Although the official announcement has not yet been made, Cabela’s National Walleye Tour (NWT) is expected to announce that the 2014 tour championship will be based out of Oshkosh, WI. The anticipated dates are September 18-20, 2014.
Currently, NWT is the largest professional walleye circuit, and is in its first year. It fills the hole left when FLW vacated the walleye world. AIM continues to exist, but only held one professional event in 2013.
NWT plays host to the elite anglers in the walleye world. With a TV schedule including NBC Sports and the World Fishing Network, the events draw crowds and bring in some excellent tourism dollars. The rumored September dates would feature some of the toughest seasonal conditions for walleye fishing on Lake Winnebago, throwing a curve ball at the elite anglers.
NWT just completed its 2013 season, with the Championship at Devils Lake, North Dakota. The series did encounter some “speed bumps” in its inaugural season. At Lake Erie, there were some participants who questioned wind/weather related cancelation decisions, along with a glitch at the scales. During the recent Championship, several anglers were disqualified only to be reinstated after rules were further examined. Although the growing pains were noticeable, NWT tried to rectify each situation.
Lake Winnebago remains one of the toughest venues on the tours, and is always a challenge as every local angler has experienced. The NWT has selected a venue where anyone could win with any tactic. The official announcement should be made between now and January and could be subject to change.
