Though it’s not technically summer, it sure feels that way. Hot and muggy! I’m ready for some topwater action! I did get out a couple times for some river smallmouth, it was decent, no giant fish but “time to catch ratio” was worth it. Probably one bite per 10 minutes of shore fishing.

The DNR just launched a brand new electronic licensing system on June 9, replacing the old one that had been running for over 25 years. You can now buy your fishing license through the new MN DNR Licensing mobile app, online, or in-person from a license agent. Once purchased, store it right on your phone — no more digging through your tackle bag for a crumpled piece of paper during a license check.

The other big change: physical harvest tags are gone. You can now validate and register harvests through the app, even offline if you're out of service. Watercraft registrations aren't in the new system yet — that's coming in a future phase. Download the app or buy your license at mndnr.gov/buyalicense.

The Minnesota catch-and-release lake trout record has been broken twice in one spring, both times on Lake Superior. In April, Matthew Hammer of White Bear Township landed a 44-incher. Then in May, Joe Bouta of Benson topped it with a 45.5-inch giant. It was only Bouta's second lake trout ever… he caught his first earlier that same day. The real story might be the guide: Ethan Waytashek of Lake Superior Jigging Guide Service was on the boat for both catches and has now helped clients break the state record four times in a row. If you're looking for a Lake Superior trip for monster lakers, you know who to call.

David Selle of Lino Lakes was fishing Cedar Lake in Rice County on the evening of May 3 when a bug hatch turned the lake into a feeding frenzy. He hooked it in six feet of water on a plastic jig of his own design under a bobber and his buddy Dylan netted it. He was ready to toss it back, but Dylan stopped him, knowing it could be a record. The problem: it was Sunday evening and nowhere with a certified scale was open. So they drove to Walmart, walked into the deli department, and asked a clerk to weigh the fish.

The printed label from the Walmart deli scale read 4.1 pounds. The Minnesota DNR has since certified it as the new state weight record for black crappie at 4 pounds, 1 ounce, topping the previous record by just over an ounce. That previous record? Also caught from Cedar Lake, by an 8-year-old, in 2024. Something's in the water down there…

The Predatortour just wrapped up June 4–6 at EuroParcs Resort De Biesbosch in the Netherlands, and it hit close to home. You can watch a highlight video of the event on their YouTube channel. I stayed and fished the Hollands Diep back in the fall of 2019 with walleye pro Dylan Nussbaum. We caught zander, pike, and perch from a rental boat, the exact three species you need to fill your card in this tournament. But we didn’t get any pike or zander nearly the size of what was caught in the tournament.

During that trip, we talked about entering a tournament together over there. Never got around to it (yet). The boat issue is a problem, without a proper Dutch boating license, we can only use up to 40HP boats. Unless Dylan ships his new boat over there. 🤔

Back to the event now. 141 teams from across Europe competed over three days on the Hollands Diep, Haringvliet, Nieuwe Merwede, and Amer. Teams need to catch three pike, three zander, and three perch to fill their scorecard and earn a 1,000-point bonus. Only 22 teams pulled it off after day two, the fishing was tough. Richard Archer and Daniel Celeda took the 🥇 with consistent catches across all three days.

Instead of five largemouth or walleye, you're chasing three different predator species across big tidal rivers. If you've ever wondered what competitive fishing looks like on the other side of the Atlantic, look up predatortour.com. I always wanted to see a top level multi-species series in the USA. What do you think of largemouth/smallmouth/walleye tournaments with maybe pike or crappie thrown in too?

This past week was warm and the river fish were biting! I went out to film a meme Reel for Rapala, these are always fun to make. With the water levels down and current low, a 1/8oz or 1/16oz VMC Ned Rig Jig with a Crush City Ned BLT (black) worked awesome! The fish were out away from the shore a ways.

I did get a surprise bite on a Rapala X-Rap (River Perch color)! Thought it was a nice walleye (no jumping), until the line did a “roll”. Then I figured it was a cat. Still very fun!

Looking ahead at the forecast, I will be hitting rivers for topwater smallmouth bass. It’s tough to beat the tried and tested Rapala Skitter Prop, my go-to for river smallies. Hope you have a great week!