Walleye is the state fish of Minnesota. It is arguably the most sought-after species during the summer and winter months. Walleye offer excellent table fare, an exciting fight, and they are one of the few game fish that remain active throughout the cold winter months. Because of the popularity of the walleye and the challenge they provide for anglers, many methods have been developed for catching them. At Tuned Up Custom Rods, we have designed a whole arsenal of rods to be used for every known walleye technique. In this blog, we will break down which rods are best for each technique to help you make the best choice in your rod purchase.

All the different lures and presentations can be broken down into two main ways to fish for walleye: Jigging and Dead Sticking. Jigging means you are actively moving your bait and lure with your hand by lifting the rod tip up and down. This lets your lure imitate the movement of live bait. Dead Sticking means you have your rod stationary and you are using live bait (usually minnows). The bait itself makes the action underwater and you wait for a fish to bite.

Let’s look at jigging first. Jigging is active. You are constantly involved in the process and you often are trying to tempt fish with your offering. Sometimes, fish will respond best to large, aggressively jigged lures. Other times, the fish will prefer moderated jigging of a spoon. Still other times, the fish will want you to barely move a small spoon or jig. Having multiple presentations rigged up and ready to go, will allow you to home in on the fish’s mood quickly and effectively.

Different lures have different weights. At Tuned Up Custom Rods, our rods are built to be matched to specific weight ranges of lures. If you fish too heavy of a rod on a light lure, you will not feel or see the bite as well. If you fish too heavy of a lure on too light of rod, you will not have the control of the bait when jigging. It comes down to balance.

We offer three main walleye rods for most lure weights. These rods will be effective for most walleye presentations. The rods are the Precision, the Power Precision, and the Commander.

The Precision is a Light to Medium Light power, fast actions jigging rod. It is designed to handle lures from 1/10 ounce to 1/4 ounce. This is the range most walleye spoons fall into. The Precision is our most versatile walleye rod and will handle most walleye situations. The Precision works great with popular walleye spoons like the VMC Tingler Spoon, Lindy Rattln’ Flyer, and Swedish Pimple. It can also be used for small minnow profile baits like the Rapala Ultra-Light Rippn Rap 04.

The Power Precision is a Medium Power, fast action jigging rod. This rod is heavier than the Precision and can support baits from 1/8 ounce to 3/8 ounce. The Power Precision really shines with minnow profile baits like the Rapala Rippin Raps and Lindy Darters. It also works well for heavier spoons.

The Commander is a Medium to Medium-Heavy power, fast action jigging rod. This rod is our premiere walleye rod. It is very versatile, being able to handle medium spoons up to the largest minnow profile baits and swimbaits. It handles lures in the ranges of 1/8 ounce to 5/16 ounce. The Commander is excellent for targeting the largest walleye and pike in a lake. It has a remarkably sensitive tip and a backbone that can comfortably fight nearly all trophy fish.

29″ Walleye Caught on Commander

If you are looking for a rod that can be used for walleye and for smaller species, such as perch and crappie, we offer two, very different rods for you; the Fusion and the QuickTip. Both rods are intended to be jigging rods and accommodate the smaller end of the baits people use for walleye, including the smallest Rippn Rap 03 and the smallest spoons.

The Fusion is a Light Power, Moderate-Fast action rod. Its slower action allows the rod to load up more during the hookset. The Fusion is a great blend between panfish and walleye, especially if you are targeting eater sized walleye.

The QuickTip is a Light Power, Extra-Fast action rod. The tip transitions lightning quick to the backbone. This allows you to set the hook as soon as you feel a bite. Because the tip is so quick, the QuickTip is somewhat limited in the size of lures it fishes well. You will want to stay at or under the 1/8 ounce size. It is also very important to keep the QuickTip parallel to the ice when you set the hook and fight the fish. High sticking might lead to a broken tip.

Finally, if you are looking for a dead stick rod to place in a rod holder with a slip bobber or a bait feeder reel, the Tuned Up Custom Rods DeadStick is your perfect choice. This is a Medium Power, Slow Action rod. The slow action and the light fiberglass tip allow you to visually watch when a fish begins biting your minnow. You can see the bite happen before the fish knows that they are attached to the rod. This technique is expertly demonstrated in the attached video from In-Depth Outdoors. The DeadStick also works very well in an iFishPro tip-up system.

If you made it all the way to the end, you know now just how much thought and care went into the designing of the Tuned Up Custom Rods Walleye line-up. Which rod is right for you depends on how you like to fish. For many people, the Precision is the perfect starting point. But many people prefer to have multiple rods, to cover all their walleye bases.

A reader recently sent us a question about buck behavior along with some photos. He is located in Venango County. For context, this area of Pennsylvania has a “3-up” antler point restriction not including the brow tine (formerly 4-point area).

Here’s the email:

To My Favorite PSU Deer Squad,

I have a few questions regarding these bucks I have captured [on camera] this summer. Since we all know male deer form “bachelor” groups in the summer, is there any reason behind this, or are boys just being boys?

Spotting one night, I witnessed eleven, yes, eleven bucks together, I think in one group, in one field.

My next question is, are these bucks I have captured on my trail cam this summer going to stick around, or once they start separating will they disperse? There are obviously many, many others but here is just a sample.

Thanks for your research and info, I love it, and have gotten everybody I know who hunts to subscribe and they agree. Thanks Guys!

Let’s start with the first question, “Why bachelor groups?”

Ecologists have characterized this behavior as “sexual segregation.” The human equivalent to sexual segregation is basically gender-distinct bathrooms. Male and female deer separate themselves spatially for some reason.

