Hein & Germain win again with consistency by Shane Turcotte
2010 Princecraft Northern Ontario Professional Walleye Trail season opener on Mattagami Lake south of Timmins hosted by Mattagami First Nations did not disappoint. The registration and rules meeting saw many anglers discussing the pre fishing conditions and tactics. Being the first stop of the NOPWT season, many anglers were catching up with some old and meeting new friends. 124 boats were registered for the tournament which again supports the popularity of the Princecraft NOPWT series. The NOPWT continues to grow each year. Much of the credit is due to well run and organized tournaments on the schedule. Mattagami First Nations does an excellent job each year and 2010 was another success.
Day 1 saw some really big weights and many teams within striking distance of the top prize of $10,000. The conditions were favourable with overcast skies and light rain. Even with the lower water levels, anglers were able to find the fish and more than 30 teams posted double digit weights. This supports the fact the Mattagami River is a solid Walleye Fishery and great tournament destination. Leading the way on Day 1 was Dan Picard and Luc Rainville with a solid first day weight of 16.65 lbs. Rounding out the top 5 was Jeff Vipond & John Labine with 15.83, Matt Browne & Marc Poirier with 15.76, Yves Boissoneault & Tim Caron with 15.02 and Danny Hein & Didier Germain with 13.67.
As with any Tournament a solid Day 1 is only the first part of the winning combination. Day 2 has pressure and a need for consistency. Conditions were different for Day 2. The sun was out and a strong cold wind changed things up. This was evident by the drop in the amount of double digit weights. Only 10 teams recorded more than 10 lbs. Leading the way on Day 2 was Rob Trahan & Brian Waugh with 15.78 lbs. Rounding the top five were Danny Hein & Didier Germain with 15.20, Denis Martin & Derek Leger with 12.52, Andre Goulet & Bob Lavigne with 11.72 and Sheldon Hatch and Gord Schultz with 11.64.
Danny Hein and Didier Germain showed why they are past Princecraft NOPWT angler of the year champions by demonstrating their consistency both days and being able to adapt to changing conditions to win the first tournament of the new season. They now have the early lead in the 2010 Princecraft Angler of the Year standings. This win also puts them as the front runner for the team that will represent the NOPWT at the AIM international Walleye Championship in September. Dubreuilville and Geraldton are up next in the month of June. See you soon on the Princecraft Northern Ontario Professional Walleye Trail.
2010 Tournament Dates Announced
Mattagami June 5th - 6th
Dubreuiville June 19th - 20th
Geraldton June 26th - 27th
Kapuskasing August 14th - 15th
Timmins/Cache September 11th - 12th
Sagamok September 25th - 26th
NOPWT Partners with AIM
The NOPWT will now bring a new opportunity for anglers who dream of making it to the big leagues of walleye tournament fishing.
Anglers Insight Marketing (AIM) has announced a 3 tournament series culminating with the inaugural AIM International Walleye Championship on Lake Winnibigoshish in Minnesota September 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 2010.
In addition to qualifying through the AIM tournament series there will be room made for top-ranked anglers from as many as 50 national/regional/local walleye tournament organizations from the U.S. and Canada.
We are proud to announce that the NOPWT has been allotted 2 PRO positions at the International Walleye Championship! Two of our anglers will be offered the chance to fish for the over $75 000.00 first place prize at the AIM championship.
In order to meet AIM timelines, the two spots will be awarded by using anglers best 3 of 5 finishes using the 2009 Kapuskasing Results, the 2009 Cache/Timmins Results, the 2010 Mattagami Results, the 2010 Dubreiuville Results and the 2010 Geraldton Walleye Classic Results. Any ties will be resolved the same as the NOPWT angler of the year.
In addition to the two professional positions being offered to the NOPWT, there will also be one team position offered. The team position will be offered to the team who accumulates the most points using the criteria above. This team will then compete against 29 other regional winner from accross North America. For more information regarding the team tournament read this press release.
For more info on AIM go to: AIM Website
The NOPWT will now bring a new opportunity for anglers who dream of making it to the big leagues of walleye tournament fishing.
With the disbanding of the former In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail at the end of the 2008 season, a new group has come forward with a plan for the future.
Anglers Insight Marketing (AIM) has announced a 3 tournament series culminating with the inaugural AIM International Walleye Championship on Lake Winnibigoshish in Minnesota September 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 2009.
