The Fishing Crew announced Saturday, Day One, of the 23rd Annual Cedar Shore Resort Walleye Tournament has been canceled due to forecasted high winds.
“Safety is the number one priority for our anglers,” said Curt Underhill, Tournament Director. “We watched the forecast closely and ultimately made the decision to cancel Day One of the event to err on the side of caution.”
All anglers registered for the event will now fish on Sunday, April 7, in a one-day shootout.
“Everyone who signed up for the event, whether it was for just Saturday or both days, will now be fishing on Sunday,” continued Underhill. “This both gives everyone the opportunity to participate in the event and sets up for an even bigger day on the water.”
The tournament had previously been scheduled for Saturday, April 6, with an optional Day Two on Sunday, April 7. This is the first event of The Fishing Crew season and Sunday will still count toward the Team of the Year standings.
“We want to thank everyone for their patience and understanding,” concluded Underhill. “Ultimately we want to have both a safe and fun tournament, and we feel this decision is best to accomplish both of these goals.”
Anglers will launch out of Cedar Shore Resort Sunday, April 7, and weigh-ins can be followed via The Fishing Crew Facebook page and website.
Lip Ripper Fishing Reaction
Lip Ripper Fishing anglers Nick Harrington and Mason Propst agreed with the sentiment to err on the side of safety in canceling Day One of the event.
“When you have a high wind advisory throughout the entire day on a body of water like the Missouri River, you have to always keep safety the top of mind,” said Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “The last thing you want to have happen is damage to boats, docks, or of course a situation that could potentially be much worse.”
The concern was not only regarding the fishing conditions, but also potential damage that could occur to the docks in the process of loading, unloading, and weighing fish in.
“Ultimately we need to be respectful to our competitors, Cedar Shore Resort, and everyone who will be utilizing the docks and marina throughout the entire year,” continued Harrington.
The cancelation of the event sets up for an even larger Sunday, both in terms of the event and the ability to fish.
“Sunday is even more interesting now because you were going to have wind be a limiting factor for where a lot of teams could effectively fish if we did go Saturday,” said Mason Propst, Owner of Mason Propst Fishing. “Now you’re opening up the playing field a bit more and teams are going to be able to fish areas they might not have been able to had we gone Saturday.”
While disappointed the start of the season had to wait one more day, the weather can always be a challenge particularly in early season tournaments.
“At the end of the day, this what we do for fun and you want everyone to be able to go home and see their families after the event is done,” concluded Harrington. “Curt and the rest of The Fishing Crew team had to make a tough decision, but it was no doubt the right one.”
Lip Ripper Fishing Insider Outlook
Nick Harrington shared this tournament’s Insider Outlook, and while the boys are forced to wait one more day, the strategy is going to remain the same on how they approach this event.
