PORT CLINTON, Ohio – It became obvious on day two of the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour season opener when the weather stabilized and the big females started eating: Pat Neu’s cumulative four-day weight record of 111 pounds, 8 ounces would be shattered on Lake Erie’s plentiful waters. But no one thought it would be shattered by a rookie.

John Swanstrom may be new to the Walleye Tour, but he isn’t new to walleye fishing. Growing up in Duluth, Minn., he’s fished the St. Louis River and Lake Superior practically all his life. He’s also fished the Masters Walleye Circuit since 1998. But in those 10 years, his biggest payday was $4,000. The $100,000 he won Saturday was quite a step up.

“It hasn’t sunk in it,” said the pro winner. “It’s just awesome to come out and fish a body of water that’s not your own and put together a winning program. That’s the biggest feeling of accomplishment. I’m going to put the money away and go on some more fishing trips.”

Although he came into the final day with an 18-pound lead, Swanstrom wanted to make sure there was drama. On day one he caught a five-walleye limit weighing 34 pounds, 14 ounces. On day two he improved to 41-5 and on day three he caught 45-13, which went down as the heaviest limit of the tournament. When it mattered most Saturday, the rookie caught just what he needed – a limit weighing 21 pounds, 7 ounces. He finished the tournament with 143 pounds, 7 ounces and the new Walleye Tour four-day cumulative weight record.

“We lost the first two bites we got, and the third was the smallest walleye I’ve ever caught on Lake Erie. With an hour left to go, we upgraded our last fish from a 3-pounder to a 5-pounder.”

Like most everyone else in the 150-boat field, the Superior, Wis., resident trolled crankbaits and spinners at speeds of .8 to 1 mph. As the tournament progressed and the water continued to warm, the fish gradually migrated toward the top of the water column. By Friday and Saturday he was getting them 6 to 8 feet from the surface in water 34 feet deep. His crankbait of choice was a 700 Series Lights Out Reef Runner. Most of his bigger fish came on crankbaits, but he had to resort to spinners on day four.

“The water was just getting clearer and clearer, and the boat traffic increased. With the warmth and the clarity today, the spinners outperformed the cranks.”

Swanstrom fished three different areas located halfway between Port Clinton and the Canadian border. His primary area was located slightly north and one mile west of North Bass Island. With the help of his teammates Erik Furseth, Kurt Turner, Alan Szoke and Steve Vandemark, Swanstrom found his fish on Monday, two days before the tournament commenced.

“They were just stacked up in there. When we found them, they wouldn’t bite. The first day they really started to bite was Wednesday, and then we were still experimenting with the best way to catch them.”

Swanstrom also fished an open basin near Kelleys Island and an area four miles west of Rattlesnake Island.

“There were enough nice fish in spots two and three where I had to check them every day. Today was a scramble. Like Erik (Furseth) said, you’ve got to get the big ones early or you’re not going to get them.”

After completing his first Walleye Tour event, the 35-year-old will return to northern Wisconsin with a six-figure check.