2018 NWT Championship on Lake of the Woods Video
Category: article
Jun 20th, 2019 by Keith Worrall
Modified Jun 20th, 2019 at 10:47 PM
2018 NWT Championship on Lake of the Woods Video
In today’s world, it is hard for some to plan ahead. Maybe it is the convenience of booking on the spur of the moment or simply a sign of the times. Regardless, last year’s National Walleye Tour’s (NWT) Championship walleye tournament on Lake of the Woods reminds us the incredible open water fishing opportunities that are happening now and will continue through the open water season.
During last year’s NWT on Lake of the Woods, anglers boated walleyes using a variety of methods from a variety of depths as shallow as 2 feet of water and as deep as 36′ of water. The fishery is healthy with a nice balance of walleyes from small to trophy size and everything in between.
To say the 2018 NWT on Lake of the Woods was an incredible tournament is an understatement. Some of the top anglers in the world of competitive walleye fishing were on hand for the National Walleye Tour (NWT) Championship this past September on Lake of the Woods. 71 pro and co walleye anglers battled it out in this elite tournament. Many of the anglers had never been to Lake of the Woods before and The Walleye Capital of the World did not disappoint.
Exposing this incredible fishery to some of the The tournament took place out of Sportsman’s Lodge on the banks of the Rainy River. With the weigh in trailer overlooking the river, the setting was spectacular.
The tournament started out with a rules meeting the evening before day one discussing everything from take off and return times, how many fish to the scales, slot limits and the overall format of the tournament, although most were already familiar. Anglers also enjoyed some wonderful food and good camaraderie.2018 NWT Championship Rules Meeting, Lake of the Woods
For the pros, it was an evening to check weather reports, make sure everything on and in the boat was ready and to meet their co-anglers. Each pro was chosen an amateur partner randomly who registered for the event for the first two days. The final day, the top ten co-anglers were teamed up with a pro based on how they had done the first two days of the tournament. The #1 co-angler for the tournament went with the #1 pro, and so on.
NWT 2018 Championship, Lake of the Woods MNThis is a great way for a co-angler to fish with a pro, learning critical skills to make them an all around better angler. Boat control, techniques and the chance to fish some of the best walleye waters in the land. Co-anglers also are competing against one another and have the chance to win prizes based on their finish.
The National Walleye Tour championship is structured so that all boats fished the first two days. Each boat could bring in 5 walleyes per day with one over fish, which on Lake of the Woods is a walleye over 28 inches. With a slot limit of 19.5 inches – 28 inches having to be returned to the water, both the walleyes just under 19.5″ and of course that one kicker fish over 28″ are key.
The top 10 finishers both on the pro and co angler side after two days of fishing based on weight would qualify to fish on day 3.
Day one proved to be a strong day of fishing with a breeze at 10-20 mph but a nice day to fish. A good number of walleyes over 28″ and nice healthy slots just under that 19.5″ mark were caught and brought into the scales.
Anglers woke to day two with warmer weather and lighter winds. There were a variety of techniques used to catch walleyes during the tournament but the most popular were pulling crankbaits on leadcore line and crawler harnesses. These walleye anglers are some of the best in the business and it is impressive to watch the attention to detail that sets apart a great walleye angler from a good walleye angler.
Day three highlighted the top ten pro and co-anglers from the first two days of the tournament. The winds were calm and anglers had a beautiful day to compete for the NWT 2018 Championship trophy.
Some of the anglers were also eyeing up the National Walleye Tour 2018 Angler of the Year award, which is based on points accumulated throughout the entire year. Yes, these anglers were shooting to win the tournament, but many also had a good idea of what they needed for fish that final day to have a chance at the coveted award.
The entire tournament was filmed for TV, check out both segments below.
Winning the 2018 NWT Championship on Lake of the Woods was Max Wilson.
Winning the 2018 NWT Championship as a co-angler was Scott Mathson.
Brett King, 2018 NWT Angler of the Year, Lake of the WoodsWinning the NWT Angler of the Year award was Brett King.
works to educate and get kids interested in fishing. At each NWT Tournament, they host a seminar for kids and their parents and discuss some of the basics of fishing, conservation and techniques used at each tournament. In addition, each youth who participated was given a rod and reel.
The 2018 NWT Championship on Lake of the Woods was a wonderful tournament. It featured some of the best walleye anglers in the world. It also showcased Lake of the Woods which has some of the best walleye fishing in the world. At the National Walleye Tour Championship tournament this past September, the big lake did not disappoint!
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