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| Steve Bohn Claims 1st PWT Win |
Cleveland, Ohio....As soon as PWT officials announced that day three of the Lowrance-Lund Pro-Am was canceled, high-fives and congratulatory cheers went up in the boat yard for winner Steve Bohn, Fairgrove, Mich. After six seasons as an In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail pro angler, Bohn tasted victory. He has led three tournaments previously.
Bohn has fished 17 PWT tournaments, cashed checks in eight of them, with a 10th place finish his personal best until 67.34 pounds put him in the winner's circle. He caught a Lake Erie tournament limit of five walleyes each day, trolling spinners and night crawlers north of Vermillion.
The final competition day was canceled due to strong north winds; the result of a cold front. Seas were two to four feet near shore, and much higher five miles out. "The number one priority at the PWT is safety, and when conditions warrant, we keep the anglers on shore," said PWT executive director Jim Kalkofen. "We had two great days on Lake Erie, and fun in Cleveland during tournament week."
First place paid $64,000, including a Lund 20-foot boat with a Mercury 200-hp outboard on an E-Z Loader trailer. Winning $20,000 for second place (59.21 pounds) was Greg Yarbrough, Whitelake, Mich. Mark Christianson, Walker, Minn., netted $13,000 for third. He also has a second place finish this season. On the amateur side, Todd Swenson, Munising, Mich., won after fishing with pros Ken Zmudzinski and Ronnie Rhodes. They finished fourth and 18th respectively. Swenson won a 17-foot Lund boat valued at $17,000. Nearly $300,000 in merchandise and cash prizes were awarded Friday morning.
With one PWT tournament remaining at Escanaba, Mich., pro Mike Gofron, Antioch, Ill., leads the Angler of the Year race, with money finishes of 1st, 5th, 7th, 29th and 33rd at Cleveland. He has won $86,318 so far this season. Tommy Skarlis, Walker, Minn., is second, 21 points back. The MotorGuide East Division leader is Gary Gray, Oshkosh, Wis., with two 10th place finishes this season. Bohn is in second, six points back.
Big fish and $2,500 was split by pro Yarbrough and his amateur partner Lloyd Yeh, Brecksville, Ohio. Their walleye weighed 11.61 pounds. Several 10 and 11 pound fish were weighed. Second and $800 went to rookie pro Robb Christensen, Lorretto, Minn., and amateur partner John Macarello, Plattsmouth, Neb. Their day one fish weighed 10.66 pounds.
Special awards included the Coleman Cool Under Pressure award of $1,000 to pro Pat Schuette, Manitowoc, Wis., for moving up the leader board 67 places with 35 pounds on day two. He finished tied for 33rd, to win $2,000. Amateur Joe Artim, Duluth, Minn., won $500 for advancing 77 places. Bohn and day one amateur partner Tim Tidd, Millwood, West Virginia, won Gander Mountain gift cards of $500 and $300 respectively for their day one Heavy Weight catch of 38.02 pounds. Ted Merdan, Maple Grove, Minn., leads the Stowmaster Rookie of the Year race, which pays $5,000 to the first-year pro with the best record.
Approximately 500 walleyes were weighed each day, averaging four pounds each. With the cooperation of the Ohio Division of Wildlife, all fish were processed and will be donated to the Cleveland Food Bank and the Salvation Army for the needy. The PWT pro anglers, working closely with the NPAA and the Regional Sewer District and the City Parks and Rec Department conducted a "Meet the Pros" evening where Cleveland-area youngsters climbed into pro's boats and learned about fishing, boating and career choices.
The next PWT tour stop is in Escanaba, Mich. Anglers will compete on Bay de Noc, Aug. 26-28, for the final Pro-Am qualifier of the season. The season-ending Mercury Championship takes place Sept. 17-19 in Houghton, Mich.
The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Brainerd, Minnesota, and PRIMEDIA, America's leading producer of targeted media. PWT sponsors include: Mercury Marine, Lund, Berkley Gulp!, The Outdoor Channel, Trilene, Optima Batteries, Realtree, MotorGuide, Mr. Clean, PowerBait, Lowrance, MinnKota, Frenzy, Gander Mountain, Blue Fox, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, Coleman, Storm, Boat Buckle, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt, Beckman, Rejuvenade, E-Z Loader, Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Drift Control, Aqua-Vu, Plano, Stowmaster.net. Holiday Inn Select 216.241.5100, Greater Cleveland CVB 800.321.1001 and Regional Sewer District. |
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| Steve Bohn Keeps Lead; Needs One More Day to 'Rock & Roll' to Victory |
Cleveland, Ohio......Michigan walleye pro Steve Bohn stretched his Lowrance-Lund Pro-Am lead on day two of the $300,000 tournament. This is the third In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail tournament he has led, but it could be his first victory if his fish continue to bite.
His 67.34 pounds (a limit of 5 walleyes per day) average nearly seven pounds. Like most of the PWT pros, he is trolling spinners and night crawlers. "The key is to find them and stay on them," Bohn said.
Moving into second place, eight pounds back, was pro Greg Yarbrough, also from Michigan. His day two catch was anchored by the largest fish of the tournament so far, 11.61 pounds. It could be worth as much as $2,500. A number of 10 and 11-pound walleyes have been weighed. Mark Christianson, Walker, Minn., holds third place, and Ken Zmudzinski, Jennison, Mich., is in fourth. Sheldon Meidinger, Bismarck, ND moved to fifth place.
On the amateur side, Todd Swenson, Munising, Mich., leads, followed closely by Jeff Quist, Blair, Neb. Amateurs partner with pro anglers, and compete together for the maximum weight they can bring to the scales with five walleyes. The top 40 amateurs win merchandise prizes including a Lund-Mercury walleye boat valued at $17,000. The top 40 pros win big, starting with a first-place prize of $64,000.
The pro fields are filled with the best walleye anglers in North America. After they apply, they face the PWT Credentials Committee, and the top 120 are invited to fish. Amateurs repeat a familiar refrain all season, like Swenson said, "I learned more in two days (so far) than I have in the past three years of walleye fishing."
Fishing in the shadows of downtown Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, PWT anglers weighed their catches in Voinovich Park. Final-day weigh-in festivities Friday will be followed by awards ceremonies. Activities begin at 3 p.m.
Through two days, the contestants have weighed 500 walleyes per day, averaging four pounds each. Under the direction of the Ohio Division of Wildlife, all fish are promptly cleaned and frozen for the Cleveland Food Bank and the Salvation Army. The fillets will be donated to the needy.
Of interest is that many fish in the 22 to 25 inch class are being caught, which will lead to the next wave of big fish in a couple years. And, last year's record hatch are now seven to nine inch eating machines, being caught and released regularly.
Pros commented on stage about all the other fish (perch, steelhead, sheepshead, white bass, white perch) they have been catching, which made each day an extremely busy day on the water.
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| Michigan's Steve Bohn Takes PWT Lead in Lowrance-Lund Tournament |
Cleveland, Ohio.....In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) anglers fished in the shadows of downtown Cleveland and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Wednesday, July 21. They were fishing for walleyes, and brought their catches to Voinovich Park, the largest-ever metro weigh-in for the PWT.
Leading the Lowrance/Lund Pro-Am are pro Steve Bohn, Fairgrove, Mich., and amateur partner Tim Tidd, Millwood, West Virginia. Their five fish weighed 38.02 pounds. Largest walleye of the day weighed 10.71 pounds and was landed by rookie pro Robb Christensen, Loretto, Mich., and amateur partner John Mascarello, Plattsmouth, Neb. It is worth at least $700.
Almost all anglers trolled. They were busy all day with sheepshead, steelhead, white bass, white perch and walleyes. Crankbaits in various colors and styles were popular. They also ran in-line spinners and night crawlers at various depths in the water column. Every trolling method worked, as long as anglers were on the key spots.
These specific areas proved much smaller than usual, and as anglers ran through a hot spot, they quickly turned and tried to capitalize on the active "biters." A solid year-class of walleyes in the 22- to 25-inch range are in the system, which foretells good things in the future. Some anglers worked shallower-than-normal water (20 to 30 feet) near shore. Others were in the 70-foot depths, as far as 30 miles from Cleveland. Fishing boundaries were Ohio waters only.
The second place pro is Scott Fairbairn, Hager City, Wis., with 33.22 pounds. Bill Koehne, Abrams, Wis., is in third with 32.16 pounds. Fairbairn fished with John Semenchuk, Camden, SC, and Koehne was paired with Jeff Quist, Blair, Neb.
Day two and three festivities commence at Voinovich Park at 3 p.m. Following Friday's weigh-in, nearly $300,000 in cash and merchandise will be awarded. The winning pro nets $64,000, and the winning amateur tows home a Lund/Mercury walleye boat on an E-Z Loader trailer. Fans and interested folks are welcome to the free stage show Thursday and Friday where they will learn about where to fish and how to fish.
The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Brainerd, Minnesota, and PRIMEDIA, America's leading producer of targeted media. PWT sponsors include: Mercury Marine, Lund, Berkley Gulp!, The Outdoor Channel, Trilene, Optima Batteries, Realtree, MotorGuide, Mr. Clean, PowerBait, Lowrance, MinnKota, Frenzy, Gander Mountain, Blue Fox, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, Coleman, Storm, Boat Buckle, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt, Beckman, Rejuvenade, E-Z Loader, Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Drift Control, Aqua-Vu, Plano, Stowmaster.net. Holiday Inn Select 216.241.5100, Greater Cleveland CVB 800.321.1001 and Regional Sewer District.
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