Lake City, MN-Corey Meincke and Dan Siewert of Lake City, MN got off to a flying start at the Cabela's Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) season ending tournament and never looked back. Their first day five fish limit tipped the scale at a whopping 26.84 lbs., giving them a comfortable 9.29 lb. lead going into the final day.
The catch was made more impressive considering the conditions-the lowest water level in pool four of the Mississippi River in 26 years, unseasonable low air temperatures in the 40's and 50's, some rain and strong winds. The team added four more fish to their total on day two, bringing their winning weight to 33.18 lbs. They pocketed $20,000 for their first circuit victory. The tourney was held Sept. 27-28 in Lake City, MN and hosted by the Frontenac Sportsman's Club.
"It's an awesome feeling. I never thought it could happen," said Meincke. "We were casting hot pink colored crankbaits to shoreline rocks about four and a half miles south of the marina in three feet of water."
Siewert continued, "Today, we fished our number one spot for an hour. We must have made a thousand casts, but never got a strike. We were getting a little bit nervous, so we decided to try another spot for smaller fish and it paid off. Man! My head is spinning. I'm glad it's over."
Second place finishers with five fish, were Tom Diercks (Hager City, WI) and Jim Siewert Jr. (Lake City, MN) with 25.65 lbs. worth $10,000. Their livewell held only one small fish the last day, but with time running out, Siewert caught two lunkers on successive casts securing their runner-up position. The duo had also been casting bright colored crankbaits along the rocky shorelines.
Mark and Derrick De Deker, a Cabela's sponsored father and son team from Larsen, WI took third place and $7,500 with eight fish weighing 25.58 lbs.
They trolled red crawfish colored crankbaits in the main river channel near the city of Wabasha.
The top 27 teams shared a cash purse of $77,200. An additional $5,534 was paid in daily big fish pot prize money and $1,000 will be awarded to the highest placing Ranger boat owner in the Ranger Cup series. Despite the harsh weather conditions, the 160-team field weighed 521 walleyes and saugers totaling 1,174.72 lbs.
Team of the Year Honors
Glenn & Carol Chenier - 2003 MWC Team of the Year
In a circuit point's race that went to the wire, Glenn and Carol Chenier of Gladstone, MI won the prestigious MWC Team of the Year title with 397 points. They received $6,000 for their achievement, plus $1,000 for the circuit's highest-ranking husband and wife team and $1,800 for their tenth place finish in the tournament. A teary eyed Glenn said, "It feels good (winning the title), it really does!"
Carol added, "We've been waiting a long time for this moment. We worked hard for it and it's great, just great." Along with their cash and trophies, the couple will receive custom designed gold Team of the Year rings.
Donald and Michael Olson (Andover, MN) were named Father and Son Team of the Year after compiling 315 points. They were given $1,000 and trophies. They also picked-up a $5,500 check for their fourth place tournament finish. The season's top 40 point accumulating teams will be invited to fish the 2004 MWC World Walleye Championship to be held Oct. 13-16 on the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien, Wis.
MWC tournaments and championship are featured on The Outdoor Channel television network, allowing teams to receive national media recognition.
Tournament coverage and related articles also appear in the North American Fisherman magazine, the official publication of the MWC. All circuit events are conducted from 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 2004 Cabela's National Team Walleye Championship.
In addition to Cabela's, MWC sponsors include Berkley Trilene, Lindy Legendary Tackle, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, North American Fishing Club, The Outdoor Channel, MotorGuide, Daiichi Hooks, Yum Lures, Optima Batteries, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Cotton Cordell, Panther Marine and the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.
|
