FLW Walleye Tour-Escanaba, MI July 23rd-26th
Day 3 PM
Story and Photo by Julia Davis

Josh Vanderweide Retains the Lead on day 1 of the FLW Walleye Tour at Bay de Noc
 
After two mild days on the water, today's weather proved to be a challenge for everyone. The skies were cloudy most of the day, but it wasn't until an hour before the weigh in when a big storm to the South moved in with gusty winds pushing what felt like a steady 25-30 mph. It was this storm that produced a water spout, and several anglers who were making the run back home from the Southern boundary, found themselves in some pretty big seas.  "I came out of the river and looked up and saw a water spout just as it was sucking back into itself", said Evinrude Pro Joe Whitten. "Then it dumped water on me like it was pouring out of a 5 gallon bucket. Luckily I was running pretty fast, or it would have filled up the boat", he said.
 
The FLW managed to get 3/4 of the field through the weigh in process before a severe thunderstorm dropped down and caused havoc on the weigh in site. 
 
Spectators rushed for cover as the skies opened up and it poured quarter sized rain drops on everyone and everything. Lightning bolts lit up the skies too close to the site to allow anyone to feel completely safe. Thunder cracked and made the biggest of men buckle at the knees as they ducked their heads in wonderment.
 
After about a 10-15 minute delay the weigh in resumed. It wasn't long and the final top ten were announced. 
 
Holding on to the number one spot is, Josh Vanderwiede, of Jenison, MI. Josh has a total weight of 63.2 pounds and will be going out with the number one seeded Co Angler, Jerry Miller of Lowell, IN who has an even 59 pounds.
 
Juls: Congrats Josh...you're doing very well. Are you excited to be sitting in first place for day 4?
 
Josh: Very excited...hopefully I can finish the deal for once!
 
Juls: This isn't your first time in the first place position, is it?
 
Josh: No, it's not my first time. I've fell, and I've won some, so hopefully I'll be winning tomorrow.
 
Juls: You are known for being a big water troller, are you confident you can go back out tomorrow and get on the same fish you've been working all week?
 
Josh: I'm fairly confident. The fish are moving everyday, but I've been able to find them, so hopefully tomorrow we'll find the again.
 
Chad Schilling remains in the second place spot going into day 4.
 
Juls: Well, "Smiley", looks like you had a pretty good day today, but you're still going to have to chase someone else tomorrow to get to that first place victory.
 
Chad: Yeah, I know.  No, I'm definitely not that far behind. This is a Great Lake tournament, so I'm definitely still in contention. It was a good day again...I got the bites today. I watched so many fish get caught today. I was everyone's lucky charm. Everyone I got close to, I watched them catch fish...constantly!
It was interesting to say the least.
 
Juls: But, the other day you said you like to leave a spot when people get around you...(I tease).
 
Chad: I started all by myself...caught one fish, and Bob Probst Jr. was on the same point with me, all week.  That was the one boat I would see every once in a while. He caught one and he never stopped...he left me alone... trolled away from me, and he needed fish, so that was VERY kind.
 
Juls: Jr's from South Dakota too, right?
 
Chad: Yeah...that's right.
 
Juls: So, being raised right must be a South Dakota "thang", I say smiling.
 
Chad: (Laughing) Yeah! You know, it was totally random...we never talked about it...we both just showed up in that area. He trolled away and I watched him catch 4 fish, so fast...at the end of my pass. So, I never went there, and I stayed out on my pass, and stayed there for two hours.
 
One boat came in and I said, "time to leave"... I've got one spot where there's some boats, that I got a bunch of waypoints that I hadn't been to, because there was always boats.  I got there and I started my pass...I didn't realize I started right in the middle of chaos (he's smiling and rolling his eyes now from the memory of it), I had boats right on both sides of me, because they came in and set down, and I couldn't go any  direction.
I made one pass there and caught a 24 incher, and then I said, "I gotta get outta here now."
 
I ran back, and missed my waypoints in the first pass, in  6 foot waves! The second pass, I hit them...got a double...they were both perfect slots. The next pass I got a 26 incher, and then just got outta there again. I haven't taken a big fish off that point yet, so I didn't expect one really. I went looking for another big one and it didn't come. But it will! It has to! There are millions of those big fish out there! I can't get a big bite yet, but I will...it's coming.
 
Third Place is Kim "Chief" Papineau of Escanaba, MI with 53.14 pounds. Chief will be fishing with Co Angler, Chuck Jones of Michigan City, IN who has a total weight of 44.4 pounds.
 
Fourth place belongs to Chevy Pro Tom Keenan of Hatley, WI with 50.14 pounds. Tom will be fishing with Co Angler and long time traveling partner Heath Fremstad of Mondovi, WI.
 
Juls: That's pretty cool that you get to fish with your friend tomorrow.
 
Tom: I'm pretty excited actually. My Co tomorrow is actually the same co angler that I travel with and fish with every day, and he's fished with me for the last two and a half years now, so it's pretty cool. He's actually staying with me at my Mom and Dad's house, and in the morning I'm just going to wake up...he's in the bunk bed above me, so I'm just going to give him a little poke to wake him up in the morning.
I'm a little concerned about the fishing, because we got a lot wind in our area...muddied it up and put a lot of algae in the area, and that concerns me a little bit right now, because of that. But I think we'll do ok.
I might just run to my spot tomorrow morning and look at the water clarity, and if the water's actually mossy, or dirtied up, then I'll probably going to run and fish a different game and try to catch two fish for twenty pounds. But, I know where to catch some small ones now that the winds blowing.
I don’t know. We'll see. I have to make up a lot of ground, so I have to catch a mother load of fish tomorrow. I want to catch  two big fish tomorrow and take it from there.
 
The rest of the best on the pro side are:
5th Place: Pat Byle with 44.8 pounds
6th Place: Lynn Hanisko with 42.5 pounds
7th Place: Pete Harsh with 41.7 pounds
8th Place: Nick Heelein with 39.3 pounds
9th Place: John Gillman with 38.12 pounds
10th Place: Rick Franklin with 38.5 pounds
 
The rest of the best on the Co Angler side are:
5th Place: Scott Peterson with 42.10 pounds
6th Place: David Kerzee with 42.7 pounds
7th Place: David Lillge with 42.0 pounds
8th Place: Dennis F Buechel with 40.14 pounds
9th Place: Fred Gordon with 37.3 pounds
10th Place: Kim Knudson with 36.6 pounds
 
Tomorrow's weigh in will start at 4PM. All anglers must be off the water at 3PM. The weigh in will take place at the Wal Mart in Escanaba, MI.
 
Please join us here again tomorrow afternoon for the final day of the FLW Walleye Tour on Bay de Noc.