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| Dave Anderson Fulfills Life-Time Goal; Wins First Pro Walleye Tournament at Lake Case PWT |
Dave Anderson Fulfills Life-Time Goal; Wins First Pro Walleye Tournament
June 4. 2004
Cass Lake, Minn........With a final-day surge, Dave Anderson, Apple Valley, Minn., brought 17 pounds to the Lund Pro-Am stage on June 4, and claimed the $64,000 first-place prize. He was the best In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) pro angler on Cass Lake this week, and collected $64,500.
He won with 52 pounds, and beat local favorite Mark Christianson, Walker, Minn., by five pounds. Christianson led after two days, and applied 20 years of guiding on the lake to good use. He now fishes the entire tour. The second place prize was his highest finish in three years; he won $20,000.
Third went to Northfield, Minn. pro Ross Grothe. He won $13,000 with 41.63 pounds. Todd Riley, Amery, Wis., won $11,000 for fourth place, and Chuck Emery, Dana Point, Cal., won $10,000 for fifth. The winning amateur, after fishing with three pro anglers was Jim Sacket, Bemidji, Minn., who towed home a 17-foot Lund boat rigged with a Mercury outboard, valued at $17,000.
Anderson said, �I�ve been fishing at least one PWT tournament for 16 years, and winning has always been my goal. This is a dream come true.� When Sam Anderson, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., crossed the stage, he credited father Dave for all those early fishing lessons and taking the time to show him the outdoors. Sam said, �He is still teaching me, and it was great watching him perform on the water this week.� Dave Anderson�s previous high-place finish was eighth. He also won the Gander Mountain Heavyweight award with 21.01 pounds, while fishing with Jeff Baird, Cass Lake. Both won Gander shopping gift cards ($500 and $300).
Big fish of the tournament was weighed by pro Ernie Olson, Foley, Minn., and amateur Larry Eichstadt, Bemidji, Minn., with a 7.39 pound walleye. They split $3,000.
Marty Glorvigen, Grand Rapids, Minn., advanced 83 places to win the Coleman Cool Under Pressure award of $1,000. Amateur Bob Vosika, Lino Lakes, Minn., won $600 on the amateur side.
The PWT 5-fish limit was achieved all three days by only 10 pro anglers. A total of 1,176 walleyes came to the scales, and three-fourths were released, thanks to the assistance of local fisheries biologists and the folks from LeRoy�s Minnows. The non-releasable fish went to the Leech Lake Elderly Nutrition Program.
On the MotorGuide West Division standings, the top two names are almost identical. The Lund Pro-Am winner (Dave Anderson) leads by eight points over Dave Andersen, Amery, Wis. The PWT Angler of the Year top-ranked pro remains Tommy Skarlis, Walker, Minn., with a first place finish in April, a 10th in May and an 11th in June. He has a 24 point lead over Bill St. Peter, Bay City, Mich.
Special PWT Key Awards went to Cass Lake coordinator Dan Evans for his countless hours of behind-the-scenes work. The Stony Point Resort owners and employees also received a Key Award for their exemplary service during the week.
The tour moves south to Bull Shoals Lake which borders Arkansas and Missouri. This will be another test for the anglers. Only a handful had ever fished Cass Lake, and fewer still have fished Bull Shoals. A few amateur openings remain. Entry blanks can be located at the PWT web site, www.professionalwalleyetrial.com.
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, Eagle Trailers, Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Drift Control, Aqua-Vu, Plano, Stowmaster.net and Cass Lake Chamber of Commerce (800-356-8615), The Palace Casino & Hotel (218-335-7000) and Stony Point Resort (800-332-6311). |
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| Local Angler and PWT Pro Mark Christianson Takes Cass Lake Lead |
Cass Lake, Minnesota.....Touring In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail
(PWT) pro angler Mark Christianson, Walker, Minn., added 16 pounds on day two of the Lund Pro-Am to take the lead. His 35 pound total is one-half pound better than day one leader Dave Anderson, Apple Valley, Minn.
In a solid move to third, rookie pro Dan Swanson, Fort Collins, Col., doubled his weight to 32.30 pounds. Amateur Jim Sacket, Bemidji, Minn., leads the amateur division. He fished with pro Scott Hauge, Dellwood, Minn. on day two, and they landed the $1,000 big fish of the day, 6.67 pounds.
Christianson is in his third PWT season. In 2002, as a rookie, he notched a seventh. Last season, he cashed three checks in four events and made the Mercury Championship. If he holds the lead and wins tomorrow, he will automatically qualify for the Championship. He will also win $64,000.
Many anglers are rigging chubs and shiners on steep sand breaks on Cass Lake and the many adjoining lakes and bays. Under calm conditions for the second day in a row, boat control was relatively easy, and several anglers concentrated on fish they saw on their Lowrance Electronics. They fished them carefully and after dangling minnows in front of them, the walleye couldn�t resist.
The PWT limit was set at five walleyes per Pro-Am partnership per day. Through two days, 30 anglers caught limits both days, and about 400 walleyes were weighed each day by the limited field of 120 boats. Pros are invited to fish based on performance, ethics, teaching ability and time on the water. Each boat has averaged slightly less than one walleye per hour. These are fish in excess of 15 inches, but anglers are catching many of the younger year-classes, which show a great future fishery coming through the system.
The third and final day, Friday, June 4, will seed the top 40 pros and top 40 amateurs, who will all receive cash and merchandise prizes totaling about $300,000. The weigh-in ceremonies take place at Stony Point Resort, about a mile east of the village of Cass Lake on Highway 2. Pros will share their fishing secrets, spots and tactics.
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, Eagle Trailers, Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Drift Control, Aqua-Vu, Plano, Stowmaster.net and Cass Lake Chamber of Commerce (800-356-8615), The Palace Casino & Hotel (218-335-7000) and Stony Point Resort (800-332-6311). |
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| PWT Anglers Stack Up Solid Cass Lake Walleye Weights; Dave Anderson Leads |
Cass Lake, Minnesota....A radical weather change -- for the better -- was the order of the day at the Lund Pro-Am. Fishing Cass Lake in northern Minnesota, the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) anglers sweated under sunny skies. This was the first �spring� day following a week of wind, rain and cold temperatures.
Fishing under calm conditions suited pro Dave Anderson, Apple Valley, Minn., just fine however. He said, �This is a great lake, and it produced just as well today as it did during the ugly weather.� Anderson and amateur partner Jeff Baird, Cass Lake, weighed 21.01 pounds. They hold a two pound lead over pro Mark Christianson, Walker, Minn. who has guided on the lake for 20 years, and now fishes the entire 6-tournament PWT circuit. He fished with amateur Scott Gearen, Becker, Minn.
Two-tenths of a pound back in third (18.96 pounds) was the pro-am partnership of Ross Grothe, Northfield, Minn., and Mike Compton, Grand Forks, ND. Pro Mark Brumbaugh, Arcanum, Ohio, and amateur Jay Hedin, Bemidji, Minn., also had 18 pounds for fourth. A total of 54 PWT limits (5-fish) came to the scales for the 120 sets of Pro-Am partners. The PWT fields are invitationals and limited to 120 of the top-ranked pro anglers in North America.
Most anglers fished specific points on steep Cass Lake sand-breaks. Favorite depths were from 14 to 24 feet, and various patterns of live bait fishing prevailed. A few anglers pitched jigs and minnows into emerging cabbage, 6 to 10 feet deep. Most anglers stayed on Cass Lake, however a few tried the adjoining lakes and Pike Bay.
Big fish of the day went to pro Tommy Skarlis, Walker, Minn., and amateur Bill Hyska, Northfield, Minn. Their fish, worth at least $1,000, weighed 7.33 pounds. At least a dozen five and six pounders came across the scales, with pro Ted Takasaki catching one fish for 7.19 pounds.
The weigh-in festivities take place on days two and three, June 3 and June 4, at Stony Point Resort, just east of the village of Cass Lake on Highway 2. Ceremonies begin at 3 p.m. A large crowd greeted anglers during day one activities, with a huge contingent of walleye fans expected Friday when pro anglers share their secrets including where they fished and describe their methods in detail. Also, successful anglers will share nearly $300,000 in cash and merchandise prizes.
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, Eagle Trailers, Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Drift Control, Aqua-Vu, Plano, Stowmaster.net and Cass Lake Chamber of Commerce (800-356-8615), The Palace Casino & Hotel (218-335-7000) and Stony Point Resort (800-332-6311). |
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