There have been a number of reasons or hypotheses proposed:

1. Altruistic behavior by males to leave superior range (less predation and better food resources) to reduce competition with females and offspring,
2. Predator avoidance by males,
3. Minimize sexually motivated aggression when breeding is not possible,
4. Males move to open habitats to minimize damage to antlers during their growth period and to maintain male-dominance hierarchies,
5. Optimizing foraging resources by males and selection of the best habitat for raising young by females.

Hypotheses 1, 4, and 5 suggest that deer change their use of space over time. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really fit our observations of white-tailed deer in Pennsylvania. The core home ranges of the majority of bucks (and does) we have monitored don’t change over the course of a year.

But, of course, there are always exceptions! But for a theory to be useful, it can’t just apply to exceptions.

Because we don’t see a change in space use over the seasons or across years, hypothesis #2 (predator avoidance) doesn’t seem to make much sense either – unless they avoid predation by traveling as a group (safety in numbers).

For hypothesis #3 (minimize sexual aggression) to apply, bucks and does would have to separate for 10-11 months of the year. This study (and others) has plenty of examples of overlap in home range among males and females throughout the year. However, they could use the same space, just at different points in time (temporal separation).

As you can see, this behavior gets really complicated to explain. The real problem for scientists is how can we experiment to test these hypotheses? It’s difficult! We have mostly relied on observational work, perhaps in unique situations – like the Isle of Rum Red Deer Project.

But this is a blog, so reading a whole treatise on deer behavior and how social theory could explain bachelor groups really isn’t what you came here for, so let me just share some thoughts that might make sense.

Males do tend to hang together in the summer, but there is no strict sexual segregation. It’s more like sexual aggregation. I have seen a group of male deer on one side of a field and a group of does and fawns on the other. While males tend to enjoy each other’s company in the summer months, they are not separated from other deer. They just can’t be bothered with “women and children” so to speak.

It is possible that bachelor groups could help inform individual deer about the mate competition that is about to begin in late October. Ever watch The Bachelorette? Me neither, but I think the premise is the same. Twenty-five men size each other up and likely weigh the odds of them being the chosen one. Bucks could be doing the same thing.

Since Pennsylvania implemented antler point restrictions, more yearling males disperse in the fall. And most of that fall dispersal occurs before the peak of the rut. Our theory is that yearlings disperse in the fall if they find that mate competition is just too fierce. They’re better off rolling the dice and dispersing to an area where there is potentially less breeding competition.

That brings us to the second question, “Are these bucks I have captured on my trail cam this summer going to stick around, or once they start separating will they disperse?”

If any of those bucks you are watching right now are yearlings, more than half of them will hit the road this fall (mid-September through early November). The adult bucks, however, won’t be going anywhere. Very, very rarely does a buck have a different home range during the breeding season. Even those with a bachelor pad.

However, it will seem like they all disappeared!

First, these bachelor groups are going to break up.

Second, during the rut, the home ranges of these bucks will increase by 2-5 times. You read that correctly. If a buck has a home range right now on the order of a square mile, come late October he’ll be traveling an area of 2-5 square miles.

Good luck seeing him at the right place and at the right time! But that’s why they call it hunting, right?

-Duane Diefenbach

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Available Montana Bison Hunts – Search HF Aventures

Montana has two bison migration hunts. Unit 385-20 is on the northern border of Yellowstone National Park near the town of Gardiner, and unit 395-20 is located on the western side of the park near the town of West Yellowstone. Season dates for these hunts will be November 15, 2024-February 15, 2024, and 40 tags will again be issued for each hunt. Keep in mind that there will be a lot of Native American tribes from across several of the western states that have traditional hunting rights and will be hunting if bison are coming out of the park.

Go on More Hunts with Better Information, Join Huntin’ Fool Today!

The other bison hunt is unit 385-21, and it is only valid in the Absaroka Beartooth portion of unit 385. Season dates will be September 15-November 14. The bison population is very small, and with a hunt quota of only five, it is not available to nonresidents. This is a very remote wilderness backcountry hunt that is loaded with grizzlies. Pack animals are a must if you harvest on this hunt. Only two of the hunters reported harvesting in 2022.

Montana’s non-resident bison hunts allow hunters the chance to harvest a bison as they migrate out of Yellowstone National Park. With a combination of mild weather and a lack of good snowfall, the herd will stay safely within the confines of the park’s boundaries for the entire hunting season. This had been the case since the 2017-2018 hunting season, and only 15 total bison were harvested between the 2018 and 2021 seasons by the 320 migration permit holders. With cold weather and heavy snow, the herd of almost 6,000 animals will move into the hunting districts along the northwestern boundary of the park in search of lower elevation and better access to forage. When this happens, hunters will have good success on their hunts. Rolling the dice on 2022-2024’s weather paid off for successful bison applicants as strong winter conditions beginning in early November set the stage in driving hundreds of migratory bison out of the park. In total, state hunters killed 73 bison between the two migration hunts. In district 385-20, 34 of the 40 tags issued in the draw were filled. Another 20 hunt roster tags were later activated on that hunt and 14 of those were also filled. In district 395-20, 25 of 40 tags were filled. Another 782 bison had been harvested by tribal hunters through the first week of March 2024.

Montana Bison Draw

There is no point system for Montana bison, so your odds are the same as all other applicants. These can be extremely frustrating hunts most years, but if you want to hunt Boone and Crockett eligible bison, Montana is one of only a handful of states that offers the opportunity to do so.

Our Memberships Include The Most Accurate Draw Odds Available, Join Now!

Self-Guided Montana Bison Hunts

Over the last 20+ years, we’ve collected hunting research and data, so join Huntin’ Fool today and access the best research tools for hunting bison in Montana, including 3D Maps, Draw Odds, Consultations, and much more. Go on more hunts with better information!

Private Land, Semi-Guided, and Guided Bison Hunts in Montana

Search our database for Montana Bison opportunities.

Consult with Hunters Who Have Hunted in Your Unit, Join Now!

