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National Guard FLW Walleye Tour Headed to Lake Erie

National Guard FLW Walleye Tour Headed To Lake Erie

PORT CLINTON, Ohio - The warm winter of 2012 had Lake Erie about a month ahead of where it normally would have been in March for walleye habitat and spawning. So when the National Guard FLW Walleye Tour presented by Dr Pepper visits the Great Lake May 12-14 anglers may not expect to see some of the spectacular weights that have been seen in past years. Jeff Graves of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, won the 2011 event with more than 117 pounds. It is predicted that the winning weight will be right around the century mark - still nothing to sneeze about and one of the reasons anglers look forward to this stop on the FLW Walleye Tour year after year.

Hosted by the City of Port Clinton and Lake Erie Shores and Islands, the tournament will feature as many as 150 of the world’s best walleye anglers in each of the pro and co-angler divisions. They will be casting for top awards up to $63,000 in the Pro Division and $10,500 in the Co-angler Division.

According to FLW Walleye pro Joe Whitten of Toledo, Ohio, current water temperatures are right around 53 degrees. These earlier-than-normal temps have moved the walleye out of their traditional holding spots for this time of year and have spread the fish all the way from Toledo to Cleveland.

“The fish are all spawned out,” said Whitten, who is coming off a seventh-place finish at the 2012 FLW Walleye Tour event on the Mississippi River last week. “The fish have scattered; you will not see the concentrations of fish that have been seen in the past. There are no large schools of fish swimming around anymore.

“This tournament is going to be different than we have seen in any other year. Anglers are going to have to learn the lake all over again. Warm water temperatures have caused havoc amongst the walleye. The key is going to be finding decent water to fish. In the past, fishing island structures has always been a good pattern. Not so this year. The fish could be anywhere, and it is going to be finding the perfect water clarity that is going to make the difference.”

While Whitten believes that weights will be down from last year, he still thinks it is going to take 33 to 35 pounds per day to win. “The good news is that everyone is still going to catch fish. Anglers will be able to catch fish pulling crankbaits or spinners; it’s not going to matter. However, if this tournament would have been held a month ago, we would have been bringing in 50-pound sacks. But 35 pounds is still fun to catch!”

Anglers will take off from the Nor’Easter Club located at 2801 Nor’Easter Cove Road in Port Clinton at 6:30 each morning. Thursday’s and Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at Waterworks Park in Port Clinton beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Walmart located at 2826 East Harbor Road in Port Clinton beginning at 4 p.m.

Prior to the final weigh-in on Saturday fans will be treated to the FLW Expo at Walmart from noon-4 p.m. The Expo includes the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, a trout pond and interactive games and activities. The NPAA will be offering a free Youth and Family Fishing Clinic beginning at 2:30 p.m. Prizes, including rods & reels, will be given away after the clinic. All activities are free and open to the public.

FLW Walleye Tour pro anglers will be on hand to sign autographs, take pictures and talk fishing to fans of all ages prior to the tournament when Baumann Auto Center, located at 625 Southeast Catawba Road in Port Clinton, hosts Chevy Pro Night Tuesday, May 8, from 5 to 7 p.m. Scheduled to appear are Chevy pro Jason Przekurat, Walmart pro Dean Arnoldussen, Dr Pepper pro John Balla, Eggo pro Brian Brosdahl, Straight Talk pro Tom Keenan and 2011 FLW Walleye Tour Champion EverStart pro Dan Stier.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWOutdoors.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

ABOUT FLW
FLW is the industry’s premier tournament-fishing organization, providing unparalleled fishing resources and entertainment to our sponsors, fans and host communities. FLW is offering anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money nationwide in 2012 over the course of 191 tournaments across five tournament circuits, each providing an avenue to the sport’s richest payday and most coveted championship trophy - the Forrest Wood Cup. FLW is committed to providing a lifestyle experience that is the “Best in Fishing, On and Off the Water,” through a variety of platforms including tournaments, outdoor expos and the world’s richest fantasy sports game - FLW Fantasy Fishing. For more information about FLW and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com and look for FLW on Twitter and Facebook.