In addition to qualifying through the AIM tournament series there will be room made for top-ranked anglers from as many as 50 national/regional/local walleye tournament organizations from the U.S. and Canada.
We are proud to announce that the NOPWT has been allotted 2 PRO positions at the International Walleye Championship! Two of our anglers will be offered the chance to fish for the over $75 000.00 first place prize at the AIM championship.
In order to meet AIM timelines, the two spots will be awarded by using anglers best 2 of 3 finishes at the first 3 events of the 2009 season. The events will be : Mattagami First Nation / Dubreiulville Father's Day / Geraldton Walleye Classic. Any ties will be resolved the same as the NOPWT angler of the year.
More details will be provided as they become available.
Model City hosts NOPWT
The Kapuskasing River served as the field of play as the Princecraft Northern Ontario Pro Walleye Trail rolled into town on August 18 & 19 to fish the 5th event of the 2007 season. The big river can hold some big fish as 2006 saw a 13 pounder come to the scales. Anglers know that one fish can make a huge difference here.
Seventy-two teams hit the water Saturday ready to do battle with the walleyes.As the fog lifted the boats were on their way to try for the $6000 first place prize. As the day went by, anglers brought in their catches to the on-river weigh-in where they were quickly measured,weighed, and returned to the water. After weigh-in the teams returned to Kapuskasing to check the numbers and enjoy supper & the atmosphere at Max's Pub.
A 16 pound bag had 2006 trail champs Danny Hein & Didier Germain sitting in first. Stricklands' own Jean & Stephane Sauve were just under 3 pounds behind at 13.03, followed by Gary Hebert of Kap & Moonbeams' Billy Tremblay with 12.15. The husband/wife team on Luc & Lise Rainville of Blezard Valley had 12.07 to hold fourth and hometown hopefuls Steve Dorval & Timmy Reddick had 12.04 to sit fifth. Roger (Kap) & Bob (Sudbury) Loiselle posted 12.03.25 to sit sixth.
Cochranes' Jim Blackwell & Jean-Claude Genier moved into 7th with six fish weighing 12.03. Mark & Shelly Basaraba of Timmins had 11.15 for eighth. Paul Godin & Ryan Hamilton caught 11.12 for 9th. Wawas' Orel Crack & Derek Chapman held 10th with 11.08.
A total of 16 teams had limits over 10 pounds and would need just one of Kap's big walleyes to shake up the leaderboard. Anglers were back on the river Sunday enjoying another beautiful day and the fish were co-operating. Twenty-two teams would crack the 10 pound mark despite having an early weigh-in.
A giant 17.07 pound limit would be the big weight for the tournament and moved Hearsts' Denis Gaulin & Rene Godbout from near the bottom of the field into 15th place. Dave Stiles of Timmins and Ron Drapeau (Iroquois Falls) would end with 22.01 to tie with Kaps' Luc Audet & Paul Cote for ninth. Mark & Shelly Basaraba would take 8th with 22.04.
Seventh saw NOPWT vets Russ Smith & Dean Bliss of Kapuskasing post 22.15. Roger & Bob Loiselle had a tough day and fell from 6th to 32nd after only managing 2.07 pounds on Sunday. Jean & Stephane Sauve would slip from 2nd to sixth with 22.15. Luc & Lise Rainville would slide one spot to fifth with 23.13.
A 12.15 pound bag would vault Orel Crack & Derek Chapman into 4th from 10th on day one. Gary Hebert & Billy Tremblay dropped from 3rd to 19th with only 6.07 on day two.
Danny Picard & Vickie Boucher of Dowling brought a livewell with 14.1 pounds to the scales and would come from outside the top ten to take third with a 2 day total of 25.08 pounds.
Moonbeams' Paul Godin & partner Ryan Hamilton of Hanover were up next and their 14.02 would allow them to jump a number of teams and come from ninth to take 2nd with 25.14.
The 3 pound lead built on day one would be too much to overcome and when Danny Hein & Didier Germain posted 12.02 on Sunday they guaranteed they would be taking the podium. With a total of 28.04 they posted their first win on the Kap River system.
Once again the community of Kapuskasing provided a welcome atmosphere to all the anglers and the Kap River continued to live up to it's reputation for great fishing.
The final stop on the NOPWT is scheduled for Sept.08 & 09 on Lake Kenogamissi near Timmins. Anglers fishing the tour count points from their 3 best finishes to determine the "Angler of the Year". With the race still open, it will come down to the last event to crown the champ(s).
