FISHING GEAR
REVIEWS

It is official; my mindset has switched from ice fishing to open water fishing.  Almost like clockwork, I attend one sports show and drool over new boats, open water tackle, fishing boat accessories, and a wide range of campers now on the market.  Upon leaving the...

The Midwest is home to some of the finest jumbo perch fishing in the nation. There are many waters that have become legendary for their perch populations.  Most notably Devils Lake in North Dakota, Winnebego in Minnesota and Waubay in South Dakota come to mind. These...

From knocking the snot outta them one day to thinking maybe you should take up knitting. That's what it feels like to fish walleyes.. The thing with walleye fishing is there are so many different ways to catch them. Everything from a simple, slow approach to fast and...

Hi, my name is Chris, and I’m a crankaholic… Yes, I will admit it; I have a problem. I love to fish and when open water season warms up, I love walleye trolling.  And not just trolling for walleyes, I like to take an efficient approach to my fishing. Let me explain…...

The Rapala Jiggin’ Rap isn’t even close to being a new glide bait, but its’ popularity has skyrocketed in recent years.  The one-dimensional ice fishing bait has found a new home in the vast majority of boats. However, the competition has caught on.   We now have...

Google fishing rods and you will be overwhelmed with the number of options out there (about 98 million results). Well, I'm here to make your decision a little bit easier. Just like most anglers, I always had a hodgepodge of different brands in my boat. I couldn't find...

Lake Winnipeg is known for its walleye ice fishing.  In fact, it's home to the famous “Green Back Walleye,” on Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, Canada.  It offers the best chance at landing a 10+ pound walleye through a hole in the ice.  For years, prior to social media...

You had your eye on it for a while, saved up some money and now its time. You got your new Humminbird Helix for ice fishing! Going through the settings can get a little confusing, so hopefully, after reading this you'll have a little better understanding and have your...

I like most of you primarily fishing out of portable ice houses. Every once in a while though, it's nice to just show up and fish! Over the years of renting sleeper ice houses, I always think to myself "Man I wish I would have brought..." Hopefully, I can help save...

I’ve never been one to leave things stock.  There is just something about taking an idea and producing a finished product.  Some people end up making a good amount of money with their products, like Dave Genz, when he created the original “Fish Trap.”  Since its’...

It’s amazing how much technology has changed the fishing industry over the past 2 decades.  I can’t tell you how much it’s helped me become a better fisherman. While some may pull the cheating card, the fact is, that fishing will continue to evolve to the point where...

In my eyes, I feel walleyes are one of the most difficult freshwater fish to pattern. Why? Well, for starters, there hasn’t been a real long history on walleye fishing. When I was a kid in the 80s, everything was DEEP, DEEP, DEEP...we all know nowadays that that’s not...

I have the utmost respect for ice, and you have to if you spend a large amount of time on it fishing. I’ve already been walking on the ice for around a month and logged some pretty good outings so far on walleyes. But now as deep winter sets in, I’m getting tired of...

So you're looking to buy your first portable ice shelter and not sure where to look? We've provided an in-depth look at some of the most popular and newest ice houses on the market today. We looked hard into durability, price, and features to rank them overall....

The ice fishing scene is changing fast, and the evolution of jigging spoons is no different.  Let me explain. Traditionally, you have a flat lead spoon that is molded into various shapes and sizes.  Add a ring and a hook, and you’ve got yourself a fishing lure. But...

Lipless crankbaits are a combination of old and new.  I say they’re old, as I used to throw rattle traps when I was a kid for pike and bass.  We’re talking 20 years ago, so a lipless crankbait isn’t new in that sense. But it’s new in the fact that they're being WIDELY...

It’s getting to be that time of year when the cold weather is inevitable, and the ice is starting to thicken.  I’m planning an upcoming trip to Devils Lake, ND ice fishing in the next week, so I thought it would be a good idea to share on how I plan for an ice fishing...

