National Fishing Tournament in Escanaba

Escanaba — The 15th National Cabela’s Fishing Tournament is underway in Escanaba.

In this tournament, more than 200 teams compete to catch the largest walleye. The fishermen must collect five of their best fish that are between the sizes of 15 and 23 inches, with only two of them being allowed to exceed the 23 inch mark.

The tournament is a three-day event with the lowest scored groups being eliminated each day.

The competition calls for qualified anglers who are up to the challenge.

“The fishing has been kind of tough. We’ve had some massive cold fronts come through,” said Dan Palmer, “clear blue skies and high sun doesn’t mix well with the real clear water. Which is what we’ve got a lot of out here on the Bays De Noc.”

Despite the challenges that the fishermen have faced, the prizes outweigh the cost. The first place winner will receive $25,000 and has the chance to win two Ranger brand boats.

Participants have traveled from all across the nation and are excited to be part of such a well-known tournament.

“I’m just excited to be here, you meet some new friends and see some old ones,” said Mark Meravy, “I’ve been in fishing tournaments since the early 90’s so I’ve seen a lot of people and made a lot of new friends, so it’s fun, it’s just a great time.”

The fishing tournament wraps up tomorrow.