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Member
Posts: 389
| Wisconsin:
April 26th...Wolf River at Winneconnie
June 21st... Green Bay at Green Bay
August 2nd...Green Bay at Oconto
Minnesota:
May 3rd...Red Wing
June 7th...Cass Lake
July 19th...Bemidji
Michigan:
April 12th... Lake Erie at Port Clinton, OH
May 17th...Lake Erie at Monroe, MI
August 9th...Saginaw Bay at Aus Gray(sp?)
And a new division called the "Heartland Division":
April 5th...Illinois River at Spring Valley
May 31st...Lake Rathbun
July 12th...Mississippi River at Moline, IL
Championship is set for Sept 11th-13th at the Mississippi River in Winona, MN
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| The best series in wisconsin with the best schedule now has among the worst. I don't get why everything in wisco has to be GB and bago. I can safely say the leagues lost a boater, at least for next year. |
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Member
Posts: 389
| Probably because that's where they get the most participation, and can fill an event.
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Posts: 625
Location: LaCrosse, WI | As I said on another site, I understand why they did it. However, that does not make it any better. There is allready a circuit dedicated entirely to those two bodies of water. Now Wisconsin doesn't really have a good sized circuit that fishes anywhere but on Bago and Green Bay. This may help draw boats from the East side of the state, but it all but eliminates the anglers from the far Western half of the state.
Petenwell was only an hour and a half away from the Oshkosh/Fondy area. I think it was much less to ask the people from that half of the state to make a single hour and a half drive than it is to ask everyone from the west to make 3 drives of 3 hours or more.
It also causes people like me to have to take a lot more vacation since you have to travel so far to prefish the weekend before. That also includes more hotel fees, more gas, etc... The MN division is probably equal travel for me, but at least you can fish different water and not have to compete against 90 locals at each. |
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Posts: 1195
Location: Orland Park, IL | 2008 IWT Schedule
4/6/08 - Spring Valley
Wow, FLW on Sat, IWT on Sun.
Probably MWC the week before.
Bill G at spring valley walleye club is gonna have a good time.
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Posts: 2680
Location: Essexville, MI./Saginaw Bay. | This may be asinine of me, but wouldn't circuits grow with both participants and spectators if the events stayed in set places and times year after year. When/where people could count on the same dates, the same water, the same motel/hotel and making new resident friends every year. When we had/have local tourneys around Saginaw Bay in the different towns that boarder the Bay, most of the turn-outs started small but grew year by year. Even people far away could plan for it and be semi-confident about the strategies they wanted to use when and if fishing in it. I think you'd see more tourney entries and spectator participation by people who are now intimidated by going to or fishing at places they'll probably never see again. |
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Posts: 859
Location: Appleton wi | Jules thanks for the schedule. I guess i'm the odd ball here i like the 2008 schedule! Cant wait for 2008! |
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Posts: 625
Location: LaCrosse, WI | Eye Lunker,
I don't want to sound like a jerk here, but considering where you're from, you should like the schedule. I would love the schedule too if all the events were in, LaCrosse, Genoa and on Petenwell. That won't happen, (nor would I really want it too).
I think I am in the minority in this state for wanting to ever fish anywhere besides Bago and the Bay. I love those two bodies of water, but they are not the only bodies of water in the state. Petenwell is a good one, the Minoqua/Tomahawk chain are decent ones, the Mississippi, some of the northern Flowages, and there are many more. I'm just really bummed that this turned into another local circuit instead of a statewide circuit. |
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| Thanks Juls for putting up the schedule for next year. The Minnesota Division looks great to me. Count me in!
Cheri  |
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Member
Posts: 2445
Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | GNWC Rookie - 9/13/2007 8:51 AM
Eye Lunker,
I don't want to sound like a jerk here, but considering where you're from, you should like the schedule. I would love the schedule too if all the events were in, LaCrosse, Genoa and on Petenwell. That won't happen, (nor would I really want it too).
