Record heat arrives for final round

Pro finalists gear up for last chance to catch Takasaki

GREEN BAY, Wis. – As the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers prepared for the final day of Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour competition on Green Bay, sweat dripped off their foreheads in beads. If the temperature at 6:30 a.m. is making people uncomfortable, imagine what 2 p.m. on the water will feel like.

The consensus among the field was that with a 13-pound lead, the tournament is Ted Takasaki’s to lose. The usually chatty East Gull Lake, Minn., pro was quiet shortly before takeoff. In a soft tone, Takasaki spoke about what a victory on the FLW Walleye Tour would mean to his illustrious angling career.

“It would be a tremendous boost, no doubt about it,” said the 1998 PWT champion. “But tournaments are just a part of what I do. It would be a sense of accomplishment more than anything else. You can’t put a dollar figure on something like that.”

While Takasaki has been tight-lipped about his spinner presentation to this point, a subtlety was discovered as he readied his boat for day four. Slipped on to his cheater line was a bobber. While this is likely used as an indicator, it could feasibly help keep his presentation up in the water column.

Second-place pro Wayne Butz has the best chance to catch the leader. The local Oneida, Wis., resident was very confident about the forthcoming day on his home water. While Butz has bagged over 25 pounds each day of the opening round, he believes he can improve in the final round.

“We’re going to be pretty selective today,” Butz said. “I had a couple days of 40 to 42 pounds in practice last week. That’s what we’re looking for today.”

The final weigh-in, which is free and open to the public, will take place today at 4 p.m. Central time at the Wal-Mart store located on Mason Street in Green Bay. The winners on both the pro and co-angler sides are determined by the largest total weight spanning all four days of competition.

Saturday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 5:22 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 77 degrees

Expected high temperature: 97 degrees

Water temperature: 66-78 degrees

Wind: WSW at 9 mph

Maximum humidity: 47 percent

Day’s outlook: sunny