PWT Walleye Competition Heats Up on
Northern Minnesota’s Cass Lake June 2-4
Hosting the first-ever major league walleye tournament, the Cass
Lake, Minn., Chamber of Commerce partners have opened their doors and
arms
to the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail competitors. The
anglers
will explore every corner of this 8-lake chain set in the Chippewa
National
Forest and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation.
The lakes are connected by the Mississippi River, with head waters
at Lake Itasca less than 100 river miles upstream of Cass Lake. The
chain
comprises more than 25,000 acres, with more walleye hiding places than
systems much larger. John Peterson, PWT tour winner and president of
Northland Tackle in Bemidji, about 15 miles west of Cass Lake said,
“This
will be a big unknown for 99 percent of the anglers, and they will
quickly
fall in love with it’s beauty. The PWT boats will spread out to all
corners
of the lakes, because walleyes can be found from shallow weeds to deep
drop-offs.”
The Lund Pro-Am will be a first for the PWT on Cass Lake, and pro
anglers testing the waters have been impressed. Father and son
competitors
Dave and Sam Anderson from the Twin Cities spent several days on the
lake
and said, “This was fun just getting to know it and exploring the bays,
channels and main lake breaks. The fish are definitely there to make
this
an exciting stop. We can’t wait for the action to begin.”
Tournament dates are June 2-4, and the Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday mid-week activities take place from Stony Point Resort
headquarters,
just east of Cass Lake on Highway 2. Daily weigh-in festivities start
at 3
p.m. and are free for walleye fans. During the Lund Pro-Am, amateurs
fish
with a different top-ranked pro (the PWT field is limited to 120 pros
by
invitation – they must adhere to high ethical and performance
standards)
each day for the maximum boat weight. At Cass Lake, the daily PWT boat
limit is five walleyes over 15 inches, but only two may be over 24
inches.
The amateurs fish for merchandise prizes like a $17,000 Lund boat and
Mercury outboard, while the pro anglers compete for cash. Nearly
$300,000
will be awarded at Friday’s weigh-in ceremonies.
PWT Fish Facts: PWT contestants will show up with this equipment:
** 120 walleye boats, mostly 20-feet long, total value: $5,000,000
** 26,500 total horsepower (outboard power–dominated by Mercury)
** 160 MotorGuide or MinnKota trolling motors
** 2,193 fishing rods and reels
** 1,680 pounds of jigs
** 745,525 crankbaits
** 372 electronic units (83 percent Lowrance sonar and GPS units)
** 48 centuries of collective walleye fishing experiences
** $16,000,000 pocketed from PWT competition in the past 15 years
The Lund Pro-Am is the third tour stop for the PWT, with tournaments
remaining at Bull Shoals, Arkansas (where a handful of amateur spots
remain), Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio, and Bay de Noc at Escanaba,
Michigan.
For more information, contact the PWT web site,
http://www.professionalwalleyetrail.com, which contains photos of tournament
action, daily postings of individual weights on the Mercury Real-Time
Scoreboard and more.