I think I am in the minority in this state for wanting to ever fish anywhere besides Bago and the Bay. I love those two bodies of water, but they are not the only bodies of water in the state. Petenwell is a good one, the Minoqua/Tomahawk chain are decent ones, the Mississippi, some of the northern Flowages, and there are many more. I'm just really bummed that this turned into another local circuit instead of a statewide circuit.
I will agree with Juls in that most participation will take place in the winnebago, green bay corridor tourneys.
HOWEVER, GNWC Rookie, The mississippi is not a normal fishing water. It is very diverse and many anglers simply do not like to fish it. I happen to be one of them. I will fish many lakes and rivers in tournament format for the first time, and like it, but if I my vacation days that are being spent are to fish against the 50 guys who show up and I spend as much money to fish against 50 as 100, I will choose the 100. If you cash a check with 100, at least there is some substance there. As far as where we are from means nothing. The honest truth is we dont spend all that much more in the truck to come to the old river than the hour north to the bay. The difference between running pools and the open water of our systems balance the gas out. The boat eats less and the truck eats more. Capiche' |
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Posts: 1382
| Marshall,
This is a simple situation of the FLW going where they believe they will pull the most anglers. They are willing to disappoint a few to make the majority happy, and there will be unhappy people regardless of what the schedule is.
Look at the BFL Great Lakes Division. 5 out of 6 tournaments are on the Mississippi River. How do you think Fox Valley bass anglers feel about that ? They are simply going to where their biggest draw will be, you can't really blame them too much for that.
If there was one WI Division Qualifier on the river my money would be in tomorrow for the WI division, especially with the Championship being in Winona. So would yours I bet. However, we are in the minority.
Stacker - The Mississippi River IS normal fishing water, it's just out of your comfort zone, don't confuse the two hehe. |
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Posts: 625
Location: LaCrosse, WI | I understand that the Mississippi is a different animal. As for Petenwell, the numbers of anglers were not that bad. 87, compared to 93 at Bago and the bay. All I'm asking for is one event that's not on those two bodies of water. I'm asking for a chance to not have to travel 3 hours + for every event.
As for the vacation statement, how much extra vacation do you have to take for an event on your home water? Can you fish after work? If you have to travel accross the state for all 3 events, then you would be taking more.
When you have to travel distances over an hour you would be spending more in hotel rooms, more on gas for the truck (you can make very long runs on the bay and bago, so the boat gas is a wash), more on dining since you couldn't eat food at home in the morning or night, and other expenses included in traveling.
Hotel room (2 nights for prefishing and one night for tourney) at about $75 per night (unless you can find someone to room with) - $225 per event X 3 = $775
I bet I spend an extra $200 or more in gas traveling back and forth to those waters each year too. Again, I would just like to see any other venue than those two. They both belong in the league, but I don't think we need all 3 events on two bodies of water. |
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Posts: 2445
Location: Fremont, Wisconsin | GNWC Rookie - 9/13/2007 10:53 AM
I understand that the Mississippi is a different animal. As for Petenwell, the numbers of anglers were not that bad. 87, compared to 93 at Bago and the bay. All I'm asking for is one event that's not on those two bodies of water. I'm asking for a chance to not have to travel 3 hours + for every event.
As for the vacation statement, how much extra vacation do you have to take for an event on your home water? Can you fish after work? If you have to travel accross the state for all 3 events, then you would be taking more.
When you have to travel distances over an hour you would be spending more in hotel rooms, more on gas for the truck (you can make very long runs on the bay and bago, so the boat gas is a wash), more on dining since you couldn't eat food at home in the morning or night, and other expenses included in traveling.
Hotel room (2 nights for prefishing and one night for tourney) at about $75 per night (unless you can find someone to room with) - $225 per event X 3 = $775
I bet I spend an extra $200 or more in gas traveling back and forth to those waters each year too. Again, I would just like to see any other venue than those two. They both belong in the league, but I don't think we need all 3 events on two bodies of water.
