By Brett Carlson

STURGEON BAY, Wis. – At the season-opening National Walleye Tour event, presented by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, nearly everyone brought five walleyes to the scale. While Lake Francis Case proved to be an incredible numbers fishery, pro winner Chase Parsons ironically was only receiving eight to 10 bites per day. While risky, he intentionally chose to target fewer, but larger walleyes after making a long run south. A similar strategy might unfold at the season’s second stop, where the best walleye sticks in the world have a difficult decision in front of them.

Launching out of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., the season’s second tournament takes place May 27-28. This is considered transition time as the Green Bay walleyes have completed spawning and are beginning to move to summertime structure. Instead of running south like Parsons did in South Dakota, pros are now debating a long run north. Two years ago, Simms pro John Hoyer ran north and wrangled over 80 pounds from the western shore. The difference is that that tournament launched out of Marinette.

“You can go either direction and catch a big bag, but I know a lot of the field will be wanting to run,” said pro Max Wilson, who spends nearly 200 days a year on the system. “There’s going to be fish caught not far from the launch, but there’s also going to be guys that gamble and go for the giant bag.”

Wilson, the 2018 NWT Championship winner, explained that while the weights on top of the leaderboard always look good on Green Bay, the end of May is hit or miss, especially if an angler chooses to run north.

“This time of year, you’re going to have to grind for it. Yes, the guys on top will have giant bags, but it’s not like you will be getting them every cast. This time of year can be mentally exhausting, and you need as much time as possible. A strong north wind cuts down your fishing time; it makes it that much more difficult. I can also tell you that there’s nothing more exciting than thoroughly picking apart a piece of structure and catching a Green Bay giant on a jigging rod.”

The younger Parsons, who like Wilson considers Green Bay his home lake, described the western arm of Lake Michigan as incredibly healthy.

“There are great year classes of fish, both for big and small walleyes,” said the Nitro pro. “The majority of fish are going to want to be in that warmer, dirtier water that’s found on the south end. Some guys will still roll the dice and fish structure up north. There’s not nearly as many fish, but they can be the right ones, the 7- to 9-pounders. Green Bay, without question, is one of the top walleye fisheries in the country.”

Wilson believes that the winner will likely be fishing north, although many pros will head south, especially with the new no-entry-fee championship in mind.

“The only way I could see it happening is if we get a ridiculous blow from the north and the water temperature tanks. There’s a ton of fish to the south, I just don’t think the size is there. Last year Korey dominated, and then the weights were fairly small for Green Bay. If something like that happens, then that southern bite could come into play. Otherwise, I think the winner will be within 50 miles of Sturgeon Bay to the north. There’s just so much risk involved with heading north. I bet about 75 percent of the guys going south will get a limit, whereas only 30 to 50 percent of the guys heading north will.”

Parsons believes it’s possible to win down south.

“Launching out of Sturgeon Bay at the end of May means it can be won north or south,” he said. “Those that choose to cast and fish structure will be fishing for only six, seven, or eight bites a day. A guy is going to have to decide if he’s going to sort through fish (down south), or if he’s going to grind for a few bites (up north). It opens up the entire system, which makes for an exciting tournament.”

Over the past decade, casting has taken Green Bay by storm. Instead of trolling over larger schools, anglers now use their electronics to precisely pick apart specific rock structure. Wilson and Parsons agree that casting lipless crankbaits, hair jigs and plastics will produce.

“That lipless bite is obviously pretty hot, but there will be other things coming into play,” added Parsons. “We’re right at the beginning of glide bait season. I can also totally see guys throwing heavier jigs with bigger split-tail plastics.”

Parsons said a wildcard in this event could be fishing northern structure, but staying on the less pressured eastern shore. Likewise, he said the wind direction is incredibly important this time of year as is understanding current.

“With a change in wind direction, I’ve seen an area cool down 10 or even 15 degrees overnight. If you’re not paying close attention, you can arrive at your spot and find it basically froze out. Then you’re stuck. and you have to start scrambling. That change in water temperature can be drastic. 

“The other variable is being able to understand current on structure and how fish are set up. On the Great Lakes, there is current, and on these structure areas, the fish position themselves accordingly.”

Those that opt to run south will likely be trolling crankaits such as Flicker Minnows, Husky Jerks and P10s.

