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| Blosser, Tomlinson Win Sturgeon Bay Tournament and Capture the Gander Mountain GNWC Wisconsin Team of the Year |
What a finish! After four tournaments, the 2004 Gander Mountain Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC) Team of the Year for Wisconsin was settled on Sunday at Sturgeon Bay by 1 point!
Robert Blosser from Lodi, WI and Gary Tomlinson from Poynette, WI took it all with a five-walleye limit weight of 22.09 pounds to win both the $1000 first place check at Sturgeon Bay and the coveted Wisconsin Region Team of the Year. In addition, they made it a clean sweep by earning the Berkley Trilene Big Fish Award of $400 in Berkley products for their 6.32-pound walleye.
However, it wasn't easy. First off, Blosser and Tomlinson were in second place for Team of the Year heading into the Sturgeon Bay tournament and needed to win to take the year-long honors. So, on a day when the bite was inconsistent for many of the GNWC teams, Blosser and Tomlinson gambled that a 40-mile run to fish the Bay just outside the mouth of the Fox River would pay off and take them to the top.
The trip was worth it, and so was subtle difference in their presentation as they pulled nightcrawlers and crawler harnesses in 9' of water. However, the it was the white Matzuo blade and finding their fish suspended in the water column, as high as 2' from the surface that triggered the larger fish needed to take the title. Their weight was nearly 6 pounds more than the second place team of Craig Swatek from Wisconsin Rapids, WI and Scott Swatek from Lone Rock, WI.
The Swatek team, too, caught a five-fish limit of nice fish, but their weight was 16.36 pounds, leaving them in second place and a check for $600. They also ended up as runners-up for the Wisconsin Region Team of the Year only 1 point behind Blosser and Tomlinson. The runners-up also ran close to 40 miles, but pulled Wally Divers at 2 mph to catch their fish.
Third place and a check for $480 went to Doug Larson from Westmont, IL and Vince Raimondi from Addison, IL with four walleyes weighing 14.08 pounds. They also trolled with nightcrawlers and crawler harnesses in the same area.
"This is as exciting as it gets in tournament fishing," said Gander Mountain GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer. "A majority of the teams found the fish scattered today, and no consistent pattern emerged. So, it was a case of a lot of running and gunning. The drama of the battle for Team of the Year was incredible."
Weather also played a factor in both pre-fishing and Sunday's tournament with strong winds that settled down as the tournament day progressed. "The wind began to go down, and that gave teams the chance to make those long 40-mile runs," noted Barringer.
Other awards were also presented at the weigh-in. The "Yo So Close" award of a Yo Net folding net valued at $80 went to the three teams that placed just out of the money. They include Tim Guth from Monico, WI and David McCarty from Pelican lake, WI in 7th place; Carl Stepp, Jr. and Robert Kendrick from South Milwaukee, WI in 8t place; and Paul Mueller and Nick Beal from Oconomowoc, WI in 9th place.
Alvin Lossman from Marshfield, WI and Steve Jacoby from Arpin, WI were the winners of the Gander Mountain "Need More Stuff" drawing of $200 for a Gander Mountain Shopping Spree.
For complete results of the Sturgeon Bay tournament or any of the other regions on the eight-region circuit, check out the Gander Mountain GNWC website at www.walleyecup.com.
Next up for the Wisconsin Region will be the Wisconsin Championship of Walleye Fishing, which will be held August 28-29 at Green Lake.
Anglers interested in wanting more information on the GNWC circuit can call 1-800-890-FISH (3474), or they can email the GNWC at [email protected].
Title Sponsor for the GNWC is Gander Mountain with other major national sponsors including Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, the Sportsman Channel, Berkley, Aqua Innovations, YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO, VIB"E" Lure Company, TowTector Shield and UpNorthOutdoors.com. |
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| Gander Mountain GNWC Anglers Head to Wisconsin's Sturgeon Bay |
The fourth qualifier on the Wisconsin Circuit of the Gander Mountain Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC) is set for Sturgeon Bay on Sunday, July 18.
Gander Mountain GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer sees a lot of excitement heading into this final qualifier.
"Sturgeon Bay is a great location for the final regular season tournament in Wisconsin. The fishing opportunities are excellent, and I look forward to an exciting finish," said Gander Mountain GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer.
The Sturgeon Bay tournament will determine the teams that will qualify for the Wisconsin State Championship of Walleye Fishing at Green Lake on August 28-29.
Competing teams should be at Sawyer Park between 6-6:30 Sunday morning to sign in and participate in mandatory boat inspections. The tournament director will also have the GNWC trailer at the check-in site from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday evening to answer questions and to take any late registrations. The tournament hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with awards to follow.
Openings still exist for the Sturgeon Bay qualifier and Barringer encourages interested anglers to contact him at 1-800-890-FISH (3474), or email the GNWC at [email protected].
Barringer concluded, "This has been an exciting year for the GNWC in Wisconsin. There is definitely a lot of enthusiasm among the teams who fish the Wisconsin circuit."
Anglers interested in checking out the standings, reading the releases about any of the eight regions or simply learning more about the circuit can access the Gander Mountain GNWC website at www.walleyecup.com.
Title Sponsor for the GNWC is Gander Mountain. Other major national sponsors include Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, the Sportsman Channel, Berkley, Aqua Innovations, YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO, VIB"E" Lure Company, TowTector Shield and UpNorthOutdoors.com.
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