Injured angler heads to World Walleye Championship

October 3, 2024 Web Desk

By: Evan Mathias, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeshore News Reporter

After a disappointing start to the month a local angler is looking to get healthy and bounce back in a big way heading into the World Walleye Championships at the end of September.

John Kopcok, 50, competed on the National Walleye Tour Championship in Oscoda Michigan on Sept. 4-6, despite dealing with a gruesome injury he sustained at another tournament in South Dakota.

“It didn’t go so well, I got injured at the last tournament in South Dakota. I slipped off one of the docks and had 99 staples put in my left leg, broke a vertebrae in my back and tore my shoulder rotator cuff and my triceps,” said Kopcok. “It wasn’t pleasing. Everything hurt.”

The Tecumseh native battled through injury and changing weather, all in an effort to still compete in the tournament.

“When I was there my friends and teammates were just pushing me onto the boat and I was just crawling up to my seat so I could drive,” explained Kopcok. “I made the championship but with the injury I could only do so much. With the waves, they’re always four or five feet on Lake Huron. So, it wasn’t a good tournament. I didn’t do well at all!”

Being unable to compete at full health was devastating for Kopcok whose competitive nature takes over during tournament weeks.

“It was awful, I wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to make it. No one was going to stop me, but you can only do so much, with one arm and working on one leg,” said Kopcok. “Every tournament I go to I want to finish first, who cares about second place? No one cares.”

A pro angler since 2012, Kopcok has hopes for his next tournament, hosted by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s it takes places back in Michigan in Alpena Sept. 26-28 where he’ll return to battle the waves on Lake Huron. He’ll need to refocus in the weeks leading up to that Championship.

“Well, you’ve just got to press the reset button. Just go and figure it all out again,” said Kopcok. “You’ve just got to get mentally focused at the task that needs to be done and that task is to finish first. My friend told me that if you don’t put your mind in the right mind-set to finish first in every single tournament than why bother even going fishing.”

Following the World Walleye Championship, Kopcok shifts focus to one last bass tournament to complete this fishing season. Each tournament has its challenges and each species of fish has its differences. Adapting to each scenario is key in tournament success

“You’ve got to have five or six difference spots of the fish that are moving. Some might be bigger than others, If we can’t catch them here, lets try that pile or this pile,” said Kopcok “Are they biting on a jig or on a crank bait…bass will come up and hit anything usually. They’re shallower and are around rocks. Walleye is more of an open water fish, colder, deeper water.”

Ending the season on a high note comes down to one simple fact for Kopcok.

“I’ve got to catch the right fish. I’ve got to find the right school and catch five of the biggest fish for three days straight,” said Kopcok. “I’ve got to change up my tactics, because that last tournament my tactics weren’t working, I didn’t have the right bait. I couldn’t feel it. This time I’ve studied more, I looked at what went wrong and I’m trying to turn it into a positive.”

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