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| Weather Forces PWT to Cancel Final Day at Bay de Noc; Kuffer Wins! |
Escanaba, Michigan......With winds howling at 25 mph and skies filled with lightening, In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) directors canceled the final tournament day at Escanaba, Mich.
"Waves were building to more than four feet off Portage Point," said PWT tournament director Charlie Moore, after he ran about five miles into the Bay. He also noted, "The forecast was for 25 mph and stronger southwest winds." He noted that two-thirds of the field fished the Cedar River vicinity or Big Bay de Noc, a run of 25 to 30 miles from the Escanaba Municipal Marina.
Tournament directors met with the PWT Advisory Council members, advising them of the decision. "Safety is our Number One concern, and being safe means these men and women can fish another day," Moore said.
With the cancellation, pro Andy Kuffer, Fair Haven, Mich., day two leader, was named the winner of the Lowrance/Lund North Central Pro-Am. He won $64,500, for his first PWT victory. This is his fourth top 10 place finish in 21 PWT events. He ran spinners and nightcrawlers in the Big Bay de Noc Round Island area. "After catching two big fish on day two, I went to my 'small fish' spot and got all my slots (under 23 inches) and an 8-pounder. It was a good decision," Kuffer said.
Kuffer also advanced 25 places in the Dee Zee East Division to qualify for the Mercury Championship, set for Sept 12-14, at Houghton, Mich. Dave Kraft, Bismarck, ND, leads the East Division top 10 into the Championship. A total of 51 anglers will compete, with a $1,000,000 prize available from Quantum Performance Tuned rods and reels if the Michigan walleye record, 17.3 pounds, is broken.
Of those fishing the entire PWT tour, pro Bill Ortiz, Dodgeville, Wis., claimed the Angler of the Year title. "With the $25,000 prize from PWT and $10,000 from Mercury Marine and sponsorship contingencies, this is a quarter million dollar payday," he said. This season he finished in the money at every tournament (2nd, 6th, 15th, 16th, 34th and 36th, for total earnings of $73,700. He has a previous PWT title, and in nine years of PWT competition has won a total of $200,000. If he also wins the Championship, it's another $250,000 from Mercury. Keith Kavajecz, Kaukauna, Wis., 2002 PWT Champion and Angler of the Year leader going into the Escanaba tournament, finished second. Gary Parsons, Glidden, Wis. was third.
Final tournament results put John Gillman, Freeland, Mich., and Pat Schuette, Manitowoc, Wis., in second and third, for their biggest PWT checks to date, $20,000 and $13,000, respectively. The top three anglers weighed 48.04 pounds, 40.98 pounds and 39.74 pounds. Amateur Bob Kubacki, Eagle River, Wis., won the Lund 17-foot walleye boat with a Mercury outboard on an Eagle trailer, a $15,500 prize.
Many walleyes in excess of seven pounds came to the scales for the Miller Big Fish awards, including a 9.46-pounder, which paid $3,000 to pro Ronnie Rhodes, Lorain, Ohio, and amateur Wally Thiel, Heartland, Wis. Kuffer and amateur John Matchinski, Manistique, Mich., won $1,000 for their 9-pounder on day one. Kuffer and Matchinski won $500 and $300 for their Gander Mountain Heavyweight award caught on day one, 27.36 pounds. Eric Naig, Cylinder, Iowa, won the $1,000 Coleman cool Under Pressure award for advancing 92 places.
Other year-end results included naming the pro Rookie of the Year. Kevin Schweder, Janesville, Wis., won that honor for placing 12th, 20th and 68th this season, winning $7,000. He also qualified for the Championship. Also Championship bound is the Mercury Top amateur Aaron Abaurrea, Fargo, ND, who will represent all amateurs, and compete with the pros. His goal is to turn pro in 2004, but the schedule has been moved up seven months.
The PWT web site, www.professionalwalleyetrail.com, contains results and statistics, along with photos and information about the anglers. A Mercury Real-Time Scoreboard posts results as soon as anglers weigh their fish. More details will be posted as the Championship approaches.
Delta County Chamber of Commerce executive director Vickie Micheau and Great Lakes Sportfishermen fishing club representative Tom Polkey received PWT Key Awards for their year-long support and commitment to bringing the tournament to Escanaba. They headed up the local organizing efforts, and directed hundreds of volunteers. Local businessman, Jeff Richardson, owner of Richardson Jewelers, donated PWT Bulova watches to the top five pros and the top amateur. At the Mercury Championship, he will donate a $3,000 diamond and gold ring to the winner.