Midwest Walleye Series Announces 2012 Schedule

Appleton, WI- The Midwest Walleye Series (MWS) will be entering their eleventh year in 2012.

The schedule for the 2012 season will be the Upper Lake Winnebago System Winneconne, Wisconsin Sunday April 29 for the first stop.

The second stop will be the entire Winnebago System Sunday May 20, 2012 Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The third stop will be the Bay of Green Bay Sunday August 5, 2012 Green Bay, Wisconsin.

The fourth stop will be the Bay of Green Bay Sunday August 26, 2012 Menominee, Michigan.

The 2012 MWS Championship will be fishing the Bay of Green Bay out of Green Bay, Wisconsin Saturday September 22nd, 2012.

The Championship will be for the top twenty five teams in points after four tournaments. MWS is also a Cabela’s NTC qualifier series. Major sponsors are Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats, Motorguide and Mills Fleet farm. If you would like more information either e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 920-731-3474

AIM® and Winneconne: A Natural Fit

Source: Anglers Insight Marketing

Hours, Locations Detailed For Fans of the AIM Tournament Scheduled for April 20 to 22.

AIM’s history with the Winneconne system actually starts long before the AIM Pro Walleye Series™ was conceived, says Doug Nelson of Wolf River Resorts, one of the tournament’s principal local sponsors.

The last major Pro-Am walleye tournament that took place on the Wolf River system was one of the last PWT events in 2007. Current AIM Pro Angler Gary Parsons, one of the favorites to win this event, won handily then. When AIM was forming in 2009 they came to Winneconne for a trial run tournament to test the practicality of the revolutionary and exclusive AIM Catch-Record-Release™ format. “I said sure, come here, but remember to bring it back when you’re up and running,” Nelson recalled.

Nelson expects the pros will showcase a spectacular system of rivers and lakes filled with hungry walleye. “Every walleye fisherman knows that towards the end of April there aren’t many places in Wisconsin that are open,” Nelson says. “Most of the state is closed until the first Saturday in May. But the Wolf River system is open year-around. And we know that starting around the first of April as many as a million walleyes will swim under the Winneconne bridge to spawn upriver and that most will swim back under it towards the end of April, so this is the place to be,” he says.

“The Winnebago system is open year-round because the state has determined that walleye numbers have continued to climb despite year-round angling. Our walleye population is strong and growing. And with high waters levels upstream this year, we’re headed towards another fantastic spawning season.” Nelson adds, “One thing that’s necessary for a good spawn is to have the marsh areas flooded so the walleye can easily get in, and so the resulting hatched fry can get flushed into the system. If we were to plan ideal conditions for a good spawn and future walleyes, we couldn’t do it much better than what Nature is doing right now.”

Nelson outlined the tournament’s vital statistics for that planning on seeing walleye fishing’s best in action and meeting the pros during special events.

Headquarters and Weigh-In

Tournament headquarters is Critter’s Sports on the west side of Winneconne at 700 W. Main Street. Now in its fourth year of business, Critters provides Wisconsin’s largest indoor archery range. The range will be cleared for AIM’s webcasted live “virtual” weigh-in starting at 5 p.m. each day. The weigh-ins will allow the Pro Anglers to show their catch and talk techniques at the end of each day’s fishing. Because of the AIM CRR format, the Pros will be able to “weigh” seven fish (since no fish are kept the state bag limit rules do not apply.)

AIM has accepted the opportunity to stage the weigh-in indoors so no one has to contend with the fickle spring weather in Wisconsin! Nelson explained, “We don’t think there’s another facility quite like this in Wisconsin capable of hosting a spring tournament.” Besides great deals on sporting goods, Critters also includes a bar and restaurant known as “Woodeyes”.

Launch, Start and Check-in

The 44 teams of AIM Pro Anglers and Co-anglers will leave exactly at 8 a.m. each morning from the Winneconne City Park, immediately downstream of the Main Street Bridge. From here the boats will fan out both upstream and downstream, covering literally hundreds of square miles of walleye habitat. All boats must be back by 4 p.m. daily of face disqualification.