“A tough prefish could see a bunch of guys run south to troll up a decent bag each day,” Parsons explained. “They know they won’t win, but they will survive and earn valuable points for the year-end championship.”

Wilson, the JT Outdoors Products pro, who finished third in 2019 with a two-day total of 71 pounds, predicts 80 pounds could be needed to win this year. 

“I think you’ll see the winner stay consistent. The low end (for winning) is 35 pounds per day. Thirty pounds a day will be in the top 10.”

“It’s going to be a great event with big bags and total bomb outs,” concluded Parsons.

Anglers will take off each day at 7 a.m. Central time from Sawyer Park, located at 110 S. Neenah Ave. in Sturgeon Bay. The daily weigh-ins will also take place at Sawyer Park, beginning at 3 p.m. The full field fishes each day with the winner in each division being determined by the heaviest cumulative weight. The National Walleye Tour consists of four regular-season events and a no-entry-fee championship. Each regular season event is a two-day, pro-am tournament and delivers over a 100 percent payback. Pros compete against other pros, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers.

By Brett Carlson

OACOMA, S.D. – Lake Francis Case lived up to its reputation as one of the Midwest’s best walleye fisheries on day one of the 2021 National Walleye Tour season opener, presented by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s. One hundred eleven pros brought a five-fish limit to the scale Thursday, an astounding figure considering South Dakota’s no-cull rules. While Francis Case is known more for numbers than big walleyes, pro leader Ryan Rieger had no problem coaxing a few Missouri River females. 

Rieger, the Bell Vernon, Penn., pro, officially leads the tournament with 19.29 pounds. Rieger drove 20 hours to get to the Chamberlain area and practiced for six straight days. Not once in those six days did he handle an over, a walleye longer than 20 inches. In this event, anglers (fishing as a team) are allowed to keep eight fish and weigh their best five. Culling is not permitted, and only two of those eight fish each day can be overs.

Walleye fans might remember Dylan Nussbaum making a similar 20-plus-hour trek to Devils Lake in 2018. At that event, Nussbaum stole the headlines and shocked the walleye world as the youngest pro to win a tour-level event. Rieger finished second to Nussbaum, and the two continue to travel and practice together. The common denominator between these two tournaments is not just the Dakotas, but also leadcore.

“The Kinzua Reservoir back home is where we figured out the leadcore bite,” explained Rieger. “We brought it to Devils, and we brought it here to this beautiful place.”

Rieger’s initial plan was to troll upstream to a jigging spot, but the trolling bite was so strong, he never pulled out the jigging rods. Instead, he caught 35 walleyes by 12:30 – the two biggest going 28 and 24 inches.

“I’m just a leadcore fisherman, and this seems like a leadcore place. Our best crankbaits have been Rapalas – Shad Raps and Shad Dancers. Today was better for both size and numbers, but to be honest, you don’t really know what you got until you beat it to death.”

While Rieger is new to Francis Case, he knew catching a single over, let alone two, was a game changer.

“The first over was 24 inches, and it was our first fish of the day. I was freaking trembling and shaking. Of course, that fish kept us there. A few passes later, we caught the 28. It’s an adrenaline rush like you wouldn’t believe.”

Rieger plans to employ the same game plan tomorrow, but does have a Plan B if necessary.

“The only problem with Plan B is that it’s 25 miles away, so I hope I never make it there.”

The fourth-year NWT pro will start the final day with nearly a 2-pound lead.

“It’s been a true dream of mine to win a National Walleye Tour tournament. That second at Devils wasn’t so bad because Dylan won.”

Kemos comes out swinging

Tommy Kemos, the 2014 Lucas Oil Angler of the Year, started his 2021 campaign with a bang. The Triton pro caught an over as his first official walleye of the new tournament season. 

“I didn’t catch a fish for the first hour and a half this morning,” recalled Kemos. “The water cooled down in my area, but I could still see them on my LiveScope, so I stuck with it.”

The persistence was worth it as he boxed all eight keepers before noon. His biggest fish was a 23-incher that bit around 10:30 this morning. He also had two near-perfect slot fish at 19 1/2 and 19 3/4 inches. Both of those slots were fat prespawners, something Kemos called “absolutely lucky.” His five best weighed 17.60 pounds.

“As the sun came up, they started to bite, but they were deeper than where I left them in practice. I did catch three overs today and had to throw one back.”

