2017 Cabela”s MWC Tournament Report, Big Stone Lake, Ortonville, MN: How much crappy weather can the walleyewisdom.com fishing team handle in 2017? We were put to the test last week on Big Stone Lake, a 26-mile long body of water right on the South Dakota/Minnesota border. Tracy Hayward and I drove up with the Suburban and Ranger 620 on Saturday the 22nd with high expectations. I’d invited our friend, Ralph Kitson, who lives in Aurora, SD, to be my MWC partner for this event. The three of us stayed at a very nice cabin owned by Marcia and Nick Golden just north of Ortonville. Consider renting their cabin if you go to Big Stone–they are great hosts and helped us get through the tough weather. We were able to fish Sunday and Monday before the weather turned really bad. We caught just one walleye those two days learning out way around the Lake. We chose not to fish on Tuesday and Wednesday because of the 30+ mph winds from the north (no place to hide!) and frigid wind chills. Ralph and I did get out for half a day on Thursday–no fish. We went to the rules meeting and learned there would be 61 teams competing. Fortunately, the wind laid down for Friday and Saturday and we were able to move around and look for the elusive cold front walleye. We zeroed on Day 1 and caught one two pounder on Day 2 to finish 34th! I caught that fish right in front of our cabin casting a #7 Flicker Shad Pro in a perch pattern but could not catch another one! We had one last meal together at the Lakeside Supper Club before Ralphie headed home to Char and their dogs. I went to bed early and missed a call from my brother, Duane, informing me our 92-year-old father, Rodney, had passed away Saturday evening at a nursing home in Tama, Iowa. I was very fortunate to have Tracy with me for the ride home. After dropping the Ranger off at walleye wisdom headquarters, I went home to begin the process of helping my family plan a visitation and graveside service and start the work with our executor and attorney. Thank you to everyone who has text, emailed, and called me offering condolences. Dad’s obituary is on my personal Facebook site and the Mitchell Funeral Home in Marshalltown site if you’d like to ready about his life. Guess I’ll never forget fishing this tournament! Spike