| |  This week 37 teams of walleye fishermen from nine states will be competing in Prairie du Chien, WI in the MWC World Walleye Championship. First place is $25,000, plus sponsor contingencies.
Long time MWC veterans and brothers Dan and Steve Bodinger will be competing on Pools 9 & 10 of the Mississippi River for the fourth time. “This is the lowest I’ve ever seen it,” said Dan. While occasional showers are expected before the tournament, it shouldn’t be enough to bring up the water levels.
According to Dan, you can expect to see just about every type of presentation presented to the walleyes this week, from hand lining, to trolling three-ways with Phelps floaters or cranks, to pitching wing dams. “The warm weather and lack of current has the fish scattered,” he said. “They really aren’t holding in specific area and they aren’t biting.”
He expects that to change later this week when the temperatures start to drop. “They should start to gather in certain areas and turn the feed bag on.”
The tournament starts on Thursday, with boats taking off from the Winneshiek Marina at 8am and returning at 4pm. Each team is allowed to weigh five fish 15 inches or over. If a fish less than 15 inches is brought to the scales, the team will be disqualified since a state violation has occurred. Culling is not allowed, but teams may put up to ten walleyes in the livewell. Weigh-in will be held at the marina.
For the Bodinger brothers, who finished in second place five years ago at a championship here, a daily weight of 12-15 pounds would be ideal. “We would be really happy with that,” said Dan.
Join us at Walleye Central Thursday, Friday and Saturday for coverage of the three day event.
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