Fort Peck Walleyes w/ Tom Kobza | JMO Fishing 413
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Fort Peck Lake in Montana is producing some of the most explosive walleye fishing in North America, with tournament weights now routinely exceeding 80 pounds and top finishes requiring near-perfect fish selection. Tom Kobza, founder of TKI CNC and a seasoned angler, reveals that the key to success isn’t just gear or location—but mastering the subtle interplay between water clarity, temperature, and fish behavior. He explains that walleye are actively migrating north after spawning, and they’re avoiding crystal-clear, 50-degree water in favor of slightly turbid zones where plastics and jigs outperform minnows. Kobza emphasizes that forward-facing sonar and perspective imaging are game-changers for covering water efficiently without spooking fish, especially in shallow, complex terrain. He also shares a personal philosophy: the best anglers aren’t those with the most gear, but those who treat every cast as a data point and adapt in real time. The shift to photo-release tournaments via the e-tournament app has made the Montana Gov Cup more sustainable and accessible, allowing anglers to fish all day without the stress of weighboats. For Kobza, Fort Peck isn’t just a fishery—it’s a living ecosystem where every ripple, from wind to wildlife, shapes the day’s outcome.
Walleye on Fort Peck are migrating north post-spawn and prefer slightly turbid water (42–50°F), avoiding crystal-clear 50-degree zones where fish won’t bite.
Use perspective imaging to scan shallow water and find fish without driving over them—especially effective in 4–15 feet of water where side imaging blurs.
Forward-facing sonar is critical for tracking moving schools and identifying suspended fish in deep water (up to 70 feet), even when they’re only 5 feet off the bottom.
Run two transducers: one in perspective and one in forward-facing mode to cover water faster and avoid spooking fish with boat movement.
Plastics outperform minnows in slightly dirty water; jigging crawlers and white/gray plastics are top baits this time of year.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome & Guest Intro: Tom Kobza of TKI CNC
Taylor Michaels welcomes Tom Kobza, founder of TKI CNC, back to the JMO Podcast. The episode kicks off with a brief intro to TKI’s boat accessories and a nod to North Dakota’s outdoor resources, setting the stage for a deep dive into Fort Peck walleye fishing.
Fort Peck Conditions: Wind, Water Clarity & Temperature
“Those fish are completely a different attitude than the 50-degree water fish. And then when you get into those areas like the 50-degree water, you know, the really clear water, those fish do not want to come close to the boat.”
Spawning Patterns & Post-Spawn Migration
“You can watch it with live and you can see those females slide up and just like sit on the top of it. Like they'll just lay there. And it's like they're there.”
The Power of Perspective Imaging
“I feel like there's so many people that overlook that. If you're not using a perspective or one in perspective, or if you've only got one mount, especially this time of year, I feel like you're going to learn more and find more fish with perspective in shallow water than you will with forward-facing.”
Bait & Rigging Strategy: Plastics, Crawlers & Minnows
Tom outlines his top three baits: jigging crawlers, white/gray plastics, and jig-and-minnow rigs. He warns of minnow shortages due to dry conditions and explains why plastics are more effective in slightly dirty water.
“You can watch it with live and you can see those females slide up and just like sit on the top of it. Like they'll just lay there. And it's like they're there.”
“like, man, the difference between 10th and 20th out here on these reservoirs with all these big fish. It's like it's razor thin margins. Yeah. Like you got to catch them, man. You got to catch them to see your name up there at all.”
“You can go back to previous tournaments and now they've got, for each tournament, there's a little map icon. So now you can go to the map after the tournament and look and say, holy cow, this area of the lake is where we caught most of our fish.”
Host
Guest
Fort Peck Lake
place
Tom Kobza
person
TKI CNC
organization
Montana Gov Cup
other
e-tournament fishing app
product
Garmin
organization
HDS
organization
North Dakota Game and Fish Department
organization
Devil's Lake
place
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