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Member
Posts: 34
| With weather conditions being a major factor in the tournament this week, last night certainly could have been much worse. For the remaining top 10 anglers, poorer conditions might actually improve their catch rate. Showers and thunderstorms passed through Port Clinton last night, but the temperatures did not change much and the wind has remained flat. Today's forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies and a 50% chance, or better, of scattered rain showers. Confidence this morning among the anglers remained high.
"I know it sounds crazy, but I was hoping for even worse conditions," says Keith Kavajecz, currently in 3rd place. "Wind makes my spots especially good, but even with deteriorating conditions I am confident we will find the kind of fish we need to stay in the game."
The majority of the boats were rigged to spend most of the day trolling, which has been a very productive tactic during this event. Crankbaits, planer boards, spinner harnesses, and jigs have all been key players, but The anglers do not expect to make any major adjustments as the patterns have been fairly consistent.
"I have my spot all to myself and with the number of fish I have been marking on a regular basis, I am very confident the fish I need today will find their way into my boat," says Tom Keenan, currently in 2nd place. "The weather has kept this event interesting, but today's conditions are very conducive to how I plan to catch my limit. I don't let the money that is on the line affect my performance, however regardless of where I finish, I will break the one million mark in career earnings. That bench mark is something I am very proud of, but also humbled by. Today will be exciting."
With members of the media and FLW interviewing every angler, the pressure to perform was definitely there. When asked, leader Jeff Graves says its all about the fish. "The money is exciting, but I'm out here to fish. I'll worry about a paycheck after the weigh-in is full," he says.
The weigh-in this afternoon is at the same time, 3 PM, but the location has been moved. The Port Clinton Walmart will host the final weigh-in, but there will be a lot of other activities taking place. Stay tuned for further updates, images, and videos.
FLW Coverage is Brought to you by The reel Shot/JJ Keller Fishing Team!
WalleyeFIRST Event Coverage is Brought to you by Lund Boats!
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Graves.jpg (30KB - 217 downloads)
Interview.jpg (26KB - 240 downloads)
Kavajecz Interview.jpg (29KB - 260 downloads)
Kavajecz.jpg (34KB - 211 downloads)
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| Love the coverage guys!
Excellent posts, cool photos and terrific video interviews. Well done! | |
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Member
Posts: 34
| The final weigh-in was a surprise to some, but not for others. We did not see the biggest bags of the tournament, but we did see some impressive fish, emotional anglers, and an impressive victory by an FLW rookie. Jeff Graves claimed the top spot with a three-day total of over 115 lbs. This was his first FLW walleye tournament appearance, there is no better way to get things kicked off.
"When I showed up at this event, I did not plan on winning," the 2011 FLW National Guard Lake Erie Champion said. "After Day-One, I knew I was on the winning fish and we managed to prove it on the first day. We experimented with a few bait presentations, but the dominating pattern was trolling reef runners over deeper water."
The weather today was interesting. The rain and stormy weather held off, but a thick blanket of fog covered the region making boat travel slow and dangerous. Since the bite seemed to be encouraged by warming afternoon water temps, today's conditions threw a wrench in the works for a few of the top 10 anglers. Keith Kavajecz , new comer to the FLW, managed only two fish for just over eight lbs.
As the final bag was weighed, the rain that was promised all week long finally began to fall. Jeff Graves weighed in his fish and celebrated as he held his trophy and $50,000 check up in the air.
"It was an emotional finish for me," Graves stated. "I had the support of my family and the best wishes from several of my fishing buddies from back home. I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for their encouragement and belief in me."
Tom Keenan took second and a check for $22,500.00 including contingencies.
Danny Steffenss took third, John Balla fourth, Shawn Ritchie fifth, Scott Geitgey sixth, Mark Brumbaugh seventh, Keith Kavajecz eighth, Jeff Vereeke ninth, and Mark Gwizdala tenth. Today's top three were separated by ounces.
FLW Coverage is brought to you by the JJ Keller Fishing Team/The Reel Shot!
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Chevy.jpg (27KB - 186 downloads)
Brumbaugh.jpg (30KB - 182 downloads)
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Kavajecz.jpg (29KB - 178 downloads)
Mt Dew Shaking hands.jpg (27KB - 172 downloads)
Pringles 1.jpg (31KB - 164 downloads)
Ritchie and partner.jpg (30KB - 171 downloads)
Ritchie Fist Pump.jpg (28KB - 172 downloads)
Steffens an Partner.jpg (33KB - 158 downloads)
Steffens Celebrating.jpg (24KB - 157 downloads)
Graves and Fish.jpg (32KB - 148 downloads)
Graves check & Fish.jpg (27KB - 150 downloads)
Grave & Check Held High.jpg (30KB - 151 downloads)
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Member
Posts: 650
| great event and coverage. I managed to watch on FLW live some fri and sat. would have liked to been there.
Komo just missed, I had beer in hand ready to celebrate... | |
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| Nice meeting you the other night THA4....again, your coverage was super!
Juls | |
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