Other Tournament Events

Want to meet your favorite walleye Pro? Or want to walk with Pros to support a great cause? You’ve got two chances. “On Saturday, April 16, nearly a dozen pros have committed to participate in a walk to raise money for juvenile diabetes research and support the approximately dozen kids in our community suffering from it,” said Nelson. The walk will start at 3:30 p.m. from Anytime Fitness on the town’s east side, and will end at Critters Sports. Following the walk, there will be opportunities to get Pro autographs and let the kids take part in everything from casting contests to fun at a fishing pond.

At 8 p.m. on Saturday, it will be party time at Critters Sports, where you can once again meet your favorite AIM Pro Anglers and be entertained by Detroit’s Brian Schram Band. Schram is known as the Rock & Roll Fisherman, and will also be fishing as a Co-angler in the tournament.

Then on the tournament’s final day, Friday, April 22, bring the kids to Critters Sports at 4 p.m. for a free fishing rod and tee-shirt giveaway, sponsored by the National Professional Anglers Association, and stay to see the Champion crowned starting at 5 p.m.

National Guard FLW Walleye Tour to Visit Green Bay

National Guard FLW Walleye Tour to Visit Green Bay

OCONTO, Wis. (July 6, 2011) - The National Guard FLW Walleye Tour will visit Green Bay in Oconto, Wis., July 21-23 for the third of four events this season. The tournament, presented by Evinrude and hosted by the City of Oconto, will feature as many as 300 top walleye anglers casting for top awards up to $63,000 in the Pro Division and $10,500 in the Co-angler Division.

"This is a perfect time of year to hit Green Bay," said Chevy pro Jason Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., two-time FLW Walleye Angler of the Year. "Anglers can go north or south which will split the field and eliminate guys bunching up in one area. Going north is a bit more of a gamble. The fish are typically bigger but you will have fewer bites and you might not get a limit. If you go south the water is a bit more shallow and walleye are typically smaller, but you will usually have more bites and getting a limit shouldn't be a problem.

"The fish overall are a lot smaller than they have been in the past," continued Przekurat. "You are seeing a lot more 14 to 18 inch fish caught. Because of that the six fish possession limit is really going to play in to the strategy. Anglers are allowed one mistake per day. The challenge is going to be finding that winning school of big fish and staying consistent for three days. The fish move around a lot on Green Bay so it is going to be tough staying consistent.

"The tournament will be dominated by crawler harnesses and crankbaits. In order to win anglers are going to have to bring five 23 inch fish to the scale each day. It's going to take 85 to 90 pounds to win.

Przekurat went on to say that the weather will dictate where the fish will be. Where the wind blows is where the fish will go. Anglers are going to have to be flexible and adjust to the weather.

Anglers will take off from Breakwater Park & Marina located on Harbor Road in Oconto at 7 each morning. Weigh-ins will also be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday and Saturday's final weigh-in will begin at 4 p.m. Prior to the final weigh-in, there will be a free Family Fishing Clinic where children can win free rod and reels, plus other great giveaways. Fans will have the opportunity to interact with professional anglers, ride a Ranger boat simulator, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing. All activities are free and open to the public.

Koehne Chevrolet, located at 5659 US Highway 41 South in Oconto, will host Chevy Pro Night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 19. to kick-off the National Guard FLW Walleye Tour event on Green Bay. Jason Przekurat and other Walleye Tour pro anglers will be on hand to sign autographs, take pictures and talk fishing to fans of all ages There will be free drawings throughout the evening including rod and reel combos, FLW Outdoors hats and other great prizes. Scheduled to appear along with Przekurat are Walmart pro Dean Arnoldussen, National Guard pros Mark Courts and Bill Shimota, OFF! pro Chris Gilman, and Eggo pro Brian Brosdahl.

