smelt are available. It isn’t that they just quit feeding.

Younger, smaller walleyes, both male and female, often forage on perch. Perch tend to stay shallow, so smaller walleyes stay shallow, too. This isn’t to suggest that large walleyes don’t eat perch. They certainly do, especially in emerging weedgrowth during the pre-summer and summer peak periods.

Small walleyes eat perch (and shiners) because these baitfish are more abundant, not just because walleyes prefer them, Colby explains. As walleyes grow bigger, however, they switch from what is most abundant to what they prefer: Soft-rayed forage like deeper-dwelling herring and smelt. And walleyes also function metabolically more effectively in the depths.

Definitely recommend diving into the full read here.

Love me some #FishFlopFriday!

Although it’s only funny when it happens to someone else lol. ????‍♂️

Normally trout (those slippery little buggers!) hold the top spot for fish-flop Friday pics. Do NOT forget to check out the facial expressions!

But occasionally you’ll see walleye make a surprise appearance...

Zach Mader sent this one in and said “Not today, sucker.” ????

This Lake of the Woods’ 27.5-incher was giving Mike Erickson and run for his money below the water and above:

This Rainy River walleye had Kory Wermerskirchen doing the stank face:

Oh, and things definitely get a lot scarier when they’ve got more weight to throw around! #MuskiEEEH!

????????????

Lot of interesting info in Dave’s full MidWest Outdoors write-up here, few excerpts below:

In most places where walleyes are found, the fish spawn at night on shallow, rock/rubble swept by current, be it the flow of a river or creek, or windswept current created by waves. The rocky bottom can occur naturally, or be man made, such as along riprap on dams and culverts. There are some exceptions, such as walleyes spawning on flooded marsh grass in the Wolf River in WI, or perhaps in flooded woodlands on the Mississippi. But in most cases, they’re oriented to shallow, hard bottoms early in the open-water season.

After spawning...walleyes begin shifting locales toward the easiest, most accessible forage available.

...this typically occurs in the form of yellow perch or shiners, which have also begun moving shallow to spawn. Perch spawn on shallow weed growth, typically in bays, shortly after walleyes finish spawning. Shiners, meanwhile, tend to spawn on shallow sand flats. So, depending on which forage predominates, and where it is located, expect post-spawn walleyes, particularly females, to begin moving to these areas almost immediately after spawning. The closest areas that offer these forage opportunities become logical places to check early in the season.

If walleyes are blessed with substantial numbers of both yellow perch and shiners in the waters you’re fishing, expect them to dine on some of each. Some walleyes may roam shallow, sand flats near their rocky spawning sites to dine on shiners. Others may shift down the lake to weedy areas where perch are about to spawn. With both on the menu, it’s a smorgasbord of two forage sources and fishing patterns.

In shallow, fertile, stocked lakes, some of these options aren’t available, or may be scarce. In this case, shallow minnows of assorted types are likely food sources early in the season, even if walleyes must scrounge to feed on them in the shallows. Once mayflies begin hatching out of the basin, walleyes may do a quick turnaround to the main basin to feed heavily on mayflies emerging from the mud bottom.

The more sloping the spawning area, and/or the more cover available in the shallows, the slower fish tend to disperse. The faster the drop to deep water, the quicker that big fish tend to leave the area, although smaller males may linger for a while. In rivers, females congregated below dams for spawning quickly begin dispersing downriver after the spawn in search of forage opportunities. So, structural features can affect the speed of post-spawn dispersal.

Most of the time, the major forage, and thus the walleyes, remain in shallower water than anglers realize; it’s warmer, offers more forage opportunities than deep water at this time of year, and often provides cover for security. Thus, don’t be in any hurry to start fishing deep right away, early in the season. Chances are that post-spawn walleyes remain shallower than you think.

A Maumee, OH angler caught a jig...with a jig...attached to a walleye ???? what are the odds?! Legal to keep or too many hooks? Ha!

1. OH: Robert “Bobby” Crow won the Lake Sharpe NWT

Huge congrats to Bobby on bringing it home! He absolutely blew it out of the water on day 1 with a 21-lb 2-oz bag (only allowed 2 'overs')...when 2nd place had just 13 lbs 8 oz ???? crazy!

Sounds like he caught ‘em slow-rolling various pearl white swimbaits in just 2’ of water!

Promise we’ll be following up with the winning details (specifics!) and pics that you won’t be seeing anywhere else soon.

2. SD: 3rd-annual ‘Sharpe Showdown’ is this weekend

In Pierre, so I’m assuming some NWT pros might be sticking around a couple of extra days.

3. MN: Free kids fishing seminar with the pros, May 3

4. MN-FISH’s “World’s Greatest Fishing Auction” starts TOMORROW

Bunch of great prizes and guide trips to bid on thru 8pm on May 4.

