Martin takes control at Saginaw Bay
Clear blue skies and temperatures in the mid- to upper 80s, with little or no wind, were the conditions 20 of the best pro and co-anglers in the walleye-fishing world had to deal with today, while in search of a top-10 berth in Saturday’s final round of the fourth and final qualifying event of the 2002 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit.
When the smoke cleared, legendary walleye angler and Lund pro Mark Martin of Twin Lake, Mich., and his co-angler partner Rodney Nutt of Greenville, Mich., weighed in an impressive 36-pound, 5-ounce limit to take the first spot into tomorrow’s final.
“I knew I needed to get 5 walleyes weighing close to 30 pounds to make it into the finals,” said Martin. “I have been weighing a heavier limit of fish each day so far. I just hope that it stays that way through tomorrow.”
Martin added a new twist to an old standby to keep his catches increasing over the last three days.
“I am trolling crawler harnesses and bait,” said Martin. “The one thing I am doing differently is that I am using a prototype blade made by Northland. It is a holographic blade, and it really seems to be making a difference in the number and quality of strikes I am getting. I am using both Colorado and Indiana blades and trolling them between just under 1 and 1.3 mph.
“The other things I am doing that are making a difference are using the Church Tackle boards and clip weights,” he said. “These allow me to release my boards very quickly and not let the walleyes get any slack or extra tension. The other thing I am doing is not using treble hooks. Instead, I am using three single Daichii hooks. Thanks to them, I am not losing fish so far like so many other anglers are with the trebles.”
Ranger pro John Gillman of Freeland, Mich., is heading into tomorrow’s final in the second position. He felt plenty of added fishing pressure today.
“There was a lot more fishing pressure out there today,” said Gillman. “Once people found out where we are fishing, they showed up. I really chipped away at the fish today. I made one little move and upgraded my limit, and it paid off.”
Coming in third today was Crestliner pro Terry Wilson of Powell, Wyo. Wilson was done fishing hours before check-in time.
“I was in the marina putting blocks of ice on my fish to make sure they would make it today,” said Wilson. “We caught these fish early, and I was too nervous to wait out in the bay, so I decided to call it a day and play it safe.”
Playing it safe was a smart move for Wilson, who weighed in 32 pounds and 8 ounces today.
Lund pro Todd Frank of Pulaski, N.Y., had very few bites today on his way to finishing in the fourth spot.
“We had three big bites early,” said Frank. “After that it went dead for a long time. Just before noon, we raced over to another spot and caught two more walleyes. That was it, just five fish today.”
Frank thinks the next tournament at Saginaw Bay should include catfish.
“I’ll tell you what, the catfish action out here is unbelievable,” said Frank. “If there was a catfish tournament held here, the weights would be just unbelievable.”
Ranger pro Dean Arnoldussen of Kaukauna, Wis., is heading into the finals in the fifth position. Arnoldussen hopes to finish early tomorrow like he did today.
“I had my limit by 9 a.m.,” said Arnoldussen. “I fished deep and found nothing there and just found the fish here and there after that. I hope I am done early tomorrow, but with bigger walleyes.”
Big fish and big weights are on the mind of co-angler Rodney Nutt of Greenville, Mich. Nutt weighed in 36 pounds and 5 ounces to lead his field into the final showdown.
“Let me tell you, I have had a blast,” said Nutt. “I have seen nothing but big fish and big weights. It is really incredible. Watching these RCL pros catching all of these big fish, well, that is why they are the pros.”
Second-place co-angler Rock McGilliuary of Watertown, S.D., appreciated the weather conditions today.
“After the rough water we experienced over the last couple of days, today was great,” said McGilliuary. “Today the water was like glass heading out. What a great fishery.”
Fourth-place co-angler Art Madajski of Au Gres, Mich., feels his entry fee was money well spent.
“I know so many people will pay huge money to go on trips or take golf lessons,” said Madajski. “But, if you want to learn how to fish for walleyes, you have to pay your fee and enter an RCL tournament when you get the chance. The people running it are great, and you learn from the best walleye anglers.”
Competition continues tomorrow at 7 a.m. at Hoyles Marina (989) 697-4415 located at 135 South Linwood Beach, Linwood, Mich.
Quick stats
Total number of boats: 135
Total fish weighed in: 85
Total weight: 457 pounds and 5 ounces
Limits caught: 14
Links: