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| Taco Stayed Shallow for the Bull Shoals Victory |
 |  |  | Consistent fish like these kept Ortiz on top in the end (WalleyeFIRST Photo) |
Prognosticators said look for walleyes to move deep on Bull Shoals Lake in a post-spawn/pre-summer exodus. Lund pro Todd Frank had a two-day 10-pound lead thanks to trolling with Dipsey Divers over deep water. He looked unbeatable, but he had been pounding the same fish for over a week. Evinrude/Polar Kraft pro Bill "Taco" Ortiz, on the other hand, focused his attention on shallow fish. Were the prognosticators wrong? Yep!
In classic PWT form, Ortiz was held until the last few moments of the tournament to build the suspense. It worked. Very few in the crowds felt Frank would fall, but fall he did. His deep water fish failed him. Ortiz' shallow bite held up and never faltered throughout the event.
Carp (e) Diem
Stained water was the main ingredient for the shallow water action Ortiz encountered.
"I found fish shallow in pre-fish," Ortiz said. "I had to be fishing in places where I couldn't see the bottom in 10 feet of water. If I could see the bottom, I didn't catch the fish.
"Some of my best areas were the spots where carp were in the shallows stirring it up," he said. "Seriously, those areas seemed to be best. I must have had about 40 spots throughout the lake where I knew if the water was stained, I could find the shallow active fish."
In-Line Trolling Best
While many trollers were sending their crankbaits out on planer boards, Ortiz had his best results with his crankbaits trolled almost directly behind his Polar Kraft.
"I used one board, but didn't have much action with it," he said. "My best action came on a few set-ups. I used an 8 1/2-foot with a number 5 Shad Rap fished about 80 feet back and a 6-foot rod with a number 5 Shad Rap fished about 100 feet back. Both of these were fished out of the back rod holders right behind the boat. It was almost like I was pole-lining or handlining since the length of the rods and the distance the line was back had the lures above and below each other like shanks on a handline set-up.
"The active fish hit the lure on the 8-1/2 foot rod more frequently," he said. "It seemed like the less aggressive bites came on the shorter rod with the line further back."
He also used a leadcore rig with a 20-foot leader and a Shad Rap fished directly over his E-Tec.
His best depths ranged from 8-to 10-feet deep fishing 7-to 8-feet down.
The top Shad Rap colors were blue and black holographic.
|  | | Todd Frank's pattern was hot, but left him one fish short on the final day (WalleyeFIRST Photo) |
Don't Pound Your Walleyes
While it was reported that runner-up Todd Frank fished the same area for a dozen days, Ortiz used a run-and-gun approach.
"Since I had so many spots to fish, I wouldn't spend much time on them in pre-fish," he said. "By the time the tournament started, I hadn't fished my number one or two spots since Friday. I think that Todd may have fished out his area, while I had several spots to fish.
"On Day 2, I didn't see any of my teammates for the entire day," he said. "I landed 19 keepers and lost a nice 4-or 5-pounder. On the last day, I just knew I would be able to do well and show up with a good limit of fish." |
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| Final Bites - 2005 PWT Bull shoals |
Ortiz has won two PWT events and the 2003 PWT Angler of the Year title. He is currently ranked 4th in the World Walleye Rankings.
Ortiz did look deep on Day 1. "I knew my shallow fish would go, but after I had my fish on Day 1, I just had to look and see if the deep fish were really bigger," he said. "I'd heard that some guys were really getting big fish deep. I think I had to fish deep once just to get it out of my mind." |
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| Strategy will determine the winner on the final day at Bull Shoals PWT |
|  | | Todd Frank needs his fish to hold out one more day (WalleyeFIRST Photo) |
Twelve days, twelve five-fish limits. Todd Frank has been on the walleyes here at Bull Shoals every day since he arrived a dozen days ago.
Cool weather in northern Arkansas this spring means water temperatures in the low 70's and no thermocline, allowing the walleyes to move anywhere throughout the system with comfort. As a result, there are several patterns that unfolded during pre-fish; from casting cranks at the shore structure to Todd's targeted technique.
