wild guide : walleye tournaments
“ I was fairly terrified at my first tournament ,” says Karen Watt . The event was the Cape Coppermine walleye tournament at Lac du Bonnet , Man ., in June , 2015 . She entered the event as part of a two-person team , with her husband Mike .
“ I went in with no expectations other than to not totally embarrass myself ,” she laughs .
From the outside looking in , walleye tournaments can look intimidating . Postevent stories are full of grit , guts and an almost god-like ability to connect with trophy fish .
But stories are just stories . Most competitive walleye anglers describe the experience as one filled with excitement , encouragement and learning opportunities .
“ We met some amazing people who helped us with the process ,” says Mike Watt . “ Tournament fishing has helped me in so many ways . I have learned some great new techniques , discovered new sonar technology for studying structure and have learned to pay attention to the wind .”
Make no mistake , fishing tournaments are very real competitions . But they are as much about fun and friendship as they are about winning . Karen Watt says that it ’ s an experience every walleye angler can gain from -- and it ’ s easier to start than you may think .
“ It ’ s very normal to be nervous . But once you try it , the fun , adventure and learning far outweigh the nerves .”
23 Wild Guide . Summer 2017
Karen Watt with a walleye caught at Lake of the Woods
WHAT ’ S TO GAIN ? Fishing in tournaments will improve your overall abilities for two main reasons . They will push you to grow your skills and learn new techniques . And they will put you in the field with a variety of anglers you can learn from ; people who have perfected different walleye techniques , which you may not otherwise have the chance to observe in realtime situations .
“ Tournaments give me , a newbie angler , an opportunity to fish against some of the best anglers in North America ,” says Mike Watt . “ It ’ s the only place that happens .”
Newbies should be ready to learn before even wetting a line . Tournament anglers have launching and loading down to a science , and are quick to help “ the new guy ” navigate the process with precision . 25 boats down one ramp in an hour ? No problem . And it may change the way you launch forever .
Blast-off is the term often used to describe the official start time of the tournament . Trickle starts release one boat at a time , while shotgun starts send multiple boats out at once . Either way , it will challenge you to drive smarter , as you take part in a churnedup race to your first spot .
Don ’ t be surprised when other boats pull up on the same area as you . At some events , they can stack up by the dozen . Those “ community spots ” are popular for a reason , and many people around are likely catching walleye . Between your own catches , you may have the opportunity to watch other anglers and ask questions about presentations , tournament etiquette and boat control .
Be ready for challenges you may not have thought much about before , like slot sizes . Then , it ’ s not only about finding the right species of fish , but targeting certain sizes and not wasting your time on others . You may hear those non-qualifying fish called names like “ red zones .” They are regarded as a curse , and can break your heart if they are a hair too short to count .
Learning to handle fish is another thing . If you join a weigh-in tournament , caring for the walleye in your livewell is everything . Tournament anglers must take their liverelease responsibility seriously . If instead you have found a catch-photo-release ( known as C . P . R .) tournament , learning how to measure and record fish correctly is just as important as catching them .
More than anything , the biggest take-away an angler can gain from competitive fishing is the ability to adapt .