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| Brumbaugh Leads PWT Super Pros into Final Day |
Ohio Super Pro Mark Brumbaugh retained the lead after two days in the Lund/Mercury Pro-Am. He added 14.48 pounds in the first In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail to be held in Canada, and sits on top of the leader board with 31.03 pounds.
The Super Pro series, presented by MinnKota, is an invitational for the top performers on the PWT tour. Bill St. Peter, Bay City, Mich., moved into second place with the Dow Chemical Company Heavyweight of the tournament, 16.74 pounds. He also took the lead in the Coleman Big Fish race with a 10.04-pounder. His two-day total is 27.44 pounds. Bruce "Doc" Samson, Minnetrista, Minn., holds third place, a pound back of St. Peter.
The Super Pros spread out on Wabigoon Lake and connecting lakes, mostly fishing shallow rock reefs or casting to the hundreds of islands scattered throughout the system. Following a 5 a.m. thundershower, anglers faced cloudy skies and temperatures that barely eased past the 80-degree mark until 1 p.m., compared to the mid-nineties of the previous day.
Leader Brumbaugh has two PWT victories to his credit, including a Mercury Championship a decade ago. He was casting crankbaits to key reefs and "secret" spots he found in practice. While the PWT television camera was recording the action in his boat, a 50-inch musky grabbed on, and after a terrific tussle, became a TV hero. Anglers reported catching numerous 50-inch muskies on walleye tackle, and were also landing smallmouth bass and many northern pike. Brumbaugh said, "I like to catch big pike, because after I catch a few, the walleyes start biting; they're right there with the big pike."
The weigh-in was held in the Dryden Memorial Arena from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and will again take place Friday. The winners will be crowned immediately after the final boat weighs. Leading the amateur/co-angler side is Reid Norine, Oakdale, Minn. Dryden angler Greg Waites is second, followed by Ontario fishermen Rick Socholotuk, Ft. Frances, third, and Neil Michelin, Sioux Lookout, fourth. Waites fished with St. Peter and together, they caught the big fish. If it holds, Coleman will pay $1,500 to the pro and $500 to amateur Waites.
Dryden Super Pro John Butts came back with 11.43 pounds and moved from 31st place to 12th place. He said the pros and amateurs are mighty glad the Lund/Mercury Pro-Am is on Wabigoon, because they love catching 50 to 100 fish a day. Of the 52 Super Pros, 48 caught limits both days.
The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Baxter, Minnesota, and InterMedia, America's leading producer of targeted media. PWT promotional partners include: Mercury Marine, Lund Boats, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, Optima Batteries, Minn Kota, Realtree, MotorGuide, Johnsonville Brats, Outdoor Channel, Coleman, Northland Fishing Tackle, The Dow Chemical Company, StowMaster, Reef Runner, Yo-Zuri Quality Lures, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt Mud Flaps, Yellow Bird Planer Boards, Allstar Graphics, Ram Mounts, Element Edge, Pflueger, Plano Tackle Systems, Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge, E-Cell, Cannon, Fin-Tech Tackle, Do-It Molds & Dryden District Chamber of Commerce, 807.223.2622. |
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| Brumbaugh Leads Day One in Ontario |
 |  |  | Brumbaugh hoists two Wabigoon walleyes |
Two-time In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail winner Mark Brumbaugh, Arcanum, Ohio, captured the day one lead at Dryden, Ontario. The first PWT event north of the border, the Lund/Mercury Pro-Am, part of the Super Pro series presented by MinnKota, was held in sweltering 92-degree heat on Lakes Wabigoon and Dinorwic.
The 52 Super Pros fished in almost every corner of the system, favoring shallow rock reefs. The walleyes were in two to eight feet of water, and jigs with bait and jigs with PowerBait or Gulp! were the preferred tactics. Some anglers cast crankbaits; others rigged or ran spinners and bottom-bouncers, and a few like fifth place Super Pro Bruce Samson, Minnetrista, Minn., fished with slip bobbers.