Montana Bison Application Deadline

The Montana Bison application deadline is May 1, 2024.

Our magazine, which is available in print and online, has everything in one location – application info, draw details and odds, fees, hunter requirements, point structure, age restrictions, youth information, weapon restrictions, other tag opportunities, hunt planning, and much more. If you would like access to all of our research, join today!

2022 MONTANA NON-RESIDENT FEES Up-Front Fees Base Hunting License $15 Conservation License $10 Bonus Point (optional/per species) $20 Bison Application Fee $50 Post Draw License Fees (if successful) Bison Permit $1,250 Bow and Arrow License (required for all archery hunts) $10 *Fees do not include the additional 2.5% convenience fee.

MT Bison Hunting Articles from Huntin’ Fool Magazine

• Fort Peck Bison Bustin’ by Amy Hanneman
• First Bison at 59 by Matt Langenfeld
• Another Great Tag! by Colter Hanneman
• Trophy Bison at 60 by Matt Langenfeld
• My First Big Game Animal by Nancy Wollenzien

GON has now been around for almost 30 years, and a unique project started when the magazine first began was collecting, measuring and compiling a massive database of certified scores for Georgia bucks. Using this database, we developed a formula that provides an annual look at which Georgia counties are best at producing big bucks.

For the fifth year in a row, Worth County is the No. 1 county in Georgia for producing high-scoring bucks. It’s really not even close, although second-place Lee County is closing the gap.

Worth County’s big-buck production score of 188 is 28 points higher than the second-best Lee County. For perspective on just how good Worth County has been at throwing out high-scoring bucks the past 10 years, it takes a total score of 102 just to be a Top-10 county. Just the difference between No. 10 and Worth County is 86 points, which is more than the total score for 143 of Georgia’s 159 counties.

In addition to tallying a score for every Georgia county, GON also crunches the numbers to compare this year’s scores with the previous season (see the charts below). It is interesting to see which counties are moving up, and also to see which counties are dropping as bucks killed more than 10 years ago fall out of the formula.

Our formula uses official net scores from bucks taken in the past 10 years, and we also factor in the size of each county. Each county receives a score for its actual production of high-scoring bucks. Scores may drop from year to year because we only look at a 10-year window.

Worth County scores so well simply because in the past 10 years so many high-scoring bucks continue to be killed there. Take a look at GON’s County-by-County rankings (Worth County’s Top-10 list appears on page 94). It takes a Boone & Crockett buck to crack the Top-9 in Worth County.

Worth County has quality dirt—fertile soil along the Flint River corridor, and there is lots of agricultural farmland, with high-protein peanuts commonly in the rotation. The biggest factor for Worth’s dominance is the many large, well-managed plantations in the county. High-density hunting clubs are rare in Worth County. Old age is most important for a buck to grow a high-scoring rack, and combine that with bucks getting great nutrition and high-end genetic potential, and Worth County is prime for big bucks. That same formula is why Lee County is No. 2 and Dougherty County and Macon County rank four and five.

Dougherty County took a big jump, thanks to a Booner killed last season along with several other high-scoring bucks.

The remarkable chapter in Georgia’s big-buck story continues to be Fulton County, home to Atlanta but also the city’s northern suburbs where ribbons of mostly unhunted suburban habitat grow giant bucks that can only be bowhunted. It’s amazing that Fulton, which had no deer just two decades ago, is the No. 3 Georgia county for producing big bucks.

We realize individual bucks are not measured each season, maybe because the hunter doesn’t want publicity, but we are confident the buck-production formula works very well, and that it’s a great representation for big-buck production across the state. Adjacent counties and regions of the state have similar scores, and side-by-side counties typically trend together from year to year.

If you kill a good buck this season, contact GON as soon as possible. Call (800) 438-4663, or e-mail [email protected]. We’ll want to add your buck to this awesome database, and your buck might just be featured in the magazine.

There are many better and easier options for starting a fire than a fire piston, but what’s the fun in that? Sure, matches and lighters are easy to use- but they can’t create a spark out of thin air. Fire pistons are a marvel, and that explains why you’re just as likely to see them in science class as in a survival kit. They work by rapidly compressing air, similar to diesel engine compression. There aren’t a huge number of fire pistons to pick from, but that doesn’t mean they are all made equally.

This is where we come in. We’ve researched the best fire pistons, compared them, and now the results are in: the overall best, a beginner option, and an upgrade option. If you need a compression fire starter, one of our picks will bring the heat.

Contents (Jump to a Section)

This fire piston is one of the larger ones we tried and that gave it a leg up. Besides the ergonomic hickory handle, this piston was the easiest to use by far because it had high compression volume paired with precise machine quality.

Needing less lubricant and providing consistent embers makes this one rise above the other pistons when comparing them for survival scenarios.

Here is what you get with the hickory-handled piston:

• Aluminum chamber and piston, hickory housing
• Includes char cloth, spare o-rings
• 4.5″ L x 0.875″ D
• 2 ounces

It’s a reliable, effective, and easy-to-use fire starter so it’s easy to see why this Hickory Fire Piston is the best.

This mid-sized pocket piston comes at a rock-bottom price. It’ll get the job done and comes with everything and the kitchen sink put together as a ‘fire piston kit’.

Don’t worry about stocking up on Vaseline, char cloth, and other tinder because this kit comes with plenty. This makes it ideal for stashing in kits or as a gift for that survivalist (or physicist) friend of yours.

Here is how the SXTL measures up:

• Aluminum chamber, copper piston
• Includes instructions, char cloth, jute fiber, lubricant, paracord, spare o-rings, and storage tin
• 3.8″ L x 0.55″ D
• 2 ounces

If you are looking for an inexpensive but complete option, the SXTL Fire Piston is what you need to try a new fire-starting method.

