PWT -Change is in the Air

[Curious]

I read on "another" site that the PWT is seriously considering going to 6 tournaments total. 2 Super Pro's and 4 Regionals. Anyone have any thoughts on this one way or the other?

Anyone know when the PWT is going to finalize their details?

What will their event schedule look like now? What happens to the "tentative schedule" they emailed out a few weeks ago? Will the Regional schedule stay the same and they just drop two of the Super Pros? Anyone got any insight?

Thanks

[Burr]

I spoke with JK yesterday. Things are getting very close to final, estimate a week from today.

As far as how many tournaments, any changes to the tentative schedule, we did not discuss that, so I have no info on that.

Weeks ago, I heard a super pro first place payout number that is impressive - but like you, will just wait for the public announcement.

[Eric Schuelke]

If that rumor is true, I think it's good for the PWT. I know the super pros were going to have to fish all 8 tournaments to be able to qualify for the Angler of the year title.

With only 6 tournaments, it's just like it used to be, when they had two divisions.

There are always rumors before something comes out, I'm hoping some of them are true.

As someone that fishes the regionals, I welcome having all the super pros fishing the regionals. That way I can guage where I am competetively, and what I have to work on.

[Juls]

>With only 6 tournaments, it's just like it used to be, when
>they had two divisions.

Not exactly Eric...

Yes, there used to be two divisions, but no one was restricted to fishing less than 6, like they are doing this year.

It used to be that anyone could fish all 6 and take a shot at the "Angler of the Year" title.
If, what I heard is true,(out of the NPAA Annual Meeting), only the guys who are invited to fish the two extra Super Pro events will be eligible to take the "AOY" title.
It was also said, that the majority of anglers going to the championship would come from the Super Pros. I would imagine there will be a small percentage of anglers invited to fish the championship from the Regionals too, like there was last year, but that the majority will come from those who are allowed to fish those two extra events.

Not the same. :shame:

Juls

[wall-nut]

Hey Juls, Theresa here. Was unable to attend the NPAA meeting as planned, hear it went well. Last year they had 30 guys from the regionals go to the championship. Is that changing for this year? All I've had sent to me is the tentative schedule, this is the first that I've heard of these possible changes. I wonder how that will affect sign up for the regionals?

[Juls]

Hi Theresa,
We couldn't make it to the meeting either. I talked to several people that were able to make it though. They said it was a very productive meeting and a good time. ;)
Mark Dorn, Sonny Reynolds, and Kevin Hunt were there representing the FLW, but no one was there from the PWT organization to answer any questions.

There's no way to tell what it's going to be until they actually finalize the details and make it public. When that will happen is anyone's guess. I would imagine the sale of the magazine/PWT has probably put them pretty far behind schedule as compared to other years.

Juls

[Eric Schuelke]

Juls, we finally get to argue about something.

What I meant by the way it used to be was, they had to fish all 6 events to be in the running for angler of the year, just like it will be this year. Only the super pro's have a chance at angler of the year. You are right on that.

Theresa, they technically only took 20 from the regionals for the championship, but it turned out to be, 32nd place from the regionals made it to the championship, because 11 or 12 also made it from the super pros, it may have been 31st place. I can't remember exactly.

From what I understand, the amount of anglers going to the championship will stay the same 30 from the super pro 20 from the regionals. So possibly 50th in points in the regionals could go to the championship, assuming all 30 that make it from the super pro's also qualify from the regionals. They will keep it the same as last year, the super pro's can't block the guys from the regionals from making the championship. That is why I stated 50th place could make the championship.

It will make for a better field in the regionals, they are requiring all the super pro's to fish the regionals to qualify for angler of the year, I think that is why they cut out two tournaments, if that rumor is true, it makes it more doable for the anglers, 8 tournaments is alot of events.

The regional fields should all fill up now, possibly trying to get away from the anglers that only did one or two events. There is also a rumor on another site, that the payouts are going up, also. I sure hope that is true.

you are right that it is taking longer, because of the buyout, it should all be coming out very soon, I did talk with the PWT, and they were very tight lipped.

I for one hope the rumor is true about going to 6 events. I want the strongest field possible out there, so I can guage where I am, and what I need to work on.

[Jason Tomich]

Theresa, just a slight coreection, they only took 20 from the regional last year. It ended up being around 30th place to make it with the super pro's that had already qualified.

Jason

[Juls]

>There is also a rumor on another site, that the payouts are
>going up, also. I sure hope that is true.

You forgot to mention that the "other" site also stated that the entry fee was going up too. That's an important little tid-bit to leave out there buddy! (Ok, that's the extent of my "arguing" with you!) hehehe

Hope you've been feeling better since your surgery, and are getting stronger every day!

