Michael Gofron of Antioch grew up on the banks of the Chain O’ Lakes, snagging frogs and turtles like other kids catch fireflies.
“I’d come home with them, and my mom and dad would always tell me, `Put those guys back,'” said Gofron, 40, a lesson he took to heart years later when he became a professional walleye fisherman.
“In our tournaments, we always catch and release,” said Gofron, who travels the country angling for walleye. This week, he gets to work close to home when the Professional Walleye Trail tour hits the 6,800-acre chain.
Gofron helped convince organizers the lakes would be a perfect spot to hold the nationally televised, three-day event that opens Wednesday. The event is the first of six qualifiers for the tour’s walleye championship, which will be held later this summer in Kansas.
More than 100 amateurs also signed up for the event. As a bonus, they’ll get to ride with the pros.
For walleye fishermen, the tour is “like the World Series,” said Michael Cascone, 39, a real-estate salesman from the area who signed up to fish. “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity in my own back yard to learn all the tricks and different techniques.”
With the Fox River and 12 lakes running from Algonquin to the Wisconsin state line, the chain is considered prime water for walleye, a scrappy game fish that knows how to hide.
Gofron suspects the fish might be ready to bite big time, considering they have been spawning the past few days.
After turning pro in 1988, Gofron finished second in his first tournament.
“I thought, `Hey, it’s pretty cool making money this way,'” he said.
First-place prize for the pros is $60,000. Each walleye must be at least 14 inches long.
Local officials say the biggest catch could be the anticipated boost to the economy. Claude LeMere, Fox Lake’s director of community development, said the tournament is expected to generate up to $1.25 million as out-of-town visitors hit local hotels, restaurants and shops.
