Walleye First
Published February 18, 2008

From above the surface, a lake can deceive us. Some of us imagine we've fished every rockpile, weedbed and mudflat in our home waters; that thanks to modern sonar and advanced mapping software we know the underwater terrain like the back of our hand. Yet the reality is, in most of our minds, the true appearance of the freshwater underworld remains elusive. Clearly, the images scrolling across our sonar screens yield a representative picture of reality. Still, we continue to harbor curiosity, uncertain of the mysteries that lie beneath the surface.

It is with this curiosity in mind that WalleyeFIRST.com presents the first in a groundbreaking multi-part series we call "Solve the Underwater Mystery." In this WalleyeFIRST exclusive, we've enlisted the considerable knowledge of professional walleye angler and electronics guru, Bruce "Doc" Samson.

In each installment, Doc presents us with a Lowrance sonar chart, then asks us to "Solve the Underwater Mystery," and guess what the sonar is trying to show us. It could be a rock-to-sand transition, a school of baitfish, a sunken Volkswagon, who knows. Your job is to solve the mystery.

After an appropriate period of time (1 to 2 weeks) during which you can ask specific "yes" or "no" questions, and make no more than one guess, Doc will show us an Aqua-Vu underwater video clip, revealing the true answer. The first individual to provide the correct answer wins a new Aqua-Vu Underwater Camera. (If no one Solves the Underwater Mystery, Doc will provide more specific clues, and you will be allowed to provide one additional guess.)

About Doc - Bruce Samson left a full-time career as a medical doctor in 2002 to pursue his lifelong passion for tournament walleye angling. Along with partner Jerry Anderson, Samson won his first major tournament, the prestigious MWC Championship in 1986. He remains highly successful today, his most recent victory the 2006 PWT Super Pro event on Ottertail Lake, Minnesota. He currently conducts a series of unique electronics schools, teaching anglers the fine points of sonar, GPS mapping, and underwater video. Learn more about "Doc" and his schools at http://www.hightechfishing.com.

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