| | The final stop in the Central Division of the 2005 Masters Walleye Circuit is set for July 16 & 17 out of Menominee, Michigan. Over 200 teams will be fishing for the bay’s largest walleyes in hopes of bringing home the first place check of $25,000! The boundaries are all of Green Bay including Little Bay and Big Bay de Noc in Upper Peninsula, Michigan. This includes an area of water about 120 miles in length, and a variable 10-20 miles in width. In other words, a gazillion acres to target the big walleyes roaming the system. And big they are!
 Green Bay is always listed among the top destinations for trophy walleye, mentioned along side venerable waters like Lake Erie, Saginaw Bay, Bay of Quinte, and others. The Bays de Noc offer trophy potential as well, and are within bounds of this event. The same catches of fish up to 16 pounds in the Fox River that feed the local fishing frenzy in April are possible in the bay’s waters as the fish disperse the lower Green Bay area and move north. Also, it is believed the spawning fish up to 15 pounds from the Bays de Noc in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula make their way south and utilize many of the same areas as the north-migrating Fox River fish. With so much water to find fish, this tournament will challenge many of the 204 teams unfamiliar with the bay. Especially since many of the right fish will suspend near structure, or out in the abyss over deep water.
The predominant tactic to reach suspended fish will be trolling either nightcrawler harnesses or crankbaits. Past tournaments have shown the effectiveness of crawler harnesses. In 1999, the MWC set a record for weights when the spinner bite exploded on Larson’s Reef near Sturgeon Bay. Since then, spinner rigs have dominated summer tournaments on the bay. Anglers will use snap weights or inline chain sinkers to plunge these rigs to the desired depths, usually just above where fish are marked on the sonar, or on top of the many reef structures which can hold fish. In order to spread the offering far and wide away from the boat in the bay’s gin-clear water, inline planer boards are a vital presentation tool as well. Planer boards clip on the main line to move the line away from the boat as you troll forward. This approach covers the water column both horizontally (planer boards), and vertically (snap or inline weights).
Favorite bead colors for the harnesses include green, chartreuse, blue, pink, purple, silver, purple, and gold. Blade choices include silver, gold, copper, purple, orange, and chartreuse, with the metallics getting the nod. Colorado style blades are a popular choice, but Lindy’s Hatchet Blades have won past tournaments and continue to produce. Recent trends have slanted towards holographic blades which reflect light in the clear water. Choices for bead/blade combinations are personal and unique. As you read this, somewhere around the Midwest, anglers are in their garage tying their own version of a successful rig.
Local guide, tournament angler, and Ranger pro Carl Grunwaldt, won the MWC in 2001 on spinner rigs in the lower third of the bay. He weighed 44.52 pounds on eight fish, a 5.56 pound average. In 2000, the winning weight was 44.58 pounds, a 5.57 pound average. Keep in mind, these were 4 fish per day for two day tournaments. This year, teams will be allowed to keep six in the boat and weigh their best five. A ten fish limit should push the winning weight towards 60 pounds! However, it will be possible to weigh nearly 75-80 pounds if the right school of fish is found. Cashing a check in 35th place should fall around 25 pounds. Every fish will matter in this one as teams fight for qualifying points to make the Championship. It should also be mentioned, teams fishing in either the Michigan or Wisconsin waters of the bay will be allowed to fish only two rods per angler.
Trolling crankbaits offer a different approach and could produce the winning pattern. Favorite cranks include Deep Reef Runners, Shad Raps, Deep Junior Thundersticks, Deep Husky Jerks, or Deep Rattlin’ Rogues. Gander Mountain Walleye Pros Tom Keenan and Dean Arnoldussen used crankbaits to win $475,000 in a championship on the bay a few years ago. That tournament was held in October, a famously more effective time of the year to use cranks on the bay. Keep an eye out for trolling segmented leadcore with shallow-running stickbaits like Purple Prism T-sticks. Many fish have been caught suspended 40-60 feet down over deep water. The anglers surely should not leave their crankbait boxes at home!
Favorite areas or tournament hot-spots are at each end of the system. Grunwaldt believes the fish should be in transition from utilizing the forage in the lower bay, and migrating north to the cooler waters of the middle and upper bay near Door County. Out in the wastelands, fish target perch on reefs, and Alewives in the open water. He mentions Geano’s, Oconto, Larson’s, Monument, Strawberry Islands, Chambers Island, Horseshoe Reef, Green Island, and Hat Island as potential sites for the fish to key on. And these are just the spots in Wisconsin waters! Michigan has the Bays de Noc, Ford River, Cedar River, Minneapolis and Drisco Shoals. With so many spots, and so little time to fish them, teams sharing with other teams during practice will help downsize the bay. Choose to fish in the lower bay and a team faces a 45 mile run to their spot. Head north to Bay de Noc, and have your partner take a nap for the 65 miles to the northeast area of Big Bay. That’s right, big decisions that could reward those willing to fish by themselves. But, these runs come with a price. Any sort of wind and the round-trip will eat up most of a teams fishing time in hopes of returning for the 3:00 P.M. weigh-in.
So will the weather stabilize to allow maximum travel for maximum reward? Or will Ma’ Nature prevent long runs and keep anglers close to Menominee? Crawler harnesses will again dominate the bite and the winning team will convert all of their bites into fish in the boat. Early 2005 tourneys produced mammoth baskets up to 40 pounds, and the bay should not disappoint next week. The MWC should see winning weights between 60 and 70 pounds, with an outside chance for a monster 80 pound sack. With over 120 by 20 miles of water to cover, finding the right fish is the key.
Editor’s Note: John Balla is a member of the 2005 Lindy Legendary Tackle and Gander Mountain Pro Team, a 3-time MWC Championship qualifier and is fishing this years Central Division. He has fished the MWC, RCL, PWT, and other walleye tournaments. His articles have been featured in Midwest Outdoors, Fishing Facts, Walleye Central, and local suburban Chicago newspapers. He has appeared on Midwest Outdoors Television and NAFC’s Fishing Club Journal spotlighting the MWC. His sponsors include Lindy Legendary Tackle, and Gander Mountain. He can be reached at john.balla@comcast.net |
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