Three anglers are working the same general pattern as Frank, but the area is three miles long or more, separating the pro's to the point where Lund Pro Mark Martin hasn't seen another boat on his "spot on the spot" the entire tournament.
Frank just looking for a limit
The morning dawned cloudy and cool, with the promise of rain. Todd was ready to go early, looking calmly out on Bull Shoals Lake as the 7 AM ease-off approached.
"I'm on one spot that has produced a limit for me every day. I have been here twelve days and have twelve limits," stated Frank. "The goal is to limit early like the last two days."
Frank is using an unusual technique for Bull Shoals.
|  | | Mark Martin hopes a full day on his spot will produce a big weight (WalleyeFIRST Photo) |
"I did catch one fish at 3:00 PM yesterday, so there may be an opportunity for a late fish today. I'm a little concerned that I might have burned the spot over the last couple days, I hope the spot holds up," Todd commented.
"I'm trolling cranks using dipsys and lead core over very deep water, 40 to 60 feet down over 160 feet of water," Frank revealed. "I'm using a Great Lakes technique. A limit today and I wrap this thing up!"
Martin all alone
Last night Mark Martin spoke about his area, which has also produced limits and put him in 3rd as of today. He has yet to spend more than one hour on the spot each day in attempt to keep the spot fresh for the finale.
"I have the spot all to myself. I haven't seen another boat there the entire event. I've been taking a limit early, and then leaving so I wouldn't burn the spot," he said. "Day three, I'll stay on those fish and try all day to catch enough good fish to take the win."
"The big fish are definitely there," Martin added.
Coverage of the final day continues on Friday. Watch for WalleyeFIRST's Exclusive Interactive Leaderboard coverage beginning at 3:15 PM CST. |
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| PWT Pros Discover Bull Shoals Walleyes Shallow and Deep; Bill Ortiz Wins $64,000 |
|  | | Bill Ortiz: 2005 PWT Bull Shoals Champion (WalleyeFIRST Photo) |
Bill Ortiz overcame a huge deficit on the final day to claim the $64,000 title at the Lowrance/Berkley Pro-Am on Bull Shoals Lake. This was the second year for the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail pro anglers on this massive Arkansas reservoir. Ortiz, from Richland Center, Wis. figured out a pattern that prevailed all three days.
This was his second PWT victory. He was Angler of the Year in 2003, and boosted his earnings to nearly $250,000. Trolling Shad Raps in 6-feet to 10-feet of water proved the top tactic for Ortiz. PWT pros discovered walleyes chasing shad in the 70-degree shallows, and capitalized on them.
Some trolled to success in 150 feet of water (and deeper) by targeting walleyes in the tops of submerged trees about 40 to 60 feet down. Todd Frank, Pulaski, NY held a commanding 10-pound lead until he netted only two fish on a cloudy day three. He also lost one walleye, and ended up six-tenths of a pound behind Ortiz. Frank won $20,000.
Gary Parsons, Glidden, Wis. trolled shallow crankbaits for third place with 43.12 pounds. He won $13,000. Mark Martin, Twin Lake, Mich. cast Shad Raps at shorelines for fourth place and $11,000. Pierre, SD pro Dan Stier won $10,000 for fifth.
PWT pros talked on stage at Bull Shoals Boat Dock about all the walleyes that must be in the system. They saw walleyes following their lures. They saw thousands of them on underwater Aqua-Vu cameras. They saw walleye schools swimming in the shallows. They also admitted they had to compete with billions of shad.
On the amateur side, Bill Prust and Mark Schuyler of Bull Shoals finished first and second. Prust won the Lund walleye boat with a Mercury on an E-Z Loader trailer (made right in the area at Midway, AR), valued at $17,000. Schuyler won $4,500 worth of fishing tackle. The top 40 pros and 40 amateurs/co-anglers won $300,000.
Special awards went to 41st place pro Rick Franklin, Park Rapids, Minn. He won $500 for the Dave's Ka-Boom Close Call award. The Gerbing's Hot Pro award of $1,000 went to Parsons. He won $500 and a Gerbing's heated suit for moving from 63rd on the Angler of the Year list to 14th. He has three PWT wins and two Angler of the Year titles. Frank won the Navionics "Spot on the Spot" $500 award for precisely fishing a tiny stretch of trees with exact depth control.
