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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | This may be old news but I just saw in the local paper that the
2006 PMTT will be held in November on the Fox Chain.
below is a link to the full story
http://www.dailyherald.com/news/lakestory.asp?id=134253
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Posts: 8781
| WHY? 
Like the Fox chain needs any fricken more publicity? Jeez you can just about walk across the boats on a normal weekend...
But hey, if the PMTT guys think a skinny 33" fish winning the championship is going to launch the PMTT into stardom, than who am I to object??
Edited by esoxaddict 12/20/2005 3:31 PM
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Posts: 2427
Location: Ft. Wayne Indiana | It is not about "launching into stardom".
It is about changing lake locations and different fisheries. It about the local tourism commerce.
Sure there might be some little fish in there, every lake and fishery has them. The same can be said for Cave Run, Eagle River, Shelbyville, etc.....
Also, do you really think in November there will be TONS of boats out there?
I personally think it will be a very interesting championship. |
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| The last year I guided on the fox chain...Nov. was great for me ending with an 11 fish day up to 47inches for a guy who had never fished muskies before. I think he was hooked. If people expand their horizons and fish more than the 3 northern lakes and consider fish may be other places than break lines and open water...many and larger fish are available.
Edited by BenR 12/20/2005 4:28 PM
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Posts: 8781
| Mike,
I think the championship should be held on trophy waters, somewhere that you have a legitimate shot at a 40 pounder, someplace that turns out more than one 48" fish every other year.
If it's about bringing tourism and commerce to the area first and about the fishing second, why not choose an area that isn't already overcrowded? There's no shortage of revenue coming into Antioch. Seriously, Mike -- the Fox Chain? The only reason people fish it at all is because they live close to it. But the serious anglers? They all drive right past it on their way up North and thank God that they can fish somewhere else instead.
I think it's going to be pretty dissapointing in all honesty.
For me personally, it's an advantage -- it's 45 minutes from home -- I can fish the #*#* out of it this year. I can pre-fish the day before the tournament and go home, so in that respect it's great, but I'm much more excited about fishing Eagle River and Vermillion. Even Petenwell and the Cave give you a much better shot at some great fishing, and Petenwell is a SEWER...
If we qualify, I'm sure going to fish it, but I'd be happier if it was somewhere else. I'd be happy if it was ANYWHERE else. |
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Posts: 7039
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | I too was a bit surprised by the decision to go to the Fox Chain, but there are a lot of things to think about:
-centrality to those who fish the Trail.
-sponsorships
-ease/difficulty of judge boats monitoring the entrants' catches.
The Chain qualifies on all those areas. Is the fish as "good" for numbers of trophies as it is elsewhere on the Trail for places they have held the championship and/or qualifiers? Probably not as consistently. Though I do recall a 4 fish day that Ralph Florio had with me about 2 years ago, with the two biggest being 45" and 46.5"......
BUT, think about it...is the PMTT, or any muskie tournament, about "trophy fishing"? Really, its about POINTS, and those points may come from 4 fish between 34" and 38", or from one 47". Would it be "cool" to think of tourneys as always yielding MONSTER fish for the winners, probably, but again it probably wouldnt matter to those who bring checks home.
AND, think about it, its probably MUCH TOUGHER to boat even a single fish on the Fox Chain, than it is to catch a quality fish on other stops within the trail, thusly raising the level of skill needed to get on the board.
So....my thoughts are that the PMTT found a location central to their entrant base geographically, found a location where they can get the necessary sponsorship to put on a high quality event, the system is divided into easily judged smaller bodies of water, the system ISNT crowded that time of year, and true skill (not luck) will crown the victor. Whats the problem in that situation?
and, if anyone thinks that any MORE pressure will be brought on the Chain....hard to notice 5 more boats, when there's already 509 on it. |
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Posts: 8781
| I agree in part about the centralized location, but let's say you've done the whole trail and you qualify for the championship... Are you going to decide not to fish it because now that you've already fished in 4 different states you just don't want to go all the way to chataqua, or Tonka, or...
And you're right -- it's all about points, so why have it in a place where very few points are likely to be scored? Sure it will take skill to win, but doesn't every tournament take skill to win? More fish caught = more points scored = more difficult to be in first place. And as for luck playing a role -- you can luck your way to a 38" Fox Chain fish as much as easily as you can luck your way to a 50" fish on Tonka.
There's a fair amount of publicity surrounding the PMTT as we all know. Why not have that publicity geared towards a location where the end result is more likely to involve numerous fish, and/or larger fish?
I doubt that the Fox Chain will be that crowded on the day OF the tournament, but if the surrounding publicity brings more anglers and more boats to the chain for the following season, I don't see that as a positive thing. I can't see that as a motivating factor, when it already the most crowded waterway within 200 miles. |
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| Some folks you can never please, and no matter where you place it complainers will complain. I no longer fish it, so I do not know what has changed in the last 5 years or so, but a small group of people tend to do really well and catch some large fish out there while a big number of people don't do so well. Not sure why. I have fished all over the midwest and besides Canadian fish all of my 50+ inch fish(all 2 of them) have came from IL...one from the fox chain. I would like to see people do well out there and wish you all good luck...Ben |
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Posts: 929
Location: Rhinelander. | I think its an awfull pick and not just for the championship but for any P.M.T.T.
We have been there and done that and there were alot of unhappy anglers>>>>>
I believe I was told then they doubted they would ever go back there.
And november............BURRRRRRRRRRRR
go back to kincaid at that time of year.
Don Pfeiffer |
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| I don't have any personal experience with the Fox Chain, but I know of alot of complaints from prior tourney there. November will be different, but that weekend is the Minnesota deer opener, so I am going to pass on the whole PMTT trail this year for the first time in 4 years.
I may fish an event or two, but I can't handle the 14 drive to Kentucky anymore either. |
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Posts: 2515
Location: Waukesha & Land O Lakes, WI | Why didn't they go back to NY? |
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Posts: 734
Location: Watertown, MN | I don't think the Fox chain was on the top of a lot of peoples list of lakes to fish, but that is where it will be. I have heard there is good fall bite on the chain, but it is all dependant on the weather. Little late in the fall for me, deer hunting and trophy time here in MN. Ball Cap and Cady will be on the trail next year some how some way. I think main reason is, that it is a central location for most of the fisherman that fish the PMTT, and with gas prices this year, I really think they want to cut down on the average distance a team to travels to each event as you look at the locations chosen for his year.
Troyz |
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Posts: 317
| there are alot of big fish in the chain. And you know what, the PMTT is about professional anglers doing what it takes to get the advantage. What better test of skill than fishing a hugely pressured water and getting it to produce. It will take some innovation to pull this out, isn't that the point of a championship? |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Why is it that 'trophy' muskies have to define the sport? Championships for the Professional Walleye Trail, the Forset L Wood Walleye Tour, BASS, and FLW Bass Tours are frequently held on less than 'trpohy' water. The PWT held a qualifier on the Chain last year, by the way. I covered the event in pouring rain, high wind, and 40 degrees the third day, and fish were caught. There were probably 400 people there, in the audience for the weigh in each day, too.
Muskies will be caught on the Chain, and there will be some very GOOD fish caught. The concept that the Championship is somehow supposed to be a reward for the anglers who made it by making the bite spectacular or easy always made me shake my head a bit. One Team has to catch more than everyone else to win, and I guarantee one team will do just that. And they will be happy about it, too.
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Posts: 5171
| I am not a big fan of the fox chain of lakes,with that being said I think it will be a good tournament.There are good numbers in the chain and there will be no boat traffic that time of year.Nowif I can only qualify.Bill |
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Posts: 197
Location: N Illinois | There isn't any boat traffic in Nov on the chain. I like it. 30 minute drive beats those ten hour trips. Like Bill said, you have to qualify first. I'm lookiing forward to this years PMTT. |
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Posts: 20219
Location: oswego, il | It won't be like the last PMTT event held there because of the boat traffic. The PMTT picked our weekend that we normally hold or fall FRV tournament and last nov it took 2 fish to win our 1 day tournament as it did our spring tournament. I highy doubt you will have 27 teams boating fish like they had on the chip this past year but it won't be terrible.
With that said, FRV will be having their fall tournament the week prior so come on and fish it and pre-fish the PMTT championship! |
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