Heheheheeh Looks like I got right in the middle of this.
Walleye first, heheheheehe good one!!
Mashall. Fishing after work as a prefish day? Come on man, Most people have lives that will not allow this. Fiishing late in the day will not get you in the right spots either. You need to devote the time. I take 2 days off whether its on my home water or not. The bay is over a hour away for most contestants so we stay up there as well. Driving up after work is again, not in the cards. I would take 2 days off if it was on the wolf river or the mississippi river or even lake superior. Why? Because that is what I can do.
As far as hotel rooms are concerned, most contestant get 1 tourney to be at home with the current schedule. The rest they will pay motel fees as well. I would rather be on the road, this way I am in the zone. I really have not paid 75 a night to stay anywhere for a tourney and have been doing this for a long time. If you are not sharing a room you are foolish. You Do not need to be alone. You work with other people anyways, right?. Thursday and friday night should be sufficient in the room dept as well.
I do not eat steak and shimp on the road or at home, when on the road I am a mizer. There are many places to eat for less than 20 dollars a day complete. A lot less.
I cannot Imagine gas being 200 bucks more to come over here. As far as the boats. 30 mile long pools, 30 mile runs on the bay or bago, hmmmm......
I to agree that it would be nice to have various places to have tourneys in wisconsin and keep mixing it up, but there isn't. They cannot keep going to the same places at the same times either, the MWC was doing that and it limited the amount of new entrants that wanted to shake there stick with the guys who had been there at the same time for the last 10 yrs. The other catch 22 is that they need to fill the field.
Denny
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Posts: 2393
Location: Waukesha Wisconsin | Marshall :
If you are the minority please feel like you are not the lone ranger with your feelings. I 'm right there with you. At lease we have a party of two  Anyone else willing to step up the plate?
For the record, It would take me longer to get to the Miss but I would prefer it to always going to bago. Same time and same place tournaments get old after awhile to me.
Denny,
I agree with you too. It would be nice to have various places to have tourneys in wisconsin and keep mixing it up. They cannot keep going to the same places at the same times like, the MWC.
I agree that there is a catch 22 because they want to fill the field. Just wish there was a happy middle. If I were king (and not the joker) I would remove on of the Green Bay events and put it on a flowage or natural lake. Having two tournaments on the Great Lakes does give an advantage to the Great Lakes fishermen and we all know it.
For all tournaments, whether they be the FLW, MWS or MWC, I like to see a level playing field. And at least to me, that means fishing on three or four differnt kinds of water. But that's just me.
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Location: in the boat off the east shore somewhere | look , with the bite changes on the Bay and lake winnibago threw the course of the season... bago in sring is a river bite. bago in june is a lake bite or trolling but or trolling uper lakes or if you are jigging there isnt much vertical, bago in august is a scrounge fest.... the bay in spring can also be a river bite... june is most likely going to be a lower bay event ,, wile on the bay in august is going to be an upper bay event and may yield weights of 5 fish at 40+ a day to win... you could have 8 tournaments ,4 on each body of water and if you change the time of year its like you are fishing differently every time , or you can fish all 4 on the body of water the same , do well in one or two and take a pounding in the other ones... both have a lot of water to cover , but both will allow you to catch fish anywhere on the system ,,in most cases... going somewhere new is also fun, petonwell is sweet , Big EUPlain ,, Mississippi , illionois river, lake wisconsin, castle rock, lots of cool places to go, but you have the flw the pwt the mwc the mws the illinois river stuff the mississippi river stuff the wwa stuff , all the big local events cabellas qualifyers , fish what works for you ,, the flw walleye league is sweet but if you want to play big shot pro. then join the FLW and see the world,,, or go Pwt... spend some real money , otherwise be thankfull there is something close to home where you can pretend your a big shot Pro and you even get your own amitour you can tell what to do... bunus.... great for the ego.... but dont complain,, if your going to drive 150 miles to a tournament and pre fish 3 days to be somewhat competive then join the big boys and pre-fish a day or two more.. some of us dont mind that its closer to home on a body of water we all fished a bunch of times before and we can stick our finger in the air and go fishing without spending 500 dollars on gas food and lodging for 2 days before,. pre fishing is costly thats why