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The2016seasonfortheCabela’sNationalWaleye
Tour(NWT)cametoacloseearlierthismonthon
LakeOaheinSouthDakotawithpro-anglerEdSta-
chowskiandco-anglerJoshBrucerisingtothetop
andwinningtheLucasOilAngleroftheYear(AOY)
titles.AlongwithcustomLucasOilAOYrings,both
anglersearnedpaidentryfesforthe2017NWT
season.
TheLucasOil Angler oftheYear marksthefirst major
titleinStachowski’sfive-
yearprocarer. “Todobeterthan
everyoneoverthecourseofa
seasonispretyhugetome,”said
Stachowski. “ItprovesthatI have
theskilstocompeteonanybody
ofwater.”
TheNWTAOYgoestotheangler
whoconsistentlyperformsthroug-
houttheseason. Stachowski took
eighthplaceatLakeErieandfolo-
wedwith1th-placeatWinnebago.
Theangler’s35th-placeat
SturgeonBayputthepotentia
titleinjeopardy.
“I wassitinginsecondplace
behindmytravel partnerafter
WinnebagoandfeltI hadashot,”
saidStachowski. “Thethirdevent
mademeabitnervous. I scraped
intothemoneythere. I haven’thadagoodhistoryat
SturgeonBay.”
Stachowskiregroupedandshowedupstrongatthe
championshipevent onLakeOahewithan1th-place
finishtowrapupthetitle.
“It’samonstrousacomplishmentforme,”saidSta-
chowski. “It’sahugehonorwiththecaliberoffisher-
menontheNWT. Thatbeingsaid, I didn’tgointothe
tournamenttryingtowinAOY. I wastryingtowinthe
championship. Tojustmisthetop10isbiterswet.
Stil, it’sahugefelingofacomplishment. I’vehad
somegoodtournaments,butthisisthefirsttime
thatI’veputittogetherforthewholeyear.”
JoshBruce, ofWiliston, NorthDakota, wontheNWTCo-Anglerof
theYeartitle.TheanglerfishedtwoNWTeventslastyearand
competedinhisfirstfulseasonin2016.
“It’sagreatfeling,”saidBruce.“I’vehadmyupsanddowns
throughtheyear, butitkindofworkedout.”
Co-anglersarerandomlypairedwithdiferentproseachdayofa
tournament. Overthecourseofthe2016season, Brucesoakedup
knowledgefromthepro-anglersonnewtechniquesandhowto
fishunfamiliarwaters.
“It’satotal diferentexperience,”saidBruce. “Youlearnsomany
diferentthingsandgettofishthesediferentbodiesofwater.
That’soneofthemainreasons
forfishingasaco-angler. It’sa
wholenewbalgame. You’re
findingfishinspotsyouhadn’t
thoughtabout.”
Beingpairedwithsomanydifer
entpro-anglersalsogaveBruce
insighttothemental aspectof
managingexpectationsand
fightingthroughatoughdayof
fishing.
“Someguyshaveroughdays
andthathappenstoeveryone,”
saidBruce. “Somehandleitto
talydiferentthanothers. You
fedofofit. Ifheisfelingcon
fident, youjustfel it.”
Withpaidentryfespaidforthe
2017season, Brucehopesto
folowuphis2016performancewithanothertitleandiskeping
theposibilityofturningprointhebackofhismind.
“I amdefinitelygoingtorunontheco-anglersidenextyear,”said
Bruce. “Turningproisout ofthequestionfor meright now, but you
gottoplayityearbyyear. I hopetosomedaygettothatlevel.”
2016LUCASOILAOY
AWARDED