Future-Forward Fishing

Future-Forward Fishing

Two-time NWT Championship Winner, Tom Huynh, opens up his playbook

FOOTHILL RANCH, CA (September 18, 2025) – It was only a few years ago that DAIWA established an official walleye tournament pro staff by inaugurating multi-tournament NWT/AIM pro walleye champion, Tom Huynh, as its unofficial captain.

To those ends, DAIWA Marketing Manager, Marc Mills, says walleye tournament pro Tom Huynh has been a huge asset representing the brand’s continual offerings to the walleye world in everything he does, from fishing tournaments to championing the products via Tom Huynh University, a program that teaches anglers how to catch more walleyes through technical and real-world curriculum.

“At DAIWA we’re all about embracing forward-thinking anglers who are pushing the envelope of the sport, whether it’s bass fishing, saltwater, or walleye angling. We are very proud of Tom’s achievements over the past several years, including two spectacular back-to-back NWT Championship wins,” said Mills.

Back to Back NWT Championship Wins

If there was any question about Huynh’s talent, last year’s NWT Championship win on Lake Huron and the recent 2025 NWT Championship win on Green Bay sealed the deal—besides the past five years of Top 10 wins across the Walleye Belt. When it comes to finding and catching walleyes—especially in wind and waves—he just has the knack.

“This is something I teach in my university, and that wind and water temperature play a huge part in finding and catching walleyes. On Huron, I ended up fishing much farther south than everyone else where the water was warmer, and this year I was off by myself after a blow on Day 2 that warned of waves from 8 to 12 feet. Both championships were windy and a real challenge,” noted Huynh.

“I used to dread rough conditions, but looking back through my wins and top 10 finishes, most of my successes have been in just that, so I’m adjusting my mindset. You do what you must do and that’s concentrate on boat control, running the trolling motor, and putting my bait where it needs to be based on what I find.”

The System

Speaking of the search, it’s no secret that Huynh is a forward-facing sonar master, with throngs of followers—and now students—who’ve tapped his brain to harness the technology to catch more fish. Those fans have also adjusted their playbook to reflect his finesse acumen with jigs and live bait—in the case of both NWT Championships, 3/8-ounce Northland Tungsten Jigs as a mainstay with a heavier Northland Smeltinator thrown into the mix during especially heavy winds. In terms of color, Huynh abides by a proven finesse trifecta of black, olive, or silver.

“I’m primarily hunting big fish with finesse gear, so I need certain things out of a spinning reel and line. For both events I was truly finesse fishing, not using any reaction baits, trying to get the fish to eat the bait off bottom whenever possible, not playing cat and mouse over their heads like you would with a reaction bait,” revealed Huynh.

Huynh’s Wands

For both championships, Huynh’s primary stick has been a 7’3” DAIWA TD Eye medium-light power (TDEYE703MXS) rod.

“In both events, not only did I need to reach those fish with authority, but I was dealing with a lot of wind,” said Huynh. His 7-plus-footer was able to launch the 3/8^th-ounce Northland Tungsten Jig and full-body nightcrawler to those fish. (BTW, Huynh had a hand in designing both the TD Eye rod series and Northland Tungsten Jig.)

“The medium-light power was just enough to drive the hook home on suspended fish,” he said of the light and sensitive rod. Huynh also mentioned the impressively light weight of the rod. “Between prefishing and the tournament, that’s a lot of hours with a rod in your hand. The TD Eye series in remarkably light, which reduces fatigue.”

Huynh added: “DAIWA’s Mega Top feature is what makes this rod ideal for feeling and pulling fish off the bottom.”

Mega Top adds another layer of sensitivity for detecting the subtlest of bites. Moreover, Huynh noted the rod’s ability to fight a big walleye in deep water. “Its parabolic action is impressive. The rod loads up throughout the blank and maintains constant pressure on the fish, even when they swim up and change directions. The rod fights the fish for you.”

The length of the guide-train is another upside of the TD Eye series. “Those extra guides really improve sensitivity,” said Huynh. “You can literally feel a fish grab the bait on a slack line. The bite transmits from the jig, along the line, and right through the rod.”

But what surprises Huynh most about the TD Eye rod series? “They’re super affordable at only $149.99. You get some of DAIWA’s top rod technologies at an everyman’s price.”

The Reel Deal: Go Small

Huynh paired his TD Eye rods with a KAGE LT spinning reel, which retails for around $320. The feature-packed reels are sold exclusively through independent dealers, demonstrating DAIWA’s commitment to retailers of every size.

And here’s something that’s drawn a lot of attention from other anglers—Huynh fishes a smallish 1000-size reel for all his spinning needs. “When you hold a reel for 12 hours a day, it better be light and manageable. I experience no fatigue with a 1000-size KAGE in my hand.”

The smaller size also brings fish in slower, a cornerstone to Huynh’s playbook. “It forces you to fish slower. In a tournament, there’s no reason to horse a fish in. It’s better to get the fight out of them.”

To Huynh, the inherently slower retrieve of a 1000-size reel is better for his style of jigging, too.

“I’m a finesse fisherman, and the reduced retrieval speed of a smaller reel matches that.”

Again, Huynh seldom fishes reaction baits like glide baits and crankbaits, preferring to fish slow and natural and “make the fish eat it.” However, that may change soon as Tom is working on designs for a reaction bait that he’s found the DAIWA Fuego the perfect reel to orchestrate the right movements, so don’t call him a one-trick pony.

THE IMPORTANCE OF LINE

Huynh maintains the finesse theme with his fishing line and leader material. The tournament tactician spools up with 10-lb. DAIWA J-BRAID x8 Grand and finishes with a span of 8-lb. J-FLOURO leader. He sometimes drops down to a 6-lb. fluorocarbon leader in exceptionally clear water or if he’s on pressured fish.

“I really like the sensitivity of J-BRAID x8 Grand, as well as how it casts,” he said. “It’s not waxy and passes through the guides extremely well.” He opts for chartreuse as well, which he says is key for FFS. “I need to see the line in reference to where fish appear on my Garmin. You can’t do that with camo or green line.”

His leaders are long, too, about the length of the rod, and tied with a neatly clipped double uni-knot, which easily passes through the TD EYE guides.

TOUCH DOWN

What’s next for the two-time champ? According to Huynh, “I will be spending more time on the water, continually trying to learn, develop new presentations, and to bring those observations back to my University students, doing what I can to help advance the sport.”

For DAIWA’s latest color catalog and/or information on DAIWA dealers in your area, call DAIWA’s Customer Service Department at 562-375-6800 or e-mail inquiries to: CSR@DAIWA.com. The URL for DAIWA’s web site is daiwa.us

About Daiwa Corporation

Daiwa’s first spinning reel rolled off the assembly line in 1955. Since then, the company has grown into one of the largest and most influential tackle companies in the world today. To handle sales and distribution in the United States, Daiwa Corporation first opened its doors on September 26, 1966, operating from a small facility in Culver City, California. Today, based in Foothill Ranch, California, Daiwa Corporation sells tackle throughout the United States, Canada, Central and South America. From the very beginning, Daiwa’s emphasis has been upon innovation and quality. The result is a long list of product features, design and materials that have become standards for the fishing tackle industry. Daiwa’s long-standing record of innovation has left a visible mark on the majority of tackle manufactured today and continues to advance the sport of fishing. Learn more at daiwa.us