so many stay close to home.. these smaller tournaments dont pay out enough to justify the travel and pre-fising expenses... that many times dont pay off due to a weather change anyway,,, there is a reason the turn out is good on winnibago.. a good bunch of people live within an hour of it.. and if you are a walleye fisherman you have been there plenty of times.... the turn out is good because you can show up a day before pre fish and be competitive or not pre-fish at all, you have rocks to jig or troll you have uper lakes bridges river you have way up river you have cain beds you have plenty of options... with a big boat or small tiller going out of oshkosh you have safe harbor in the river if it gets ugly,, this is priceless ,, no blow days,, go out if you want to or you have 30 miles of uper river and lakes that always hold fish, if that system is getting old you better start fishing because you are doing too much of the same thing... try riggin the river or the mouth with 3 ways , pull lead core deep.. hit the cain beds ,, hell hang your boat up streem from a bridge pileing and try to hang your crank bait just off the current break , you will find that you have a lot to learn and that system gives you the chance to work every skill in the book ,, rip some flys , fish some private channels for boat access to the lakes like mike gofron did back when kennan won the pwt in the cain... can you tell me honestly you have ever run up into these boat parking channels and pitch to docks and boat houses for walleys? i think Gofron finneshed 3 rd doing this... i dont know of anyone who has fished the winnibaggo system that can say they have mastered it... even the late Gary Gray with all the time spent fishing the lake and river admitted he didnt even put a dent in the system,, and even with the nice maping chips out there they bay is completely uncharted as far as i see it ...everyone drives over the structure pullin a fish here and there ,, have a sweet spot maybe but what about the thousands of boulders that a fish can hide behind... this is an insane body of water that hasnt been touched for the most part.. but now that we all know everyting about the bay and bago i can see how it can get ho hum to fish.. ya ok ,, ive been fishing the winnibago chain for 20 years and with my father as a kid before that,,, im out ther twice a week all year , and i dont know 1 10th of the systems secrets. ok win a tournament 1 weekend on the system and the next week , heck the next day your program falls apart and you get peanuts thrown at you on stage,,, what didnt you have a plan B? or C or D or whatever,, anyone who is Baggo'd OUT? has stopped learning ,,, i dont know how anyone can say that? open your eyes,, try something new.. remember holloween when your wife dressed up like ... oh i dont know Cat woman? same old body of water ,,, you just got to do something different once... so put a blond wig on the lake and go find a new ticklesh spot.. |
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Location: in the boat off the east shore somewhere | i challenge anyone on here to sit down and write down every tournament they fished on winnibago as far back as you can go and where you finnished , some are trolling stand outs.. tuff bite in the mud the jig fisherman stand out... i usta troll non stop all year out there , had an edge couldnt wait for the mud to go as i was good,,, then i started jiggin after about 8 years of this that seems to be a strong suit for me,,, this year i jump in the max lure... its all good i can troll with the best ,,, ya ok figured i needed 20 lbs 5 fish ,, ok threw back bigger fish than i braught in because i dont cull... and never found the fish i had going the day before... got my ars handed to me ,,, many fish caught a 3 lb average is a great catch but wouldnt cash you a check,,, but there is always someone doing something and a a couple guys getting a little lucky , or maybe not,,, maybe we are just set in our ways too much... then the next weekend 8lbs can get you a check 12 to win... now the jig fisherman shine... oh boy somone got something going in the river this week blew the field away,,, oh boy the next week you should have been up on the north end fishing slip bobbers.... oh boy walleye weekend a good bite on the lake but Mr, Gray pulled a 6 fish 1st day limmit out of the river in oshkosh of 30 lbs to take 9 lb lead in a 300 boat field? BAGGOE'd OUT? ok whatever.. insanity is , doing the same thing every time and execting different results,,, we are all INSANE , at times , just some more so than others ,,, |
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Location: LaCrosse, WI | Wow,
That was really something Bradley. Never once did I say that I was tired of Bago or the Bay. I think they are the premier fisheries in the state. My whole point is that this does give a huge advantage to people in that area, and it also costs a significant amount more for people located in my half of the state to participate. I would love to fish Bago and Green Bay 100 times per year, but I have many reasons to continue to live in the LaCrosse area.
