Byle reaches for the big time

Wisconsin pro on cusp of walleye-tournament greatness

PORT CLINTON, Ohio – Lake Erie’s walleyes are on the rise and so are the weights being brought to the scales at the 2009 Walmart FLW Walleye Tour season opener.

After a relatively sluggish first day on which 22 pros had weights of 20 pounds or more, day two saw 55 anglers weigh at least 20 pounds, and 14 had 30 pounds or more.

The bite has improved because the walleyes are rising in the water column in pursuit of baitfish seeking warmer water. When walleyes move up, good things happen. The fish become susceptible to crankbaits and spinner rigs, the bread and butter of Lake Erie walleye fishing.

But details make the difference, according to Pat Byle, who sits atop the pro leaderboard with 64 pounds, 3 ounces. Byle followed a day-one catch of 28 pounds, 3 ounces with a day-two catch of 36 pounds, vaulting him from fifth place into first place

“I’ve been trolling crankbaits like everybody else,” Byle said, “but there are some subtle differences to my approach. Nothing real significant, but a combination of speed, presentation, location and direction relative to the current has made the difference.”

Half of any fisherman’s success is due to being in the right place at the right time. Byle said he caught one keeper at 8:30 a.m. and didn’t add a second fish to the livewell until 1:30 p.m, when he happened upon the school that give him his leading weight.

“I could just as easily have come in with one or two fish today,” said the Colgate, Wis., pro, whose previous best finish on Lake Erie was sixth in 2003. “I was close to doing that today. But I got on the right school at just the right time.”

Unlike many competitors, who for the past two days have sought to make up for a miserable prefishing period, Byle has stuck with a plan he established in practice.

“I was able to get on the water and get a couple nice fish,” he said. “I figured if I could catch ’em under those brutal conditions, I could do a lot better when things stabilized.”

Friday’s weather was 62 degrees with bright sunshine and a light west wind that raised hardly a ripple on the water, making Lake Erie look like a giant sheet of aluminum foil, conditions that would make walleye fishing extremely tough elsewhere. Another day like this – Saturday’s forecast calls for a repeat – and walleye fans could see several 40-pound-plus sacks brought to the scales on the final day.

While Byle shoots for his first Walleye Tour victory, he’s already grateful for what’s happened so far.

“It’s great to be back in the top 10,” said Byle, whose 36-pound sack Friday was the heaviest among the top 10 pros. “You gotta appreciate ’em when you get ’em, because this is one tough group of guys to fish against.”

Day-one leader Steve Vandemark fell to eighth place after weighing 18 pounds, 4 ounces Friday, leaving him 10 pounds off the pace at 54 pounds, 10 ounces overall. Vandemark’s friend and roommate, Alan Szoke, tumbled from second place to 28th place. Also exiting the top 10 were Scott Woodward (from fourth to 19th) and Ronnie Rhodes (from ninth to 15th). Dave Kraft hung on to 10th place for a second straight day.

New to the top 10 are Rick McLaughlin (from 21st to sixth), John Gillman (from 20th to seventh) and Ross Grothe (from 18th to ninth).

The heaviest day-two weight was brought to the scales by Jared Meisterics of Richfield, Ohio, who caught 41 pounds, 4 ounces of walleyes along with co-angler Kevin Klingmann of Novelty, Ohio.

Friday brought a lot more local traffic to the lake. The area around Kelley’s Island has become very crowded, but that’s also where some of the biggest fish of the tournament have been caught. The situation is much the same in the Detroit River, where one pro reported that a spot he had to himself Thursday had 45 boats on it today.

Franklin moves into second place

The walleyes are rising and so is Bemidji, Minn., pro Rick Franklin, who’s aiming to show local fishing fans that his fifth-place finish here last year wasn’t a fluke. He moved from third place into second place Friday with a day-two weight of 30 pounds, 13 ounces, lightest among the top seven pros. But his two-day total weight is 60 pounds, 10 ounces, less than 4 pounds off the pace set by Byle.

“It was a frustrating day, but we finally got some fish,” Franklin said. “We had two fish at 1:30 after losing eight. We got our final four keepers in the last hour.”