Wilderness Solutions is one of the few brands making a wide selection of fire pistons. Being the smallest survival-oriented option, the TERA-Light stood out and ended up proving its worth.

Here are the full specs:

• Aluminum chamber and piston
• Includes instructions, char cloth, jute fiber, spare o-ring
• 3.4″ L x 0.75″ D
• 2 ounces
• Lifetime warranty

If you are looking for a compact and quality solution, grab a TERA-Light Pocket Fire Piston.

Everything We Recommend

The Pistons We Compared

Our research narrowed the field down to several brands and types of pistons that we compared: Wilderness Solutions, SXTL, Coherny, American Heritage, Ti Survival, and more.

You can see our full list of review criteria below in the What to Look For section, with an explanation for each.

We considered almost every fire piston we could get our hands on. They used a wide range of materials and come in several sizes. We did reduce our comparisons down to pocket pistons although larger pistons can have more reliable ignitions due to larger compressions chambers.

There is one smaller model masquerading as many brands (presumably due to dropshipping), but it is easily recognizable with two o-rings on the end of the small compression cylinder. It did not perform well in our tests.

We’re always looking for new and better solutions, so if you have a fire piston that you swear by, let us know in the comments. We review most of our tested equipment annually so we can try to get it in the next roundup round and see if it will beat out our top picks.

What to Look For

The best fire pistons have a few features to look for:

1. Value
2. Precision Quality
3. Compression Volume
4. Size & Weight
5. Durability

When you get the right blend of these, you can find a piston that will consistently compress to generate plenty of heat. Below, we break down what each of these features means for the fire pistons that truly set themselves apart.

Value: Cost vs. Benefit

The amount of money you spend on something like a fire piston shouldn’t blow out your entire budget. Fire pistons are not cheap as far as fire starters go, where you can get matches, lighters, ferro rods, and more for cheaper.

You never want to spend too much money on one thing when it comes to survival gear. It’s better to diversify your equipment and budget to make sure you are covered for a wide range of scenarios.

Precision Quality

Friction during the compression of a fire cylinder fights against you making an ember. But, you need friction to keep a good seal as the chamber is compressed to compress the air inside of it instead of allowing it to escape.

Many of the brands we tested address this with multiple o-rings (instead of one) and plenty of lubricant (petroleum jelly).

We found that when the compression cylinder and piston are machined precisely to be closer fits, you need less o-rings and lubricant to be effective. Larger fire pistons worked better as well, presumably because we were compressing more air.

Compression Volume

This size of the compression chamber can be measured approximately by the piston rod. When it is machined precisely for a good fit, it fits very close to snug and seals well with the help of a single o-ring.

When you compare piston rod sizes between different fire pistons, you can see approximately how much air is being rapidly compressed. Since you are using the same motion to compress these, more air compression equals a larger energy transfer into heat.

Size & Weight

While larger pistons can get hotter, you don’t necessarily need that if you are lighting char cloth and other easily ignitable tinder. Size can be a hindrance if you plan on keeping it in your pocket or in a kit.

Most of the pistons we compared weigh just a few ounces so this isn’t an issue for our suggestions, but it could be if you insist on carrying a diesel cylinder around with you.

Durability

The durability of the fire pistons mostly came down to their consumable parts: the o-rings. When you get a pocket piston, you aren’t getting medical or industrial grade o-rings so we did find them dry rotting and degrading over time, friction, and ignitions. A few of the options we suggest provide spares, acknowledging that the o-rings are a consumable part.

Lubricants were also needed- damage to the pistons and chambers can happen. We had some marring on our brass piston after many uses. The material type contributes, as we compared fire pistons with chambers and pistons using everything from brass to titanium.

How to Use a Fire Piston

Fire pistons are easy to use, but do require some prep work and maintenance.

• First, you’ll need to pull the piston out of the compression chamber. Inspect the o-ring to make sure it is intact.
• Lubricate the o-ring area with petroleum jelly if needed but keep the jelly away from the tip.
• Next, carefully add some tinder to create an ember inside the tip of the piston. It should stick out slightly. Char cloth works exceptionally well, and you only need to tear off the size of a fingernail and wad it up.
• With the tinder in position, insert the tip of the piston into the chamber just past the o-ring.
• Next, holding the handle of the piston, rapidly press the piston into the chamber (you can slam it against something hard like a tree, but don’t break it!)
• Carefully remove the chamber from the piston, being sure not to drop the ember from the tip of the piston rod. Blow on the ember lightly to make sure it ignites fully. Transfer the ember to a bird’s nest to start a fire.

John does a great job of explaining compression pistons and specifically walks through our top pick:

Who Needs a Fire Piston?

Fire pistons are a niche fire starter, similar to a magnifying glass. For survival, we regularly rely on lighters, matches, and ferro rods. But just like magnifying glasses- that doesn’t make learning new fire skills useless.

Fire pistons can be considered for these kits:

• Bug Out Bag (BOB)
• INCH Bag

Besides using them for survival, compression pocket pistons are useful in demonstrating and teaching physics.

Sources and References

All of our experience and the testing we do to determine the best fire piston are useless without listing our research sources and references. We leaned on these for the book knowledge that we paired with our hands-on testing and practical survival experience:

Fox, R. (1969). The Fire Piston and Its Origins in Europe. Technology and Culture. Volume 10. Issue 3. Pages 355-370. (Source)

Güémez, J., et al. (2007). Physics of the fire piston and the fog bottle. European Journal of Physics. Volume 28. Issue 6. Page 1199. (Source)

Denker, J. (2010). Fire Pistons. The Physics Teacher. Volume 48. Issue 3. Page 207. (Source)

The Final Word

Fire pistons are clever little tools that accomplish what seems impossible- using air compression to generate enough heat to create an ember. While they aren’t the most practical fire starter, they are certainly worth learning and having as a backup.

