Cabela’s MWC East gets underway for 2006 at Detroit River and Lake Erie – presented by Ranger Boats
Minnetonka, MN — One hundred and one boats have registered for the approaching two-day Cabela’s MWC tournament, which will launch the East division for the season. April 22nd and 23rd will bring anglers from eleven states, including Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin as well as Ontario, Canada. Anglers expect a great tournament with big weights needed to win.
Winning a tournament in this location is never easy. A lot can depend on the conditions of the moment. Last year, the weather prevented the teams from getting out on the big lake, forcing boundaries in the Detroit River only. While that may have been a disadvantage to some, it became a decided advantage to the winners; brothers John and Gary Dalzot of Spring Valley, Illinois.
“Staying in the river definitely helped us last year. We’re river fishermen – that’s what we do best – and we probably wouldn’t head out to Lake Erie and try to compete on that water,” shared John Dalzot. The Dalzots are no strangers to winning MWC tournaments, as the duo won the Illinois River tournament three consecutive years, in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Each of those years boasted full fields of over 200 teams providing the brothers LOTS of competition. What makes the Dalzots such great fishermen?
“They are extremely good jig fishermen,” shared Kevin Dahl of Muskego, Wisconsin. He and partner Steve Stack came in second place in last year’s MWC tournament, just behind the Dalzots. “The key with jig fishing is hit detection. The Dalzots know exactly when it is a bite, and when it isn’t. That makes all the difference in the world. The timing should be perfect for a great tournament. Everyone will be looking for post-spawn big females that are hungry” shared Dahl.
Ted “Chief” Doute, President of Downriver Walleye Federation, thinks the bite will be very strong for the MWC tournament. He explained that the water temperatures have hovered in the low 40’s in the North end of the river, and warmer to the mid-40’s in the South end of the river. A few warm sunny days could make a big difference. “We need the water to warm up for the spawn, and it looks like there should be lots of fish still in the river during the MWC tournament at this stage.” The Downriver Walleye Federation will be providing tournament operations along side the MWC staff. The club assists with boat inspection in the mornings as well as the weigh-in operations in the afternoon. A dedicated walleye conservation fund of $15 per boat, or $1515, will be donated to the Downriver Walleye Federation for their local fisheries projects on the river. All MWC tournaments carry such a donation as a way to give back to the local communities that host the events.
NPAA anglers are hosting a youth fishing clinic on Friday evening at the Best Western at I-75 and West Road at 6pm. Kids of all ages are invited to attend, but kids 5th grade and younger are asked to participate with a parent. Some basic fishing gear will be included in this free Youth Clinic.
The public is invited to attend the weigh-ins at Elizabeth Park in Trenton, Michigan from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm on both Saturday and Sunday. Officials at Elizabeth Park suggest leaving vehicles inside the park area where there is no fee (compared to the boat launch area) and walking over to the stage near the boat launch. MWC weigh-ins are great crowd pleasers with lots of fun prizes and a chance to talk to the anglers. Kurt Beckstrom, editor of North American Fisherman magazine will emcee from the stage. Hopefully, without snowmen alongside this year. “It was quite a blustery experience last year.” pined Beckstrom. “Hopefully, we’ll have good weather this year so that the excellence of the MWC fishermen and witness to the great fishery can be fully appreciated by crowds of people. Come on down!”
Openings exist in future MWC tournaments. For more information go to http://www.masterswalleyecircuit.com or call the MWC office at 877-893-7947.
Remaining 2006 Schedule
Central Division
June 24/25 – Escanaba, MI – Bays de Noc
Sept 16/17 – Lake City, MN — Mississippi River
East Division
May 20/21 – Henderson Harbor, NY – Lake Ontario
August 19/20 – Linwood, MI – Saginaw Bay
Exhibition Tournament
July 15/16 – Spirit Lake, ND – Devil’s Lake
World Walleye Championship
October 4-7 – Prairie du Chien, WI – Mississippi River
## END ##