Kemos explained that he’s pitching Strike King crater-head jigs with fatheads. The jig, which he designed, allows the bait to stand perfectly on the bottom. Kemos said he’s pitching to intermediate depths and altering angles.

“I’m using my side imaging to locate the areas, then I’m actually looking at the fish as I cast at them. The fish are very lethargic right now. I just have to keep the jig in front of them and let that fathead do the work. With the electronics, you can sort of get a feel for what they’re up to.”

Kemos believes he’s around the winning fish, but tomorrow will be another day of difficult decisions.

“This is such a different season for us, because now we’re fishing for a true championship. You need to come in with fish every day. I’m going to swing for the fence, but with having three fish to play with, you don’t have to get crazy either.”

Courts cruises to third

In third place is veteran stick Mark Courts with 16.98 pounds. The Berkley pro experienced a strong practice and was optimistic, but the day still turned out better than anticipated.

“It was better than I thought, and I knew it was going to be good,” said the Harris, Minn., native. “I wasn’t sure it was going to be as good with the traffic. There is big-time traffic in the area, but there’s also an incredible amount of fish.”

Courts explained that he’s fishing a smooth flat with just clams and gravel. With his side imaging, he too can see the walleyes he’s targeting. Courts was done fishing at 1:30 p.m. with eight in his livewell, two of which were overs.

“I started out trolling, and then I switched to pitching. I caught one over on each. Berkley Flicker Minnows and Berkley Power Swimmers have been big. I bet we caught 50 fish today; it’s just a matter of sorting through them and getting them in the right order. Today I was fortunate to get the two key bites I needed.”

Lorensen fourth, Parsons fifth

Rounding out the top five are local pro Troy Lorensen and Nitro pro Chase Parsons. Lorensen, the Oacoma, S.D., angler, caught a limit weighing 16.49 pounds for fourth place.

Parsons, the “Next Bite” TV host and son of legendary pro Gary Parsons, sits fifth with 15.98 pounds.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 pros after day one on Lake Francis Case:

6th: Max Wilson of Campbellsport, Wis., five walleyes, 15.90

7th: Brian Bashore of Sioux Falls, S.D., five walleyes, 15.79

8th: Ryan Buddie of Amherst, Ohio, five walleyes, 15.64

9th: Randy Hummel of Windom, Minn., five walleyes, 15.60

10th: Kevin McQuoid of Isle, Minn., five walleyes, 15.19

The final day of competition begins tomorrow at 7 a.m. Central time as the full field takes off from Arrowwood Resort & Conference Center at Cedar Shore, located at 1500 Shoreline Dr. in Oacoma. The final weigh-in also takes place at the Arrowwood Resort Ramp, beginning at 3 p.m.

Some of the best fishing days can go down in the rain, which can be very uncomfortable. You have a “waterproof” jacket to help with that. So why are you still wet after fishing in the rain? All clothing has different grades of water resistance. Here is a quick explanation of some common terms and waterproof ratings for AFTCO outerwear.

What Makes Clothing Waterproof?

No fabric used to make comfortable fishing clothing is fully waterproof. Waterproof is a term used in outdoor clothing to describe the next level passed water resistance. Resistance means light rain and splash proof, whereas “waterproof” means it can withstand heavy rain and keep you comfortable. BUT these are not submersible.

Unfortunately, there is no breathable/comfortable fabric that is completely waterproof in the fishing clothing industry YET. If a rain suit says that it is breathable at any rating, then it cannot be 100% waterproof. There is always a chance that the clothing you wear to fish in the rain can “spring a leak” and start letting water in, but being familiar with the types of fabric and terms for waterproof ratings can help when purchasing your next set of rain gear to ensure you get the best set possible.

You may ask yourself “why do I want my suit to be breathable if it makes it not 100% waterproof?”. Well think about those rubber slickers you see on Deadliest Catch. These are 100% waterproof, but they are 0% breathable. So, when it is warm out and you start to sweat, there is nowhere for moisture to go if the suit is not breathable as well. The 100% waterproof ability of these slickers, although extremely useful for their purposes, is also their downfall as fishing rain suits. They don’t end up keeping you dry because your sweat will soak you before the rain does. That is why fishing rain jackets are designed the way they are. How, you may ask?

