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Updated: 04/12/04
PWT Pro
Walleye Anglers Offer River & Lake Fishing Tips; Will Visit Winneconne
Soon
Fishing from Winneconne, Wisconsin for the first
time, the
Optima/Gulp! Pro-Am anglers will experience the famed Fox and Wolf
River
walleye runs. The In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT)
professionals and amateurs will fish Wednesday, Thursday and Friday,
April
21 - 23.
With the early ice-out, this will be a post-spawn
tournament.
Anglers will discover the migratory nature of Lake Winnebago walleyes,
which
make springtime jaunts of 100 or more miles to spawn. They move
from the
lakes into the Fox and Wolf Rivers, then into grassy marshes to complete
their spawning rituals, a process that was nearly complete by Easter
this
year.
These marshes are fed by river water. Current
carries the newly
hatched fry through the outlets, and downstream. Anglers should
thank the
Walleyes for Tomorrow conservation organization for their dedication
and
dollars spent refurbishing the marshes. Their efforts have created
hundreds
of additional acres of spawning habitat, which translates to more successful
hatches.
Local Winneconne resort owner and "walleye observer"
for decades,
Doug Nelson said, "This is the most prime this system has been for
huge fish
in 30 years." He said the great 1996 hatch now consists of many
females in
excess of 24 inches and males from 17 to 20 inches. Recent hatches
have
been phenomenal.
The tournament will be conducted from downtown Winneconne,
just west
of Oshkosh. The PWT is a Pro-Am, and amateurs share and fish
with the pro's
gear in the pro's boat and at the pro's best spots for three days.
The fish
they catch together count for both partners. The top 40 amateurs
and pros
win $240,000 in great prizes, including a $17,000 Lund/Mercury to the
winning amateur. The top pro starts with a $64,000 first-place
prize.
Lessons learned from the pro anglers will add to
the wealth of
knowledge about the system. Several pro anglers were asked their
"secrets"
and opinions about the upcoming event. As an Artificial Challenge,
the
winning pro will receive a cash bonus from Pure Fishing (Berkley) of
$7,000
if at least half the fish brought to the scales were caught on Gulp!,
PowerBait or Frenzy lures. The three amateur partners of the
winning pro
will receive $1,000 each.
Daryl Christensen, Montello, WI: "Live bait
may be a thing of the
past, because I intend to fish hair jigs most of the tournament.
Mostly,
I'll swim and bounce them in current or pitch them on top of sand bars
and
slide them down the sides."
Larry Smith, Berlin, WI (area guide: 920-361-4996):
"This will be
won on jigs, 3-way rigs or pulling flies. The mouth of the Wolf,
the
Winneconne area and the river in Oshkosh will be primary spots.
When I pull
flies, I use one rod with two flies on a 3-way system. I run
two flies off
the 3-way, keeping the line at 45 degrees, and slowly pumping them.
I use
two different colored streamers."
Ken VanOss, Oshkosh, WI: "In high water, fish
where the Wolf dumps
into Poygan, because the fish head downstream right after spawning.
Jigs
and minnows, but probably jigs and plastics with larger shad bodies
will be
my choice. The possibility of shallow crankbait trolling in Poygan
(Baby
ThunderSticks) could be a factor."
Carl Grunwaldt, Green Bay, WI: I'll probably
be trolling cranks
shallow in Poygan and the up-river lakes. The area from Duck
Inn west to
the river mouth is a favorite spot. Best lures are shallow Shad
Raps or #5
Shad Raps in clown or shad colors. If the timing is right, we
could see
some really good weights."
Keith Kavajecz, Kaukauna, WI: "Like most spring
walleye runs, most
people fish numbers (small males). I think the winner will figure
how to
catch bigger females. For instance, pitching jigs or casting
cranks shallow
might be the answer. The shallows I like are rocky shoals, perhaps
clam
beds, with a sharp break for fish to feed against. In high, muddy
water,
then I'll look for clean water."
Gary Gray, Oshkosh, WI (guide: 920-426-2577):
"I predict this will
be won between Winneconne and the Highway 41 bridge. The big
fish use Lake
Butte des Morts as a staging area. It warms quicker and has less
current so
the fish disperse and feed heavily here. This may be a jigging
bite, but
could be a 3-way rig or trolling small cranks. If conditions
are right,
slip bobbers on the reefs could work."
PWT pro anglers, all with their names on both sides
of their
outboards, will be restricted to no-wake speed (maximum of 5 mph) in
the
Wolf River from the railroad bridge at Gills Landing upstream to New
London.
This speed limit will be imposed from Friday, April 16 through the
final
competition day, Friday, April 23.
Weigh-in festivities (free-of-charge) will be held
in the Winneconne
park just south of the bridge, on the west side of the river.
Be there at 3
p.m. daily, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, April 21-23. To "watch"
the
weigh-in at home or work, follow along with immediate results as soon
as the
anglers cross the stage on the Real-Time Mercury Scoreboard on the
PWT web
site, www.professionalwalleyetrail.com.
The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman
Communications
Network
headquartered in Brainerd, Minnesota, and PRIMEDIA, America's leading
producer of targeted media. PWT sponsors include: Mercury Marine, Lund,
Berkley Gulp!, The Outdoor Channel, Trilene, Optima Batteries, Realtree,
MotorGuide, PowerBait, Lowrance, MinnKota, Frenzy, Gander Mountain,
Blue
Fox, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, Coleman,
Storm, Boat Buckle, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt, Rejuvenade,
Eagle
Trailers, Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Drift
Control, Aqua-Vu, Plano, Beckman and Stowmaster.net.
Media Photo Ops:
1. Pros will be in the schools Tuesday afternoon, April 20.
2. Pros will conduct a special session to meet youngsters in their
boats on
Saturday, April 17, at Winneconne Middle School, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
3. At daily weigh-in festivities, 3 p.m., April 21-23
4. At morning take-off, 6:45 a.m., April 21-22-23
5. At awards ceremonies Friday, April 23, 5:30 p.m.
6. Fish with a pro prior to the tournament? Call PWT now to arrange,
or the
pro directly.
Julie Magnuson
7819 Highland Scenic Rd.
Baxter, MN 56425
218-824-2542
jmagnuson@in-fisherman.com
http://www.professionalwalleyetrail.com
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