A recent professional walleye tournament was headquartered here, designed to fish the waters of Bay de Noc in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.


Jason Przekurat of Stevens Point launched at the required site, motored for three hours, traveled 75 miles and wound up trolling off the western shore of Green Bay near the Northeastern Wisconsin community of Oconto.


"There were more fish down there, and they were easier to catch," he explained.


"Wind conditions were right to make the run, so we decided to go, and it paid off. I did lose a 10-horsepower 'kicker' motor, however. We ran into rough weather, the bracket broke off the transom and the motor fell into the lake."


He also burned 1,000 gallons of gasoline.


Przekurat completed the four-day event in fourth place, good enough to earn the Angler of the Year title on the FLW Walleye Tour for the second time in four years, the only angler to win the title more than once.


When Przekurat won his first Angler of the Year honors in 2003, he pocketed $18,429 in winnings while participating in five tournaments.


This year, he brought home $133,500 from just four contests. Angler of the Year tacked on a 20-foot, $45,000 fully rigged boat to his windfall.


He has an opportunity to build on that income. His record qualifies him for the 2007 FLW Championship, set for Sept. 27-30 on Lake Erie in Cleveland, where first place is worth $150,000 and last place $6,000.


Tournament angling has brought big-time money, big-time dreams and big-time effort to the sport of fishing.


"On June 29, just before I left for the Bays de Noc tournament (July 11-14), I gave my two weeks notice at Gander Mountain, where I worked for seven years," Przekurat said. "I'm going into the fishing industry full-time."


He expects to guide on the Wisconsin River system, perform promotional work for his tournament sponsors, provide fishing seminars at sport shows and continue his competitive angling career.


Przekurat, 37, began tournament fishing in 1995 on the Masters Walleye Circuit, winning Angler of the Year in 2000. He joined the FLW Tour in 2001.


This year, his award-winning resume included finishes in first, fourth, ninth and 13th place in the four-tournament setting. Each event is limited to 150 anglers. For Angler of the Year purposes, each contestant is awarded points based on order of finish.


First place is worth 150 points; last place is worth one 1 point.


Each professional angler pays a $1,560 entry fee per tournament and fishes with an amateur, who pays a $500 entry fee. Amateur co-anglers are selected at random for each day of the contest.


Przekurat travels with an amateur partner, Justin Steinke of Birnamwood, but never has been paired with him in a tournament. Steinke finished fourth in the amateur category and qualified for the championship event in the amateur bracket.


Competing at the professional level requires a commitment of time, money, patience and perseverance.


"I spend 10 days on every tournament, including five days pre-fishing before the event and travel," Przekurat said. "By the time the tournament is over, I'm mentally and physically exhausted."


Przekurat was fortunate in his choice of employer.


"I was hired at Gander Mountain seven years ago by Tom Keenan (of Hatley), who was FLW Angler of the Year in 2006," he said. "He allowed me time off work to do this."

Fish Lake Manitoba Narrows

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