Pool 14

john did you win the walleye tournament on sunday? i didn’t make the weighin liked planned. i only know what last year’s winner told me this morning. he said they didn’t fish it this year. said there was a 8# walleye for biggest fish. understand the winning team weighed in 4 fish for 14#. don’t know if the winning team had the 8# also. those slot fish are plentiful and will be a great fishery by the time the slot limits are gone. i see the muddy mississippi is still on the rise. minnesota was still getting pounded with heavy rains yesterday again. guess where that water is going.

RLK, I wonder if the complaint would be for the other 5000 boats out there on the river on a hot sunday afternoon throwing out 3′ wakes all day long. A pontoon boat in the river channel has alot more problems with boat wakes than what the tourney boats will kick up.Who do I complain to when i’m trolling and a boat comes within 10 feet from me out of the river channel and I take his wake over the back of my boat???. It’s just a normal sunday on the river from what I saw. Everybody has a right to be there, you have to deal with it.

I disagree with you John. The rest of the story is that my friend said there were no other boats within a hundred yards at that time. This boat chose to pass him wide open within 10 feet. I think common courtesy is to give someone more room than that whenever possible. It was certainly possible. He had the entire main channel available to pass. But that’s my opinion. What do you other guys think?

John,
I do agree with you that everyone has the right to be there. I also agree that we have to deal with bouncing up and down in wakes all day. If people are passing you that close, get their boat numbers and give them to the DNR. Its about your best option. Nothing may happen, but its worth a shot. In the case I’m talking about, it is not a wake problem, but rather the spray from the front of the boat flying though the air into the pontoon boat. If they were really that close, then its a safety problem, not just a courtesy thing. Again, my opinion, but others are welcome to set me straight about how much room a boat should give when passing.

If they where that close, I know I would be really ticked off. I’ve had it happen many times with pleasure boats, not so much with fishing boats. There are in all walks I guess. I’ve often thought of carrying a water balloon or two filled with nasty wrotten fish water, and splattering any boat that comes within reach. Probably would lead to more problems than it would solve though!
I guess it is not much different than the same jerks on the highway. If they are doing something illegal, get their tag # and report them. If they are being a major pain in the neck, salute them as you see fit and let it go. I’ve let too many good days on the water be tainted by holding on to aggrivation caused by these morons, I don’t plan to let them ruin any more of my days or memories!
John

I stand to be corrected. I thought it was a wake that was the complaint. Yes turn him in if there was enough room to go around. It is a complaint to the director that should be made. It started like a post to start again knocking tourney fisherman on the river again. I know one thing,my 18 mile run back to the weigh in site was a rocky one for sure with all the boats out on sunday.

18 miles? Uffda. If it was anything like Coralville Resevoir, you probably just filled the tub with ice and soaked your back after that one was over.

You bet I was hurting!!!!!!!!! These bones are getting to old for that kind of ride!!!!!!!

as i look through these posts, i still haven’t heard who won the tournament john, and if the winners had the 8#fish. how many keeper fish were weighed in. inquiring minds want to know.

I think 47 teams and somewhere around 105 fish. A couple of big fish but mostly smaller leagles. Go to there website and you can veiw the complete results. The riseing water turned the great bite off. 1 week earlier and you would have seen the weights double.

Mica Killinger from Port Byron or Hillsdale, don’t remember which for sure, and his partner won it. They also had big fish of the tourney at 8.18# I believe. Read the story on the web site for details as to how they where fishing. Really has been a tough year for eye fishing here. Extreme flows, muddy water, tons of grass and trash floating. Water temp is near 80 degrees and still no substantial wing dam bite established. Some here and there, but fish have been forever on the move. Remarkable contrast to last year, when I had many 20 plus fish days on wings between May and late July.
Fish that I have been finding are in late summer patterns, although not typical late summer locations.
John