Brumbaugh was jigging and casting crankbaits. His two "overs" were in the mid-20 inch range (each boat could weigh two walleyes over 18 inches), and gave him a total of 16.55 pounds for five walleyes - three were 14 to 18 inches. Brumbaugh said, "I think we caught more than 100 walleyes today. The lake is loaded with a zillion walleyes. The big ones are here, it's just a matter of being shallow enough when they move up to feed."
The PWT camera crews were on the water taking in the action, and hook-sets were common; so were 50 to 100 fish a day per day. Additionally, northern pike exceeding 20 pounds (lots in the 10 to 15 pound range), giant muskies and big smallmouth were landed. Several small walleyes ended up in the middle of tug-of-wars with pike and muskies, with the anglers losing the battles. The Coleman big fish of the day went to Colorado pro Ron Seelhoff and amateur Gary Beardsley, Ear Falls, Ontario with a 7.74-pounder.
Wabigoon Lake borders the community of Dryden, and stretches east to the narrows leading into Lake Dinorwic. This Canadian lake of 52,000 acres abounds with islands, shoals, reefs, bays, but differs significantly from "classic" shield lakes because water visibility is less than 12 inches.
|  | | Rick Olson pulls a big 'Goon walleye out of the well on Day One |
Super Pro Mark Courts, Harris, Minn., is in second place with 15.24 pounds, while Rick Olson, Mina Lake, SD is in third with 15.16 pounds. Ernie Olson, Oak Park, Minn, is fourth with 14.09 pounds. Pros fish with a different amateur every day, and provide the gear, tackle, bait and boat. They also go to the pro's top spots.
On the amateur/co-angler side, Reid Norine, Oakdale, Minn. fished with Brumbaugh and leads the amateur race. Neil Michelin, Sioux Lookout, Ontario is second. Gene LaMere, Amery, Wis., is third, while Ontario amateurs Rob Brodhagen, Dryden, and Dave Cryderman, Thunder Bay, are fourth and fifth. The winning amateur will collect a Lund boat powered by a Mercury outboard, valued at $20,000. The top pro earns an $81,000 prize, including a Lund/Mercury boat package and $45,000 cash.
The pros had their boats towed into the Dryden Arena to the cheers of walleye fans. The weigh-in festivities get under way Thursday and Friday at 5 p.m., with pros explaining their tactics and secrets from the stage.
The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Baxter, Minnesota, and InterMedia, America's leading producer of targeted media. PWT promotional partners include: Mercury Marine, Lund Boats, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, Optima Batteries, Minn Kota, Realtree, MotorGuide, Johnsonville Brats, Outdoor Channel, Coleman, Northland Fishing Tackle, The Dow Chemical Company, StowMaster, Reef Runner, Yo-Zuri Quality Lures, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt Mud Flaps, Yellow Bird Planer Boards, Allstar Graphics, Ram Mounts, Element Edge, Pflueger, Plano Tackle Systems, Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge, E-Cell, Cannon, Fin-Tech Tackle, Do-It Molds & Dryden District Chamber of Commerce, 807.223.2622 |
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| PWT Pros Ready to Challenge Canadian Walleyes |
|  | | Primed for Wabigoon Walleyes! |
After 18 years of chasing walleyes wherever they swim in the United States, the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) pros will enter Canada to test their skills July 25-27. The elite Super Pro anglers competing in the Lund/Mercury Pro-Am will aim north to Dryden, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Wabigoon.
The inaugural Canadian tournament, part of the Super Pro series presented by Minn Kota will be staged for fans with daily weigh-in ceremonies inside the Dryden Rec Center. The season's Number One ranked pro, Gary Parsons, Glidden, Wis., is leading the field. He has accumulated the most points through three PWT tournaments, including a victory on Wisconsin's Lake Winnebago in April.
Parsons said, "I'm thrilled to fish in Canada. There are a huge number of Canadian fishermen who follow the PWT and fish with us in the states. The international flavor is great for the sport. I also like fishing new water where not many touring pros have ever been. It's a tremendous opportunity; I can't wait."