Here are a few other guides and reviews our subscribers have found helpful:

• The Best Ferro Rod for Survival Fire Starting
• Best Survival Tinder for Fire Starting
• Bug Out Bag (BOB) Guide, Gear List, and Checklist

We presented quite a lot of information, but as always: if you have any questions let us know and we would be happy to help. Our research and testing found the Hickory Fire Piston to be the best option given its value, precision quality, compression volume, size/weight, and durability.

Keep exploring, stay prepared, and be safe.

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Comments: Pros: Decent action, nice paint job, cast well, Con: Floats, had to add 3 suspend dots.

From: Aaron: 4/10/22

Comments: I’m ordering more. I catch bluefish, spanish mackeral, ladyfish, and flounder on the 3 3/4 inch 1/2 oz model. Can’t wait to try it on speckled trout and red drum soon. I prefer single saltwater hooks so I change out the trebles with singles. Works better for me. Great hard bait with great action. Fish slam it.From: Unknown: 9/30/20

Comments: Very nice action and durability. I’ve caught 2 dozen fish or so on one of these bad boys and the finish and hooks still hold up. Highly recommended.From: Unknown: 3/14/20

Comments: Excellent action, it will hunt side to side with the right twitch cadence. Mine had a VERY slow sink but changing hooks to a smaller size would make this lure simply hover indefinitely in the right water temperature.

From: Unknown – 1/4/19

Comments: Picked up some of the larger models in all the colors, tried them out in the salt. they swam great, but float. I know items are more buoyant in salt water, so I picked up some lead dots and plan to adjust them accordingly. if I can get these to suspend, im sure ill nail the Calico bass, as these lures have a great finish

From: Unknown 8/29/17

Comments: Threw this off a dock just to test it. Had a real good darting action and suspended pretty good. It did have a very slow rise but I was using 14lb mono and the water was upper 80s. The lure looked well built and hooks seemed to be good.

From: Ruff: Missouri 7/26/17

Comments: I was using the 5.5″ in Black scale and it worked great!! I caught a 5.62 lbs Largemouth on it. The Hooks don’t need to be changed, they are 9/10, 9/10 because when I was unhooking that bass one of them bent, but it was easy to fix.

From: Elliot 5/8/17

Comments: I’ve been throwing the 5.5″ in Silver Prism and Silver Back for the past few months. It is a certified big fish bait. Stuck numerous fish ranging from 4-7lbs. My hat is off to Baker Lures. Fit and finish on this jerkbait is excellent. High quality paint and components. Hooks are beefy and nasty sharp. This bait is a steal for the price. Pick a few up, you won’t be sorry!

From: Jake H.: Wentzville, Missouri 4/5/17

Comments: I use the baker jerk baits all the time for small & large mouth bass. They are awesome baits, suspend perfectly and catch tons of bass. I start using them once water is below 60 degrees.

From: Jim: PA 11/25/15

Comments: Baker lures is one of my favorite jerk baits now. I caught bass all day with the coral opal ice color and the black scale color. They are built with very quality products and the main thing is you can afford to throw these guys in places where you wouldn’t the 28 dollar megabass lures. Another great thing about the Baker lures is they do what they say they will. You had better get you some before the price goes up and the word gets around about how great they catch fish.

From: William: Hohenwald, TN 5/17/14

Comments: These jerkbaits are a winner. Of the many “suspending” jerkbaits that I own, the Baker is one of the very few that actually hangs in place, neither rising nor sinking.From: MA

Comments: i used the baker jerkbaits this spring! They worked really good for smallmouth bass. Water temp was 43-53 degrees. I caught them on 5 different colors in clear water. i was impressed.From: PA

“What are you shooting?” This question comes up dozens of times at the range each day. While the recipient may be more inclined to answer with their rifle’s make and model, we all know the person is really asking about the cartridge. There is presumably no group of shooters that this applies more to than Precision Rifle Series (PRS) competitors. The debate rages on over which cartridge is best suited for long-range engagements, particularly when multiple targets and awkward shooting positions are involved. So much so that the PRS website surveyed shooters and compiled a list of the most popular rifle cartridges.

Here are the top five PRS cartridge choices, as well as my thoughts on each. They are listed in order of popularity.

1. 6.5 Creedmoor

No surprise here. Despite a rather slow start, this cartridge has exploded in recent years. At the time of this writing, 286 PRS shooters have reported the 6.5 Creedmoor as their match cartridge of choice. And with good reason—this round is efficient, ballistically sound and widely available.

If you asked me five years ago if you should buy a rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor or .308 Win., the recommendation would have been .308 Win., hands down. The reasoning was both can be equally accurate and relatively wind resistant inside of 500 yards, but five years ago the tiebreaker was ammunition availability. Of course, this is no longer true and now many stores have more options in 6.5 Creedmoor than for .308 Win. Sure, there’s military surplus available in .308 Win., but those people seeking precision aren’t interested in inexpensive “machine gun” ammunition. The M118 rounds are as costly as nearly any other commercial offering. It seems that 6.5 Creedmoor is the most popular cartridge in long-range competition because it’s the most popular cartridge in long-range shooting—period.

2. 6mm Dasher

Flat shooting and stupid accurate, 6mm bullets are great as long as you get ‘em moving fast enough. In the PRS shooter survey, 182 shooters reported 6mm Dasher as their cartridge of choice. The 6mm Dasher came to be as a means of getting more velocity out of the 6mm BR cartridge. Making the cases involves little more than chambering a 6mm BR into a 6mm Dasher firearm and letting nature take its course. It sounds a little scary if you ask me, but it is indeed safe.

During the firing process, the case body elongates and the shoulder angle sharpens allowing for increased powder capacity and more consistent alignment with the lands. This hops up velocity and flattens its trajectory.