Hearst Team takes 2007 Mega Derby
Calm weather and high water greeted anglers as they arrived in Hearst for the Northern Tel Mega Derby on July 21 & 22. This would be the 4th stop on the Princecraft Northern Ontario Pro Walleye Trail for 2007. The conditions left anglers struggling to put together a winning pattern. Very few figured out the puzzle and only 4 teams would bring in limits over 10 pounds on Saturday.
Leading the way were the hometown team of Alain & Sylvain Mercier with 14.41 pounds. Wawa's Jamie & Carol-Anne Robinson bagged 13.46 to hold second spot. Another Hearst team would move into third as Andre Seguin & Marcel Cantin had 13.22 pounds swimming in their livewell. Perrenial favourites Danny Hein (Thornloe) & Didier Germain(Earlton) held 4th with 10.17. Mattagami champ Craig Salmonson of Timmins partnered with Jim Patry of Chelmsford to sit 5th with 9.73 pounds.
After checking the leaderboard and a little socializing at the Hearst University hall anglers were off to prepare for day two. Sunday dawned much the same as Saturday and teams headed out on the Hearst chain of lakes to try and figure out the secret to getting the reluctant walleyes to bite. It was a struggle for most as only three teams would reach the 10 pound mark.
The top three positions wouldn't change as Mercier/Mercier would total 25.08 pounds for the win. Robinson/Robinson would add 7.47 to reach 20.93 and second place. Seguin & Cantin would hang tough for third with 19.09. The weekend's big fish would give Trevor Bernath & Trish Latham of Wawa a 12.77 pound bag to jump from 12th place into 4th with 18.39. Salmonson/Patry would slip by Hein/Germain to take fifth with 15.46 pounds.
The Club Chasse et Peche of Hearst were busy and many improvements including a single weigh station and an indoor tournament headquarters were welcomed by all anglers. The next stop on the Princecraft NOPWT is the Kapuskasing River in the Model City August 18 & 19.
Locals Dominate Father's Day Event
The Princecraft Northern Ontario Pro Walleye Trail returned to Dubreuilville for the second stop of the 2007 season. The Magpie River Reservoir would be the setting as 83 teams would be vying to take home the cash in the annual Father's Day event. Nick-named "The Snagpie" for it's forests of flooded timber this system gives up some big walleyes to those who figure out her secrets. Anglers must be willing to lose some tackle to find the fish.
Thousands of mayfly husks were visible on the water Saturday morning as anglers readied their tackle in time for the take-off. While this can often foreshadow tough fishing it was not long before the first boat could be seen heading for the weigh-in tent. At the end of the day it was apparent that locating the walleye during the bug hatch wasn't going to be easy as 44 teams would bring less than the 4-fish limit to the scales.
Some others had persisted and they managed to scratch out some nice weights although only 6 teams would tally over 10 pounds. Leading the way were hometown hopefuls Dario & Stephano Gendron. Big fish of the day, a 7.82 trophy, would give the Dubreuilville duo 15.82 and the early lead. Timmins area team Dave Stiles & Ron Drapeau posted a solid bag and sat 2nd with 14.94.
Kevin Chartier & Andree Gaudette of Dubreuilville had a 6.48 pounder to anchor a 14.32 for third. Geraldton's Bill Arnott and partner Scott Earle of Thunder Bay caught a flurry of activity and boated a 6.92 pounder, then added a 4.56 to sit fourth with 14.08. Louis & Gilles Pelletier of Wawa would use a pair of 4 pounders to sit fifth with 11.80.
After a long day on the water the anglers checked the weights posted at the Dubreuilville arena then headed off to their various accomodations to get ready for Sunday. Sunday was more of the same as a generally tough bite continued. Some anglers had found an emerging pattern and it would result in some teams moving up the leader board.
In tournament fishing it is common for local teams to struggle while anglers from farther away will often be successful. This is referred to as "localitis" and results from locals maybe knowing too much about the water and not being able to narrow down their options in time to be successful. This was definitely not the case this year as local area teams dominated the top ten.
Dubreuilville's Frank Bernier & Steve Hache posted a two-day total of 16.28 to take 10th. Danny Hein & Didier Germain of Earlton/Thornloe would bring in 9.30 Sunday to take 9th with 16.54. Christian Fournier & Cory Purcell of Wawa would catch a big fish late in the day to give them 16.56 for the weekend and 8th place.