The Coleman Big Fish awards of $500 went to pros Marty Glorvigen, Grand Rapids, Minn. (6.32 pounds), Marc St. Martin, Maplewood, Minn. (7.36 pounds), and Frank (7.46 pounds). Their respective amateur partners also won $500 from Coleman. They were Dennis Grimm, Oconomowoc, Wis., Dale Weeks, St. Francis, KS, and Larry Devors, Bull Shoals. Pro Bill Hall, Algona, Iowa won the Coleman Cool Under Pressure award for advancing 65 places. Rick Buxcel, Blair, Neb., advanced 59 places to win on the amateur/co-angler side.
PWT Special Achievement awards went to Hank Hudson, owner of Bel'Arco Resort and John Eastwold, owner of Bull Shoals Boat Dock for theirsupport and organizational efforts. The Resort Association and Chamber of Commerce were very helpful, and the contestants became unofficial ambassadors for the sights and walleyes of Bull Shoals Lake.
The 2005 Angler of the Year leader is pro Todd Frank, with Ortiz second and last season's winner, Tommy Skarlis, Dorchester, Iowa, in third. The MotorGuide West Division leader is John Butts, Dryden, Ontario, winner of the tournament last month in Illinois. The tour continues in Kentucky June 1-3, with events in Michigan and South Dakota setting the stage for the Mercury Championship in Kansas.
Bulls Shoals Boat Dock(870-445-4424), Bel'Arco Resort (870-44504242), and Bull Shoals Chamber of Commerce (800-447-1290) and these business partners: Mercury Marine, Lund, The Outdoor Channel, Berkley, Optima Batteries, Realtree, MotorGuide, Lowrance, MinnKota, Trilene, Frenzy, Blue Fox, Powerbait, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, GULP!, Coleman, Storm, Boat Buckle, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt, E-Z Loader, Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Gerbing's Heated Clothing, Aqua-Vu, Save Phace, Plano, Stowmaster.net, Navionics, Access Roll-up Cover, Yellow Bird, DOW Chemical, Dave's Lures, The State Bank Group, Yo-Zuri and Reef Runner. The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Brainerd, Minnesota, and PRIMEDIA, America's leading producer of targeted media. |
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| New York Pro Extends PWT Tournament Lead on Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas |
Todd Frank, Pulaski, NY, guides for walleyes and salmon. This week, he is showing the world that he is also rated as a top professional walleye angler. He already has one In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail victory to his credit. If he performs as well on the third and final day of the Lowrance/Berkley Pro-Am, Friday, May 13, he will collect $65,000 and another first-place trophy.
Frank's 2-day total of 41.54 pounds on Bull Shoals Lake in Arkansas is 10 pounds better than pro Bill Ortiz, Richland Center, Wis. Pro Gary Parsons, Glidden, Wis., is in third with 30.08 pounds. Twin Lake, Mich. pro Mark Martin is in fourth with 28.20 pounds. The top four pros and Steve Fellegy, Aitkin, Minn. are the only anglers with 5-fish limits each day.
PWT pros fish with different amateurs/co-anglers each day, and the top amateur is Larry Devors, Salesville, AR. Day two proved once again that walleyes could be caught in water as shallow as seven feet, all the way down to the tree-tops (about 40 to 60 feet below the surface). The unusually cool spring has allowed fish to live wherever they want. Within a couple weeks, the traditional thermocline will set-up, and walleyes will be at or above this depth.
A total of 193 walleyes came to the scales on day two; 169 were caught on day one. They averaged three pounds. Anglers commented on the PWT weigh-stage about all the fish they caught during practice week, and the many species that came to net with walleye tactics. Most common methods being utilized are trolling crankbaits relatively shallow (7 to 20 feet) along shorelines; trolling deep for suspended walleyes; casting crankbaits shallow; and pulling spinners and nightcrawlers.
The top seven pros through two days have a total of 15 PWT victories. Dan Stier, Pierre, SD is in fifth; Fellegy is sixth; and Tommy Skarlis, Dorchester, Iowa is seventh.
Pro Marc St. Martin, Maplewood, Minn., and Dale Weeks, St. Francis, Kan caught the Coleman Big Fish of day two. Their big walleye weighed 7.36 pounds.
The final day will include winning pros telling their stories from the stage at Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock, starting at 3 p.m. Friday, May 13. The PWT tour continues with a tournament on Lake Cumberland in Russell Springs, KY June 1-3. The walleye cross-country fun then moves to Saginaw Bay in Bay City, Mich., then to Mobridge, SD on Lake Oahe, and finally on Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. in late August. Amateur/co-angler spots remain at the Michigan events. To find out more, check the PWT website: www.professionalwalleyetrail.com. The Mercury Championship occurs on Milford Lake near Junction City, Kan in mid-September.
Bulls Shoals Boat Dock (870-445-4424), Bel'Arco Resort (870-44504242), and Bull Shoals Chamber of Commerce (800-447-1290) and these business partners: Mercury Marine, Lund, The Outdoor Channel, Berkley, Optima Batteries, Realtree, MotorGuide, Lowrance, MinnKota, Trilene, Frenzy, Blue Fox, Powerbait, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, GULP!, Coleman, Storm, Boat Buckle, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt, E-Z Loader, Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Gerbing's Heated Clothing, Aqua-Vu, Save Phace, Plano, Stowmaster.net, Navionics, Access Roll-up Cover, Yellow Bird, DOW Chemical, Dave's Lures, The State Bank Group, Yo-Zuri and Reef Runner. The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Brainerd, Minnesota, and PRIMEDIA, America's leading producer of targeted media. |
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| Bite Still Tough At Bull Shoals |
|  | | Cheri Schulta hopes to multi-task her way to a Bull Shoals limit on Wednesday (PWT Photo) |
Sure, hopes were high that the walleyes would start whacking the PWT pros bait this week at Bull Shoals. After the debacle that was the FLW Walleye Tour's opener at this legendary bass fishery, pros were hopeful that the big baskets and big fish would return. Looks like those hopes were a bit premature.
Although recent local tournaments have produced solid results, many of the pros have had a hit-and-miss relationship with Bull Shoals walleyes. Many are clueless and are aimlessly trolling hoping to uncover a huge pod of `eyes. However, a few have figured out a little something-something and may be able to bring some 20-pound baskets to the weigh-in stage.
Schulta Sure
Off Shore Tackle pro Cheri Schulta is positive she can bring a few fish to the weigh-in stage each day.
"I have figured out a little pattern that I feel will produce for me throughout the tournament, as long as the weather stays stable," Schulta said. "I have about five spots to target and one spot in particular has produced for me every time. As long as my luck doesn't run out, I should do okay."
Schulta has a one-two punch to fool the mid-south walleyes.
"My plan is to fish shallow early and pull bottom bouncers with crawlers and spinners in the afternoon," she said. "This is a pretty basic plan, but I'm fishing an area where I've not seen too many anglers. If this holds up in the tournament, I will bring in some decent weights."
She feels that a variety of approaches will catch fish from pulling spinners and crawlers on bottom bouncers to trolling and casting crankbaits.
|  | | Todd Riley is hoping for a repeat of his FLW performance at Bull Shoals, but with better weights |
Riley Not So Sure
Evinrude pro "The" Todd Riley is not as confident as Schulta when it comes to his chances to produce solid weights.
"The bite is still really tough," he said. "I mean you'd think the fishing would have improved by now, but it is still really tough. I did catch a 10-pounder and I did have one 20-pound basket, but other than that, it has been tough."
Riley feels the fish are in transition and big weights may be hard to come by.
"Realistically, it is tough to figure out what will work over three days," he said. "Patterns emerge and then just disappear. The presentations that will work are going to be all over the map.
"Casting crankbaits, trolling cranks, pulling bottom bouncers and spinners, they all can work," he said. "I'll probably end up trolling, since I don't feel I have anything totally figured out."
Big weights are still a reality in Riley's opinion.
