Day two begins with a flurry

Snow ushers in second day of Walleye Tour competition

TRENTON, Mich. – Chevy pro Jason Przekurat said it best. “Ever go through a car wash in a convertible?” he asked Tournament Director Sonny Reynolds yesterday. “That’s what it feels like out there.” While the two-time Angler of the Year is embellishing a bit, the conditions at the first FLW Walleye Tour event are brutal. And to make things worse, the fishermen awoke Friday morning to a slushy layer of snow covering their boats and trucks.

While the wind has calmed a bit, day two looks very similar to day one. That means Lake Erie is accessible, but there will be waves to battle and hands to warm. It should also translate into another day of impressive catches.

Lake Erie expert and seventh-place pro David Kolb predicts it will take 59 pounds to make the top-10 cutoff.

“The 2003 year class is just phenomenal and now there are just tons of 24- and 25-inch fish,” said Kolb, who won the 2003 Walleye Tour event on Erie. “To get five of those fish and 25 pounds isn’t really that hard. It’s a matter of getting a few bigger bites to go with it. The weights could have been even heavier as 90 percent of the fish are done spawning now.”

Amazingly, Kolb is opting to stay in the Detroit River today. He isn’t afraid of battling waves; he just thinks there are plenty of fish in the river.

“The lake got dirty late yesterday and it usually takes a few days to come back. I like open-water trolling, but I’m not going to bank on that. Jigging in the river is just safer.”

Logistics

Elizabeth Park Marina, located at 200 Grosse Ile Parkway in Trenton, will host daily takeoffs and weigh-ins. Anglers take off each morning at 7 a.m. and weigh-ins begin at 3 p.m. On Saturday starting at 1:30 p.m., prior to the final weigh-in, a free family fishing clinic will be held at the marina. 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 two-day opening round for one of 10 final-round slots based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights carry over to day three, with the winners determined by the heaviest three-day weight.

Friday’s conditions

Sunrise 7:02 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 33 degrees

Expected high temperature: 50 degrees

Water temperature: 46-52 degrees

Wind: WNW at 17 mph

Maximum humidity: 54 percent

Day’s outlook: flurries