Wawa's Ralph & Ryan Kienitz would add another 8 pound limit to move into a tie for 6th with Chartier & Guadette who fell from third after a tough day. Both teams ended with 16.64 pounds of walleye. Moving up to take 5th were Normand & Felicien Beaupre giving the hometown another team on the board with 17.34.
Advancing from 7th on day one to take 4th place were Wawa's Jeffrey Smith & Bob Brown who posted 18.70 pounds to displace Arnott/ Earle who fell to 14th overall. Stiles & Drapeau would slip from 2nd to 3rd adding 6.54 to their day one weight to give them 21.48.
The big bag of the day (9.72 pounds) would vault Wawa's Louis & Gilles Pelletier from fifth to second with 21.52. It would not be enough however as hometown heroes Dario & Stephano Gendron would hang tough and bring in enough weight to hold their day one lead. A final tally of 23.14 would give the boys the $5000.00 First Place prize and the title of Father's Day Champs for 2007.
Once again the volunteers made several improvements to their event and the hard work they put in was evident as the tournament went off without a hitch.
Next stop on the Princecraft NOPWT is the Geraldton Walleye Classic on June 23 & 24 on Kenogamisis Lake.
GERALDTON WALLEYE CLASSIC A HUGE SUCCESS
The Princecraft Northern Ontario Professional Walleye trail made its third stop of the 2007 season in the community of Geraldton. Commonly referred to as the “must attend” walleye tournament in Northern Ontario, the Geraldton Walleye Classic (GWC) saw a record turnout of 110 boats. The popularity of this tournament with anglers is so great that many anglers who procrastinated signing up for the 2007 event found themselves resigned to a waiting list as the tournament began.
The Friday night festivities saw many anglers reacquainting themselves with each other while they discussed how the pre-fish had gone. The consensus seemed to be that the may fly hatch in combination with the unpredictable weather was making the fishing tough. Following a brief run through the rules and another cut throat Calcutta, the anglers hurried home to prepare the boat and tackle for the early 6:30am boat check.
The sight in front of the Kenogamisis Fish and Game club at 7:00am that Saturday morning would make any fishermen’s heart pump a little faster. The starting area was packed with 220 anxious anglers waiting for their number to be called. Although slightly cool, the weather was better than previously forecast and seemed to signal a good day ahead. The anglers would be given until 4:00pm to return with their best catch of walleye.
Bucking the trend of the last couple of years, local teams posted great results the first day. Leading the pack after day one was the team of Bill Arnott of Geraldton and his partner Kevin Rissanen of Atikokan. Bill not only used his local knowledge of the lake to post a 1.57 lb lead over the rest of the field but also managed to claim the $800 big fish award with a 3.48 lb walleye. Two more local teams made up the top three as Brandon and Gerald Beaulieu of Longlac held second with 9.53 lbs and the Geraldton duo of Sean Mykula and Pat Tees held third with 9.47 lbs.
The remainder of the top eight included Morgan and Rene Cadene of Marathon (9.33 lbs), Steve Germain and Lundy Thurier of Thunder Bay (9.30 lbs), Denis Martin and partner from Hearst (9.04 lbs), Keith and Darolyn Hyrciw of Thunder Bay (9.01 lbs) and last years second place winners Danny Heins of New Liskeard and Didier Germain of Earlton in eighth with 8.90 lbs. The field was so tightly bunched that more than half the field had a legitimate chance at finishing in the money with a strong Sunday.
As is customary at the GWC, the volunteers put on a great meal for the anglers and sponsors Saturday night. Everyone filled up on an excellent steak dinner with all the fixings before heading home for the evening. The three local teams leading the field would have a difficult time sleeping with the added pressure of trying to break the three year curse of local teams winning the event.
Day two literally began with a bang as a thunder storm welcomed the anglers to a morning of adverse weather. The thunder storm, east wind, may fly hatch and cold weather all pointed to a tough day of fishing. By noon, the thunder storms had past leaving behind hot humid air with little or no wind. Sunday would once again challenge the anglers with unpredictable weather.
At around 11:00 am the first boat approached the dock. Frank Bernier and Sebastian Chabot, with smiles brimming from ear to ear, couldn’t hide the excitement that swam in the livewell. The volunteers on the dock knew they were about to see a big fish candidate. Sure enough, the pair from Duberville weighed in a 5.39 lb hog which would hold on for big fish of the tournament and garner them $800 in cash.
As 3:00pm approached, anglers began arriving to the weigh-in site which was packed with spectators eagerly waiting the top teams to weigh their catches. The early leader was last year’s winner Dan Daciw and Rob Kowalchuck of Thunder Bay with 19.44 lbs. The first threats to their lead came from the local pair of Sean Mykula and Pat Tees. Unfortunately, the tough conditions got the best of the team as their 6.14 lb day two catch would drop them to 15th overall. Brandon and Gerald Beaulieu would also struggle day two as their 6.40 lbs would drop them to 12th overall. In a field of anglers as strong as this, these are tremendous results.
As each team weighed in their catch it appeared that last years winners might have a chance to repeat. That all changed when Ron Aubin of New Liskeard and Andy Colla of Thunder Bay carried up what appeared to be a monster of a catch. Requiring a 10.64 lb bag of fish to take the lead, they weighed in 11.09 lbs. The only legitimate threat that remained to take the lead from the pair was the local team of Bill Arnott and Kevin Rissanen. Bill and Kevin would have to weigh-in with more than 8.79 lbs to take the tournament championship and the $5000 cash prize that goes with it. As the fish settled on the scale, it became apparent that this was going to be close. With a collective sigh from the audience, the scale read 8.52 lbs. Just 0.27 lbs shy. Although disappointed, the top local team did receive $3000 for their efforts. Bernie Baillargeon and Jason Moffat of Longlac were the only other local team to break the top ten with a 7th place finish. For complete tournament results and photos visit the official tournament website www.geraltonwalleyeclassic.ca
The tournament was once again an overwhelming success. A ‘HUGE’ Thank You goes to the many volunteers, spectators, anglers, sponsors and the friend of St. Andrews. Remember to sign up early for next year as there are only 79 of the 110 spots remaining for the 2008 tournament. The excitement for the 2008 event has already begun.
Timmins Team Takes Trail Opener
The Princecraft Northern Ontario Pro Walleye Trail kicked off the 2007 season June 2nd & 3rd on Mattagami Lake south of Timmins. Hosted by the Mattagami First Nation, the season opener was marked by unsettled weather that made consistently catching walleye a real challenge. While overcast skies are normally favoured by walleye anglers, the lack of any wind seemed to keep the fish tight-lipped and many of the 88 teams described the action as very slow.
Saturday’s big fish of 6.0 pounds helped Boissoneau & Caron take the early lead with a 12.2 pound limit. Close behind were Peter Sporer of Sudbury and partner Roger Godin of Garsom with 11.8. Mike Daoust (Elk Lake) & Denis Gauthier (Thornloe) posted 11.4 to sit tied with the Timmins duo of Craig Salmonson & Tony Garneau. Another tie had Wawa’s Jamie Robinson & Trevor Bernath even with 2006 NOPWT champs Danny Hein of Thornloe and Didier Germain of Earlton with 11.0 pounds even.
With such a small margin amongst the top teams and Mattagami Lake’s potential to kick out some big ones, this tournament was far from over going into day two. Sunday dawned with grey skies and rains to further challenge the contestants vying for the $10000 first place prize. While not ideal the walleye seemed to be getting hungry as some livewells were holding heavier limits as the anglers lined up for the final weigh-in.
Gogama’s Roger Beland & Paul Veronneau would jump into 9th on the strength of the tourneys big walleye – a 7.6 pounder. Steven & Richard Guillmette of Timmins would also move in from outside the top ten with a two-day total of 18.6 pounds to sit 8th. Mike Daoust & Denis Gauthier would slip to 10th place after failing to find the big fish on day two.
New Liskeard’s Ron Aubin and partner would also tag a fish over 7 pounds to move them into the #7 spot. 2006 winners Dave Stiles (Timmins) and Ron Drapeau (Iroquois Falls) would pull even with Saturday’s leaders Boissoneau & Caron to tie for 5th with 20.4 pounds for the two days. Two limits over ten pounds would seat Robinson / Bernath in 4th with 21.8.
A second 11.0 would pull Hein / Germain even with Sporer & Godin to tie for second place, but the big bag of the tournament would be the key as Craig Salmonson & Tony Garneau pulled in a 14.4 pound limit to outdistance the field and take home the big prize and the early lead in the NOPWT “Angler of the Year” race.
