Former muskie maven hot on walleye trail

Przekurat lands ninth place in 2002 RCL standings

Pro walleye anglers are not all born into the sport. In fact, there are few who decide they want to be a touring pro when they grow up. Ranger pro Jason Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., is one of those anglers who did not hear the call of the competitive tournament world until the middle of the last decade. At 25 years old, Przekurat put down his muskie rods to fish as an amateur in a tournament series, which is now out of business. He finished second and was bitten by the competitive tournament bug. Now, at 32, Przekurat’s life is all about competitive fishing and family.

“I was a hard-core muskie angler when I was younger,” Przekurat said. “I had always fished for walleyes, but muskie fishing was what I really loved to do.

“The first tournament I fished was as an amateur in 1995,” he said. “I finished second and really got hooked on tournament fishing. I learned so much in that tournament that I decided to fish the entire circuit as an amateur and ended up in the sixth spot for amateur angler of the year. After 1995 I have been fishing tournaments as a pro.”

Competition plays a major role in Przekurat’s desire to fish the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit. Przekurat’s voice perks up when the topic of competition is discussed.

“I have been involved with sports since I was a kid. In high school I played baseball on a state championship team, and that competitive spirit has rolled over into fishing,” Przekurat said.

“I really find tournament walleye fishing to be kind of addictive,” he said. “I mean, you can be fishing and have nothing in the boat at noon on the second day of an RCL event knowing you have to produce to move on, and then, all of a sudden, you have a boat full of fish by 1 p.m. The not knowing what will happen for sure is always exciting. The ups and downs and all of the learning you have in competitive fishing is really exciting.”

As a former team-tournament championship winner, Przekurat is no stranger to the winner’s circle. However, his desire to win an RCL Circuit tournament or Angler-of-the-Year title continues to drive him to improve.

“I was somewhat happy with my overall finish this year in the Angler-of-the-Year chase,” Przekurat said. “I ended up ninth. I was happy with finishing in the top 10 this year, but one or two better days on the water here and there and I could have finished much higher.”

“I won the 2000 MWC (Masters Walleye Circuit) Championship with RCL pro Eric Olson, so I know what it feels like to win, but not at the RCL level,” he said. “I would like to know what that feels like.”

The RCL Circuit format is one of the features that attracts up-and-coming pros like Przekurat to the most lucrative tournament circuit in pro walleye fishing.

“I really like the four-day format where you have to qualify for day three and again for day four,” Przekurat said. “This puts a lot of pressure on the pros and makes you work very hard to be competitive; you can never take it easy. The RCL format really brings out the best in pro anglers.”

The other feature that attracts Przekurat is the lure of cashing a huge paycheck someday.

“I would be fooling myself if I didn’t admit that one of the biggest reasons for fishing the RCL Circuit is the potential of cashing a huge check,” Przekurat said. “I mean, $50,000 cash and a $40,000 fully rigged boat for first place in a qualifier – that is huge.”

“The other draw is the championship and the huge payday that offers,” he said. “Since I run a Ranger boat and an Evinrude outboard, I was qualified to win $400,000 if I could have won the championship this year. That is a whole lot of money.”

While Przekurat is on the road for almost two weeks at a time chasing walleyes on the RCL Circuit, his wife of eight years, Jody, stays home and manages the family and household. Przekurat said he believes he would not be able to compete without the love and support of his wife.

“I can’t imagine being able to do this without my wife, Jody. Her support makes my pursuit of professional walleye fishing possible,” Przekurat said. “When I first started fishing tournaments in 1995, she went with me to a few tournaments. The next year when I told her I needed to get a bigger boat and wanted to fish as a pro, she was all for it.

“I figure I am gone about 11 days per tournament,” he said. “She has to take care of everything around the house while I am gone. Without that kind of total support, I could not be out fishing the RCL.”

In addition to an understanding and supportive wife, Przekurat is fortunate to have a full-time job that is flexible enough to allow him to take time off to pursue his dreams of victory on the RCL Circuit.

“I work as a product specialist for a major sporting goods store in Wausau, Wisconsin,” Przekurat said. “Because I work for a company that is in the outdoor industry, they are very understanding and supportive of my pursuits. Without this kind of a job, it would be very hard to be able to be on the road fishing the RCL Circuit.”

Armed with a positive mental attitude, a very warm and friendly disposition, and a desire to keep learning about his sport, Jason Przekurat has unlimited potential to climb the ranks of the RCL Circuit. Look for this top-10 finisher to give it his all on the 2003 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit.