2009 Points Tournament 1 Recap

For official details regarding this tournament, please refer to the official tournament page.

These results are not official until reviewed by the Tournament Director.

by Barry Cundiff

The Pueblo NTC Points Tournament #1 event went off without a hitch with lots of Walleye being caught throughout the weekend. During the tournament we experienced flawless execution with boat inspections and or major boat mechanical problems. All of our tournament boats were lined up Saturday and Sunday at the crack of dawn and were in the water in less than 30 minutes each day thanks to the cooperation of Pueblo State Parks and their Invasive Species Inspection team. Launch began at 0630 each morning and all anglers reported catching fish, maybe not always the right fish, but everyone seemed to keep busy throughout the weekend. Congratulations to our top placing teams who dialed in the Pueblo Walleye.

A special thanks to Pueblo State Parks, North Shore Marina and Canon Marine. Each of these entities made it possible for the CWA to host our tournament at Pueblo. Pueblo State Parks provided unsurpassed support and coordination for the tournament and inspections. They raised the bar to provide support and the appropriate staff to ensure our anglers were on and off the water each day efficiently.

Thanks to the North Shore Marina who allowed us the opportunity to set-up the weight station on the beach below the Marina. What a nice place, if you have never been there, stop in and thank them and see what you have been missing.

Our sponsor for the event was Canon Marine, http://www.boats.com/sites/canonmarine who featured a new Stratos 1760DV starting boat and what a nice boat this was. The Stratos was appealing to the eye and a very functional boat for Walleye fishing. I had the opportunity to take it for a quick run and what a nice ride it was. If you are looking for a boat stop in a see what Canon has to offer. A special thanks to Larry and Matt from Cannon Marine. Between the two of them, they fixed one of our tournaments boats on Saturday within minutes which had the minor mechanical issue resolved, while providing unparalleled assistance to the general public and the CWA weight station throughout the entire weekend. To everyone who contributed to this event, we sincerely thank you. Please let these folks know your appreciation next time you see them.

by Dave Kooser

Forty three CWA teams showed up Friday night at the rules meeting held at Pueblo Reservoir, the night before the first points tournament of the 2009 competitive season. Warm and relatively calm weather of Thursday, Friday and Sunday sandwiched a miserable yet very ‘walleye like’ Saturday. In pre-fish my partner and I sampled 13 different locations of the lake and found walleye in everyone of them catching over 30 walleye. Despite finding walleye all over the lake, another testament to the quality fishery our CDOW has created, our Saturday morning spot had already been picked even before our Friday night strategy session. My partner, Ben Tarver, picked up an early kicker fish weighing 7.06 lbs on about his fifth cast. From there we fished only three of the 13 spots as we filled the live well with 5 keepers. Total catch for the day was around 75 walleye, a dozen bass (4 legal size), one perch and one trout...yuk! Saturday we would finish with 14.97 lbs...enough for first place.

Saturdays cloudy, drizzly and grey day would be replaced on Sunday by no clouds, no wind and a high temperature of about 85. Not the best walleye weather, at least for us as the walleye in our spot could be seen on the Lowrance but not enticed to bite. Chad Vollmar and Chad Kiefer would lead the teams who put together a solid two day game plan as they regained first place with a total weight of 23.25 lbs.

The CWA would like to thank Canon Marine for providing a start boat and helping with the weigh-in. The Stratos boat they brought to the lake not only was very appealing to the eye but looks to be a solid fishing platform. We would also like to thank Pueblo State Parks and the North Shore Marina. If you have not stopped into the store at the marina, do so...nowhere on the lake (come to think about it, any lake) can you get a hamburger, bait, gas, ice and beverages in one stop.

Lessons learned - Macks Smile Blades produce fish, lots of them and big ones too. Clear water fish react a bit negatively than fish in stained water.

Next up is Big Mac...will the walleye still be hugging the shore looking for bait or will they be suspended looking for cranks.