As everyone knows, these are trying times in our great country, and it seems that everywhere we turn we see or hear depressing news. The government is flawed, the economy is in the dumps, drug wars on the border, it’s raining, it’s snowing, and walleye tournaments are done. Admittedly times could be better, but not all is gloom and doom and the sun will most likely rise again tomorrow! So that being said, let’s look at the world of walleye tournaments, and at least reflect where we stand from a realistic point of view right now, and project a bit to what the future can be. This is a mini blog that pertains to the relatively new Anglers Insight Marketing (AIM) Pro Walleye Series tournament tour.

Let’s start a little over two years ago. AIM was not in existence. As most of you know this was a business started and owned by anglers. Some were hard-core tournament types, while others just had a desire to see this sport take a turn in the right direction. The overall desire of this organization is to get walleye tournaments headed down the right path, one of having fun, having fair competition, fair payouts, and growth, while doing as much as possible to respect our favorite fish (walleyes of course), and show case anglers, sponsors, and the sport. During this time frame I’d like to recap what has been done.

AIM started the Catch, Record, and Release (CRR) ideology as it pertains to a major circuit. This was highly criticized at first, but after fishing this format for a year now, it has to be considered one of the most fair, and fun ways to run an event. CRR allows for 7 fish to be counted, without the worry of slot limits, or “no cull” restrictions. The result of this format has made AIM tournaments more exciting, and dramatic. More so than any events that we’ve previously had in the past… as major comebacks, huge weights, and more skill with a reduction of luck are all part of every competition! Ask any angler who has fished an AIM event, and they will tell you that these events have been the most fun they’ve had in years and the way of the future. The weigh in process was a challenge. However, with much hard work from our truly talented technical team, AIM weigh ins (with all of the great video and big fish photos on stage) have been every bit as entertaining as when actual fish had been brought to the stage. And with this format, the fans actually can see all of the big fish that were caught, even when they were in the slot size category. These fish would have never been viewed by the public with previous formats. In addition, CRR has made a positive impact with local fisheries managers, lake associations, and host communities, because of a virtual lack of fish mortality.

There is no doubt that the economy has taken its toll on many tournament anglers, and their ability to compete in events. All events saw a decrease in participants last year, and there is no sugar coating that fact. AIM would have loved to see more anglers in each event last year, as would have all tournament circuits (many bass circuits included). Fortunately many of the most recognized anglers in the sport fished the AIM tour, and the tournaments had lively, hard hitting and exciting competition with some real eye opening results- like the discovery of just how good the Saginaw river system is for fish (after twenty years of tournaments where the bay was thought to be the only place to win an event), and Todd Riley’s unbelievable catch on Lake Winnibigoshish! Wow, what a catch! Co-Anglers had a blast, and events were exciting. But over the course of the year it became very obvious that to maintain decent paybacks (even when paying back 100 plus percent of the entry fees) that a different methodology of payback had to be initiated so competing anglers could better cover their expenses. Historically, high paying first place paychecks have been the norm. Subsequent placing paybacks for lower places had huge reductions, and many anglers had to go home without covering their expenses. Last October, AIM called a meeting of all of their anglers to discuss the state of their business. Collectively, the anglers decided on a payback schedule with a reduced first place, but much better payback down the list so that the last money finish would allow the angler to cover their entry fees and expenses. Now, if you cash a check, you’ll at the very least break even, with most anglers making money. Instead of taking a top spot to break even as in the past, the new AIM break point goes significantly down the list so more anglers can make a go of it. Field size is not as much of a factor, and even if the economy limits angler participation, payouts will be good. The coolest thing about this is that the anglers chose to go this route, and after all they are the customers as much as the sponsors are! Word seems to be getting out about these paybacks as right now the AIM office has as many anglers, or more, signed up for each tournament as we had fish each event last year… with literally a month and a half before the first event in Saginaw!

AIM also looks at sponsors a little differently than other previous tournaments. Anglers can wear any logo on their jerseys and represent any sponsor that they want. No restrictions, like a true professional sport. Fishing oriented sponsoring companies do not have huge sponsor fees, and are not allowed to have exclusivity. Because it is affordable to be part of AIM, they are encouraged to showcase their products though their sponsored anglers and the quality and fish catching capabilities of their product line. Companies like Lund boats, Crestliner boats, and Mercury outboards (along with others) have already shown confidence in their pro staffs and strength of their products to be part of the AIM circuit, while at the same time encouraging other companies to join them in supporting the growth of walleye tournaments as a true competing sport! The AIM organization is working hard to bring on more companies like these, in an affordable way, to help take this sport into the future.

This year AIM is proud to offer a special event in Brimley, MI with the support and fantastic help from the Bay Mills Casino who is supporting this event with a huge increase in the cash payback for the anglers that are competing in the tournament. The payback in this invitational event is well in excess of the usual 100 percent that is usually paid.

The newest news is the groundbreaking partnership with the state of South Dakota. AIM anglers are working hand in hand with South Dakota to showcase their fantastic fishing and outdoors opportunities; and the South Dakota Walleye Classic and Festival is the center of attention! With the help of the AIM anglers South Dakota would like to see this event become the “Sturgis” of the outdoors world, and after participating in this unbelievable event last year I’d say they are well on their way. This was the most fun event that I’ve attended in 10 years and should truly become a yearly destination on any outdoorsman’s calendar. There will be three AIM anglers that are sponsored by the state, including fully wrapped boats, along with their presence at various travel and sportshows during the year. Fifty of AIM’s anglers will be sporting South Dakota logos on their vehicles, boats, and jerseys and many will also be helping with the various shows, and with a special Pro-Celebrity tournament right after the Akaska event. These anglers will be directly benefiting in this partnership by having a greatly reduced entry fee at the South Dakota Walleye Classic and Festival/AIM event, therefore again, cutting some of the angler cost and increasing the percentage payback! This has never been done in the history of walleye tournaments, and we applaud the State of South Dakota for working with the AIM group!

If all of this isn’t enough, the JJ Keller Fishing team has also just announced their partnership with the AIM Pro Walleye Series, and will be sponsoring a $10,000 award to the AIM Angler of the Year! Because of this new addition in sponsor prizes, AIM will be returning to a 50% cut in the Pro Field on the last day instead of the original plans of a tougher cut. The reason for this is so that anglers can have a better chance of improving their standings in the Angler of the Year race and the ranking for the 2011 Brimley invitational event. The anglers expressed a desire to have more anglers compete on the last day and AIM responded! The additional good news is that 50% of the co-anglers will now be able to fish on the last day also. In addition, the JJ Keller Foundation will offer a total of $25,000 dollars ($5000 per community) for local charities as a way to give back to these communities that have been so supportive of fishing and the AIM tour! Just imagine as an example; now a local charity could go out into the community and ask for pledges… say for instance, twenty five cents per pound for the winning AIM weight, and any money that they raise for the charity up to $5000 will be matched by the JJ Keller Foundation! Wow, we’ve never seen anything like this in walleye fishing! This is the type of thing that big time sports venues would do in a community! And on top of all of this, the Keller Fishing team, through Brian Keller’s PK Media is supplying additional help to our already powerful media team to increase the amount of online video coverage that AIM already has in place.

During all of this, the grass roots tournament anglers are not forgotten and in fact are an extremely important part of this new AIM movement. We have an affiliation with close to 100 various tours, large stand-alone events, and fishing clubs, all which hold tournaments during the course of the fishing season. Already close to 100 clubs in the course of only one year! As many of you know, the Teams of the Year from many of these fine tours where invited to the AIM championship last year. This year we are going to ratchet it up a notch, but that’s news for another press release to be announced soon!

As you can see, the walleye tournament world is not dead, it just needed to have a new direction, and I would hope that all of you would agree, that this has been a fun and interesting two years, and that perhaps the future can indeed be bright. I would encourage all of you to participate in the AIM events. Enter as a Pro. Enter as a Co. Or come, watch a weigh in and see what we’re all about. I don’t think that you’ll be disappointed!

Gary Parsons

My last piece titled Angler Disconnect apparently got a lot of people thinking about tournament fishing because it generated a lot of emails.  Several of the emails were asking how do we make tournament fishing more exciting?  How do we increase the interest in walleye fishing in order to make the sport grow?  I actually get those questions a lot and while it may seem like a tough answer, it really is not in my opinion.

There is no doubt there is a huge interest in Reality TV.  Tournament fishing is actually reality TV at its best, it just is not being presented in that fashion.  Under the current and previous TV Tournament format, which for 2010 will be non-existent, shows focused on the Finale.  I liken previous tournament TV coverage to the final show of the Bachelor, Dancing With the Stars or American Idol, albeit not as popular.  You get a quick recap and then see who wins.  The problem with this format in fishing is as a viewer you didn't get the time to become vested in the process or the contestants.  Lets face it Reality Shows get huge ratings on their FINALE show because over the coarse of time, we as viewers have watched and become familiar with the cast.  We have our favorites and ones we are pulling for.  We have taken interest in the process, even if the process is not really that interesting to start with.  On the contrary, the Finale of a Reality TV show is not very interesting if you haven't watched previous shows and therefor don't know the people in the finals.  Same holds true for walleye fishing.

So what am I really getting at?  It is hard to have an interest in walleye fishing if you don't know who the contestants are.  It is hard to have a vested interest in someone when you have never seen them perform.  The current model in fishing is failing because we have gotten away from promoting and focusing on the anglers.  I can accept the fact that very few people know who Scott Steil is despite competing at the professional level for 6 years with moderate success.  Why is this?  The main reason is the fact anglers have not been given the platform to showcase themselves.  The second reason is the fact that when anglers are given a chance, they don't utilize the opportunity and the end product seems lifeless, far from the excitement of reality TV.  We can all do better!

So, where do we go now?  We utilize the technology available to bring the spotlight back to the anglers. We show the angler live on the water catching fish, losing fish, battling 7 foot waves.  We show the thoughts and decision making that takes place on the water; the highs and lows and how the angler deals with both.  That is REALITY and what people want to see.  We need to bring the focus back to the REALITY portion of fishing where the audience can see just who the real "characters" are in this business.  I know as sponsors read this they may be saying, what about us?  The truth is if a sponsored angler excels, sponsors are rewarded with increased media and coverage of that angler and it is a win win for all.

Times have changed, the industry has changed and so has technology.  The best way to move forward is admit the current model is not working and adjust.  AIM started some very exciting things last year with the way they covered their tournaments and it is a start in the right direction.  A lot has to be done yet to build on those positive things and in the end we need to remember that if the audience can "connect" with an angler the sponsors, anglers and circuits all benefit with a bigger audience and renewed interest in a great sport.

It is no secret that the fishing industry is struggling.  Obviously it is much bigger than that, as the fishing industry is just seeing the trickle down effect of a poor economy.  When families don't have discretionary income to spend on their wants, the first thing to fall by the wayside is recreational spending.  But, besides the poor economy, the fishing industry and us anglers have been particularly hurt by a much bigger problem.  Part of the problem is apathy and the other is letting others take care of "things" for us.

If I go back to my college years when I would work the summers up on Lake of the Woods, I can remember how exciting it was for the PWT to come to town.  For a young guy, it was great to see all the different boats, motors and equipment the Pros were using as well as how good these guys really were.  Faced with tough conditions, the fish they could produce was always impressive. 

So, why do I bring up those years?  Because back when walleye fishing was gaining momentum it was up to each and every pro to go out and obtain their sponsors, and they did this with hard work.  Those pros worked very hard to land sponsor deals that allowed them to fish the "tour".  These anglers used their connections inside and outside the industry to introduce many NEW companies to the sport of competitive fishing, of which, several are still around today.  Back then professionals established a relationship with a company and in return worked hard for that company promoting its product and making appearances.  As a result, for many of us, these anglers became household names.

So, lets fast-forward to today.  My issue today is that their is a huge Angler Disconnect in our sport.  The focus has now moved from the angler to the product.  As the sport of competitive fishing grew and particularly with the introduction of the FLW, the sport changed.  We as anglers became apathetic and allowed the circuits to land the sponsors and in turn, received sponsorship from these companies that were already vested in the circuit we were fishing.  Remember, in years past it was the anglers who brought "their" sponsors to  the circuit and now the circuit is bringing "their" sponsors to us.  There is no doubt the model has changed but it does not have to be a bad thing.

For the sport we all love and are so passionate about to grow we as anglers need to take back the reins to some extent.  There has to be some balance in this game.  While circuit sponsors are vital and required for the sport to grow we as anglers need to get back to knocking on doors and bringing new sponsors into the sport.  In tough economic times we as anglers need to support the circuits but we also need to support ourselves.  While circuit sponsors are a piece of the puzzle, they are not the finished product.  We need to get out there and find sponsors that are willing to back "us" because in the end there is no circuit without "us", we are the product.

So what is this rant all about?  Well, instead of complaining about the industry, get out there and do something about it.  As an angler, if you rely solely on the sponsors of a circuit, you have to be prepared that they may not be there tomorrow.  The key to success is getting out and finding companies that are willing to back you and in return, you work very hard for them, just as they did many years ago.  If you control the relationship with a sponsor, you are more likely to continue that relationship and sponsorship.  For the sport to grow, we all need sponsorship, both circuits and the anglers.  The anglers that can find a balance between both will thrive in these tough economic times as long as they have some control over that relationship.

Another Eelpout festival has come and gone and being a second year veteran of Eel pout I thought I new better what to expect.  However, once again I was amazed at the creativity some people have.  If you can pull it behind a snowmobile or drive it on the ice, you most likely saw it this past weekend on Leech Lake in Walker.  But, in the end it all comes down to getting together with friends for a great weekend.

I had some personal highlights from the weekend but almost all of them include lots of laughs with some good friends.  One thing that was really impressive was the Ice Bar at the Chase on the Lake Bar.  The Chase puts out a tent bar and really outdid there selves this year.  I can't imagine how much time it took to do, but you really had to see it to believe it.

Also impressive was the Ranger Boat floating in the water.  Ok I am not exactly sure how the boat got in the water, as it was in by the time I got there, but that was pretty cool to see.  I can honestly say I have never seen a boat sitting in the water at an Ice event but seeing that Ranger on the water really made me want to get mine out and fish some open water.

So back to our Camp. This year there was a much larger crew at our Camp.  I have to use the term "our" camp lightly because this is one of the few outings I go on in a year where I don't do any of the planning.  The credit for our camp goes to Matt Grow and Kelli (soon to be Grow) who put a lot of work into making Eel pout a great event for our camp each year.  Well there are many others who deserve thanks also like Roger and Ashley, Lori and Craig, Charlie Walker Construction and all the other people that help set up and clean up. Like I said, I am fortunate to be part of the camp as all the hard work was done by the time I got there.

If you have never been to Eel pout, you may ask what is it really like.  I kept asking people  this weekend how would you describe this to someone who has never been there.  I guess the best description is a country music festival on ice, minus the country music.  OK, maybe it is more like the camping at a country music festival.  Lots of individual parties going on in individual "camps"  which cover the ice is some semblance of order.  There is actually a main street and then side streets, some cul-de-sacs and then some people who choose to keep their camp well distanced from main group which tend to yield better sleep.

Speaking of sleep, well when you come home from Eelpout you can expect to be a little tired or at least I tend to be a little tired.  Oh, did I mention that Matt tends to go up a day early and make sure our camp in not only on Main Street but at the center of Main Street.  Needless to say, the music stays on late and thus the lack of sleep.  One thing I find really interesting is that it may be Very loud at 3 AM but other then the hum of generators it is extremely quiet at 9AM.  This year I found that staying up late and sleeping in yielded the best sleep, so I made a mental note of that for next year.

Well that is the Eel Pout update for 2010.  I am already looking forward to 2011!

I am very fortunate to get to spend a lot of time on the water, whether that be frozen or open water.  While fishing I often reflect back on how the sport has changed over the years and what changes still need to be made.  I still enjoy eating a meal of fish and do quite often, I also know the importance of conservation efforts to keep the sport growing.  Most of us take our resources for granted and don't realize that we can all do a part to keep the sport of fishing and competitive fishing alive.

Recently, I was elected to the board of AIM.  AIM or Anglers Insight Marketing is a professional walleye tournament organization that is trying to merge the sport of competitive walleye angling and conservation.  AIM's new CRR or Catch, Record, Release format is a perfect example of what anglers can do to ensure their sport  not only survives but thrives.  While fish kill during a professional tournament is usually minimal and far less than that from recreational anglers, it is the perception that professionals are going out and killing fish that is the problem.  The new CRR format AIM has put in place is one example of Professional Fisherman getting together and doing the right thing in the name of conservation and the future of the sport.

While visiting the Costa Store the other day online I came across this VIDEO online.  The video is well put together and talks about the country of Belize and how they are facing some of the exact problems we are facing here in the United States with development of Lake Shore, loss of fish habitat and the effects of over-harvest of certain species.  While I have never been to Belize, I thought it was interesting after watching the video how they face many of the same problems we do here.  No matter where you live, conservation efforts are crucial to maintaining a sustainable fish populations.

These two examples of conservation could not be farther apart geographically, but essentially have the same goal in mind.  The idea of conservation is to not only leave something behind for future generations to enjoy but to leave them better than they were.  We all need to do our part toward conservation as it is not something that can be done occasionally, it is a way or life. 

If you have not read the recent press releases, you may not know that I was elected to fill  the seat on the AIM (Anglers Insight Marketing) Board of Directors that was tragically vacated by the sudden death of Dave Anderson.  Obviously stepping in midterm is not easy but I vow to do my best to help move AIM forward as we continue to grow.  I am really looking forward to the challenges ahead.

If you are not familiar with AIM I suggest you take a look at the AIM website and become familiar.  AIM is an angler owned circuit, which simply means the entire company is owned by the anglers they represent.  The fisherman that fish the AIM Pro Walleye Tour are made up of both owners and non-owners and represent some of the best in the business.

What is really unique about AIM is their Trademarked Catch-Record-Release format which is explained in more detail HERE  Essentially the Catch-Record-Release format allows the AIM circuit to fish anybody of water, even when that particular lake has strict harvest slot.  With the Catch-Record-Release format fans get to see just how nice of fish are in the lake and truly the best fisherman wins a the end of the day.  What I mean by that is that it sometimes takes more luck than skill to catch fish in a specific slot and with AIM everyone is after the biggest walleye in the system.

If you are not familiar with AIM, I suggest you take some time to read about the exciting things they are doing.  I am honored to be part of the Board of Directors and welcome ANY feedback anyone has in order to make AIM better.  The only way to continue to improve is to listen to others feedback and I am all ears!

Yes, I love to eat fish.  I am fortunate enough to be able to fish a lot.  I release most of the fish I catch but don't get me wrong, I keep a good meal whenever possible.  Last night I was REALLY hungry for fish and like normal, there was none in the freezer.  So, I grabbed the minimal gear and off I went to find a nice meal of Bluegill.  Usually that doesn't mean I have to travel very far and I didn't.

After a 5 minute drive to a lake very near my house I set out on foot with the auger, my Humminbird ICE 55 and a tiny box of Custom Jigs and Spins, an ice rod and some wax worms.  I had not been on this lake yet this year and apparently no one else had either.  I started drilling holes on a weedline that I know very well from summer fishing.  I drilled out the deep water and then up into the shallow weeds and started at it.  We had very little snow up until this morning so getting around was easy and it didn't take long for the gills to show up and they were feeding shallow

I started off with the White Tiger Gill Pill.  OK, that is not the real name, but that is what I have been calling it for the last 3 years because it is deadly.  It has been my goto lure for years and rarely lets me down in clear lakes.  It did not disappoint as the gills were on a tear with the incoming weather.  I easily caught a nice limit for dinner.

This is my third time fishing Bluegill this year and I have yet to change jigs.  From Leech Lake to Park Rapids to my home lakes, that little jig keeps putting fish on the ice. You can check them out right here:

http://www.customjigsandspins.com/icefishing/gill_pill.html

The real name of the one I use is White/Black but White Tiger sounds better in my opinion and when I say White Tiger, everyone that fishes with me knows exactly what I am talking about. 

It was a great  night fishing and I easily caught a nice limit of fish that tasted excellent.  I am not sure if anyone noticed when I mentioned the gear I brought with but I never listed a bucket, DOAH!  Yep, I forgot my bucket next to the truck when I left home and ended up filling the pockets on my SNOSUIT with fish to carry them home.  I guess I better put that is the washing machine today before the smell takes over the house.  It is still early season and forgetting important things like a bucket to put your fish in happens!  With this Christmas snow storm it may be a couple days before I get out, but I have plenty to do to prepare for the next trip.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Yes, it has been pretty quiet around here lately.  But, that doesn't mean I haven't been up to anything.  November is deer hunting time for me and that means most of my free time is spent in the woods trying to down a trophy buck.  It has been a long season with many highs and lows so far.

I started bowhunting hard the week before the MN gun season.  That week was good for deer activity but I wasn't seeing much for shooter bucks.  As the gun season approached so did the buck activity and I was fortunate enough to have several encounters with shooter size bucks along with several 120-130 inch deer.  However, the two particular bucks I was after seemed to allude me but were still showing up on the trail cameras almost daily.  Those that deer hunt know this is a good thing.

My favorite encounter of the year was a 140-145 inch heavy eight pointer that had an inside spread well outside his ears.  This buck was a surprise to me as I had never seen him before on trail camera.  He passed my bow stand at 7 am on November 6th the day before the MN gun season and I could see he was wide but with the low light I couldn't see the mass.  As I passed the 18 yard shot I watched him work up into the bedding area.  At 8:21 the same morning the same buck emerged from the bedding area and passed broadside at 50 yards.  After getting a good look I decided he was a shooter and grunted him back in.  Like always he circled down wind but presented a shot at 30 yards which I opted to pass because a little pine tree was in the way.  This was a shot I knew I could make but didn't want to take the chance on making a bad shot and off he went.

As we got into gun season I decided to hang up the bow for a week and try to get my 10 year old Cole his first rifle buck.  Of course, dad was watching for one of the two bucks he was after to show up also.  Wouldn't you know it but opening morning at 8:30 here comes the big buck I have been after running right up behind me.  He gets within 5 yards of my stand and I stop him.  Now the buck is way to close for my rifle scope and he passes.  I stop him again at 30 yards and take what you would think is a killing shot...unless you hit a 3 inch thick branch....doah!!  Well, the buck not knowing what just happened stops and walks off, I elected to not take another shot going away.  Cole just got to witness what the definition of frustration is.  I listed all morning praying a shot would not come from the direction the buck headed and one did not.

With my chances of seeing that buck again in the next week pretty much gone we focused on getting Cole his first buck.  Cole ended up sitting 4 days in the stand and passed up several small bucks before he decided he saw a nice 2.5 year old 6 pointer that he wanted to take.  This was a PERFECT buck to harvest as it does not fit our management plan either.  So, after a lot of patients Cole took his first shot with a rifle and it looked like a perfect shot.  In the end it was a perfect miss but a great learning experience nonetheless.

For me as a father, it was one of the best weeks of my life.  I got to spend great time with my son who showed me his patients and great sense of humor over the week.  I could not be prouder of my son after a week of hunting.  He hunted hard, took the miss with pride and is ready to try muzzleloader hunting because he wants to get that buck that got him.  I guess you can say that is how hunters are made.

For me, well, it is off to South Dakota rifle hunting this weekend and then a short break and then back at it with Cole for the Minnesota Muzzleloader season.  I am already looking forward to getting back in the stand with Cole for a chance at a trophy.  That is it for the update now, hopefully the next one will include a trophy buck.

Day 4 of the championship and I am sitting in Second Place with one day left to make a run at the Championship.  This is the place that we all dream about being in.  Except, in my dreams I am never 8.5 pounds behind the leader and the leader isn't usually my travel partner and teammate Tony Renner.  Oh well, no matter who it was, it was a mountain to climb considering all the changes that take place on the final day.

On day 4 we no longer get a co-angler in the boat, which means we are short 2 rods that we had the 3 days previous.  Also, we don't have anyone to net fish or steer the boat while you are fighting a fish.  Basically, it ends up as you against the fish and that can be tough, especially while trolling into the current and wind.  But, I knew I needed a good weight to stay in second and a HUGE weight to catch my partner Tony.  In addition, to a huge weight I would need some help from Tony, which rarely happens.

On Day 4 I started North of Hazelton on the trolling line that Tony and I caught our fish the previous day.  However, because of the strong North wind the water level had dropped a foot in the River and the fish were not there, at least that is how it seemed.  In my first trolling pass I was able to box a nice 22 inch sauger, which was a great start to the day but for the most part the fish weren't where they were the previous day.

So, I started zig-zagging my trolling passes across the river looking for fish on my Humminbird.  It didn't take long to find the fish out a little deeper, back where they were on day 1 in this same spot.  So, I set up a troll working my day one line and immediately hooked into a nice fish.  This was by far the biggest fish I had hooked into during the tournament.  After a long battle and almost losing the fish at the net 3 times I netted a huge 26.5 inch monster.  This is just what I needed to solidify my second place and make a run at 1st.

Having figured out the trolling run I set up to make another pass and hooked into a 24 inch walleye in the exact same spot as the previous big fish.  With 3 great fish in the boat the bite really went down hill.  I struggled for the next hour to get bit and finally caught a 19.5 incher.  I was really happy to catch this fish and there was no question it was going in the livewell.  I now had 4 fish and needed on more to round out my limit.  Despite 2 more trolls in the same area I could not get that 5th fish so opted to make a run down to the Hazelton landing to make a troll.