Franklin said the bite is extremely light, with many of his crankbait-caught fish being netted with one hook in the corner of the mouth.

“Very, very finicky,” he said, “and I don’t know why. I’ve been pulling my hair out.”

If he can pull off his first FLW Walleye Tour win tomorrow, Franklin wouldn’t mind going home bald.

Takasaki warms with the weather

Ted Takasaki of East Gull Lake, Minn., built on a sixth-place finish on day one with a third-place finish on day two, placing him squarely in the ranks of the real contenders for Saturday’s finale. His 32-pound, 6-ounce, second-day sack brought his two-day overall weight to 60 pounds, 8 ounces.

“It’s been a good two days of fishing,” said Takasaki, who’s also seeking his first Walleye Tour win. “Yesterday was a lot more gratifying because I hadn’t been on the water for so many days. Today I worked the same areas.”

Takasaki set the all-time Professional Walleye Trail single-day weight record at a Lake Erie tournament. Now he wants to make his mark in the FLW.

“Knowing what to run, where to run it and controlling the boat are what it’s all about here,” he said.

Schiefelbein looking for his big break

Scott Schiefelbein’s best year on the FLW Walleye Tour was in 2005, when he finished the season ranked 109th overall. He’s hardly a household name in the walleye-tournament world, but a win on Erie would certainly change that. He brought 31 pounds, 14 ounces to the scales Friday and moved from seventh place into fourth place with a two-day total weight of 58 pounds, 13 ounces.

“I’m pretty happy,” said the Birchwood, Wis., pro, who at least is guaranteed to cash his first check on the Walleye Tour. “I lost some nice fish again today, but so has everybody else, I guess.”

Over the past winter Schiefelbein said he built 450 custom spinner rigs and that they’ve worked well at this tournament.

“It gives you a bit more pride in what you’re doing,” he said.

Good is good enough again

It’s been six years since Perry Good fished the FLW Walleye Tour, and seeing his name in fifth place after day two will surprise nobody who follows the world of walleye-tournament fishing.

“I was fortunate to draw two very good co-anglers,” Good said onstage during weigh-in. “Along with the nice weather, it adds up to success.”

Good was in eighth place after day one but used a 30-pound, 14-ounce sack to take over fifth place with a two-day combined weight of 57 pounds, 10 ounces.

Immediately after weigh-in, Good said he didn’t think his weight would be good enough to put him in the final round, but once again it was.

“I went to the same spot today and caught the same fish,” said Good, who won four PWT tournaments in his career, including a championship. “The key was to stay to the outside of the group. Big fish always hang on the outsides.”

Rest of the best

6. Rick McLaughlin, Glenrock, Wyo., 56 pounds, 11 ounces

7. John Gillman, Freeland, Mich., 54 pounds, 12 ounces

8. Steve Vandemark, Linwood, Mich., 54 pounds, 10 ounces

9. Ross Grothe, Northfield, Minn., 52 pounds

10. Dave Kraft, Bismarck, N.D., 51 pounds, 8 ounces

Top 10 co-anglers

1. Kenny Hennexson, Thornton, Colo., 65 pounds, 13 ounces

2. Kris Klingmann, Novelty, Ohio, 65 pounds, 2 ounces

3. Bruce Frevert, Centerville, Iowa, 62 pounds, 3 ounces

4. Keith Nagel, Juneau, Wis., 56 pounds, 12 ounces

5. Dave Holte, Rapid City, S.D., 56 pounds, 11 ounces

6. Marty Barski, Crystal Lake, Ill., 56 pounds, 4 ounces

7. Ken Seyka, DeWitt, Mich., 54 pounds, 7 ounces

8. Don Cozzie, Orland Park, Ill., 53 pounds, 4 ounces

9. Pete Stasney, New Prague, Minn., 51 pounds, 14 ounces

10. Aaron Lochotzki, Sandusky, Ohio, 50 pounds, 14 ounces

Saturday’s takeoff is scheduled for 7 a.m. at the Nor’ Easter Club, 2801 Nor’ Easter Cove Road in Port Clinton. The final weigh-in is at 4 p.m. at Walmart, 2826 E. Harbor Road in Port Clinton. The community is invited to this free and open event.