ESCANABA, Mich. – Some anglers reported that the fishing in preparation for the final Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour event on Bays de Noc was excellent. Other competitors said they experienced an awful practice. But what happened during prefishing likely matters little, as conditions Wednesday morning had changed drastically.
Each of the past three days was warm, stable and relatively calm. Early Tuesday afternoon, a severe thunderstorm ripped through northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Once the storms passed, cooler temperatures and generally blustery weather took its place.
Winds are forecasted at 10-25 mph on day one, which means Walleye Tour anglers could see waves of up to 4 feet, depending on where they choose to fish.
Berkley pro Bill Leonard had plans of making a 50-mile run south toward Green Bay. After he saw the weather firsthand, he reconsidered.
“As you get farther south with a west-northwest wind, the waves really start rolling,” he said. “At 20 mph, you could have 4-footers. But if you stay around here, the waves are just kind of messy. But believe me, there’s never a shortage of wind up here.”
For Leonard, staying close translates into more fishing time. The Estherville, Iowa, native said he had a tough practice and that he’ll need every crucial minute to put a tournament limit of five walleyes in the boat. A slot limit restricts competitors to only two walleyes over 23 inches.
“There are some guys saying they can catch five or six big fish a day, but they can’t find any under 23 inches.”
A $100,000 first-place purse is on the line as well as a trip to the 2007 FLW Walleye Tour Championship. Some have already punched their ticket to Cleveland, while others are still scratching and clawing for much-needed points. The Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year title is also at stake. Currently, pros Chris Gilman and Jason Przekurat are neck and neck with 434 and 430 points, respectively.
Tournament logistics
Escanaba Harbor will host daily takeoffs each morning at 7. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 601 N. Lincoln Rd. in Escanaba, beginning at 4 p.m. The community is invited to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-ins, which are free and open to the public.
Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight. Pros compete against other pros, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. The full field competes during the three-day opening round for one of 10 final-round slots based on their three-day accumulated weight. Weights carry over to day four, with the winner determined by the heaviest four-day weight.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 150 points awarded to the winner, 149 to second, 148 for third, and so on. These points determine Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year standings. The top 50 pros and 50 co-anglers based on these standings will advance to the 2007 FLW Walleye Tour Championship.
The FLW Walleye Tour Championship is the most lucrative event in professional walleye angling, with guaranteed cash awards for the entire field. A guaranteed cash award of $100,000 plus potential sponsor bonuses totaling $50,000 will go to the winner for a total pro award of $150,000.
Wednesday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:09 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 58 degrees
Expected high temperature: 69 degrees
Water temperature: 60-65 degrees
Wind: WNW at 17 mph
Maximum humidity: 61 percent
Day’s outlook: windy with showers possible