Pat Neu, Forestville, Wis., will be Number Two out the gates. He was the PWT Rookie of the Year in 2006, won the PWT tournament in Escanaba, Mich., and has a third-place finish and Dow Heavyweight award already this season. In third place is Mike Gofron, Antioch, Ill. Gofron holds the PWT record for the most top 10 place finishes, 33, is a Mercury Championship winner, and like Parsons has won the coveted Johnsonville Brats Angler of the Year title twice. The entire Super Pro field contains the "Who's Who" in the competitive walleye world.
The contestants are listed by their current rank on the PWT website, professionalwalleyetrail.com. They come from throughout the states, with two from Ontario, Larry Snow, Kenora, and John Butts, Dryden. Butts is one of only a handful who has ever fished Lake Wabigoon. "This will be a real challenge, but because the Super Pro anglers are so good and can quickly pick-apart a lake, this is anybody's game to win. Of course, I want to win on my home water, and will be working hard to make that happen," he said.
Butts knows that Wabigoon walleyes can be anywhere from a foot of water on the rocks or in the weeds to the deepest basin on the lake. Water clarity usually is about a foot or less, offering another twist to the walleye experts. Wabigoon is approximately 50,000 acres, and the connecting Lake Dinorwic adds significantly more (and clear) water. The lakes are filled with islands, bays, rock humps and have a reputation for giant muskies, big northern pike, good smallmouth bass, and for most fishermen outside Dryden is an unknown for walleyes.
Other local tournaments have seen fish tipping the scales at more than nine pounds. Biologists have netted them in the "teen" range and many walleyes that size have been caught, including several in the 30 to 33 inch range this year. PWT executive director Jim Kalkofen has been visiting the lake for about 25 years and his two "personal best" walleyes have come from the lake. His dad Clarence is holding one of those fish in the May/June issue of the Walleye In-Sider. Butts is featured on the cover. "The PWT big fish record is in jeopardy when we turn the Super Pros loose on the `Goon," Kalkofen said.
The Super Pros will be fishing with amateurs/co-anglers as their partners. Almost 70 percent of the amateurs are from Canada. They will receive boat-seat seminars for three days - each with a different pro. The pros will provide all the gear and equipment, and share their tactics and secrets with the amateurs. The PWT format is a boat-weight scoring system, with both partners working together to catch the best five fish limit possible. On Wabigoon, they may weigh three walleyes under 18 inches and two that exceed that mark.
The top 15 amateurs claim prizes, including Minn Kota trolling motors with the top amateur winning a Lund boat powered by a Mercury outboard. They win other great fishing gear from the PWT sponsors (link to each of these companies on the PWT website). On the pro side, first place is $86,000, including $45,000 cash and a Lund/Mercury 19-foot walleye boat. The Pro payout follows:
1st $45,000 cash and a Lund/Mercury 19-foot boat (total $86,000)
2nd $20,000
3rd $18,000
4th $16,000
5th $14,000
6th $12,000
7th $11,500
8th $11,000
9th $10,500
10th $10,000
11th $9,000
12th $8,500
13th $8,000
14th $7,000
15th $6,000
16th to 20th $3,000 each
The PWT is working closely with the Dryden Chamber of Commerce (807-223-2622), the City of Dryden and many other local community partners. This is the first excursion into Canada for the PWT tour. It will be remembered as the "first," because the PWT is returning to Dryden in 2008. The attached schedule contains times and dates for activities throughout the week.
The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Baxter, Minnesota, and InterMedia, America's leading producer of targeted media. PWT promotional partners include: Mercury Marine, Lund Boats, Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, Optima Batteries, Minn Kota, Realtree, MotorGuide, Johnsonville Brats, Outdoor Channel, Coleman, Northland Fishing Tackle, The Dow Chemical Company, StowMaster, Reef Runner, Yo-Zuri Quality Lures, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt Mud Flaps, Yellow Bird Planer Boards, Allstar Graphics, Ram Mounts, Element Edge, Pflueger, Plano Tackle Systems, Aikens Lake Wilderness Lodge, E-Cell, Cannon, Fin-Tech Tackle, Do-It Molds & Dryden District Chamber of Commerce, 807.223.2622. |
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