The MN-FISH Sportfishing Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization designed to inspire Minnesotans to restore, protect and enhance sportfishing for the present and future generations to enjoy. All funds raised from this auction will go towards the betterment of fishing in Minnesota

5. MN: Leech Lake Walleye Tournament, May 30-31

6. New Fin Gear Surge Purge

“The Fin Gear Surge Purge Plate is designed to give you the ultimate boat control and take the "surge" and "purge" out of your boat while in big waves. Keeps your boat from rolling side to side and keeps it level from front to back- a great benefit if you are live scoping in big waves. The plate is solid aluminum and designed to fit either: Power-Pole Shallow Water Anchors or Minn Kota Raptors. Designed by National Walleye Trail walleye pros for use on big bodies of waters.”

Here’s a quick video walkthru with NWT pro Dylan Nussbaum.

7. Lund Boats partnered with NFL star

Wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. of the Indianapolis Colts, who’s running a Lund 2075 Impact XS.

8. Scheels has some crazy deals on ‘Birds

Up to $1,000+ off ???? select Humminbird SOLIX and HELIX units. Like this Humminbird SOLIX 10 CHIRP MSI+ G3 (which is compatible with the new Mega Live 2) that’s been slashed down to $1,699.99.

Btw when looking thru the Humminbird units, the ones that say "CHO" are a little cheaper yet because those do not come with a transducer for folks that already have a compatible one mounted, or are planning to link units together with ethernet cables, or maybe just want a dedicated graph for their GPS/map without split-screening.

9. Ever seen a DIESEL outboard?!

Company called Cox Marine has a handful of ‘em, including a 350-hp V8 diesel that has a 4.4-liter block and twin turbochargers. ????

10. Arctic Cat is back

Former Arctic Cat executive, Brad Darling [CEO and President of ARGO], and an Investment Group acquire the Thief River Falls-based manufacturer of snowmobiles, ATVs and Side-by-Sides.

Splitshot rig: The original ‘finesse’ presentation

Great throwback write-up from Freshwater Fishing Hall of Famer Gary Howey talking about a finesse-y presentation that was being used far before the word “finesse” was even applied to fishing techniques = the splitshot rig. His full write-up here, but a few excerpts below:

Early-spring fishing can be tough. ...cool weather...heavy winds pounding the water...seems to guarantee a lack of success.

In a normal spring, we usually look for warming water brought about by higher temps.... Find the warmest water in the lake and you will find walleye…. Now water temps are in the low 50s. If we can just get a week of normal, warming weather…fish activity will heat up.

I have a suggestion that has worked well for me over the years under the toughest of conditions. ...it only works when fish are in shallow water, say 10′ or less. It’s the simplest of presentations. It’s been my go-to set up since the 1970s...so it’s nothing new, but I’m afraid most anglers have simply forgotten about it.

...a simple hook on the end of your line. About 15” above the hook is a split-shot about the size of a pea. ...attach a medium-sized minnow....

Years ago, we simply used an Aberdeen-style gold hook, either a Mustad or Eagle Claw, in #4. That will still work just fine, but another hook option is the short-shanked, up-eye hook used most often for walleyes. I like a #4 for smaller minnows.

There’s a couple different kinds of splitshots. Some come with short “ears” that can open the splitshot after it’s attached to the line...but those little ears tend to hang up [in] rock-rubble areas [and] the little pulses they send up the line as they tap the rocks is irritating. I prefer to use the simple, round splitshots...tend to move across the bottom much better and will not pick up any weeds or other debris.

Certainly don’t use [line] above 6-lb test and 4 is even better. There’s not much weight to get you down on the bottom so smaller diameter line is best. ...I prefer fluorocarbon...it’s nearly invisible to the fish [and] it sinks. Mono floats...really little detail, but successful fishing is often brought about by little details.

...most walleyes will have already spawned. But you should still seek out spawning areas because not all walleyes spawn at the same time, and the smaller males will stay on the spawning grounds for at least a couple of weeks.

In natural lakes...look for rock-rubble areas associated with the shoreline. Fish water from about 4′ to 10′. Slow is important this time of year, and one advantage of the splitshot rig is it will force you to fish slowly. You want to be on the bottom so stop-and-go trolling techniques are the best. Don’t work in a straight line...walleyes will spook out from under a boat in shallow water. If you troll in a zig-zag fashion, you will be pulling your rig over water you haven’t covered with your boat.

I prefer long, light rods for splitshot rigs. A 6’ 6” or 7’ ML spinning rod is perfect. The longer rod will allow you to hook fish better because a lot of slack can develop in this rig. The extra length can mean the difference between hooking up to a light-biting walleye or missing the fish.

It's already that time of year for some – woof!

The fellas over at @northern_wi_outdoors have been making night moves with #6 Rapala Rippin’ Raps, and said the “post-spawn walleyes are firing on all cylinders right now!”

National Professional Anglers Assoc.

MN-FISH

Target Walleye LLC

422 Laurel Street

P.O. BOX 541

Brainerd, MN 56401

 (218) 824 5026