Probably my favorite time of year to chase walleyes is on early ice.  While I know many guys who prefer the spring, that’s usually when I’m chasing snow geese so I spend most of my focus early in the winter.  The strong sun rays of the spring deteriorate the ice...

Ice fishing season is upon us, and it’s time to gear up for the season.  I’m not the kind of guy who has to replace or upgrade every year, but I am always looking to be more efficient on the ice.  When it comes to my ice fishing gear, I factor price and longevity with...

Oh no, another article on jigging raps right? Wrong. I’m not going to talk about how great they are, just how to use them effectively.  At this point, you're already interested and possibly convinced they work for catching walleyes (and they do)... I kind of fought...

One thing I’m guilty of and I see I’m not alone these days is my addiction to custom painted crankbaits. Fishing is all about confidence, no matter the presentation or species you’re targeting. I mean, if you don’t think you’re going to catch anything, are you going...

(Updated 6/24/19) I don't care where in the world you live, whether you're fishing a small river or lake to large reservoirs; there's a place in your arsenal for trolling or casting crankbaits for walleyes.  I personally LOVE trolling crankbaits for big walleyes.  In...

They say muskie fishing is about a fish per 10,000 casts right? Well the heck with it, we’re going muskie trolling. Musky trolling is something we’re still learning every time out. Myself, I consider myself a complete amateur. I make the trek to Minnesota about 2-3...

Over the years, soft plastic baits have changed a lot.  I mean, have you looked at the selection nowadays in the big box stores?  It’s crazy how many brands there are. Traditionally, plastic worms were the ticket when fishing for bass.  I used LONG worms that...

More often than not, I find that most anglers who cast crankbaits just tie the fishing lure straight to the line.  No matter the knot, the problem is it doesn’t allow the crankbait to have that erratic action. Especially when it comes to jerkbaits and crankbaits like...

Summer is coming and this signals the time of year when we search for kings amongst our favorite waters. These kings I speak of are the Chinook Salmon.   And here, it’s salmon trolling season. I spend a lot of time pursuing salmon in my favorite waters and...

One of my love-hate relationships I have in walleye fishing is slow death fishing. While I love what a proper slow death rig can do, it’s using crawlers that is my least favorite part of fishing late spring and summer. Crawlers are messy, they get everywhere in your...

One of North America’s largest man-made reservoirs, Lake Sakakawea, can be found in the heart of North Dakota. This lake has countless miles of shoreline, it’s an adventurer’s paradise. In fact, it has more shoreline than the state of California.  You can fish the...

Wearing sunglasses is important, by now we should all know that. While as a kid growing up, I thought wearing sunglasses was more about fashion than being smart. Nowadays, I don’t go anywhere without them. While I’m writing this about the best polarized sunglasses for...

I have been fishing jigs my entire life since I could pick up a rod.  Jigs have been the number one lure in my boats and on my rods since I was knee-high to a grasshopper. My father, Jim Peluso, moved to Bismarck, ND back in 1974 chasing work with hockey. One of the...

There are times during the year when walleyes can be found shallow...real shallow. Normally, you expect it during the spawn. That’s a given in the spring. But outside of that, there are times where the big girls like to stay there too. And when walleyes are shallow,...

Making fishing leaders is easy, and it’s really something I had to do more of because of the types of fishing I do. It saves money and I find it to be enjoyable. There are really 2 ways to make a fishing leader. Leaders with a GOOD knot. Leaders made with crimps. Now...

I caught my first walleye slip bobber fishing when I was a kid.  That was many moons ago, but I can still remember it well. My dad tossed out a slip bobber for me and I stared at that thing for what felt like forever (for a 5-year-old it was probably 10 minutes).  It...

A common question I see is... what is the best fishing line for walleye? The reality is there is no one fishing line for every walleye fishing application. Each type of line shines in its own way, depending on how it’s used. For example, what line you use for...