I would never even think that I new 1/100 of the Bago chain or the Bay. Howver, covering 40,000 acres in 2-3 days of prefishing is a pretty big task (which I'm up to). I can't justify fishing a circuit completely held in that area just like you couldn't justify comming to fish the Mississippi for an entire year. Let's just shrink the state and make those waters closer to everybody.
I don't feel like arguing any more, I will just restate my point one last time and I will quit the thread. I think the league is the best circuit to fish for a reasonable price (especially in a non team format) and I just wish that more places had the chance to show that they could provide contestants before it became the Fox Valley division.
I'm considering doing the Heartland, that looks kind of interesting. Good luck in 08 everybody.
Marshall
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Posts: 617
Location: Oshkosh, Wisconsin | Wow... somebody was drinking a little too much coffee this morning... hehehe
In most cases, tournaments will be held where the promoter has the best chance to fill a field or draw the most sponsors. That's not going to change.
I could be wrong, but I don't believe the FLW league championship was able to draw a full field... What does that say about anglers attitudes towards the Mississippi? |
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| I am also very disappointed in the Wisconsin Schedule. I am also tired of having to fish the "Winnebago Circuit" for any series that goes to Wisconsin. Also, I don't think that there should be two events in a year on the same body of water. Isn't the season schedule supposed to allow the best fisherman to prevail? In this schedule I don't think that will happen. Too bad most of these guys don't want to get out of there comfort zone in fishing Bago and the bay. I guess they don't think they can compete in other venues. Oh well, it will be what it will be. I may fish the Heartland series instead next year. Closest one will be 5 hours away, but at least the season champ will be a guy that is versatile. |
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Posts: 1195
Location: Orland Park, IL | Quite a bit of action on the illinois.
Championship in winona, brings back fond memories. Bass camp with all you can eat cheeseburgers (since closed down) and the 4mile. |
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Posts: 1656
| Komo, do you ever fish and not think about your stomach? hahaha
For the schedule....I'm in the majority, I like it because I feel I'll be able to compete in all three events from a timing stand point. They typically have a good bite at that time of year relative to the location. And my gut feeling is the League will be close to filling, which I think is important to see our sport to continue on as a "business".
Keep in mind the Schedule for the MWC is very "lucrative" for the AKA "Winnebago Circuit", and the League needs to compete with the MWC to draw people to fish it's circuit vs the MWC. This is just good business sense in my opinion.
As for the Winnebago Circuit comments, not to sound arrogant.....but no where's else in the USA will you draw as many walleye tournament fishermen as you do in the Winnebago area. And it appears the FLW and the MWC know this.
I'm looking forward to '08. |
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Location: Orland Park, IL | We gonna see you down on the illinois Jayman?
Keep in mind a well fed fisherman is a productive fisherman.
Who's has chocolate covered menos? |
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| In regards to always going to Winnebago. How will they grow the circuit if they keep going to the same place? Won't you always get the same people entering? I just get frustrated because most (not all) guys from Winnebago won't travel away from their comfort zone to fish. The turnout at Petenwell was only a couple of guys less than the GB and Bago tourneys. Now if you lose some of those guys won't you be in the same situation? I don't really care where they go, I just think two tourneys on the same body of water, be it GB, Bago, Petenwell or anywhere is wrong in trying to crown your overall champion for the year. |
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| Will this interfere with Otter street Tournament? |
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| Marble i hope not and i dont think it will be. First weekand in june is merc national and second weekand is otter st. |
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