Ask the Walleye Pro: Tom Keenan
Q: What happened at the championship? Did you ever find a quality school of fish? What techniques were you and the “posse” using?
-Bert Larson, Menominee, Mich.
A: Bert what happened at the championship was very disappointing for me. I had found some great slot fish as well as some nice fish over 20 inches. I caught a limit everyday prefishing and thought I would weigh 14 or 16 pounds a day. Wow was I wrong! I had my best luck rigging with both creek chubs and night crawlers. Looking at the final results of the tournament I should have been trolling.
Q: I’m sick and tired of getting tossed around on Green Bay. My boat is only 14 feet long and it doesn’t handle 3-footers very well. Could you recommend some inland lakes in northern Wisconsin for walleye fishing? I’m willing to travel a few hours for some `eyes, but I’m not willing to lose my lunch again.
-Seasick, Shawano, Wis.
A: Rough water is the problem with fishing the Great Lakes. I would not forget about Lake Winnebago even though it too can get really rough at times. As far as northern Wisconsin goes my two favorite lakes would be North and South Twin Lake and Lake Tomahawk. The reason I choose these two lakes is that they both have a good population of fish with the chance of catching a really big walleye. The best time to fish these lakes is right now, but you will have to fish deep water. Rigging or jigging with BIG minnows is the best technique. Remember that trolling on these lakes is not permitted because they are considered Class “A” muskie lakes.
Q: Have you tried this new Berkley Crystal Fireline? I read that the pro winner, Richard Nascak used it and said it looked just like mono. What makes it so special? Do you attach it to your leadcore? How does that work?
-Kenny, Fort Pierre, S.D.
A: Kenny I did not use the Crystal colored Fireline at the championship. As poorly as I finished, maybe I should have. Crystal color would have been a great choice for the clear water that is found in Lake Oahe. I am not sure if Rick was using this or not, but I know that he was attaching Fireline for his leaders with his leadcore. The Fireline leader allows the angler to read his bait at all times. If you are using mono leaders it is very hard to detect when your bait stops vibrating. I have always used Fireline for my leaders when I want to get my bait very close to the bottom. This was a very successful technique for me at the 2003 and 2004 FLW Walleye Tour Championships. I like to strip a small piece of lead out of the line and attach the leader with a small barrel swivel. Use a small enough swivel to allow it to come through the eyes of the pole and reel guide.
Q: With the 2007 schedule looking very similar to 2006, how do you feel about your chances of defending your Angler of the Year crown? As far as I know, it’s never been done before. What event do you look forward to the most?
-Rangerforme, Eagan, Minn.
A: I would like to think my chances of winning Angler of the Year would be very good next year. This year I had the chance to familiarize myself with some new water and that should help for next year. That being said, after my poor performance at the championship, who knows. You have to get a little lucky to win AOY. My goal next year is to win an FLW Walleye Tour qualifying event and I hope that it is on Little Bay de Noc. I grew up on the bay and I still consider that my home water. I will get to stay at my parents’ house and eat their food. It will be just like the good old days – free food and no rent. Life will be good!
Tom Keenan is a well-known walleye pro from Hatley, Wis. Keenan won the 2003 FLW Walleye Tour Championship on the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Minn., and also claimed the FLW Walleye Tour Angler of the Year title in 2006. To date, his FLW Outdoors career earnings sit at $475,000, which is second to only Dean Arnoldussen, a close friend on tour. In addition to his FLW Outdoors accomplishments, Keenan also won the 1998 and 2000 MWC Team of the Year honor with his brother Mark. His sponsors include Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Lowrance, Pure Fishing, and Minn Kota.