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| Red Wingers run roughshod over MWC Championship field |
 |  |  | Dave Landahl Photo Dan Felber and Eric Eichorn lead wire-to-wire |
Let it be known to the entire walleye tournament fishing world that Eric Eichorn and Dan Felber of Red Wing, Minn are not just the 2004 MWC World Walleye Champions, they are also a couple of tough dudes.
With a Day Three weight of 13.19 pounds they captured the title and a check for $26,000, by nearly five pounds. They lead all three days, opening up a can of butt-kick on the entire field, never relenting and never allowing the cold-weather conditions to interfere with their ultimate goal, the MWC title.
"We really stuck to our game plan and it paid off big time," said Eichorn. "The only problem we had today was the wind. It made it impossible for us to hold on our spot. Other than that we did the same thing all three days."
Their tactics were basic. The champs fished one wing dam near DeSoto, Wis., for the entire tournament. Both anglers fished willow cats on Lindy rigs or 3/8-ounce dark hair jigs. They positioned their boat in 12-feet of water fishing the top of the wing dam in approximately 4-feet of water.
"The one thing that made our spot a little different was the little island off the tip of the wing dam," said Eichorn. "It created a little bit of an eddy that I think held the good fish."
The gusty winds almost cost the Red Wing team the title.
"Our only problem was lack of boat control today," said Eichorn. "Our anchor could not hold. We really needed two anchors to keep us in position. After we left, we saw a team go in there and catch a bunch of fish."
Eichorn fulfilled a lifetime goal.
"I have dreamed of winning an event like since I was a little kid," said Eichorn. "I would see pros fishing for money on TV and thought I would like to do that. A lot of hard work paid off."
Kent Eide and Dennis Clark of Rochester, Minn., brought a spare anchor with them today. That extra anchor helped them take the runner-up position for the event.
"We fished the same area the guys that won were fishing," said Eide. "The only difference for us was that we had two anchors allowing us to fish effectively," said Eide.
Eide and Clark weighed the big limit of the tournament at 24.55 pounds.
Like the champions Eide and Clark fished willow cats with a bottom rig consisting of a barrel weight and swivel and a pink Gamakatsu hook.
Felber was almost a no show to his own victory.
"I guess the only other thing I would have like to have happen differently today besides having another anchor was my partner getting some extra rest," said Eichorn. "He didn't get in until early this morning."
Eichorn and Felber just won the 2004 MWC World Championship. What are they going to do now? Felber, a man of few words, said "I would like to go to the bar after this." I guess Disney World is out. |
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| Red Wing river rats rule again |
|  | | Dave Landahl Photo Dan Felber and Eric Eichorn loading up the scales on Day Two |
Bolstered by back-to-back 20-pound boxes of walleyes, Eric Eichorn and Dan Felber of Red Wing, Minn., retain the lead at the 2004 MWC Championship after Day Two.
Walleye fishing success came early and often for the Red Wing duo who weighed a 20.76-pound limit of walleyes today.
"We probably caught 20 or more keeper walleyes today," said Eric Eichorn. "We were done fishing by about 11:00 o'clock. We were just on the fish today. I think we will be able to repeat this kind of catch tomorrow if conditions stay the same."
Eichorn and Felber went back to the basics to hook their `eyes for the last two days.
"We were using a really basic approach; willow cats fished on a slip sinker rig," said Dan Felber. "There really has been no special approach. One of us is using a bronze hook and the other a red hook, but both rigs are catching fish."
The leaders focused their attention on wing dams in Pool 9. In fact, wing dams have produced all of their fish since arriving in Prairie du Chien.
"We have not fished this area prior to coming here for pre-fishing," said Eichorn. "We decided to fish wing dams and have stuck with it to this point. We will be fishing them again tomorrow."
|  | | Dave Landahl Photo The father-and-son duo of Michael and Donald Olson with a fat nine pounder |
Sitting in the number four spot after two days are the father-and-son duo of Michael and Donald Olson. This family team weighed the second biggest limit today at 19.25 pounds.
Included in this limit was the big fish of the tourney, a fat 9-pounder.
"We got on the big fish early," said Michael Olson. "We had to jump around a lot to find our fish today, but it worked. We were fishing out of Pool 10."
Most of the top teams are focusing their efforts on wing dams using a variety of live bait techniques. Look for the trend to continue on the final day.
The weather forecast calls for possible snow in the morning with 20-to 30-mph winds. Don't be surprised if the weather change has an impact on the outcome tomorrow as the top teams in the MWC vie for the championship and a check for $26,000. |
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| Eichorn and Felber hold slight lead at MWC Championship |
|  | | Dave Landahl Photo Dan Felber and Eric Eichorn grabbed the lead early on Day One in Prairie du Chien, WI |
Cold air temps and threatening skies greeted the 2004 MWC Championship competitors this morning as they headed out onto the Mississippi River out of Prairie du Chien, Wis. The word was there would be plenty of fish weighed in today, but not many heavy baskets.
The first team to weigh-in would be the Day 1 leaders, Eric Eichorn and Dan Felber of Red Wing, Minn. Their five-fish limit weighing 21.59 pounds. This set the standard for all other anglers to shoot for, all comers failed.
"We caught some pretty nice fish today," said Eichorn. "We caught fish most of the morning and throughout the day. We caught our big fish right off the bat. We thought we were going to have a good day."
Their big fish weighed an impressive 7.90 pounds.
As the remaining anglers weighed in it became evident that the 21-pound plus basket was going to be tough to beat.
One team after the other weighed in limit after limit, with all of the top 20 teams weighing 10 pounds or greater.
The weights were solid, but no 20-pound bags. Then, with only a few boats left to weigh-in, boat number 42, Marty Berns and Jeff Lahr of Dubuque, Iowa, pulled in with a big box of walleyes. When the weight was called it was close, 20.26 pounds of Mississippi River walleyes.
"We did good job today," said Lahr. "If we keep it up tomorrow we will be in good shape."
The most notable absence on the leaderboard today was boat number one, Glenn and Carol Chenier of Gladstone, Mich. This couple is the 2003 Team of the Year and has been on a tournament roll for the past two seasons.
Look for this dynamic duo to make a charge up the rankings before the three-day event comes to an end.
The main buzz spreading throughout the MWC Championship is that the dropping water temperatures have picked up the bite, but the abundance of weeds is making some presentations difficult to execute.
Anglers can expect more of the same tomorrow, with the possibility of rain in the afternoon with air temperatures in the low-to-mid fifties.
Take-off tomorrow morning is at 8:00 a.m. and the weigh-in starts at 4:00 p.m. in the Cabela's parking lot in Prairie du Chien. |
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| 45 Teams Vie for Cabela's World Walleye Championship Title at Prairie du Chien, WI |
Minnetonka, MN - Mississippi River pools 9 and 10 at Prairie du Chien, WI, will be the scene of action for 90 of North America's finest professional walleye anglers as they compete for the coveted title, Cabela's Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) World Walleye Champions.
This angling extravaganza will take place Oct. 14-15-16, highlighted by weigh-ins at the Cabela's Prairie du Chien retail store and distribution center. The public is invited to attend, including the pro/am on Oct. 13th; admission is free. Boats will depart the Gordon Bay Landing launch site, located eight miles north of Prairie du Chein, at 8 a.m. daily. Weigh-ins begin at 4:00 p.m. The Championship field consists of the top 40 point accumulating teams who competed during the 2003 MWC season. They will be joined by the top five finishing teams from this year's Cabela's National Team Championship.
Pre-tournament favorites include the 2003 MWC Team of the Year, Glenn and Carol Chenier (Gladstone, MI); 2004 MWC Central Division Team of the Year, Dean Nathe (Sartell, MN) and Paul Thompson (Wallace, MI); 2004 MWC Central Division Husband/Wife and Father/Son Teams of the Year, Chris and Gina Gasser (Random Lake, WI) and William, Jr. and Joseph Babe (Silver Lake, WI).
Championship qualifiers will vie for a $100,000 cash purse, with $25,000 and one-of-a-kind trophies and gold rings awarded the world champions. All of the teams share the prize money, which is funded by the MWC sponsors. The contestants pay no entry fees. Cabela's employees and members of the local Falling Rock Walleye Club will assist the MWC staff with tournament operations.
A pro/am event will precede the championship competition on Oct. 13th. An amateur angler will be assigned to each of the 45 teams, providing a fishing thrill of a lifetime from the best of the best in walleye tournament angling. Amateurs desiring to compete may contact the MWC at 877-893-7947.
NATIONAL TELEVISION COVERAGE
Just one strike could make all the difference as the country's elite professional walleye fishing teams duke it out during the North American Fishing Club Journal's special television presentation of the championship. Watch the teams go head to head, pitting years of walleye angling experience against one another in order to win the ultimate professional team angling honor, Cabela's MWC World Walleye Champions.
Witness walleye tournament fishing at its best on November 15th at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on The Outdoor Channel. Repeated airings will be November 17th at 7 a.m. and November 21st at 8 a.m. Championship coverage and related articles will appear in the North American Fisherman magazine, the official publication of the MWC.
All circuit events are conducted from the Cabela's state-of-the-art, computerized mobile transport vehicle, which is specifically designed for tournament television coverage. Additionally, all MWC tournaments serve as qualifying events to the 2005 Cabela's National Team Championship.
Further championship and circuit information can be obtained from the MWC and Walleye Central websites, www.masterswalleyecircuit.com, www.walleyecentral.com, e-mail, [email protected], or by calling the MWC, 877-893-7947.
In addition to Cabela's, MWC sponsors include, Lindy Legendary Tackle, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, North American Fishing Club, Ranger Boats, Smithwick Lures, Cotton Cordell, The Outdoor Channel, MotorGuide, Daiichi Hooks, Panther Marine, Lure Eyes, Xtreme Sports and Walleye Central.Com |
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