GLADSTONE - Anglers and fans alike are in for an eventful weekend as the Masters Walleye Circuit returns to the area.
The circuit will crown a Central Division champ among 93 teams from seven states. It starts at 7 a.m. Saturday and ends Sunday with weigh-in at 4 p.m. at the Gladstone Marina.
Registration is Friday, followed by a mandatory rules meeting at 5 p.m.
Anglers will be allowed to pre-fish on Friday but must be off the water by 2 p.m.
The teams are comprised of a handful of professional anglers, but also include many people with "day jobs," such as teachers, police officers and lawyers. There are also father/son and mother/daughter teams.
First-year tournament Director Dan Palmer is excited about the diversity in the field.
"We have some of the biggest names in walleye fishing in the world here," he said. "But we have people from all walks of life."
The professional anglers only make up a small percentage of the participants, and although anglers like Steve Vandemark and Tommy Skarlis are competing, Palmer thinks the tournament is wide open for anyone to win.
"The decisions made on the water, knowing when and what to do will decide this tournament. It could be anyone," he said.
Going into the weekend, Greg Gustin and Thomas Binkowski hold first place in the circuit, followed by Don Olson and Randy Carrol in second and mother/son team Danny and Barbara Plautz in third.
Although this is Palmer's first year as tournament director, he is far from inexperienced; he served four years as bumpmaster, which is the fish weigh-in judge. He began fishing the circuit in 2005 and also became a sponsor for The Inhibitor Rust Preventative System of Rockford, Ill., where Palmer is from.
"The circuit wanted a full-time bumpmaster, and hired me in 2007 to judge all 10 tournaments. I gained the knowledge and respect of the anglers and a corporate decision was made to hire me as director for the tournaments," Palmer said.
He now holds the title of director and bumpmaster and is having a blast.
"It's really been an enjoyable year," he said. "For me it's all about making new friends and going new places."
The tournament returns to the area after a three-year absence.
"There is fantastic fishing in Escanaba," Palmer said. "The Delta County Chamber gets behind us and the Great Lakes Sport Fishing Association also does a lot of work in this area."
Palmer expects some huge walleye to be caught. There is no slot limit for this tournament, so there will be no restrictions on the size of the fish. "If the weather holds out, we expect to break every tournament record this weekend," Palmer said.
The weather is a bit of a concern for some anglers as the lake temperature has dipped over the last few days.
"It's going to be tough because it's been really cold," MWC rookie Jaimee Tourangeau of Escanaba said Wednesday. "The lake temperature was 74 degrees a few days ago, and now it's at about 64, which isn't so good for walleye. It'll be interesting to watch."
James Passo of St. Charles, Ill., was also a little concerned about the water temperature.
"It's going to hurt for sure, but someone always finds fish," he said.
Palmer thinks local teams may be better prepared for the cold weather, such as Kim "Chief" Papineau of Escanaba.
"He's an MWC icon and has won Angler of the Year in the past," Palmer said.
There is a $14,900 payout for the winning team, as well as an entry in the world championship next season and bonus cash prizes. Participants who signed up for all three tournaments in their division are in the Berkley Premier Team bracket. The winner of the bracket will get a bid to the national championship, a $3,500 Berkley sponsorship, and a $500 Cabela's gift card.
Cabela's will also hand out a $500 cash prize for the top team in Cabela's cash contingency program, which competitors will be eligible for by just signing up through the outfitter and wearing a patch on their shirt.
Every participant paid a $15 conservation fee, totaling $1,395, which will be donated back to the conservation fund for the Delta County area.
"It's just one way we give back to the community," Palmer said. He will be on the water this weekend making sure anglers stay within the tournament boundaries that are limited to Michigan waters in Delta and Menominee counties. Other than that, the tournament rules mirror state laws. There will be three rods per angler, and two presentations or lures per rod.
"We take pride in not restricting our anglers," Palmer said. "They get pretty inventive out there." Palmer plans on releasing 70-80 percent of the walleye caught back into the system using a state-of-the-art oxygenator system.
The fishing times are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, with weigh-in starting at 4 on Saturday and Sunday.
Anglers will launch from the Gladstone Marina and return there for weigh-in.
If anglers return at 4:01, they are considered late and their fish will be half-weighted. At 4:16 any fish that come in will not be counted.
There will be a kid's clinic at 5:30 p.m. Saturday where 50 rods and rails will be given away thanks to sponsors like Cabela's. The professional anglers will also teach kids tips and tricks of the trade.
Although this tournament should produce some huge walleye and has a good number of participants, it is only a precursor to what is coming to Delta County next year.
On Aug. 6-7, 2011, the Masters Walleye Combined Tournament will come to Escanaba to crown the Cabela's National Team champion. Last year the tournament was held at Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wis., and set a Guinness world record for the most participants with 724.
