Fishing a rock-covered hump in about 24 feet of water proved the ticket for Al Sholts, as he retained the lead after two days at the Realtree/Lowrance Pro-Am. He takes a two-pound lead into the final day on Lake Mille Lacs.

The In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) tournament, part of the Regional series presented by MotorGuide, concludes Friday, June 1. Weigh-in ceremonies begin at 3:30 p.m., at Hunter’s Point Resort on the lake’s east side. In addition to the stage show and tips from the pro anglers, a total of about $200,000 in prize money and merchandise will be awarded to the top 30 pros and top 30 amateurs Friday.

Sholts, from Alexandria, Minn, has been rigging with night crawlers and leeches, and hovering on walleyes he spots on his Lowrance electronics. “On day one, and during practice, Dave Albright and I fished alongside each other, but he told me I could have the spot, and he would fish elsewhere; that’s real sportsmanship,” Sholts said.

Pros and their amateur partners fished for the best five fish they could bring to the scales, but all had to be less than 20 inches long, unless each person caught a fish exceeding 28 inches per day. Two of those came to the scales on day two. Dean Nathe, Wausau, Wis., with a 28-incher, moved from 88th place to 8th place.

The pro leader has a cumulative weight of 26.78 pounds. Tom Backer, Fargo, ND is in second with 24.52 pounds. Steve Bradt, Hudson, Wis., is in third, while his son, Geoff Bradt, Osceola, Wis. is in sixth place. Mark Courts, Harris, Minn., is in fourth with 23.23 pounds. Bob Heaford, Mason City, Iowa, is just one-hundredth of a pound back in fifth place.

The leading amateurs are Rick Willett-Johnson, Omaha, Neb. in first; Sean Lofgren, Moorhead, Minn, in second, and John Hagemeyer, Albuquerque, NM in third.
The calm conditions affected some anglers, and the best bite occurred for most anglers before 11 a.m. Rigging with live bait, running spinners with crawlers or PowerBait worked for some anglers, while others trolled with leadcore and crankbaits. When the wind died, the “slip-bobber” anglers switched to other tactics.

Comments ranged from “great” to “stupendous” when PWT emcee Jim O’Rourke asked anglers about the quality and quantity of walleyes (many in the 24 to 27 inch range) they were catching. Willett-Johnson said, “It doesn’t get any better than this.”

Youngsters had fun catching trout in the free trout pond and climbing the free climbing wall. Those activities, sponsored by the Outdoor Channel, will take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, June 1.

The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Baxter, Minnesota, and InterMedia, America's leading producer of targeted media. PWT promotional partners include: Mercury Marine, Lund Boats, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, Optima Batteries, Minn Kota, Realtree, MotorGuide, Johnsonville Brats, Outdoor Channel, Coleman, Northland Fishing Tackle, The Dow Chemical Company, StowMaster, Reef Runner, Yo-Zuri Quality Lures, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt Mud Flaps, Yellow Bird Planer Boards, Allstar Graphics, Ram Mounts, Element Edge, Pflueger, Plano Tackle Systems, Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge, E-Cell, Cannon, Fin-Tech Tackle, Do-It Molds & Hunter’s Point Resort 320.676.322