The pros are checking out the hotspots on the Keweenaw Waterway. They're chasing walleyes in hopes of capturing the $55,000 first prize in the Johnsonville Brats Pro-Am, the third leg of the In-Fisherman
Professional Walleye Trail Super Pro series.

The 60 top-ranked walleye fishermen in the Super Pro series, presented by MinnKota, compete head-to-head with each other and the walleyes. The season standings are tighter than ever. In the Johnsonville Angler of the Year race, Bill Ortiz, Richland Center, Wis., is leading, but only 30 points separate the top 30 pros. The next 30 are only 30 points back.

PWT anglers who qualify as the top 10 in the Johnsonville Angler of the Year race will be invited to fish the PWT Celebrity Shootout at Aikens Lake Lodge. They will be raising money for the Boomer Esiason Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis, with the goal of generating more than $300,000.

With 100 points available at Houghton, Mich., site of the June 28-30 Pro-Am, all anglers will be scouring every inch of Torch and Portage lakes, bays, rivers, canals, weed beds, rocky reefs, edges of every drop-off, and keeping an eye out for suspended walleyes.

Pros head out each morning with their amateur/co-angler partners from Chassell Centennial Park, and return to the Park each afternoon at 5 p.m. to weigh their catches. They will drive their boats to the stage in front of the fans, unload their fish, and then visit with the crowd from the stage. On the final day, Friday, June 28, they share their tactics and where they fished.

"With so much water in play, this will be one great place for the Super Pro field," said Mark Martin, Twin Lake, Mich., who also resides on the shores of Lake Superior north of Houghton/Hancock as much as possible. He currently ranks 28th in the standings, and has two past PWT wins. "With so many friends in the area and so many walleye fans, I would like to see 1,000 to 2,000 people at the final day weigh-in," he said. Families will enjoy the Outdoor Festival, also set for the Park. The activities include a rock-climbing wall, a fishing pond, a GAMO air rifle shooting range and more. All are free of charge.

The contestants with photos are featured on the PWT website: professionalwalleyetrail.com. News about past tournaments, statistics, and additional events set for 2006 are also included on the web.

The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Brainerd, Minnesota, and PRIMEDIA, America's leading producer of targeted media. PWT promotional partners include: Mercury Marine, Lund, The Outdoor Channel, Berkley, Optima Batteries, Realtree, MotorGuide, Lowrance, MinnKota, Trilene, Frenzy, Blue Fox, Powerbait, Johnsonville Brats, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, GULP!, Coleman, Storm, Tommy Docks, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, E-Village, Kwik Pfyt, Raymarine, Rapala, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Gerbing's Heated Clothing, Aqua-Vu, Plano, Stowmaster.net, Navionics, Yellow Bird, Beckman, Drift Control, Gemini Sport Marketing, Yo-Zuri , Reef Runner and the Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of Commerce - 906-482-5240

Johnsonville Brats Angler of the Year Standings log onto: http://www.in fisherman.com/pwt/tournaments/PWT06JohnsonvilleBratsAOY

The top pros at the end of the 2006 Super Pro season will be invited to the PWT Celebrity Shootout at Aikens Lake Lodge, Manitoba. They will be raising money for the Boomer Esiason Foundation. See the Aikens Lake page and link to the Lodge for more details.