For what it's worth, I hope that the FLW picks up the idea of having artificial only tournaments like the PWT did at the Can AM. The time has come to show everyone that we are good enough to use artificial bait only like our BASS brothers & sisters do.

• Live bait is a crutch
• Sponsorship is the name of the game. How many live bait sponsors do you see?
• We've come a long way with artificial baits like Gulp Alive (it really works). And we will go further if we embrace artificial only tournaments.
• If you are good enough to enter a tournament, you are good enough to use artificial only. 

The winner of the Can-Am first-ever tour-level artificial-lure only tournament won with 36.83 after day 2. This was the best 2-day weight on record for a tournament at Wabigoon. The previous mark was 32.06, set in a live-bait event 3 years ago. Guess he did not need live bait?

Pro's used various techniques from spinners on bottom bouncers to pitching jigs and vertical jigging to snap jigging and slow death rigs to casting crankbaits. The winner pitched Northland whistler jigs with 5" Berkley leeches and also used a 6" Powerworm. perry Good caught about six 8-plus pounders during practice. he pulled spinners on bottom bouncers to nab his big fish. They key, however, was tying the hooks closer together than usual so when he put on the Berkley PowerBait Power Nightcrawler, it would create a big wobble, a la the slow death presentation popularized by Parsons and fellow Team USA pro Keith Kavajecz. The fourth place finisher casted Rapala X-Raps as well as jigging 3" black shad Berkley Gulp! minnows and 3" pumpkinseed Berkley Gulp! fry.

This info was taken from WalleyeFan. They have more interesting techniques listed. 

Will the average walleye fishwerman stop using live bait .......... absolutely not!

Can we all learn from tournaments like this ...... absolutely.

I always thought that one of the goals of the national level tournaments was to take walleye fishing to the next level by showing average fishermen how to use new techniques that they may have not tried otherwise? I believe this tournament and others like it ,if we continue on this path, will show all of us how to  expand our arsenal of catching techniques.

Dan, for the record, my bass buddies have helped me expand my horizons and and use different techniques in new locations. They do this by complaining about all of the walleyes they catch while prefishing or doing tournaments using techniques you mention. 

I bet these same type of conversations happened when the BASS folks went to artificial only tournaments. I expect many will resist change like this but I really think that it will help the sport in the end. 

Jerry, I do not see this as the Messiah for all the ailments that we encounter. This will not fix the economy or lower gas prices. It will not give consumers more buying power so they can afford to buy more fishing equipment. But it may just spark more interest in the sport we both love. It may have already caused some people to stop and consider using new techniques. I'm sure that some will read about the techniques used (if the message gets out from the media) and they will consider buying some of the artificials used during the tournament. That's one reason why sponsors continue to endorse people like us. Heck, If I were Berkley, I would have the winner's picture all over the fishing magazines describing how he broke the lake tournament records using their product. Great advertising.

CT:

I would say that we all have a tendency of using the old methods that we are accustomed to before we try new techniques. Mandating artificials may just push us (as tournament fishermen) away from our comfort zone to try other techniques that can be just as productive.

I can recall many instances where we use artificials because they are more productive or more efficient. My fun fishing on Bay De Noc in the fall is all crankbaits. I have caught many 10+ pound walleyes using nothing but artificials. In the spring/fall while fishing big rivers, I have had great success trolling artificial lures using leadcore and/or 3 way rigs. There have also been numerous situations where I have caught more fish using blades,  jigging spoons or jigs with powerbaits while others used live bait. This doesn't make me the better fisherman, it just shows (to me anyways) that live bait isn't always the best answer. I believe that tradition or additional confidence in your presentation causes you to use live bait when artificials could be just as productive.

If you read the threads from the Lake Erie fishermen you'll see that more and more people are using GULP crawlers and/or spoons to catch their fish. No one forces them to do this, they have just discovered that it works for them.

Speaking of "fake" presentations. although real crawlers are alive, are they really a natural food for walleyes? In all honesty, how many walleyes really see a night crawler in the lake? I know that we have all been told that run-offs may cause night crawlers to end up in the lake, but how often does this really happen? We use night crawlers primarily because of their scent. If companies can reproduce the same kind of attractive scent and smell that works for walleyes why not use them? I believe that the answer is tradition or our crutch toward using live bait.

I'm not naive to assume that artificials will always outproduce live bait like minnows when techniques like lindy rigging work. But I believe that given the chance or opportunity, tournament fishermen can usually find an acceptable alternative using artificials. Sometime we need to be coaxed into using different techniques. I also believe that having artificial only tournaments will push manufactures into coming up with better products. I see it as a "win-win" for the industry and the fisherman because of the better products that can/will come along.

Is fishing with artificial bait for everyone? NO! Many weekend fishermen will continue to use live bait only until national tournaments are given a chance to show them that there are many instances where artificial bait is as good. 

I'm not suggesting that ALL tournaments go away from live bait. But I still think that everyone would benefit if a national tournament started doing articial tourmnaments only. 

The only argument that I can see involves those involved with producing/selling live bait. I can see their concern with loss in revenue. I do not have all the answers with their concern but I would be interested in knowing if live bait sales went down in the southern part of the country when bass tournaments went to artificial only.