Many rain jackets and bibs are made of nylon shells, treated with a waterproof coating called Durable Water Repellent or DWR. This helps water bead and then roll off the fabric. That is the first line of defense.

Inside that outer shell, there is at least one other layer. This layer is a waterproof breathable membrane. Lets break down this membrane. The outer side of this membrane is hydrophobic. That means it repels water if any gets in. The inner side is hydrophilic which means it attracts water. What you get is a piece of clothing that repels water droplets from the outside, but allows for air and water vapor from sweat to escape from the inside. Amazing, right?! Most waterproof clothing has at least these two layers and some premium jackets will have 3 layers. The third layer is a protective inner layer to the membrane. Added protection means longevity and durability of the jacket.

All of this does not mean that clothing companies are wrong about calling their clothing waterproof just because they cannot be submerged in water and stay dry. Please do not go into a typhoon hoping to stay dry in your rain jackets. Also, there are different levels of these waterproof jackets. This is usually reflected by the price of the suit. Lets dive into these levels and ratings of waterproof rain suits.

Waterproof Ratings / Breathability Ratings and How We Rate AFTCO Outerwear

Waterproof fishing clothing  Waterproof fishing clothing measures waterproof and breathability in millimeters as a K rating. These ratings refer to how much water pressure the fabric can withstand before water penetrates. For example, a 20K rating means that the fabric, when placed over a 1-inch diameter tube filled with water, can withstand 20,000 mm of pressure before letting the water in.

Breathability is also measured in K ratings. However, this measurement refers to the amount of water that escapes the clothing over a 24-hour period. Therefore, a 10K breathability rating means that 10,000 grams of water vapor will escape in 24 hours.

Why is my jacket not waterproof when its says it is?

Now that you can see where we get these waterproof ratings from, you can also see that rain suits have levels of waterproofing as well. A simple standard is the higher the waterproof rating, the more waterproof it is. So, wearing a 30K jacket in light rain is a little overkill, although not as much of an issue as wearing a 5K rain jacket in a torrential downpour. Wearing a jacket that is not quite rated to handle the weather you are in would be a reason your jacket does not seem as waterproof as you would like it.

Another reason a jacket may not be keeping water out is because the DWR coating has worn off allowing too much water passed the outer shell. A tell tale sign this is what happened is if water is no longer beading on your jacket and it is soaking in immediately. This will then require you to retreat the outerwear with DWR coating which can be found here with our Nikwax Outerwear Care.

Once your jacket has been retreated, it should be beading water droplets again. If you are still getting wet, consider making sure the jacket has a waterproof rating that matches the weather you are dealing with on the water.

AFTCO rain suits start at 10K and go to 30K waterproof rating. At 30K you can ensure that rain or snow, you will stay dry out on the water. In winter, make sure to look at the AFTCO insulated jackets like the Hydronaut, and in the summer reach for the other options. If you are interested in one rain suit, look at the shell style suits, and make sure to layer in cold weather. Learn more about layering in our 8 gear tips for cold weather fishing blog.

FOND DU LAC, Wisc.– Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), today introduced the new 7.6‑liter V12 600hp Verado^® outboard engine. With this launch, Mercury continues to transform the high-horsepower outboard market, providing its most powerful and capable outboard, which includes several industry‑first features for a wide variety of applications.

“With boats continuing to grow bigger and performance expectations continuing to rise, boaters have been asking for a better, more capable high‑horsepower solution to meet their needs. The V12 Verado outboard is Mercury’s answer,” said Chris Drees, Mercury Marine president. “Using our advanced engineering and design capabilities, we completely redefined outboard performance. The V12 Verado outboard delivers boaters unrivaled freedom, luxury and power to pursue their passions on the water. This is a remarkable engine that will change the future of boating.”

Groundbreaking product innovations include the following:

• The world’s first V12 outboard, the 600hp Verado engine features a naturally aspirated, large‑displacement, quad‑cam powerhead that generates impressive torque to get heavy boats out of the hole and on plane quickly, and to accelerate up to rated speed rapidly.
• The industry’s first two‑speed automatic transmission for an outboard optimizes engine rpm according to workload, facilitating powerful acceleration and highly efficient performance at cruise.
• The industry’s first steerable gearcase on an outboard pivots independently underwater while the engine’s powerhead remains in a space‑saving fixed position. This provides more room for multi‑engine configurations and a wider steering angle for agile handling. With help from contra‑rotating propellers, it also has better “bite” in the water for docking and other close‑quarters maneuvering.
• Several enhanced Mercury technologies work in conjunction to enable the V12 Verado outboard to deliver exceptional fuel economy and range.