While trolling along the shore near the Hazelton landing I marked very few fish on my Hummbird and I was starting to get a little concerned.  What would my next move be?  I kept trolling waiting for a clear plan to come me.  I decided to pull up the lines and head back where we started and make a really long troll through the entire area.

We set up to troll and with the camera rolling in the boat I missed a walleye.  It hooked up and tore off, just like a lot of fish had done the day prior.  We went another 50 ft and I got hit and it was a good one.  I slowly dialed my speed back on my Minn Kota Engine Mount and continued to fight this fish that would not come up from the bottom.  I kept saying over and over "be a walleye, be a walleye" and it was.  When it came up I netted a nice 25 inch fish that rounded out my limit for the day.  Not only did I have a limit, I had a big limit.  The kind of limit you dream about on the final day and it was going to make things interesting.

What most people don't understand is that on the final day if you kept a fish you had to weigh it.  Meaning, once you caught your 5 fish you were done fishing for the day.  It was now noon and I was done!  What a good feeling, but now the waiting game began.  As I sat at the landing with the other anglers that had kept their 5 fish I kept looking for Tony who I thought would have been done.  Tony needed to keep the first 5 fish he caught to win and I figured he would be at the landing.  While feeling excited about my chances I was also worrying that Tony may be struggling to get his fish.

In the end I weighted 21.5 pounds of fish and that meant Tony needed to weight 13 pounds to beat me.  Tony was only able to catch 4 fish for 10 pounds on day 4 and that made me the 2010 FLW Champion.  It was a great tournament for Tony and I.  We had a game plan going into this event and we executed it to perfection. To finish 1 and 2 is very special and will be one of those things in life we will never forget.  Tony is a great fisherman and there is no doubt his time will come.

Thanks to all my sponsors here on the Blog and those that support me on Tour as I could not do it without you.  I hope everyone that enjoys this Blog takes the time to visit my sponsors.  A huge thanks to my family for their unconditional support.  Whether it be my wife and kids, mom and dad or grandparents, I am fortunate to have such great family support.  Also, a big thanks to my employees at Steil Insurance Services who cover for me while I am gone and allow me to fish professionally.  Lastly, thanks to everyone who reads this and sends me those email support letters all the time.  Thanks again!

Day 3 of the championship was the start of a new tournament. Despite finishing the first two days in second the results were all zeroed and I was anxious to get things rolling.  My plan was to start South of the Hazelton landing and head North if the fish were not there.  The conditions has changed considerably and strong NW winds had the current really moving.

We set up to make our first troll on the same line we ended the day but the fish were not there.  My Humminbird 1197C didn't mark any fish.  Something had changed and I had a hunch the current was moving the fish up shallower so we kept our troll going into much shallower water.  Once we got in the 12-13 feet of water there were fish everywhere.  Sure enough, the increased current moved those fish up shallower.  However, the fish I was marking were small that we finally caught one of those small fish.  I told my co-angler to pull up the rods we were heading North.  If the fish are up shallow, our spot North of Hazelton will be much better.

We arrived at our spot at Eckroth's Corner and set up to troll the same 12-13 foot line at Ecroth's which is much shallower than the boats that were there already were working.  In our first trolling pass our Shad Rap in Orange Hot Tiger caught two fish and they were both nice 22 inchers.  We set up to make our next pass and put 4 of the same baits on.  In the next pass we caught a 20 and a 23 incher.  We went from having a slow day to a great day really fast.

Like most days about 11:30 the bite would get tougher but the fish were still there.  I continued to mark nice walleye on my Humminbird.  So, we kept after those fish.  The bites we were getting were the right ones, it was just a matter of connecting with another good fish.  It wasn't long a we caught a nice 21 incher that went in the box and rounded out our 5 fish limit.  I knew we had a good weight and that my teammate, Tony Renner who was fishing the same area with the same program had a good weight also.

Over the afternoon hours we caught another 8 walleye around 20 inches that were not upgrades for the fish we already had.  It was one hour before we were due to be in that I opted to call it a day.  We had a good weight and I didn't want to show anyone else our program or trolling line so we headed in.

My weight for the day was 16.8 pounds and that was good enough for second.  What I didn't realize that my teammate and travel partner Tony Renner put up a weight over 24 pounds!  That is a HUGE weight and one that seemed to be impossible to overcome but I knew Tony and I were on the right fish and maybe I could get some of those bites the next day.  Needless to say, we were happy being 1 and 2 after day 3.