3. 6mm Creedmoor

“What he just said” is probably the easiest way to understand why the 6mm Creedmoor cartridge makes number three on the list with 162 shooters claiming that this is the secret to their success. Basically, take the uber-popular 6.5 Creedmoor and neck it down to take the faster and flatter shooting 6mm bullets and you have the 6mm Creedmoor.

The flatter the trajectory, the less perfect your range estimation needs to be. The availability of match-grade commercial ammunition made it an instant success for shooters who didn’t reload. This meant those with undeveloped range estimation skills could get into the game and score very well on unknown distance targets. Plus, firearms manufacturers like Savage offer rifles chambered in this cartridge that meet the requirements for PRS Production class, making it effortless to compete with this laser beam of a cartridge.

4. 6mm BR

Sure, we can do all kinds of things to increase the accuracy and effectiveness of the 6mm BR, but some argue that back in 1978 perfection was achieved. As the granddaddy to several modern long-range cartridges, 6mm BR finds itself squarely at number four in the rankings with 61 shooters choosing it.

The argument for its relevance stems around prolonged barrel life. While the sky is the limit on projectile velocity, that speed does a number on your bore and you will have at least one barrel job in your future. The 6mm BR does a good job of balancing velocity with barrel life and is made from components that are easy to find. There are even a few factory ammunition offerings available.

5. 6XC

It’s pretty hard to argue with champion shooter David Tubb on accuracy. Between his NRA High Power and Long-Range championship titles, it’s evident that he knows a thing or two about putting lead on target. His 6XC cartridge is touted as one of the easiest to tune 6mm cartridges and offers better barrel life than the 6mm Creedmoor. In terms of velocity, think of it as somewhere in between 6mm Dasher and 6mm Creedmoor. Of course, each shooter’s individual recipe will affect that relationship.

This round likely found its way on the list as the design of such a high-level competitive shooter, with 56 shooters reporting using 6XC in the survey.

Conclusion

As in the past, popular cartridges should continue to edge out competitors that don’t have a big following. For years, 6.5 Creedmoor has been my go-to, but that’s largely because it was frequently recommended to me in the past. Something that surprised me was that .308 Win. found itself just off of the list at number six. The most accurate rifle that I own is chambered in this classic multi-purpose round. How can a 68-year-old design outperform far more modern cartridges?

The answer is simple—because I shoot it the most. (Note: Fellow Shooting Sports USA author Jim Shults came to the same conclusion about the .308 Win. in this article—Ed.)

See more: Top 5 Precision Rifle Series Long-Range Scopes

You’ll rack up more ‘coons when the winter heat waves hit — if you follow this trapper’s ways.

By Toby Walrath

When trappers think of midwinter traplines, raccoons aren’t likely the first animal that comes to mind. Cold temperatures and rare track sightings do not make the effort of checking and maintaining traps seem worth the work — especially in northern states. But, by targeting the warmest days of each winter month, trappers can spend less time on the trapline and yield more winter-prime raccoons.

Raccoons are targeted in early fall by most trappers and hunters because that’s when the best weather occurs, but midwinter pelts are the most prime. With the current market situation, only the biggest and best raccoon pelts will sell. From a dollars-and-cents perspective, you can spend far less on fuel and trapping expenses and make a lot more money by trapping fewer prime animals, than you can by trapping many that are under-prime. If you are trapping simply for enjoyment and to get a nice hide for the wall or for craft work, it is still beneficial to trap raccoons when the fur is in its fullest and most beautiful condition. Knowing when to set and when to leave traps sprung can maximize your midwinter trap time and yield more prime fur.

First, raccoon pelts are generally good by the end of October and pelts become heavy by mid-November. It is right around this time — especially in northern states — when raccoons hole up in dens somewhere and become difficult to find. This mild form of hibernation is called torpor, which causes raccoons to do very little and slumber for long periods, while conserving fat stores. As long as temperatures stay cold and the snow piles up, raccoon activity remains pretty much nonexistent until it warms up again. Trappers who pay attention to travel routes in the early part of autumn can capitalize on winter-prime furs when the time is right.

Every winter season experiences a few days or weeks of warm weather. Warmth at this time of year is relative to the cold temperatures found on either side of the warm spell. In some regions of the country, woodsmen know this as a Chinook, or Chinook wind, in other parts it is called a January thaw or an ice eater.

Whatever you call it, there is often a time period when the cold weather of winter is reversed temporarily and the temperatures rise above freezing. It can last for a few days or several weeks and often comes with rain and drizzle. This is when raccoons get on the move looking for food, and when trappers can obtain the best pelts.

Secondly, breeding season for raccoons varies slightly by the latitude of their area, but occurs in the first half of the calendar year, generally reaching its peak somewhere within the time between January and March. Any young males that still remain with the family group will disperse at this time and the big boars go out searching for a mate. When a warm spell aligns with breeding activity, the opportunity for prime winter pelts is optimum.

There is some risk that pelts can become stained with urine at this time of the year, especially if the raccoons are holed up inside tight quarters with several other animals for long periods of time. However, I have trapped many wintertime raccoons that brought premium prices at fur sales, and because of this fact I continue to target them in January and February. I have caught raccoons as late as March in the Northwest that had quality hides.

Most of my trapping effort for raccoons is performed a little differently than it is for other species. This difference is driven by the timing of peak activity, weather and the market. Developing a strategy to maximize my return on investment allows me to be able to afford to trap raccoons every season. To put this into perspective, I can’t afford to spend $50 on fuel and bait to trap one $10 raccoon. I also don’t want to spend the time to check traps five times to catch just one raccoon in the current market, either. This is especially true when I can spend my time trapping bobcats and coyotes that bring a much higher paycheck than raccoons.

