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| Message Subject: 2006 FLW Walleye League, a year in reflection | |||
GNWC Rookie |
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Member Posts: 625 Location: LaCrosse, WI | In looking back at the qualifiers for the 2006 FLW Walleye League Wisconsin division several thoughts pop into my head. I know the championship is still to come, but I’m undecided as to whether or not I’m going. I’ll reflect on things I’ve learned as a rookie and the people I’ve met. First, I cannot commend the FLW enough for the way they run these tournaments. Even though, the League is not considered one of the top-notch circuits in the country, we were all treated like we were the big dogs. Fish were well taken care of, weigh-ins were organized and controlled well by the staff. As a general rule, “Bad Eggs” were not allowed to ruin everyone else’s good times. The tournament directors demanded the full attention of all participants to explain rules and proper etiquette. Tournament staff understood that participant’s time is worth much to them. Now, to the tournaments themselves, I learned that the anglers who did the best, put in the most time. The competition at this level is good enough that you can’t pre-fish for a day or two and cash checks consistently. A good chunk of these anglers pre-fish each event for up to a week or more. When you fish big water like all of these tournaments were on, you need to have the time to develop a pattern and find the right fish. The next thing I learned was to develop a game plan, but also several other back up plans. One of the hardest lessons was, don’t leave fish hoping to find fish. These may sound like simple things to some of you, but they are often the toughest decisions to make when faced with ever changing conditions. I met some great people in this circuit, and one or two not so great people. Of the 100 or more people I met, I’d say that 95% or more were all sociable decent people. Most were genuinely interested to hear how you did, or what your co/angler thought of the day. The only truly rude person I met, was reprimanded instantly for unprofessional behavior and was not seen again for a while. In our first event, a boat/co-angler stopped to tow in a boat on their way back to the weigh in. They had fish and took a big risk of running late to help others in need. I don’t recall if they were late or not, but that was the kind of gesture that I hope to someday portray. I had four different co/anglers over the year. All four were interesting people, who all said they enjoyed the experience. In our first event I fished with a pretty experienced co that got to cash his first check along with me getting my first. Handshakes were given and a friend was made. At the second event, I drew a less experienced co that was eager to learn. We didn’t catch the fish we had hoped to, but he wasn’t discouraged. He understood that not zeroing was a big part of the game. My third co was a local man who had some tourney experience. It was nice to have someone so enthusiastic in the boat (even if the waves did turn his face green). My last co was a young but experienced man with aspirations of making the championship. Like my second co, he understood that just getting fish in the boat was half the battle. Fortunately we did scrape together a mediocre limit, which qualified both of us for the championship. Not only did I fish with these people, I got a little insight into their lives and what they love about Walleye fishing. It’s pretty interesting how somebody from hundreds of miles away can have the same reasons for loving the sport that you do. I shared fishing stories with all, heard all about Nascar from one, talked business with one, and talked about beer with another. That’s a pretty wide array of subjects if you ask me. All in all, I would encourage anybody looking to get into tournament Walleye fishing to seriously look at the FLW Walleye League. It is great for boaters and equally great for co/anglers. Was it worth it? You bet it was! Would I do it again? You better believe it! Best of luck to all for the remainder of 2006 and for 2007. | ||
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| thumper |
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Member Posts: 744 | Nice thoughts, Marshall and congrats on qualifying. Why wouldn't you fish the championship though? You earned your spot, no entry fee, and Michigan gas is even cheaper than WI! Dave S | ||
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| GNWC Rookie |
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Member Posts: 625 Location: LaCrosse, WI | Thanks Dave, It's still up in the air. I would love to fish the championship but don't know if I can make it yet. I have several determining factors. It would be a big plus if my father ends up making it on the CO side. He's in 45th, so there is a chance yet. This would be my pre-fishing partner for the week. I may also post looking for somebody if he can't go. The normal group of guys that I hang out with are probably not going even though they qualified. It is also my sons first birthday on the 6th. That's not really a big determining factor, but it is something I'd hate to miss. Like I say, I'm not 100% sure yet, but I'd like to go. If I can swing it, I'll be there. | ||
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| hgmeyer |
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Member Posts: 794 Location: Elgin, Illinois | Marshall, I for one am pleased to have made a friend in you and your Dad... I hope he gets bumped up... If he doesn't, I know that Rob Liszek, from our club, is looking for someone to prefish with... You may have his info... if not I can get it to you... As to the nrest of your post, you bet... it is a great circuit... I enjoy it immensely.... See you soon....or as soon as possible... BTW, our club is doing a trip up to Little Bay on Novermber 12... you and your Dad would sure be welcome to join us... you'd know a lot of the guys there and we have a great time... Let me know | ||
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