Closing the door
Vanderweide looks to clinch victory with two big fish
ESCANABA, Mich. – The final Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour qualifier on Bays de Noc is Josh Vanderweide’s to lose. The 27-year-old pro has a 5-pound lead and an area all to himself that is loaded with big fish.
A change in wind from southwest to northwest is in the forecast and Vanderweide isn’t exactly sure how it will affect the bite. It will change the way angle at which he trolls.
“Storms blew through and the wind switched so it’s possible they moved. But I’m fishing a 10-mile area, not a spot, so the fish can’t move that far.”
The Grand Rapids, Mich., dentist found this area on Wednesday during practice.
“They’ve been there a week and a half – I just need one more day.”
Although Vanderweide is only 27 years old, he’s been competing in walleye tournaments since he was 15. He’s won several local tournaments and he and his father Thomas won the 2004 MWC event on Saginaw Bay.
“One hundred thousand dollars would be a great bonus, but I’ve just got to worry about getting a few fish today. I’d be happy with two big overs, but I’d be even happier with five fish.”
With a 5-pound lead over second-place pro Chad Schilling, Vanderweide would likely claim victory with two fish in the 27- to 30-inch range. That doesn’t sound incredibly difficult considering his father caught 20 overs from the same area yesterday.
“It’s located between Little and Big Bay 20 miles east from the marina,” Vanderweide said of his honeyhole. I’m fishing halfway down in 16-30 feet of water. It’s a natural stopping point on their migration south.”
The final weigh-in, which is free and open to the public, will take place today at 4:30 p.m. Eastern time at the Wal-Mart store located at 601 North Lincoln Road in Escanaba. The winners on both the pro and co-angler sides are determined by the largest total weight spanning all four days of competition.
Saturday’s conditions:
Sunrise: 6:25 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 60 degrees
Expected high temperature: 81 degrees
Water temperature: 68-73 degrees
Wind: WNW at 15 mph
Maximum humidity: 53 percent
Day’s outlook: sunny