| |
| PWT Leader Sholts Holds on for Second Day |
Fishing a rock-covered hump in about 24 feet of water proved the ticket for Al Sholts, as he retained the lead after two days at the Realtree/Lowrance Pro-Am. He takes a two-pound lead into the final day on Lake Mille Lacs.
The In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) tournament, part of the Regional series presented by MotorGuide, concludes Friday, June 1. Weigh-in ceremonies begin at 3:30 p.m., at Hunter's Point Resort on the lake's east side. In addition to the stage show and tips from the pro anglers, a total of about $200,000 in prize money and merchandise will be awarded to the top 30 pros and top 30 amateurs Friday.
Sholts, from Alexandria, Minn, has been rigging with night crawlers and leeches, and hovering on walleyes he spots on his Lowrance electronics. "On day one, and during practice, Dave Albright and I fished alongside each other, but he told me I could have the spot, and he would fish elsewhere; that's real sportsmanship," Sholts said.
Pros and their amateur partners fished for the best five fish they could bring to the scales, but all had to be less than 20 inches long, unless each person caught a fish exceeding 28 inches per day. Two of those came to the scales on day two. Dean Nathe, Wausau, Wis., with a 28-incher, moved from 88th place to 8th place.
The pro leader has a cumulative weight of 26.78 pounds. Tom Backer, Fargo, ND is in second with 24.52 pounds. Steve Bradt, Hudson, Wis., is in third, while his son, Geoff Bradt, Osceola, Wis. is in sixth place. Mark Courts, Harris, Minn., is in fourth with 23.23 pounds. Bob Heaford, Mason City, Iowa, is just one-hundredth of a pound back in fifth place.
The leading amateurs are Rick Willett-Johnson, Omaha, Neb. in first; Sean Lofgren, Moorhead, Minn, in second, and John Hagemeyer, Albuquerque, NM in third.
The calm conditions affected some anglers, and the best bite occurred for most anglers before 11 a.m. Rigging with live bait, running spinners with crawlers or PowerBait worked for some anglers, while others trolled with leadcore and crankbaits. When the wind died, the "slip-bobber" anglers switched to other tactics.
Comments ranged from "great" to "stupendous" when PWT emcee Jim O'Rourke asked anglers about the quality and quantity of walleyes (many in the 24 to 27 inch range) they were catching. Willett-Johnson said, "It doesn't get any better than this."
Youngsters had fun catching trout in the free trout pond and climbing the free climbing wall. Those activities, sponsored by the Outdoor Channel, will take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, June 1.
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 & Hunter's Point Resort 320.676.3227. |
Back To Top
|
| PWT Tour Returns to Mille Lacs |
The In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail returns to Mille Lacs May 29-June 1, site of their inaugural tournament in 1989. The PWT has toured the country, bringing the top walleye anglers to great waters from Montana to New York, and from Kentucky and Arkansas north to Canada.
High on the list of popular walleye lakes is Mille Lacs. "The pros love it, and their amateurs/co-anglers enjoy learning the lake's secrets and how to catch walleyes from the pros," said Jim Kalkofen, PWT executive director.
The Mille Lacs tournament, the Lowrance/Realtree Pro-Am, the third stop on the MotorGuide Regional series, operates from Hunter's Point Resort, on the lake's east side.
Each pro fishes with a different amateur each day. Pros provide all the gear, and go to their best spots to catch fish with their daily partners. The fish they weigh count for both partners, with the top pro earning a $66,000 payday, and the winning amateur claiming a Mercury-powered walleye boat valued at nearly $20,000.
Life-long Mille Lacs guide Steve Fellegy, Garrison, Minn., won that first tournament. Pro anglers who have won at Mille Lacs since then are Ron Anlauf, Braham, Minn., 1992; Gary Roach, Merrifield, Minn., in 1993; Perry Good, Brainerd, Minn., in 1995; Bruce Samson, Minnetrista, Minn., in 2001; and Ron Seelhoff, Burlington, Col., last year.
At the 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily weigh-ins, walleye fans will learn what happened on the water, visit with the pros and be able to see all the boats and gear. This year, a free trout pond fishing experience is available for youngsters, along with a free rock-climbing wall, courtesy of The Outdoor Channel. All activities occur at Hunter's Point Resort.
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 & Hunter's Point Resort 320.676.3227. |
Back To Top
|
|
|
