Final Day Recap …MWC World Walleye Championship
The final day of the MWC on Saturday started off a little rough for us. We went through quite a few of our spots that held good overs…. the fish were still there, but they just wouldn’t bite. We spent a lot of time working those areas, hoping that window would open, but it never did.
Knowing we were sitting in 10th and right on the bubble, we decided to shift gears. We ran to another spot with smaller unders just to get some fish in the box and ease that nervous feeling of not having anything yet. With four fish in the boat, we made the call to go back to our main area that had produced bigger fish earlier.
By then, the wind had really kicked up, and boat control became tough. We were fishing humps covered in weeds, trying to drop baits into small openings between patches ,but the high winds made it a challenge to keep our baits where they needed to be.
Late in the day, we slid over to a nearby area not far from the boat ramp. We picked up a mix of bass, small pike, and bluegill …..just grinding through different species until finally, David hooked into a heavy over. That fish gave us a boost of hope heading into weigh-in.
As we rolled in, I told David, “It is what it is …we did what we could.” We weighed in early …third or fourth boat up …and sat and watched as teams came across the stage. The bite had definitely gotten tougher for everyone. One by one, teams weighed light, and when it was all said and done, we held our spot.
10th place on Day 1, 10th on Day 2, and we finished 10th overall.
A solid finish, a check, a plaque, and no regrets.
If I had to pick one takeaway, it’s this:
When you mark fish and can’t get them to go …don’t give up on that spot completely. Leave it, but come back. So many of our fish came on the second or third pass through an area when that bite window finally opened.
Tournament fishing, in my eyes, is about 75% luck. You’ve got to be lucky enough to be in the right place when those fish decide to eat — and we saw that hold true again this week.
My JT Outdoor Products rods ….the 9’2” Spinning Snare, Panhandler, and Mag Light …all performed flawlessly all week long. Huge thanks to Cold Snap Outdoorsfor keeping us warm and dry in the CS-One system through those cold mornings.
I’ll be posting a full breakdown soon on the exact baits, techniques, and presentations we used throughout the championship. Between guide trips and catching up back home, it might take me a few days, but stay tuned ….it’s coming.
Thank you to everyone who followed along, sent messages, and supported us through this event. I love hearing your feedback, so if there’s something you’d like to see added in future blogs, drop me a note.
Until next time
Tom Sieburg
Tom Tom’s Guide Service