Big thanks to the community of Mattagami First Nation as they once again did a great job hosting the event. The next stop on the Princecraft Northern Ontario Pro Walleye Trail is the Father’s Day Walleye Derby held in Dubreuillville on the Magpie River June 16 & 17.
NOPWT Championship Decided with only Hour to Spare by Bill Arnott
The final stop of the season for Princecrafts’ Northern Ontario Walleye Trail was the city of Timmins. Anglers would be fishing the waters of Kenogamissi Lake with activities centered at “The Cache” campgrounds south of the city.
114 teams of two hit the big lake on Saturday with hopes of claiming the $5000 first place prize. The tournament would also determine Angler of the Year for the 2006 season as three anglers were still in contention to claim the honours.
Kenogamissi would give up some nice walleyes on day one with many teams bringing in 10 pound plus limits of fish to the weigh-in. Leading the way were the duo of Deem & Leduc who posted 14.16 on Saturday followed by Championship hopeful Jamie Robinson & partner Terry Bernath of Wawa with 13.44. Team Millions / Huff sat third with 13.36, fourth was Insley / Proceviat at 13.12 and Labine / Vipond fifth with 13.02. With just over 1 pound separating first and fifth and less than 4 pounds dividing the top ten it would be an interesting finale on Sunday.
While Sundays’ fishing slowed for most teams there were others who had great days. Angler of the Year would come down to one fish as Danny Hein & Didier Germain tagged an 8 pound walleye with time running out in the afternoon. When the scale settled the boys had 15.30 for the day. Their total of 24.28 would give them second place in the tournament and also secure their place as co-winners of the Angler of the Year award just edging out Robinson who brought in 22.82 for the weekend and 4th place. Cousins Craig Santala & John Ranta would add 9.08 to their 11.90 to claim fifth with 20.98. O’Connor & Callegari would put together consistent days of 12.06 & 11.42 to claim third with 23.
48. The big performance of the day came when Saturdays 9th place team brought a bulging bag of ‘eyes to the scales. Perrier / Boudreau were clearly the champs as the 20.20 pound Sunday limit would give them the win with room to spare. The total weight of 31.42 pounds would give them a 7 pound advantage over the nearest competitors.
The NOPWT would like to thank Princecraft and the various tournament committees and volunteers for helping make our season a great one. We look forward to a bigger and better 2007 and remind you to keep up with the news on our new website <nopwt.com>. Read about all our events – read our anglers bios – post your questions & comments on the message board- and find info on what it takes to become a member of the NOPWT and join in the fun.
BIG Walleyes Tip Scale in Kap by Bill Arnott
The Kapuskasing River was the site as the city of Kap hosted the Princecraft Northern Ontario Walleye Trail on August 19 & 20th. Tournament headquarters Max's Pub was a busy spot and anticipation was running high as big walleyes are rumoured to inhabit the 40km stretch of water that falls within tournament boundaries.
Day one would not dissapoint as 32 of 69 teams brought in limits over the magic 10 pound mark. A new NOPWT record 13.2 pound walleye anchored the limit of day one leaders Dave Barbour & Jason Davitsky of Kapuskasing who posted 24.0 lbs for their six fish limit. Close behind were Jamie Robinson & Terry Bernath of Wawa with 23.8lbs. Locals held the next 2 spots as Mike Mongeon & Dan Duguay had 19.0lbs to hold third and Sebastien Lizotte / Cedric Seguin held fourth with 18.2 pounds. Fifth was a tie between local team Neil Harrison & Shawn Bliss and Matt & Fred Guacci of Porcupine who both weighed 17 pounds even.
Seventeen teams would bring in bags over 10 pounds Sunday as the action slowed somewhat. Neil Harrison & Shawn Bliss would pull 11.2 pounds to give them 28.2 and fifth place. Dave Stiles & Ron Drapeau of Timmins would advance from 7th to 4th with a 28.4 pound 2-day total. Third would go to day one leaders Barbour & Davitsky as the boys couldn't find another hog and came in with 31.6 for the weekend. The big weight of the day would be an 18.2 pound bag brought in by Derek Massey & Russ Cooke. This weight would jump them from 14th to a second place finish. On top of the heap were Wawas' Jamie Robinson & Terry Bernath who brought in 10.6 pounds on Sunday to give them 34.4 pounds and the win.
After another great meal at Max's the anglers headed home to ready themselves for the season finale slated for September 9 & 10th at "The Cache" campground in Timmins.