Good luck this season...;)

Juls

[wall-nut]

Yup, I was thinking 30 because of the guys from the Elite side that qualified from the regionals. Everyone from 60th place on up had a chance to make it, depending on Bay De Noc. Hate to hear the fees may go up though. Arg....

[Eric Schuelke]

Did I forget that little tidbit? I'm sorry.

That's all the arguing? Are you getting soft?

I can't wait to get into a boat. Actually can't wait to do anything normal again, only so many soap operas to watch during the day. I don't know how anybody can watch those things.

Good luck to you and Rick

[Mike K.]

Actually - everyone from 68th on up had a chance since that is where I was going into Bay de Noc :) (though they only took pictures of everyone down to 60th at the rules meeting). Got lucky and had a good spot for fish so I was the "bubble guy". Had a blast and enjoyed every minute of Bismarck!!

[Mike K.]

Actually - everyone from 68th on up had a chance since that is where I was going into Bay de Noc :) (though they only took pictures of everyone down to 60th at the rules meeting). Got lucky and had a good spot for fish so I was the "bubble guy". Had a blast and enjoyed every minute of Bismarck!!

[Eric Schuelke]

Mike,you had a heck of a tourney at Bay de noc, congrats on making the jump to the championship.

Quick question, I saw that you went to Ranger, I believe, are you going to the FLW, or are you staying with the PWT? Just wondering

[Eric Schuelke]

Mike,you had a heck of a tourney at Bay de noc, congrats on making the jump to the championship.

Quick question, I saw that you went to Ranger, I believe, are you going to the FLW, or are you staying with the PWT? Just wondering

[Mike K.]

Both, if I can, will be limited this year with time off though.

[Mike K.]

Both, if I can, will be limited this year with time off though.

[walleyeguide]

I want to know why the pwt would have two tournaments in april we get 8 months to fish and the pwt puts two in april does this make any sense to anyone else

[catch and release]

I wonder, with all the new regs regarding catch and release tourney's being held after June, makes some states a 3 month season. Of course you have other states that will allow it, but that has to have some kind of impact on when tourneys are held.

[Gary Korsgaden]

From my perspective the "only" reason to have catch and release tournaments is it is the politically correct thing to do. We fight wars on the grounds of political correctness. We punish criminals based on political correctness. Tournaments are scheduled, politically correct to have the least amount of impact on the "recreational fisherman" this helps squelch complaining by those that either don't particpate in tournaments or those that want something to complain about. "biologically" tournaments have little negative effects on the resource. It becomes or we have made it a social issue.

[Amen]

Gary,

You are corrent. After dealing with dozens of biologists for years regarding this they've all come to the same conclusion. Professional tournaments have almost zero negative impact on fisheries.

Plus, when the pros are there, fishing with legal methods, and legally licemnsed they are legally within their rights to keep a limit of legal fish each day.

PC garbage has hamstrung this nation at all levels.

[Gary Korsgaden]

I sometimes think we have lost focus on why we hunt and fish, for food. Personally, I have a hard time justifying taking fish or game unless I can consume it. Todays fishing shows puts the attention on catching fish for other reasons, business marketing has changed this. Competition is just a different reasons some fish. However, I feel it unfortunate if fish and game is wasted, which sometimes can't be helped in catch and release tournaments. But in any type of harvest we implement there is bound to be some waste I guess, my rationalization of the harvest. The politically correct want you to believe that it is wrong to filet a 20" plus walleye, have we gone too far in this regard?

[Fish_on]

I think only one of the many reasons we hunt and fish is for food. However, it used to be the most important reason, but for many it is no longer a significant reason. Even our bilogists are changing the way they manage wildlife, particularly fish. Wildlife used to be managed for maximum sustainable yield. Meaning wildlife was harvested with an eye on getting the most out of it without damaging the future of it. Things so important in the past such as "habitat carrying capacity" and stewardship of a "renewable resource" have been replaced by "a fish is too valuable to be caught only once" and "cultural carrying capacity", and that's where the political correctness comes in. We have gone from a conservation ethic to a protectionist ethic without knowing it. And that in my opinion plays right into the hands of the anti-tournament people and the animal rights fanatics.

It is my opinion, but I suppose not a popular one, that walleye tournaments from the beginning should have never been catch & release. If we began walleye tournaments by harvesting the fish, then the burden of proof would be on the biologists to prove that we were or were not harming the fisheries with a tournament, rather than the tournament organizations and anglers constantly having to defend themselves. We have set up a situation where we really cannot win the PR battle when our own people say we shouldn't be having tournaments during the summer because too many fish are dying, when if we were filetting all of them, they would be going to good use.

I could go on and on about this in more detail but this post isn't the place and I will not hijack it with controversy.