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The Walleye Whisperer |
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Northland® Fishing Tackle pro and technical-fishing phenom Tom Huynh wins the Stanley Cup of competitive walleye fishing on his signature jig. |
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BEMIDJI, Minn. (September 13, 2024) – We all know those competitive types – the fish counters. You land a fish and your boatmate is quick to point out it’s your third, and that you’re still four fish behind. Seems to happen most often when everyone is jigging on a drift or slow troll. Thing is, that the guy with the highest tally is usually the best jigger. Maybe even a legend in your fishing circles. Or in the case of Northland pro and jig maestro, Tom Huynh, maybe the best jig fisherman on the circuit, perhaps the planet… For those keeping score, walleye savant Huynh won last weekend’s Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s National Walleye Tour (NWT) presented by Progressive Championship after three days of fishing on Lake Huron in Oscoda, Michigan. The victory netted him $132,069 in cash and prizes, which included a 2024 Ranger 620FS with a Mercury 250 Pro XS and the $500 Garmin Contingency Bonus for having exclusive Garmin electronics and trolling motor. And it was a $4 Northland Tungsten Jig that netted Huynh the six digit prize package. |
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Huynh’s winning BLACK Northland Tungsten Jig |
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Huynh’s specialty OLIVE Tungsten Jig he cocreated with Northtland |
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THE SITUATION The field was pretty spread out over Huron’s 14 million-plus acres of water, some trolling, some rigging, and some jigging. Huynh was part of this third group – the jiggers – who accounted for most of the check cashers. One would largely consider Huron a clear to slightly colored lake, but during the tournament, the wind howled. And where Huynh hung out on the south basin, the water was turbid – an advantage for his style of fishing. Walleye whisperer Huynh banked his time over expansive flats in 25- to 32-feet of water. (Notice the exactness of his range – that’s how it’s done in Huynhville.) The often bloated, smelt-fed walleyes were either pasted to the bottom or lurking just a few feet off. It would take doctorate level surveying and fishing artistry to get these bulimic fish to bite. (Bulimic in the fact many upchucked smelt in the livewell.) Guided by his Garmin LiveScope forward-facing sonar (FFS) unit, Huynh visually sorted through volumes of fish, only casting to whoppers. “I would go through a couple hundred fish before seeing one worth casting to,” said Huynh. And it when it was time to cast, out came that $4 tungsten jig. |
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THE JIG AND BAIT Said in simplest terms, Huynh got ‘em on a jig and crawler. Said with precision in Huynh speak, he caught them on a black 3/8th-ounce Northland Tungsten Jig and large whole nightcrawler. That specific combo bagged most of his walleyes. Crawlers are historic walleye killers on the Great Lakes. And given that the fish were filled to the gills with smelt, Hunyh knew he had to show them something special. “I wanted the biggest presentation possible on a jig that could still be fished with finesse,” said Huynh. “That turned out to be a giant nightcrawler on a Northland Tungsten Jig.” Progressive walleye anglers already realize the unique potency of Northland’s Tungsten Jig. But if you haven’t fished them before, trust Huynh’s reliance on them. Because after all, he had a hand in designing them. Made from eco-friendly heavyweight tungsten, the head is 30% more dense when compared to lead, and consequently smaller and more sensitive. It fishes like reading braille with your rod, reel, and line combo—every subtlety of the bottom and the slightest fish bump or bite telegraphed immediately. |
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Seriously, once you fish tungsten jigs you’ll never go back to lead—they’re just that sensitive, especially combined with braid, fluorocarbon leader, and quality fishing rod. And you can get away fishing a lighter jig than you would with a lead counterpart, leading to a more finesse-centered presentation that simply catches more fish. The Tungsten Jig features a premium, sticky-sharp Mustad Ultra-Point Hook and dual hook keepers that lock soft plastics and live bait in place. Given the cost of quality live bait and the hassle of continually adjusting soft plastics, this dual hook keeper design is a godsend. Jeweled, red “T” eyes serve to attract visual feeders like walleyes and easily identify the new Northland jig as tungsten. The Tungsten Jig is available in three sizes and ten colors—1/8-, ¼-, and 3/8-ounce with size 1/0, 2/0, and 3/0 hooks respectively. Proven, fish-catching patterns include Black, Olive, Gold Shiner, Firetiger, Parrot, Bubblegum, Sunrise, Glo Moonlight, Parakeet, and Glo Watermelon. SUPPORTING GEAR The tournament-class walleye spied on FFS sonar, Huynh would pitch to individual fish. His absolute control aided by DAIWA J-BRAID x8 Grand in chartreuse for its visibility and sensitivity. “The chartreuse color let me see the line in relation to the mark on my Garmin. It was especially important in the windy conditions we had to get things lined up right.” He also credited his 7-foot DAIWA TD Eye spinning rod paired with a 1000-size DAIWA KAGE MQ LT reel. Huynh said the rod’s extended guide-train and inherent sensitivity let him feel fish pick-up the jig, even on a slack line. The smaller reel fishes comfortably for long days on the water, and its intrinsically slower retrieve caters to his finesse approach. LAST WORD This is the tip of the iceberg – the iceberg being Huynh’s gray matter. Soon, beginner to expert anglers will have access to a Huynh’s brain dump specific to FFS. On September 19th he’s launching Tom Huynh University (THU). You can visit the site now to learn more – www.fishthu.com |
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#NORTHLANDTACKLE |
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ABOUT Northland® Fishing Tackle In 1975, a young Northwoods fishing guide named John Peterson started pouring jigs and tying tackle for his clients in a small remote cabin in northern Minnesota. The lures were innovative, made with high quality components, and most importantly, were catching fish when no other baits were working! Word spread like wildfire, the phone started ringing… and the Northland Fishing Tackle® brand was in hot demand! For 40 years now, John and the Northland® team have been designing, testing and perfecting an exclusive line of products that catch fish like no other brand on the market today. Manufactured in the heart of Minnesota’s finest fishing waters, Northland® is one of the country’s leading producers of premium quality jigs, live bait rigs, spinnerbaits and spoons for crappies, bluegills, perch, walleyes, bass, trout, northern pike and muskies. |
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ABOUT Bagley Bait Company The personality of any company comes from its founder. Jim Bagley was an inventive, fun-loving, passionate fisherman who became one the most respected legends in the fishing tackle industry. In late 2010, Jarmo Rapala and a group of investors bought Bagley Bait Company. As an admirer of Jim Bagley for his attention to quality and of his product ingenuity and innovation, Jarmo initiated significant changes in operations, enhanced production processes and quality control. Now in 2020, Northland® Fishing Tackle, along with Jarmo as its Chief Lure Designer, maintain the legacy of creating premium balsa crankbaits and topwater lures, as well as jigs and spoons for both freshwater and saltwater anglers. |