Day Two Heroics Vault Germain and Hein to the Top by Bill Arnott
The Princecraft Northern Ontario Walleye Trail made it's way to Hearst on July 22nd & 23rd for it's 5th event of the 2006 season. Held on the Hearst Chain of Lakes, the Hearst Mega Walleye is one of the longest running tournaments in the north.
52 teams made the trek to try their luck on Pivabiska, Wolverine,Hanlan, and Lac Ste. Therese. These waters are always productive and some good weights came to the scales.
On day one Jamie & Carl-Anne Robinson of Wawa led the way with 16.17 pounds of walleyes. Three-time Hearst winner Dan Daciw & partner Rob Kowalchuk of Thunder Bay were in second with 15.26. Third spot was held by Quebec anglers Martin Boisvert & Donald Dubreuil who brought 15.13 to the scales. Trail veterans Danny Hein & Didier Germain sat in fourth with 13.99 and Thunder Bay couple Dave Cryderman and Melissa Wilson were fifth with 12.49 for their six-fish limit. Eleven teams boasted limits over 10 pounds leaving the race for top spot wide open for day two.
Sunday's fishing , as is often the case in tournies, was tougher as the fish became tight-lipped under the pressure of over 100 anglers trying every trick in their tackle boxes to get them to bite. Only seven teams would reach the 10 pound mark on this day.
Leading the way were Princecrafts' Hein and Germain who matched team Robinsons' day one total of 16.17 to give them the win with 30.22 pounds. Jamie & Carol-Anne slipped to second with 11.08 , giving them 27.32. Hearsts' own Andre Seguin and Marcel Cantin would advance from ninth with a 14.96 pound bag on Sunday giving them 26.13 and third place for the two days. Another team moved up the board to take fourth as Luc Lacroix & Raymond Belanger of Hearst moved from 11th on the strength of an 11.96 on Sunday. Martin Boisvert & Donald Dubreuil would hold off a charge by Longlacs' Bernie Baillargeon & Jeff Vipond to take fifth with 21.29 pounds. Cryderman/Wilson slipped to eighth.Daciw & Kowalchuk struggled and dropped to 11th.
The next stop on the N.O.P.W.T. is the Kapuskasing River - a fishery well known for producing some monster walleye- on August 19 &20. See you there!
Daciw and Kowalchuk Return to Claim The Title by Bill Arnott
Once again the Geraldton Walleye Classic sponsored by Princecraft Boats was blessed with great weather when the 17th annual event was held on the June 24th/25th weekend. A record field of 102 teams signed up to compete for the over $15 000.00 in cash and prizes.
Friday night got things started with new MC Tim Griffin greeting the participants and keeping the mood light with his special brand of east coast humour. After tournament chair Donna Pelletier reviewed the rules it was Andre Blanchards’ turn at the microphone as he oversaw the always popular calcutta auction. Things wrapped up quickly after the bidding was complete as anglers and volunteers would be rising early to start the tournament.
After enjoying breakfast at the clubhouse put on by the Friends of St. Andrews, it was into the boats for the 7:30 a.m. start. Despite the mayfly hatch the walleyes were biting and almost all the teams brought fish to the scales. Leading the way were last years’ champs Danny Hein and Didier Germain with a six fish limit of 14.19 pounds that included what would be the big fish of the weekend – a 5.71 pound beauty. In second were Roger Mayer and Davis Viehbeck of Thunder Bay with 12.44. 10.31 pounds held third for Cliff Nord Jr. and mother Mary-Ann. The Bernath brothers of Wawa sat in fourth. Terry and Trevor brought in 10.18 pounds of walleyes while 2004 champs Dan Daciw & Rob Kowalchuk had 9.54 for fifth.
After enjoying a steak supper, the crowd slowly dispersed in preparation for day two.
Things can change quickly in tournament angling and a cold east wind Sunday morning foretold of tough times to come. Once the sun was overhead the temperatures rebounded but the breeze died completely making a difficult bite even tougher. At the weigh-in the nerves were apparent as anglers chatted back and forth to see if others had struggled as well. While 14 teams had chalked up over 8 pounds Saturday only four would manage this under Sundays’ clear blue skies.
Dan Daciw & Rob Kowalchuk would bring 11.26 to the scale, including Sundays’ biggie, a 3.54 pounder. This would give the boys from Thunder Bay 20.80 and the early lead.