So, in order to make money, or at least break even, from trapping raccoons, it is necessary to spend less time and money when the least amount of time is required to catch the most valuable pelts. In order to accomplish this I must catch more fur in less time. This is possible by setting traps only when peak activity is expected. Predicting the timing takes a bit of trial and error, but there are some key factors that help me focus my effort at precisely the best periods to find my raccoon sets full.

A full moon will bring raccoons out more during winter months than a dark moon. Some trappers may debate that statement, but it has been my experience over the years. If the weatherman predicts mild temperatures at or above freezing in the middle of the night and there is also a full moon, I make sure that my trapline is in good working order. But, determining exactly where and how to set up my trapline begins much earlier in the season.

I always keep track of where I see raccoon sign while trapping other species throughout the fall. Muskrat, beaver and mink habitat overlap with raccoons. Much of the best winter raccoon trapping locations are in thick timber with large trees that are adjacent to open farm fields or cattail marshes. These forested areas offer protection and food sources when ponds and creeks are frozen. I search for the travel routes that raccoons use during the fall between the food source and den sites.

It’s important to know that when the temperatures dip down in the autumn months raccoons begin looking for a place to stay long term. The areas where raccoon sign, such as tracks and scat, are found just before freeze-up will be the best places to set traps during the midwinter season. These locations are different than the ones you may be accustomed to in the early fall.

Once the areas are identified, it becomes a waiting game. The frigid winter temperatures come and the snow begins to pile up in late November. That is when I generally switch my trapping efforts to bobcats and marten. But, I keep an eye on the weather, too. Usually somewhere around early January a warm weather system will move into my region and that is when I get ready for raccoon trapping. By then all of my other traplines are in and I have a routine of checking those traps with minimal maintenance, which allows me to dedicate some time to a raccoon line.

I use encapsulated traps, also known as dog-proof traps, or DPs, for raccoon trapping because they are very selective and I don’t have to worry about chewing issues. I can also count on the trap functioning properly and there is very little work required to set them up.

To begin, I travel to the areas where I noted high activity just before freeze-up, and choose the most obvious weatherproof locations. In my area, the ground is rock hard at this time of year, so I use heavy cable with an adjustable loop on one end to wrap around a tree trunk and over my trap.

For bait, I keep it simple by using dry cat food and fish or shrimp oil. Even with above-freezing temperatures during the day, any dip in the mercury could freeze up a trap packed with bait that can freeze. The cat food will not freeze as long as it stays dry, and fish oil is naturally freeze proof. I fill the cat food to just at or below the bottom of the trigger. If it gets wet I will clean it out and replace it with fresh, dry bait.

There are models of DP traps with push/pull triggers that will set the trap off as the raccoon pushes its paw inside, but the ones that I prefer rely on an upward pulling motion. It won’t take much oil and I have utilized homemade sun-rendered oil, commercial fish oil and even fishy smelling oils made for fisherman. As long as the oil is thick and has a strong odor, I will add a teaspoon of it to the cat food and then smear some on a tree within a foot or two of the trap. Precise trap placement is not real critical, but I like to jam the support stake (commonly found on top DP brands) into the soil or duff at the base of the tree when possible, so that the trap is upright at a slight angle. I will always set at least two or three traps within 50 feet or so of each other because I so often see more than one raccoon travelling together. I have caught as many as three very close together, and if I have enough traps I will set as many as six in one premium location.

Next, I’ll wait and check my traps regularly as long as the weather stays above freezing. When temperatures drop again I spring the traps and lay them on their sides to keep any rain or snow out, and forget about them until the weather is predicted to warm up again.

When I know that the weather is going to heat up for a few days, I reset and re-bait all of the traps throughout the entire warm spell again. In this way I am keeping my traps operational only when the raccoons are most likely to be actively searching for food. Most importantly, I won’t waste any time maintaining and checking traps when temperatures are below freezing, because I know that overall raccoon activity will be very limited during those conditions. With my traps already secured to the trunk of weatherproof trees, resetting them is very easy when the time comes.

Midwinter raccoon trapping can produce the best quality hides at a time of the year when food is scarce and their breeding season is ramping up. Those two factors alone should increase the return on a trapper’s efforts. I also like to be the only raccoon trapper working an area, and given the low prices of fall skins and the common thought that winter and raccoon trapping don’t belong in the same sentence — I have enjoyed many productive days afield pursuing prime pelts without seeing any other trappers.

Try trapping raccoons this winter when their fur is at its best and competing trappers are few and far between. You will get more skins and profit for your efforts, while having one more excuse to get outside when others are curled up in bed waiting for spring.

—Toby Walrath is a big-game guide, writer, photographer, hunter and trapper, and can be reached through his Instagram account @walrathoutdoorsphoto.

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Dual purpose chickens are bred for both egg production and meat. It may sound perfect but there is a trade off.

If you’re new to chickens and you’ve been perusing the catalogs planning your new chick order you might have come across the term ‘dual-purpose chicken’ and been confused or intrigued.

We all know chickens have more than two purposes but we’re going to ignore the lawn ornaments and exhibition breeds.

Egg Laying Chickens

All hens will lay eggs if they stay out of the freezer long enough but there are certain chickens bred specifically for laying eggs.

Egg laying breeds tend to have a slighter build, they put most of their energy into laying eggs, not bulking up. They are also less likely to go broody, when hens sit on eggs they stop laying and won’t start back up until they are done with their chicks.

The best layers in terms of numbers are going to the be hybrid layers. The egg-laying hybrid chicken breeds include Golden Comets and Cinnamon Queens. Both breeds can lay up to 320 eggs in their first year laying.

I have raised a few hybrid layers years ago and they were nice enough birds but they tend to burn out quickly and they were the only birds I’ve ever lost to ascites or waterbelly.