“The V12 Verado outboard delivers everything boaters want and more in a high-horsepower outboard. This engine makes boats easy to maneuver near the dock and provides superior handling at all speeds. It’s incredibly fuel efficient, so boaters can go farther and stay out longer. It’s so smooth and quiet that you can have a conversation while the engines are running. It’s durable, reliable and easy to maintain. There’s nothing else like the V12 Verado in the marketplace today,” Drees said.

The development of the V12 Verado outboard is a product of Mercury’s continued commitment to investing in R&D and manufacturing expansion, which includes more than $1.5 billion of investment since 2008.

“We’ve dedicated substantial investments and years of effort toward enhancing our ability to turn highly creative ideas into practical, functional and dependable solutions,” said Tim Reid, Mercury Marine vice president of development and engineering. “That work has positioned us well to anticipate and respond to shifts in the marketplace. We listened carefully to boaters’ needs and wishes, and we created new product capabilities aimed at exceeding their highest expectations.”

The Mercury Marine V12 Verado outboard will be available this spring. For more information, visit mercurymarine.com.

About Mercury Marine

Headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Mercury Marine is the world’s leading manufacturer of recreational marine propulsion engines. A division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), Mercury provides engines, boats, services and parts for recreational, commercial and government marine applications. The company empowers boaters with products that are easy to use, extremely reliable and backed by the most dedicated customer support in the world. Mercury’s industry‑leading brand portfolio includes Mercury outboard engines, Mercury MerCruiser sterndrive and inboard packages, Mercury propellers, Mercury inflatable boats, Mercury SmartCraft electronics, Land ‘N’ Sea marine parts distribution and Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils. More information is available at www.MercuryMarine.com.

About Brunswick

Headquartered in Mettawa, Ill., Brunswick Corporation’s leading consumer brands include Mercury Marine outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrive and inboard packages; Mercury global parts and accessories including propellers and SmartCraft electronics; Power Products Integrated Solutions; MotorGuide trolling motors; Attwood, Mastervolt, and Whale marine parts; Land ’N’ Sea, BLA, Payne’s Marine, Kellogg Marine, and Lankhorst Taselaar marine parts distribution; Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils; Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Crestliner, Cypress Cay, Harris, Heyday, Lowe, Lund, Princecraft, Quicksilver, Rayglass, Sea Ray, Thunder Jet and Uttern boats; Boating Services Network, Freedom Boat Club, Boat Class and NAUTIC-ON. For more information, visit brunswick.com.

Springfield, Mo.  – The National Walleye Tour presented by Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s continues to add to an impressive list of sponsors. Lucas Oil, a producer of high-quality lubricants and additives, continues its support of the NWT throughout the 2021 season, which is set to kick of April 29 on the Missouri River.

“With the support of our industry partners such as Lucas Oil, competitive walleye on the NWT continues to be a top-tier fishing tour,” said NWT Tournament Director Anthony Wright. “Our anglers fish hard and rely on the best products available. Lucas Oil is the go-to marine products so our anglers can keep their rigs in the bests condition. We thank Lucas Oil for their continued support.”

Lucas Oil is one of the fastest growing producer of additives along with making lubricants for a wide variety of platforms. At the end of each year, the top pro- and co-anglers are bestowed with the NWT Lucas Oil Pro- and Co-Angler of the Year titles and win custom Lucas Oil rings along with paid entry fees for the following NWT season.

National Walleye Tour events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of these well-respected brands: Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Ranger Boats, Mercury, Lucas Oil, AFTCO, Triton Boats, Power-Pole, Nitro, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Sunline, Valley Fashions, T-H Marine, Atlas, and G-Juice.

2021 NWT scheduled events:

April 29-30 – Missouri River (Chamberlain, S.D.)
May 27-28 – Sturgeon Bay (Sturgeon Bay, WI)
June 24-25 – Lake Erie (Huron, Ohio)
July 29-30 – Lake Oahe (Mobridge, S.D.)
Championship – September 22-24 – Otter Tail Lake (Otter Tail Lake, Minn.)