Over my years of fishing walleye tournaments, I have always said that I fish against some of the best walleye anglers – young and old.
I hooked up with Mark and Noah for a day of fishing. They had just took 4th place at the (2013) Mattagami First Nation Fall Classic Walleye Tournament the weekend before.. After grabbing a Timmies we were on our way to Mattagami Lake. During our ride to the lake I learned that Mark has been fishing tournaments for thirteen years. In those years Mark has had one win with Noah which was at the 2012 Kapuskasing River Walleye Tournament, one Pike tournament win, two second place wins, six top five, two top tens and five top fifteens.
For the last three years Mark has been fishing with his son Noah. During this time Noah has accumulated one win, five top five, one top fifteen and three youngest angler awards. With his dad (Mark), they have won$16,000 in cash and prizes. Mark and his children have been featured in Fishing Facts and a photo in Real Fishing Magazine.
When we arrived at the lake, Mark had to wake up Noah. Like all young lads, 6 am is just too early to wake up. Since the lake had a light fog on it, this gave us a chance to finish our coffee, get dressed and load the boat. Mark runs a red 16-foot six Tracker aluminum bass boat with a 75 HP Mercury outboard.
I asked Mark what his plan was for our day of fishing and how I should rig my fishing rod. Mark suggested we start off in the 18-foot range in the morning, moving out deeper as the day went on. Mark recommended I tie a three way swivel on with a 2.5 ounce bell sinker on a 18-inch dropper line to the bell sinker. Then a 6-foot piece of fluorocarbon line to a single hook since we were going to be using leeches for the day.
During the day we caught a number of 12 to 17 inch walleye. At one of the spots we marked a good fish. As we worked the spot, I looked over at Noah as he was reeling up a fish and asked him if it was a good one. Noah replied no, then all of a sudden, it just got heavy. This could mean one thing. I grabbed the net and got ready. Just as I suspected, a giant Pike grabbed hold of his 11-inch walleye. I slid the net under it and without any warning, Mark grabbed me by the arm almost throwing me overboard to get the net into the boat. That made the day as we all got a chuckle out of that. A few quick pictures of Noah struggling to hold up the Pike and then a couple with his dad, the Pike was on its way back into the lake.
I like to say thanks to Mark and Noah for a great day on the water with them. Noah worked the three way rig like a pro. Be warned guys, this father and son team is and will be placing a lot more in the years to come. So be on the look out for the Red Rocket, they’re on a mission. Mark and Noah would like to say thanks to Nasco for their support over the years as their sponsor.
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