DEWEY’S DOMINANCE CONTINUES AS HE CLAIMS SECOND AOY
With just four full years under his belt, Duane Hjelm may not be considered a tournament veteran, but he’s proven himself, yet again, as the sport’s most consistent professional walleye angler.
Hjelm’s tournament career started as a local ace, where he jackpotted national events in the Dakotas. In 2017, he trolled to win the National Walleye Tour event on Lake Sakakawea, proving his mettle on the Missouri River. An electrical lineman by trade, the 37-year-old Hjelm made the decision to fish full time starting in 2022. He closed that rookie affair on a tear, finishing second, first and second in his final three events, culminating the season with his first Angler of the Year title. Ever since, he’s been leading the charge of a walleye revolution where casting with artificial baits outfishes trolling. In short, he’s been at the forefront of rewriting the rules of walleye fishing.
13 Fishing ML Myth + Jigging Rap = Balanced Perfection
It all started with the Jigging Rap®, the most proven producer on the market. The Jigging Rap accounted for Hjelm’s 2022 NWT win on Green Bay and his 2023 NWT win on Francis Case. It also produced several key bites at last year’s Lake Sakakawea triumph.
“It was the bait that transformed me from a troller into a caster, and it’s still for sure my No. 1 confidence bait,” said the Pierre, S.D., pro, who has earned the moniker Mr. Missouri River. “You can get it down to the depths fast. And there’s not any other bait that has that horizontal action in the water column. You can fish it traditionally on the bottom where you rip the rod as hard as you can. But now with forward-facing sonar, we’re more often than not fishing it in the middle of the water column. You can make it dance back and forth with sudden rod movements, like double tap moves. And now with the No. 11, there’s a size for every water depth.”
Throughout the season, Hjelm paired the Jigging Rap with the new 13 Fishing® Myth, a rod with a perfect balance of backbone, forgiveness and whip.
“Everyone loves the Jig Rap, but you hear guys complaining about losing fish. That doesn’t happen anymore with the right rod. I choose the 6’10” medium light Myth for up to No. 9s. The Jig Rap is hard on your arms, your body. But with it being a shorter rod, it eliminates a lot of fatigue. And with fast action, I can still make the Jig Rap dance on the top.”
Mooch Makes Hay
In 2024, Hjelm started experimenting with the Crush City™ Mooch Minnow™, which at the time wasn’t yet available to the public.
“Growing up, I always loved to fish with plastics. I had just about every possible type in my tackle box. When I saw what (Jacob) Wheeler and (Dustin) Connell were doing with it on the bass side, I was intrigued. Right away, I could tell walleyes would lock on to it. There was something about the tail. The more I fished with it, the more I realized we had a unique bait. The TPE plastic material is super durable. With other more durable plastics, you lose the action. But the Mooch has such a fast shake. I would describe it as a combination swimbait and fluke-style bait. When the walleyes are neutral or when the bite really turns off, you can trim the tabs to give it a more subtle kick.”
Hjelm used the 3 1/2-inch Mooch Minnow almost exclusively on Lake Erie, the season’s fourth qualifier. He paired it with the VMC® Redline Series® Tungsten Swimbait Jig and felt nearly invincible.
“When I found that Mooch Minnow bite in Ghost Morning Dawn, that was the pivotal point in the season,” he recalled. “It gave me the most confidence I’ve ever had. At times, I literally felt like I could catch every fish I graphed. Around midday on day two, I caught a 9 1/2-pounder that launched me up the leaderboard and changed my season. With another normal 5- or 6-pound fish, Kevin (McQuoid) and I would have been neck and neck going into the championship. That fish was so special; I’ve thought about that one fish so many times.”
Revolve for the Casting Revolution
A frontrunner in the casting revolution, it’s no surprise that Hjelm quickly adopted Sufix® Revolve™ as his standard main line. While there are times when he opts for the more durable Sufix® 832® Advanced Superline®, the benefits of finesse braid cannot be ignored.
“I’m very picky about line diameter. I still use the traditional 832 when I want my Jig Rap to hang up more. With the bigger diameter line, it will dull the action and hang the bait up. Most of the time, especially on the clearer lakes, we’re making long casts. Revolve is a thinner diameter line designed for casting. I can cast 10 to 20 percent further with Revolve with almost half the effort. It flows off the reel without any annoying wind knots and without sacrificing strength.”
Hjelm tries to avoid live bait whenever possible as it limits his efficiency. But he admits there are times, especially in late summer, when a jig and crawler are still highly effective.
“My go-to line is 10-pound Revolve, which allows you to sling the smallest jig and crawler 100 feet. Plus, with that thinner diameter, the fall rate is faster. That’s huge, especially when it’s windy. The color doesn’t fade either or bleach out either with Revolve. I’m a huge fan. I usually use 10-pound test, but I do have some 8- and 6-pound, which I use more in the spring.”
Feeling the Heat
Hjelm reflected on his second AOY win, and described it as a stark contrast to his first.
“My first one just happened. I was in third place going into the last tournament, and I didn’t think I had a chance. I wasn’t really thinking about it, so I didn’t have pressure at all. This one I had a sizable lead, but I was freaking out right before the tournament. I was a mess. The first couple days of prefish were pretty dang good, but then a cold front rolled through. My primary area on Green Bay’s west shore went from 64 degrees to 57 degrees. I was worried. I knew I wasn’t on the winning fish; I was just hoping I was on surviving fish.”
With gale-force winds in the forecast for day two, Hjelm felt the heightened pressure of executing for one final day.
“So many guys are swinging for the fence at the championship. That wasn’t me this year. When you have the opportunity to win AOY in front of you, you need to fish smart, and that’s what I did. I knew if I was in the top-20, I would automatically win.”
Hjelm officially sealed the deal with five walleyes for 28 pounds, 15 ounces. He finished the year with 961 points, 18 ahead of Austin Tomasek.
“Angler of the Year is everybody’s No. 1 goal coming into the season, so I don’t take it for granted. We battled it out to the end with Kevin and Austin, two class acts who made it a true race.”