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FLW Walleye Tour Anglers Expect Tough Bite on the First Day of the Evinrude Spnsored Event in Oshkosh, WI
The morning started out with temps in the 70's, winds out of the West-SouthWest, and a few sprinkles of rain. A chance of showers and thunderstorms is due to move out and be gone by the time this article is uploaded. The 106 Pros and Cos competing in the FLW WAlleye Tour event here on Lake Winnebago should have a pretty decent day of fishing today, but the bite is expected to be a little tougher than it has been for the last few local tournaments like the Mercury Nationals and the Otter Street
The tournament covers the Lake Winnebago "chain", which consists of Lake Winnebago, Lake Butt de Morts, Lake Winniconnie, and Lake Poygan. While the Wolf River connects to Poygan, and is the hot spot during the Spring Walleye run, it's the Fox River that "chains" all the lakes together down below.
In the Spring, it's the upper lakes that are usually the hot bite, but this week, we can expect to see the most limits, and bigger fish taken, from Lake Winnebago. The massive mud flats hold suspended Walleye during the hot months, because that's where the majority of their forage base is.
Pros will be using different techniques, and equipment, this week to catch their fish. And, from what I am hearing, the crankbait bite is pretty active, but the fish are a little smaller than what can be caught using spinners. The problem is, the spinner bite is very slow, and hit or miss. If you can get on an active pod of fish with spinners or crawler harnesses each day, it's a good bet that that person will probably win the event. We won't be able to ask the Pros what they are using, exactly, until the last day.
I spoke with a handful of Pros last night at the rules meeting, and this morning at the take off, and they shared a few of their thoughts about their prefishing and what they expect the next few days, and here is what they had to say:
 Tom Keenan: The fishing's been tough. I don't know if you've talked to other people, but I'm sure everyone is saying that. The Merc National and the Otter Street had great tournaments and they caught a lot of fish. That tells you that there are fish in the system, but it's been tough right now. It really and truly is.
I'd be willing to bet that 12 to 13 pounds a day will probably come very close to making a top ten. Guys are telling me that it's 15 or 16 pounds...and, if they're catching that much, I'll be surprised, because I have not seen those fish. I'll be happy...I'll tell you what...if I put 5 fish in my livewell over 18 inches tomorrow...Mr. Keenan's going to be a happy man! (laughs)
I think if you can do it three days in a row, and get lucky one or two of those days, and catch that one extra fish, you've got a good chance to win this tournament.
There's some good fishermen out there...I mean, Matt Jacobson and Jimmy Hughes are local legends, and they're going to catch some fish, so I just hope to go out and get 5 over 18 and hope to be there in the top ten again on the last day.
 Joe Whitten: What I'm hoping for, is to catch 5 fish. Early on during prefishing, the first day, I had a pretty good day. Unfortunately, with the weather and what's happening...the wind is going to blow WSW, then turn West for the next couple of days, ah...we're looking at gusts over 30mph, so unfortunately I had two or three spots that there's no way I can fish it. I can't even get there. The good thing though is, I knew well in advance, so hopefully I can put something together on the West side.
 Dan Stier: Prefishing's been pretty decent. We've been catching a lot of fish...not the right ones...I think the key to doing really well here is catching fish over 20 inches. The bite has kind of gotten worse and worse for me everyday, but I've been fishing different areas, so...(he changes thoughts midstream and continues). You have to have 12-15 pounds a day to have a shot at the top ten. If you happen to hit the right pocket of fish, it'll happen...hit that right pocket of fish at the right time and it could be the factor.
 Brett King: I rolled into town late of Friday. I did a little family vacation in between tournaments. I got out a little bit on Friday, and actually touched a nice fish within the first three minutes of being on the water (he starting to laugh) and it's gone downhill since. I don't really know what to expect here. I'm catching some fish, but for the most part they've been pretty small.
Rumor on the street is the bite is pretty tough, but I know someone is going to have it put together, so someone will bring in some good fish.
I'm just going to, you know...go out and try to get my five fish tomorrow. I've got Bismarck to think about. I've got to at least get a limit of fish and get those valuable points...We'll see. You know, we've caught some decent fish...some 21 1/2's, but not with any kind of consistancy though. I've been trying to leave those fish alone, because they seem to be so few and far between.
I really don't know what to expect. The last few tournaments, my prefishings been kinf of up in the air too, and it's all worked out favorably, so hopefully I can put something together, like they've been coming, and do well in this one too.
 Mark Courts: Prefishing's been tough, and it's been tough for everybody. You'll get them one day, but you won't get them the next. So, fish are really moving around and it's that transition period. The water is starting to warm back up. When we got here it was 8 to 9 degrees warmer and it cooled off about a week and a half ago...(I ask what the water temp is now)...it's about 75 degrees right now. It's starting to warm up again and I think it's going to be a good tournament.
I think if the wind stays and we don't get any of those really calm days, I think it will be good.
 Eric Olson: Prefishing has been less than stellar. It hasn't been good. We've been struggling quite a bit...we can find some spots with fish...the mud is obviously been off so that makes it tough. We are dealing with changing conditions in the water we've had...everything thrown at us that you can possibly find. There's deep fish and shallow fish, and right now I just made a tactical decision change. I'm going to go for my other small fish first and then I'll go to the mud and fish for my kickers.
The weigh in will be starting at 3PM Central Time. The weigh in is being held on the property of the Pioneer Inn, right at the mouth of the Fox River in Oshkosh, so if you're looking for something to do this afternoon, head on down and cheer on your favorite competitors as they cross the stage. Chat with them while they tie off to the walls and docks in the harbor, and find out some great fishing tips! The Pioneer is closed now, so there is plenty of parking! ;)
If you can't make it down to the weigh in, you can watch the coverage here on Walleye Central's Live Leader Board at www.liveleaderboard.com.
Hope to see you all there!
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