WINONA, Minn. – It’s an expensive form of live bait – costing more than a dollar per 3-inch fish. It’s also extremely hard to obtain. But it could be the key to bringing home the $53,000 Ranger 621 at the 2008 Walmart FLW Walleye League Finals.
What is this expensive, elusive baitfish? It’s a willow cat, and to a Mississippi River walleye, it’s like candy. Also known as Tadpole Madtom, a willow cat is a bullhead-looking fish that is the smallest member of the catfish family. There are a lot of beliefs as to why willow cats are loved by river walleyes. Some simply feel that willow cats have a slime to them that gives off a scent that walleyes crave. Others think that willow cats are predators to walleyes during the spawn, so they act on aggression.
In 2007, new state laws were passed with the intention of preventing the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia – commonly referred to as VHS disease. Because of the rule, anglers in the Heartland, (Iowa/Illinois) Wisconsin and Michigan divisions of the Walleye League are prohibited from bringing live bait purchased outside of the state into Minnesota. Essentially, willow cats are only legally harvested from inland Minnesota streams, and only a few local bait shops have a short and unpredictable supply.
Regardless of the new laws and supply concerns, you can bet the farm that the local Minnesota Division anglers will be armed with cats. These cats are commonly fished on the front face of wing dams and over rock piles. In addition to rigging with willow cats, trolling with leadcore line and crankbaits will be a common and productive pattern.
Kevin Kerkvliet of Maplewood, Minn., said the bite isn’t hot, but it isn’t cold either.
“We’ve been getting fish every day,” he said. “Last weekend we were averaging between 12 to 15 pounds a day.”
Kerkvliet does have willow cats in his baitwell, and he plans to put them to good use.
“I would say half of the people here have them. We were able to locate ours from a dealer in the Twin Cities. But for us, it hasn’t just been willow cats. We’ve had success jigging with Gulp, cranking on the tops of wing dams and even dragging crawlers. Willow cats are important, but they are just one piece of the puzzle.”
Although there are several talented river rats who qualified for this event, the pretournament favorite just might be Richard Nascak. Nascak won the 2006 FLW Walleye Tour Championship on Lake Oahe in Pierre, S.D., and boasts over $220,000 in career FLW Outdoors earnings. He also happens to call the town of Winona home. His overall talent and local knowledge could be hard to beat this week. Other anglers to watch include Tim Chick and Mitchell Jerowski – two of Nascak’s fellow Winona residents.
Logistics
Only Pools 5, 6 and 7 of the Mississippi are fishable waters this week. The League Finals features the best 30 weekend walleye anglers from four divisions – Michigan, Heartland, Minnesota and Wisconsin – competing for top awards of a $53,000 Ranger 621 boat powered by an Evinrude E-Tec outboard in the Boater Division and a $38,000 G3 V185F powered by Yamaha in the Co-angler Division.
Boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired for the event and fish for a combined boat weight. Boaters compete against other boaters, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. Anglers can keep eight fish in their livewell and weigh their best five. Culling or upgrading is prohibited.
Anglers will take off from Levee Park, which is located just off Walnut Street, at 7 a.m. each morning. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at 3 p.m. at the park. Saturday’s weigh-in moves to the Walmart store located at 955 E. Frontenac Drive in Winona beginning at 4 p.m. The community is invited to attend the free takeoff and weigh-in festivities.
Thursday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:41 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 63 degrees
Expected high temperature: 73 degrees
Water temperature: 63-68 degrees
Wind: SSW at 19 mph
Maximum humidity: 79 percent
Day’s outlook: scattered thunderstorms