Indiana
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Tournament
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MWC
CABELA'S
MWC EAST OPENER MAY 22-23 ON LAKE ONTARIO WALLEYE BONANZA AWAITS
ANGLERS AT HENDERSON HARBOR
Minnetonka, MN-"Five pound walleyes are considered
small around here," boasts Fred Kucik, a local charter boat captain.
He added, "I hope the weigh-in bags are big and strong because double
digit-sized walleyes are common for this fishery."
Fellow charter skipper Lew Wescott agrees, stating the eastern basin of
Lake
Ontario is home to a burgeoning population of walleyes. He says,
"The
timing for the tournament couldn't be better because the fish are close to
shore and in the feeder tributaries at this time of year. The
fishermen are
in for a real treat. We're going to see lots of fish. Lots of big
fish."
Kucik and Wescott, along with local tournament director Jasper Paddock are
part of the Henderson Harbor, New York Chamber of Commerce, which is
hosting
the Cabela's Masters Walleye Circuit, North American Fishing Club Team
Tournament May 22nd & 23rd on Lake Ontario. The event marks the
first visit
to Lake Ontario by a nationally recognized team walleye circuit. The
tournament will be conducted from the Cabela's state-of-the-art,
computerized mobile transport vehicle, which is specifically designed for
tournament television coverage. The Outdoor Channel will feature the
tournament, allowing teams to receive national media recognition.
Tournament coverage and related articles will also appear in the North
American Fisherman magazine, the official publication of the MWC.
Additionally, all MWC tournaments serve as qualifying events to the 2005
Cabela's National Team Walleye Championship.
According to Kristine Houtman, Director of Events & Sponsorships for
Cabela's MWC, "This is all part of a MWC East expansion so that
anglers from
New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and surrounding states can
participate in a first-class team format walleye tournament circuit.
We're
also conducting MWC East tournaments on Lake Chautauqua at Jamestown, NY,
July 17th & 18th and on Lake Huron's Saginaw Bay at Linwood, MI,
August 7th
& 8th. The MWC is open to all comers age 12 and up. Teams
are basically
made up of friends and family members of all skill levels who enjoy
walleye
fishing. We also channel $15 per team to our conservation fund which
is
used for fishery related projects in tournament areas."
MWC monetary awards for competing are great. There is an 80%
guaranteed
payback from every $600 team entry fee, the highest percentage payback of
any circuit. For example, a 100-team payout would be $48,840 with
$13,920
for 1st place. Teams can also win big-fish cash pots, and depending
on
their final end of the season point standings, earn extra money from the
MWC
Team of the Year and Challenge competition. Teams will also be
competing
for an invite to the prestigious $100,000 no entry fee, 2005 Cabela's MWC
World Walleye Championship.
Teams desiring to enter the Henderson Harbor tournament should do so by
April 21st to avoid late fees. There is a $25 added late fee for
entries
received April 22nd to May 8th; $100 May 9th to May 15th; $500 May 16th to
May 21st.
Further tournament and circuit information including entry forms or
website
registration can be obtained at www.masterswalleyecircuit.com,
or by calling
the MWC toll-free at 877-893-7947, the Henderson Harbor Chamber of
Commerce,
888-938-5568 or 315-938-5568 and at www.walleyecentral.com.
In addition to Cabela's, MWC sponsors include-Lindy Legendary Tackle,
Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats, The Outdoor Channel,
North American Fishing Club, Smithwick Lures, Cotton Cordell, MotorGuide,
Daiichi Hooks, Panther Marine, Lure Eyes, Xtreme Sports and Walleye
Central.Com.
CARLSON/SCHRIMPF
WIN CABELA'S MWC
ILLINOIS
RIVER OPENER
MOTHER NATURE SETS THE PACE
Minnetonka, MN-Keith Carlson and Curt Schrimpf of
Goodhue, MN
overcame a swollen Illinois River, strong winds, a pounding rain and 219
other teams to win the Cabela's Masters Walleye Circuit 2004 season
opener,
held March 27-28 at Spring Valley, IL. Their ten fish MWC allowable
limit,
which totaled 21.58 pounds, was worth $28, 512. It was the veteran
team's
first circuit victory.
According to Carlson, "We were hoping for a top ten finish and we
wind up
winning the tournament. This is awesome!" He continued,
"We trolled a
variety of floating type crankbaits in various colors from 17 pound test
leadcore line, between 80 and 100 feet behind the boat at two miles per
hour, upriver near the dam. On Saturday we thought we hit the mother lode
because we had our five fish limit by 11 a.m., but we didn't land a fish
the
rest of the day."
Schrimpf added, "Sunday was even a tougher day until we got onto a
pattern.
We discovered that as the water level kept rising from the rain, the fish
got closer to the shoreline. We caught our first fish at 11 a.m.,
the
second at 1:30 p.m., a double a half-hour later and our fifth fish 35
minutes before the weigh-in. We lost two fish and one was huge, but
we won
anyway. My head is still spinning."
Second place went to Paul Fournier and Ryan Olson of Andover, MN whose
pole
lining technique produced 21.28 pounds and $13,200. They also
trolled
crankbaits upriver but used stiff 6 ½ foot musky action rods and
baitcasting reels spooled with 65-pound test line and 1-½ pound bottom
bouncing weights. The floating style crankbaits are run off leaders
attached to the main line. The heavy weights maintain a vertical
angle of
the lures that occasionally tick the bottom and trigger the fish into
striking.
Third place went to the Illinois team of Dave Kleszyk (Oakbrook Terrace)
and
Dave Zurawski (Plainfield). They jigged up 21.02 pounds and
collected
$10,032. The duo fished just north of the Barto Landing weigh in
site with
¾ ounce jigs tipped with large fathead minnows and a tailless plastic
grub
in 11 feet of water.
First day tournament leaders with 14.46 pounds were Barb and Danny Plautz
of
Muskego, WI. They are the first mother and son team to fish the MWC.
Their
eleventh place finish earned them $1,478 plus $1,395 in big fish prize
money.
The top 35 teams shared the $107,014 cash purse. An additional
$7,974 was
paid in big fish prize money. Scott Steil of Richmond, MN won $1,000
for
the highest finishing Ranger Boat owner in the Ranger Cup series.
Tournament Statistics
Number of teams: 220
Number of fish: 838
Total cash and prizes: $115,988
Total weight: 1721.1 lbs.
Water temp: 51 to 55 degrees
Big fish: 5.76 lbs.
Water level: Up 6 feet
Winning pattern: Trolling crankbaits
Water clarity: 2 to 6 inches
Inside tip: Fished shoreline
Openings exist in the remaining 2004 MWC tournaments. Entry fee is
$600 per
team. Further tournament information can be obtained at www.masterswalleyecircuit.com,
or by calling the MWC toll-free at
877-893-7947.
2004 Cabela's MWC Remaining Schedule
MWC Central
Oshkosh, WI, Lake Winnebago, June 26-27
Walker, MN, Leech Lake, September 18-19
MWC East
Henderson Harbor, NY, Lake Ontario, May 22-23
Jamestown, NY, Lake Chautauqua, July 17-18
Linwood, MI, Saginaw Bay, August 7-8
In addition to Cabela's, MWC sponsors include-Lindy Legendary Tackle,
Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats, The Outdoor Channel,
North American Fishing Club, Smithwick Lures, Cotton Cordell, MotorGuide,
Daiichi Hooks, Panther Marine, Lure Eyes, Xtreme Sports and Walleye
Central.Com.
