In-Fisherman PWT Announces 2008 Details
Category: Tournament
Feb 14th, 2008 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Feb 14th, 2008 at 12:00 AM
The In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail will venture north of the border to Dryden, Ontario, again this season. Fishing Lake Wabigoon, the top Canadian pros will be matched against those from the United States to fish the first artificials-only major walleye tournament in North America. Pro John Butts, who lives in Dryden, and is a previous PWT winner, is the Canadian team captain. The 2007 Angler of the Year, Gary Parsons, Glidden, Wisconsin, will captain the US team. Each captain will select his 25-member team. They will be among the elite pro anglers in the walleye-fishing world from across the United States and Canada.Once named, the team members will be profiled on the PWT and other web sites. They will comply with PWT rules, and during the Can-Am they will be paired with amateurs/co-anglers, in the standard PWT pro-am format. Dates are Aug. 13-15. The PWT season kicks off with the Mercury Championship May 16-18, in Bay City, Michigan. The top 50 qualifiers from 2007 will compete. Many festival-like activities are set, including a Sport Show, in Bay Citys Veterans Park.The four Regional Pro-Am tournaments, presented by Minn Kota, follow with a cash payday that could reach $65,000 for the winners and over $210,000 for each event. Famed Lake Oahe at Mobridge, SD, will open the season May 28-30. The peak walleye population in nearly a decade exists on Oahe. Quality and quantity are the rule, and this spring will produce the best fishing in a long time, said resident fishing guide Denny Palmer.The tour moves south to Bull Shoals, Arkansas June 25-27, with stellar reservoir fishing, rated by Parsons as the best tournament walleye water hes fished in many years. The PWT pros discovered amazing walleye action during their past excursions on this Arkansas-Missouri border water. Walleye anglers have been extending their seasons into September and October. Now, amateurs/co-anglers will be able to learn the secrets of the pros at Sault Ste., Marie, Michigan, Sept. 11-13, and at Hudson, Wisconsin, Oct. 16-18.Both sites offer peak walleye bites, said Jim Kalkofen, PWT executive director. On the St. Marys River in the Upper Peninsula, resident fish go on a fall feeding frenzy, and are joined by thousands of Lake Huron fish crowding into the river at that time, also. At Hudson, anglers will fish shallow to deep on the St. Croix River during the best bite of the year. Walleyes and saugers will be targeted. These two late-season tournaments feature community festivals.The pros fishing the four Pro-Am events will be competing for Angler-of-the-Year honors which will recognize the angler with the best and most consistent performance over the course of the season. The coveted PWT Angler-of-the-Year trophy comes with a $25,000 cash prize.Topping the season will be the PWT Championship for 2008. The top 50 anglers from the four qualifying Pro-Am events will battle in this one day shootout that guarantees the winner a $50,000 cash prize. The Championship will immediately follow the final Pro-Am at Hudson meaning over $300,000 in cash will be awarded to the nations top walleye anglers that week.Thanks to the sponsors that continue to support the PWT, Kalkofen added. They have allowed us to put over $1,200,000 in cash up for grabs in 2008 in what is sure to be one of the most exciting seasons ever. Register now! Pro and amateur contestants may also download entry blanks from the site. PWT payouts and contingencies will be posted on the PWT web site, www.professionalwalleyetrail.com. The PWT answer-line is 218-824-2542.The Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) is an integral component of the In-Fisherman Communications Network, an InterMedia Outdoors company. InterMedia Outdoors is the worlds leading producer of fishing, hunting, and shooting content with 17 category-leading magazines, 11 top-rated television series, four syndicated radio programs, and the most visited network of websites in the entire outdoors.Listen to the 2.14.2008 Audio Interview with Jim Kalkofen