In Walleye Tour competition, pro and co-anglers are also competing for valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the 2011 National Guard FLW Walleye Tour Championship held on the Missouri River in Bismarck, N.D., Sept. 22-25. Anglers are also vying for the coveted Angler of the Year title, which secures them a place in the 2012 Walleye Tour Championship, as well as $10,000 for the pro and $2,500 for the co-angler.

For complete details and updated information visit FLWOutdoors.com/LakeErie. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the Walleye Tour on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWWalleyeTour and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors.

ABOUT FLW OUTDOORS

FLW Outdoors is the best in fishing, on and off the water. Anglers worldwide can compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world's richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player's Advantage to gain an edge. For more information about FLW Outdoors and FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit FLWOutdoors.com or FantasyFishing.com.

To Team or Not To Team

By: Roy Vivian

One of the most controversial topics in competitive walleye fishing, probably for all competitive fishing events, is teaming. For those that are not in the inner circle of competitive walleye fishing, here is how it works.

There are three major walleye tournament circuits, the Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC), the FLW Walleye Tour and the AIM Walleye circuit. The MWC is a team tournament where two people fish together as a team with the goal of bringing in the heaviest weight over two days with a limit determined by local regulations. The FLW and AIM pair individual professionals with a different, randomized amateur each day of the tournament. It does not matter who catches the fish, the pro or the amateur. The pro tries for the heaviest weight over the 3 days of the tournament. In all three tournaments there can be no communication, during the hours on the water of the tournament, with other boats so it is each team or individual pro against the rest of the field. However, before the tournament and after tournament hours teams (MWC) and individual pros (FLW, AIM) can share information i.e. where they caught fish, what bait they used etc. This is where teaming comes into place.

ROY VIVIAN Teams (MWC) or Individual Pros (FLW, AIM) team with others forming a “team” of 2-4. Most “teams” are formed by friends or some sort of common interest like geography, pro-staffers from the same company or they may be in the same fishing club. Others are a bit more calculated. There are teams that were put together based on where the venues of the tour were usually located. This lead to a pro, who was a great angler on the great lakes, recruiting a great angler whose home water was on the Mississippi River and another angler who was well known on the reservoirs of the Dakotas. The thinking is obvious, each angler with expertise on their home water will help the others on waters that they are not familiar with prior to each tournament. There are several of these “super teams” on each of the walleye tours which can make things daunting for someone who is fishing “alone”.

“Teams” travel together and share expenses which is an obvious benefit. They will generally get to the location to pre-fish 5-7 days prior to the tournament. There are several advantages of working as a team. The biggest is 2-4 people can cover a lot more water to find the fish than just one person. For example on a tournament on the Mississippi River there is 60 miles of river to fish. If you have a team of 4 you can break down the river into sections with each person responsible for the section he/she was assigned. If someone starts catching fish on a certain lure or using a certain pattern, he/she calls the others and they can see if that works in other sections that are similar. In 5-7 days this team will have a pretty good game plan on where and how to catch fish. Other benefits include local knowledge, diversity of techniques of each of the fisherman, resources (one person on the team might have access to a secret bait) etc.

I am all for teaming. It has been going on forever and it is a fun way to fish. I am not sure why but it is a topic that most do not like to discuss. Maybe it is because some don’t like others to know that they share winnings or maybe they don’t want others to know that they had help finding the fish. Regardless of the reason teaming goes on and it is something each fisherman has to think about.

I have been part of a team and I have fished alone. Last year I teamed up with my friend, and mentor, Mark Michael. We had a great time and had our opportunities. Mark has decided not to fish this year so he can spend more time with family. When teaming up you have to have trust and it helps to be friends that is why I enjoyed fishing with Mark. Now with him out of the game I have to make a decision to team or not to team.

I only asked one person and our schedules do not match so I have decided to fish alone. Some will say I don’t have a chance against these super teams. Overall they probably have a point. However, I have been in the hunt before and think that I have a punchers chance at winning! I am sure I will have my struggles but if I do pull one off, fishing by myself against these “super teams”, it will be oh so sweet!