"You'll still see some 20-pound baskets," he said. "Unfortunately, I also think you'll see a fair share of zeros. I just hope to God I'm not one of them."
Weigh-in starts at 3:00 p.m. and the Bull Shoals Lake Boat Dock and www.WalleyeFIRST.com. |
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| Quick Bites- 2005 PWT Bull Shoals |
The buzz on the PWT walleye street is that the hot areas are Lead Hill, Jimmy Creek and Sister Creek along with the more traditional late spring haunts of main and secondary lake points.
Cheri Schulta passed on the news that "Mr. Walleye" Gary Roach bagged an 11-pound walleye during practice.
Todd Riley encountered a pack of water wolves. "I was casting crankbaits along a bluff and noticed a lot of bait disturbance near the surface," he said. "I checked it out and along about a 100 yard stretch I saw what must have been 1000 gar. They were pushing shad. I saw other fish there too and cast into it. The gar didn't hit, but I caught a nice 8-pound catfish."
Todd Riley is currently 22nd in the World Walleye Rankings. |
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| New York Pro Todd Frank Vaults to PWT Tournament Lead on Bull Shoals |
Bull Shoals Lake, bordering Arkansas and Missouri, proved that reservoir walleyes are reservoir walleyes no matter where the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) contestants fish. For the 3-day Berkley/Lowrance Pro-Am May 11-13, they will compete for $300,000 on this popular walleye lake for the second year in a row.
On day one, anglers fished from the dam upstream about 50 miles. Some were fishing in water as shallow as seven feet by casting crankbaits; others were trolling shoreline contours to 30 feet; while some trolled for suspended fish 40 to 60 feet down over 190 feet of water.
New York pro Todd Frank took the lead with five walleyes that weighed 24.27 pounds. He was fishing with amateur/co-angler Larry Devors, Salesville, Ark. In 1999, Frank won the PWT tournament on Lake Oahe at Mobridge, SD. He has a seven-pound lead over second place pro Bill Ortiz, Richland Center, Wis. Pat Degan, Des Moines, Iowa fished with Ortiz for 17.43 pounds.
Dan Stier, Pierre, SD has 17.11 pounds for third place. He fished with amateur Bill Brewer, Omaha, Neb. Pros Jim Muzynoski, Bozeman, MT and Gary Parsons, Glidden, Wis. weighed 15.37 and 14.99 pounds for fourth and fifth.
One angler to watch this tournament is Gary Parsons' son Chase (ag 21), fishing as a rookie pro this season. Chase ended day one in 12th place with 12.06 pounds. Last year's angler of the year Tommy Skarlis, Dorchester, Iowa, finished day one in seventh place.
Anglers fished all day in blazing sun, quite a change from the 40-degree temperatures of their last tour stop on the Fox Chain in Illinois. The Bull Shoals Lake water temperatures have been rising rapidly, after an unusually late spring in the Ozarks. It's now in the 70-degree range. A total of 12 limits (5-fish) were landed. The 169 walleyes weighed an average of 3.08 pounds.
The day two and three weigh-in festivities take place at Bull Shoals Boat Dock at 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday. The public is welcome. Photos are posted on the PWT website, www.professionalwalleyetrial.com, and available for down loading and use (with appropriate credits) by media.
Bulls Shoals Boat Dock (870-445-4424), Bel'Arco Resort (870-44504242), and Bull Shoals Chamber of Commerce (800-447-1290) and these business partners: Mercury Marine, Lund, The Outdoor Channel, Berkley, Optima Batteries, Realtree, MotorGuide, Lowrance, MinnKota, Trilene, Frenzy, Blue Fox, Powerbait, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, GULP!, Coleman, Storm, Boat Buckle, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt, E-Z Loader, Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Gerbing's Heated Clothing, Aqua-Vu, Save Phace, Plano, Stowmaster.net, Navionics, Access Roll-up Cover, Yellow Bird, DOW Chemical, Dave's Lures, The State Bank Group, Yo-Zuri and Reef Runner. The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Brainerd, Minnesota, and PRIMEDIA, America's leading producer of targeted media. |
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