PWT Gearing Up for Winneconne
Category: Tournament
Apr 18th, 2006 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Apr 18th, 2006 at 12:00 AM
Winneconne, Wisconsin becomes the center of the walleye universe this week. It’s walleyes and dock dogs. It’s boats and rock wall climbing.It’s jigs and air rifles. It’s the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail Regional tournament series presented by Motor Guide. And, in Waterfront Park, it’s also the PWT Outdoors Festival. Fishing and Festival activities get underway Wednesday, April 19.The three days of fun will occur through Friday, April 21. The Festival begins at 11 a.m. each day, and includes a catfish tank. The Mercury Pro-Am anglers cross the stage beginning at 3 p.m. On Friday, the top pro wins a $50,000 prize including a $25,000 check and a $25,000 Lund/Mercury walleye boat. The top-ranking amateur wins a $15,000 Lund/Mercury walleye boat. The full field of 120 PWT pro anglers and their amateur/co-angler partners will be fishing upstream and downstream from Winneconne. They could be on Lake Winnebago, Lake Butte des Morts, Lake Winneconne, Lake Poygan or the Fox and Wolf Rivers. During the week leading up to the event, anglers experienced a slower than normal bite. Some attributed it to low water and almost no current. Others to the fact that the walleyes migrated further upstream than usual and encountered a bountiful supply of forage and remained. Another theory is that more walleyes remained in Lake Winnebago and spawned there. PWT 2004 Mercury Champion Scott Glorvigen said, “This will be a grind-out type of tournament, with five bites a day being a premium. I sort of like it that way. But, it could break wide-open any day.” Daily scores will be posted on the PWT website at the Mercury Real-Time Scoreboard, www.professionalwalleyetrail.com, immediately after the anglers weigh their catches. Information about the popular and spectator-friendly Dock Dogs competition is posted on www.dockdogs.com.Local dog owners can test the jumping abilities of their dogs during the “open” periods . All dogs must be on leashes. A catfish tank will be open for fishing, also. The first 12 youngsters who catch tagged fish win Shakespeare rods and reels. These family activities are free of charge. The weigh-in is also free, and all anglers should plan to attend one of the days, but especially the final day when the winners tell their secret spots and tactics.