Some people keep the hybrid layers for a few years and then when they stop laying they cull them all and turn them into broth and soup. They don’t have a lot of meat but they still have that chicken-y flavor.

Easter Eggers, or the chickens that lay blue and green eggs, are hybrids but unlike the other birds I mentioned they weren’t developed for extreme egg production.

They are on the slight side and probably wouldn’t be worth dragging out the scalding pot. They can lay 200-280 eggs a year.

If you’d prefer to skip the hybrids you’ll be happy to know there are some common chicken breeds that will lay almost as many eggs as the hybrid ladies. White & Brown Leghorns can lay up to 300 white eggs per year and Rhode Island Reds can lay up to 280 brown eggs (these guys are dual purpose by the way!).

Popular Egg Laying breeds include:

• White & Brown Leghorn (220-300 white eggs/year)
• Easter Egger (200-280 blue/green eggs/year)
• Red Jungle Fowl (250-300 cream eggs/year)
• Cream Legbar (180-200 blue eggs/year)
• Appenzeller Spitzhauben (150 white eggs/year)

Meat Chickens

If eggs aren’t your thing and you just want some birds for the table meat birds are for you. Just like with the egg layers, if you want to maximize the return on your investment you want to look for Cornish Crosses.

Cornish cross are hybrid meat chickens that reach butchering size at 6 weeks. You need to be on your game with them too, you don’t want to keep these birds alive much longer than 10 weeks.

When I was growing up my grandparents raised Cornish crosses and compared to the laying flock they had it was like dealing with two different species.

Cornish crosses will eat themselves to death, grow so large they break their own legs, and drop dead from heart attacks. It probably goes without saying that Cornish Cross are not the birds you want if you’re looking for a flock of layers.

When I raised meat chickens I skipped over the Cornish crosses and went with Freedom Rangers. They grow slightly slower than the CC but still faster than the dual-purpose types.

Freedom Rangers are meat birds but they were developed to be heartier than the CC and will do better on a range or pasture.

Popular Meat breeds include:

• Jumbo Cornish Cross
• Freedom Ranger
• Dark Cornish

Dual Purpose Chickens

So you’ve got super layers and quick-growing meat birds, and right in the middle you’ve got the dual-purpose chickens. They lay more eggs than a meat bird (a lot more) and carry more weight than a layer.

It probably won’t surprise you to know that most of the classic barnyard chicken breeds like Buff Orpingtons and Barred Rocks are dual-purpose.

They are popular for a reason. Dual purpose birds are the classic farm bird that does everything, they do well free ranging, they are good at foraging, they lay lots of eggs and they hold enough meat on their bones to make it worth butchering.

A lot of the heritage breeds are considered dual purpose. These birds tend to be thiccc and hardy. They carry quite a bit more weight than a layer and tend to be good winter layers.

If you’re looking for a self-sustaining flock a dual purpose breed is a good choice. Broodiness has been bred out of many of the production layers but dual purpose hens tend to retain that habit.

Popular Dual Purpose breeds include:

• Barred & White Rock (200-280 brown eggs/year)
• Black Australorp (200-280 brown eggs/year)
• Buff Orpington (200-280 brown eggs/year)
• Buckeye (180-260 brown eggs/year)
• Dominique (180-260 brown eggs/year)
• Jersey Giant (180-260 brown eggs/year)
• Wyandottes (180-260 brown eggs/year)
• Light Brahma (180-240 brown eggs/year)
• Speckled Sussex (180-240 light brown eggs/year)
• Marans (180+ dark brown eggs/year)
• Standard Cochin (110-160 brown eggs/year)

Raising Dual Purpose Chickens for Eggs

When they aren’t going broody dual purpose chickens can be really good layers. They lay less frequently that the hybrid layers but they also lay for a longer time.

Rhode Island Reds/White and Barred Rocks will lay up to 280 eggs/year, Jersey Giants, Wyandottes and Buckeyes will lay up to 260 eggs/year, and Marans and Barnavelders will lay up to 200 eggs/year.

Dual purpose chickens are also known for being good winter layers. Bigger birds handle the cold weather easier and are able to put more energy into laying versus just surviving.

I keep lights in my coop so my poor New York birds don’t spend 18 hours a day in darkness but I still notice when the days start to get longer in January and February just based on my egg basket.

Most of my birds lay light brown eggs but during the coldest months I notice a larger proportion of dark brown eggs (coming from my Marans & Welsummers) and green eggs from my olive eggers. None of my white egg layers are dual purpose and I rarely get a white egg in the winter!

Read more about Picking Chickens for Rainbow Eggs

Raising Dual Purpose Chickens for Meat

You can buy or hatch out a batch of chicks and keep the hens for eggs and process the roosters after 6-9 months. Most hatcheries will sell male chicks for a low price just to get rid of them.

If you have the space to run a few dozen cockerels on pasture for a few months it’s not a bad way to fill the freezer. Dual purpose roosters will usually reach 6 pounds around 4.5 months.

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You will have plenty of time to get them processed before the hormones kick in and they turn into jerks. Deadlines aren’t as much of an issue with these guys because they grow so much slower than the Cornish Crosses.

Some dual purpose chicken breeds will get pretty big, like my favorites, the Brahmas. Brahma cockerels (male chickens less than one-year-old) can reach up to ten pounds and the roosters can hit 12 pounds.

Dual purpose breeds will look different on the table than the standard chickens you’re used to. One of the biggest differences is lack of giant breast meat, they will have large frames (more bones for stock!) and less meat over all. They also have more flavor and the meat won’t be quite as tender.

Crock pots are a great way to cook dual purpose birds, the slow cooking help relax and tenderize the meat. And don’t forget Coq Au Vin! The braised chicken dish is traditionally made with an old rooster.

Looking for more info? Check out my Chicken Keeping page or start here: