Ice Anglers Plan 5-Day Jamboree
Starts Wednesday at Munuscong Bay
By Amy Polk

Pickford's Munuscong Walleye Jamboree offers a $1,000 grand prize to the angler who hauls in the largest walleye from the bay Wednesday, February 21, through Sunday, February 25. The contest starts at 6 a.m. Wednesday, and activities will be based at Dan's Cabins and Resort, eight miles east of Pickford.

Participation in this year's contest should be helped by good, strong ice, as thick as a foot or more in most places around Munuscong Bay. Organizers hope for 500 or more participants, said Tom Ball of the Soo Area Sportmen's Club, which sponsors the event. The club doubled the number of tournament days, in part to make up for the lost derby in January, which was canceled because unseasonably warm temperatures prevented ice formation.

"We had about 477 people in it last year," Mr. Ball said. "We made it longer this year because a lot of guys take their vacations around this event, and we wanted to give people a few more days to fish."

The growing popularity of the event and interest in taking advantage of the different fishing opportunities presented by the changing conditions of the season prompted the club to introduce a "Second Chance" derby last year. The traditional derby is held in January, and the Second Chance was scheduled for February, when thicker ice later in the season allowed anglers to pursue fish in the deeper water, closer to the St. Marys River shipping channel.

Mr. Ball believes most walleye will be caught this week closer to land, in depths of about one to two feet of water. He suggested fishing closer to structures, rock piles, and weed beds.

"We have some guys trying to get out to the shipping channel, where depths are 12 to 18 feet deep, but more fish seem to be inside the bay, in the shallows there. I think guys will have to do things a little bit different this year."

Successful lures have included jigging spoons and minnows. Mr. Ball said anglers have been catching quite a few large perch, up to 17 inches in length. Mr. Ball caught a 15.5-inch perch himself. Most of the big ones have been 12 to 13 inches, he said, and "the kids should have a lot of fun."

Sponsors have boosted the cash prizes for the children's fishing contests, too, offering bigger awards to the 15 largest walleye, pike, and yellow perch caught over the week. The first place prize in the biggest walleye contest is $100, followed by a $75 second place prize, and $25 for the third, fourth, and fifth biggest walleye. A first-place prize of $35 will be awarded for the largest pike and the largest perch. Second place in each division will award $25, while $15 will be paid to the third, fourth, and fifth largest fish in each division.

Adult walleye contest prizes are larger this year, too. The grand prize has been increased from $400 to $1,000 this year. A 10-inch auger valued at $475 will be awarded for second place, a $300 prize for third place, $200 for fourth place, and $100 for fifth place. A$50 prize will be awarded to anglers in sixth through 10th places, and Mr. Ball said the club will probably award prizes through 15 or more places by the end of the tournament.

"We've been able to bump the prizes up because we've gotten a lot of support from the local businesses, and we're thankful to them for their continuous support," Mr. Ball said.

The tournament has attracted 22 major sponsors who have donated everything from cash to raffle and participant door prizes. The raffle and entry drawing prizes will be awarded Sunday, February 25. People must be present to win a prize from the drawings. Some of the larger raffle prizes include an auger and portable ice shanty. Raffle tickets will be sold at the tournament.

"The ice is good, with at least a foot of ice just about everywhere, so people can take their four-wheelers and snowmobiles out there, but we wouldn't suggest cars," Mr. Ball said, and he cautioned people traveling on the ice to avoid points of land and islands.

The Department of Natural Resources reports that anglers have landed a few nice walleye in shallow waters about three feet deep and near the mouth of the river. Most of Munuscong Bay is shallow, in fact, and anglers recommend trying places like Barbeau Point, a spot called "The Birches," and Fowler Bay during the early or late periods of the day.

The two-line-per-person rule will be enforced again this year. Each angler, including children and adults, is allowed to have only two lines in the water at all times to give all anglers the same fishing opportunities.

Other contests, including Master Angler, Hawg of the Day, Bounty on the Bay, and the Munuscong Target Weight for adults and children will give anglers more chances to win.

Hawg of the Day, with a $25 prize, is for the largest fish weighed on each day of the tournament.

The Master Angler contest will award $50 to the person who catches the most walleye within the state limit of five per day, or 15 over the three days of the contest.

Bounty on the Bay will pay $150 to the person who catches a fish larger than last year's winning fish. Glenn Cheney of Rudyard's 9.65- pound fish is the size to beat.

This year's Munuscong Target Weight is 2.70 pounds, and anyone who hits the weight with a fish caught in either the adults' or children's division will receive the $50 prize.

Anglers can access the ice from Dan's Cabins off Gogomain Road, east of Pickford. The weigh-in and hospitality tent will also be at Dan's Cabins. Weigh-in will be from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Saturday weigh-in will be from 11 .m. to 12:30 p.m., and from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sunday weigh-in will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Awards and prizes will be distributed at 12:30 p.m.