124 anglers set out this morning in less than ideal weather to start the FLW Walleye Tour's first day on Cass Lake, in Cass Lake, MN.

With scattered showers and thunderstorms predicted for the area the rest of the week, it will make the already tough bite a little bit tougher.

Last weekend's FLW Walleye League event here was won with a little over 15 pounds, so expect to see similar weights from the top competitors leading the field each day.

**Live Bait Rigs tipped with the same baits

Red Tail Chubs seem to be the favorite food of the Cass Lake Chain Walleye. Those who were lucky enough to find the most sought after, but hard to find morsels, will probably come in with the best weights of the tournament.

Cass Lake is also a wind driven fishery. Meaning that it's important to pay attention to which way the wind is blowing. Wind blown edges and breaks will out produce the calm areas most of the time.

If the wind switches during the day, it's probably a good idea to find another break that the wind will be driving the bait fish into.

The structure characteristics of this body of water, is that of very steep breaks, rock humps, and shallow flats.

Water temperatures are a little behind for this time of year, because of a late ice out, and are still in the 57-59 degree range right now.

Cass Lake has a slot limit that everyone must abide by. This tournament will also be a No-Cull event, so a decision as to whether or not to keep a fish must be made at the time of each catch.

Once a fish is placed in the live well, it cannot be removed later and replaced with a larger fish.

As in all no-cull tournaments, it will be repeated over and over by anglers crossing the stage, how the fish didn't come in the right order, or I got lucky, because the fish came in the right order.

Slot tournaments are hard enough, but add to that, a no-cull rule, and it becomes a game that anyone who is more lucky than good can win.

Anglers will be allowed 8 fish in the live well, and they will weigh their best 5.

They will be allowed to have two fish over 20 inches, and the rest will have to be under the 20 inch line on the ruler. If the fish hits the 20 line, and an angler keeps it, it will go towards one of the two overs.

Those who can find three perfect slot fish of 19 ¾ inches and two over 20 inches will be sitting in the top 10 after day one. If they manage to do it four days in a row they will win it all.

I spoke to a few of the anglers, and asked them what they thought it was going to take to make the cut for the top ten on Saturday, and this is what they had to say:

Rick LaCourse: I think it's going to take 34 pounds. You're going to need your two overs those 23-24 inch fish and your good slots.

I'd say if you take your slot fish from 18 ½- 19 ½ it should do you all three days, but ah some of these areas are going to be pressured so hard that some of the areas won't hold up to the pressure for all three days.

Pete Harsh: Probably one more ounce than I'll end up with (he said with a chuckle). I figure about 36 pounds to make the cut.

Pete: The first day it might, but we have day two and day three if it storms we're going to find out who has boat control, and who just thinks they have boat control.

Rick Franklin: I think with the right bites, 12 pounds a day you'll make the cut.

Tom Keenen: I'm hearing all these rumors of what people are going to catch, and I don't believe it I'm guessing 30 pounds.

I think what you're going to progressively see though is the weights will go down 15% a day, is my guess.

They're going to catch a lot of them off and, I guess by the third day 10-11 pounds would be a huge catch.

I truly believe that. The guy that gets 15 pounds tomorrow (he stops, and smiling, interjects or gal) will absolutely be in the drivers seat, and only has to go catch a couple fish will be doing very very well, but I think that its probably going to be the most challenging tournament the FLW has ever fished. I know it's going to be mine for sure.

Ted Takasaki: To make the cut? I think if you have 35 pounds you're going to make the cut.

Ted: The fishing has been really tough. I think anybody that comes in with a limit is going to have a pretty good day at least be in the hunt.

Never put yourself out, because any one of the three days you could come in with 18 pounds and be right back in it, so my objective tomorrow is just to get a limit, and ah, hopefully I'll get one of those big bites better yet, two of them!

Join us this afternoon, here on Walleye Central's liveleaderboard.com as the weigh in begins for the first day of the FLW Walleye Tour's third stop at Cass Lake, MN.