Partner Kevin Rissanen of Atikokan was on fire early Sunday, and he put all six fish in our livewell to jump us from 17th to 5th place with 17.09. The brothers’ Bernath held on to fourth with 17.70. Mayer and Viehbeck would slip to third with 19.67. Danny Hein and Didier Germain were last to the scale and would come up short with a 20.58 total to take second. Daciw and Kowalchuk would take their second GWC title by only .22 pounds!
On behalf of all the participants I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the sponsors and especially the volunteers who through their dedication and hard work make this event one that all Greenstone can be proud of. Great job everyone!
Dubreuilville Proves Great Addition to NOPWT by Bill Arnott
Dubreuilville marked the second stop on the Princecraft Northern Ontario Walleye Trail as 82 teams gathered on June 17th & 18th to try their luck on the Magpie River Resevoir. This system is known for big walleyes and did not disappoint as some chunky fish came to the scales on Saturday. Big fish of the day was a 9.26 pound monster brought in by local couple Gilles & Cathy Cyr.
Russ Smith and Dean Bliss of Kapuskasing also weighed an 8 + pounder and were in 2nd place after day one with a 14.60 total. Atop the board were Wawas’ Kornel Kallo & Ron Archambeault with 18.86 pounds. In third sat Travis Gendron & Trevor Bernath of Wawa with 12.28. Kevin Dushene and Calgary Flames Chris Simon were 4th with 11.50 followed by Gord Paddock & Brent Woods with 10.04.
Sunday dawned a little cooler as the teams headed back out on the water. Fishing was a bit tougher but some nice fish were still coming in. One of those catching fish was 21 yr. old Matt Guacci of Porcupine whose partner is his Dad Fred. The boys found a good spot and were sticking with it. They brought 13.78 pounds to the tent to be weighed, including the big fish of the day, a 7.12 pound walleye. This was enough as team Guaccis’ 21.00 would edge out day one leaders Kallo / Archambeault for the Fathers’ Day championship. Smith & Bliss would settle for 3rd. Danny Hein and Didier Germain would jump into 4th from down the leaderboard with a 14.22 Sunday limit. Gendron & Bernath would take 5th.
It was nice to see a Father/Son team take the prize on this weekend and Chris Simon was a big hit posing for photos with many of the anglers.
Drapeau and Stiles Claim First NOPWT Event of 2006 by Bill Arnott
The Princecraft Northern Ontario Pro Walleye Trail kicked off its’ 2006 season with a tournament June 3rd & 4th on Mattagami Lake near Gogama. Hosted by the Mattagami First Nation , the competition boasted 85 teams from across Ontario and the United States.
Early Saturday morning found the anglers assembled at the starting area. When the clock hit 7 a.m. the first flight of 10 boats blasted off down the lake seeking the best six fish limit of walleyes. While Saturday was a beautiful day, the fishing was challenging as anglers attempted to locate the walleye as they moved from spawning areas to their summertime haunts. As always happens, some teams were successful while others struggled to get on fish and to get them to bite.
After anglers returned to the weigh-in it was apparent that Sunday would be an important day. Several ties comprised the top ten and only five pounds separated first and tenth place. Atop the board were Roger Godin & Peter Sporer and former winners Ron Drapeau & Dave Stiles with 14.2 pounds In third were the duo of Craig Salmonson & Tony Garneau with 13.6. Fifth found Jamie Robinson & Terry Bernath tied with reigning NOPWT champs Danny Hein & Didier Germain at 13 pounds even. Big fish of the day was a 6.4 pounder weighed in by Drapeau / Stiles.
After checking the results posted at the bustling Mattagami First Nation Complex competitors retired to their accommodations to formulate a plan for the next day. Sunday dawned cool & clear with fog blanketing much of the lake. The rising sun did its’ job and by take-off the fog was lifting and the boats were spreading out across the lake to take their shot at the $10 000.00 first place prize.
Bright sunny skies were the order of the day and as a result weights were down as the fish became more finicky and tough to locate.
The big basket of the day would belong to Gilles Chenier & Dan Simoneau who brought 10.6 pounds to the scale. Keith Cooper and Norm Sauve would take big fish honors with a 7.6 pound lunker.
In the end, an 8.8 pound Sunday score would give Drapeau / Stiles 23.0 to take the win. Godin / Sporer would slide to second with 20.8 and Robinson / Bernath advanced to third with 19.6 pounds for the weekend. I am sure all anglers would join me in thanking the volunteers, sponsors, and the community of Mattagami First Nation for their hospitality.