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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) A Fargo based tournament team announced an undertaking many thought was difficult to impossible to execute successfully. But it has turned out to be a success.
The team announced earlier this year they would fish every tournament they entered during the 2014 season and into the future with artificial lures only, following the belief both have expressed that artificial lure only walleye tournaments would not only be very successful drawing anglers and putting up impressive numbers of walleyes caught, but more importantly would be healthier for the waters fished and send a clear message to the public about the spread of Aquatic Nuisance Species (ANS) and live bait fishing’s contribution to this nationally recognized problem.
As the season wound to a close, Troy Morris and Corey Heiser had accomplished several important goals.
1) Artifishalleyes was the first team to fish an entire circuit using artificial lures only, fishing Minnesota’s Big Stone Lake finishing 19th, South Dakota’s Lake Sharpe finishing 20th, Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan out of Oconto finishing 9th, and Minnesota’s Cass Lake finishing 45th.
2) The team qualified for the 2015 Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship on Lake Erie out of Huron, Ohio.
3) The Team ranked 18th overall for the Masters Walleye Circuit Team of the Year!
Troy and Corey are looking very much forward to continuing their successful artificials only quest through the 2015 Walleye tournament season.
The presence of aquatic nuisance species, ANS, has become more widespread causing severe and permanent damage to the habitats they invade by reducing the abundance of native species and altering ecosystem processes. This destruction of the natural ecosystem is causing lakes and rivers to have less game fish and even rendering some lakes and rivers unusable.
According to the Federal ANS Task Force, common pathways of introduction are ballast water, transported on recreational equipment, fishing gear and fishing bait release.
Morris and Heiser said, “we have experienced the changes in our water system and realize that it is time for us to lead the walleye fishing world into the next generation with only artificial presentations and artificial baits. We want to show and educate all fishermen, that these products, can not only improve our water system but will show results in competitive tournament fishing.”
For 2014, we have made a pact and signed a contract that we will no longer be using natural live bait for fishing, ever.
Join them both at www.artifishalleyes.com, brought to you by Vision Banks, Artifishalleyes You Tube, and the Artifishalleyes Facebook page for news and more.