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!, Trilene, PowerBait, Realtree, Miller High-Life, Nissan, Frenzy, Lowrance, MinnKota, Optima Batteries, Gander Mountain, Blue Fox, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, Coleman, Storm, Eagle Trailers, Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Drift Control, DeeZee, Cotton Cordell, Seal Skinz, Aqua-Vu, IMCO, Plano, KeepAlive, Stowmaster.net, Quantum Performance Tuned rods & reels and the Delta Chamber of Commerce 1-888-335-8264. |
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| Michigan's Andy Kuffer Maintains PWT Lead at Bay de Noc Tournament |
Escanaba, Michigan.....Walleye pro Andy Kuffer stretched his lead on day two at the Lowrance/Lund North Central Pro-Am. The In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) contestants saw the Fair Haven, Michigan pro weigh three walleyes for nearly 21 pounds today (Saturday, Aug. 23), for a total of 48.04 pounds.
The number of fish brought to the scales dropped from 340 on day one to 258 today, after a cool front moved through the Upper Peninsula. Kuffer had his big fish (the slot limit is one per person per day over 23 inches) early, then saw the "bite" slide. Areas that produced dozens of fish on day one were devoid of active fish, but the PWT pro anglers, the best walleye anglers in the world, persevered.
John Gillman, Freeland, Mich., has a total of 40.98 pounds for second. Pat, Schuette, Manitowoc, Wis., is in third with 39.74 pounds. On the amateur side, Bob Kubacki, Eagle River, Wis., leads after fishing with pro anglers Schuette and Jim McGowan, Hubbard, Ohio.
The Miller Big Fish on day two was the largest of the tournament to date, and could pay $3,000 to Ronnie Rhodes, Lorain, Ohio, and Wally Thiel, Heartland, Wis. Their walleye weighed 9.46 pounds.
Angler of the Year leader coming into the Escanaba event was Keith Kavajecz, Kaukauna, Wis. After a one-fish day yesterday, he bounced back with a limit and 18.76 pounds today, and is currently in 35th place overall. If he holds onto the Angler title, he will be in position to win the $250,000 Mercury bonus if he also wins the Championship, which he did last year.
The Mercury Championship will be held in Houghton, Mich., Sept. 12-14, as the elite corps of PWT anglers discovers the Keweenaw Waterway. Daily weigh-in festivities will be held inside the Michigan Tech Ice Arena. A $1,000,000 prize could be paid to a Championship angler from Quantum Performance Tuned rods and reels if the Michigan state record, 17.3 pounds, is broken.
The third day of the PWT tournament will also be the conclusion of the regular season qualifying events. A huge crowd of walleye fans watched the action Saturday, and will return with friends Sunday. The fun starts at 3 p.m. at the Escanaba Municipal Marina. Following the weigh-in, more than $300,000 in cash and merchandise and year-end prizes will be awarded. The Championship field will also be announced.
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!, Trilene, PowerBait, Realtree, Miller High-Life, Nissan, Frenzy, Lowrance, MinnKota, Optima Batteries, Gander Mountain, Blue Fox, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, Coleman, Storm, Eagle Trailers, Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Drift Control, DeeZee, Cotton Cordell, Seal Skinz, Aqua-Vu, IMCO, Plano, KeepAlive, Stowmaster.net, Quantum Performance Tuned rods & reels and the Delta Chamber of Commerce 1-888-335-8264.
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| Michigan Angler Andy Kuffer Grabs PWT Tournament Lead at Bay de Noc |
Escanaba, Michigan.....Walleye tournament pro Andy Kuffer, Fair Haven, Michigan, overcame adversity to take the day one lead at the Lowrance/Lund North Central Pro-Am today (Friday, Aug. 22). The In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail pro slammed his Mercury 4-stroke 225-horsepower into a rock Wednesday, and spent the day before the tournament trading boats. He met his brother at the Mackinac Bridge, and made it back the night before the tournament.
He showed determination by heading onto the water and concentrating. "After all," Kuffer said, "what else could go wrong?" He trolled, as did many anglers, and put together a limit of two over 23 inches and three just under the Bay slot limit, for a total weight of 27.36 pounds. His amateur partner was John Matchinski, Manistique, Mich. They weighed the Miller Big Fish of the day, 9 pounds, worth at least $1,000.
Kuffer is fishing his sixth PWT season, and in 20 tournaments has placed in the money nine times. His top finishes are 6th, 7th and 9th. He qualified for the 1999 Championship, and is working towards qualifying for the upcoming Mercury Championship in Houghton, another community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. That event is Sept. 12-14. Kuffer has 32 points to make-up for a Championship invitation and said, "I will try to repeat tomorrow."
Second place pro Bill Ortiz, Dodgeville, Wis., was third in the Angler of the Year standings, and moved up considerably because current Angler of the Year leader Keith Kavajecz (also last year's Champion), ended day one in 98th place. Ortiz and his amateur partner Herb Franks, Marengo, Ill., weighed 23.57 pounds. Pro Scott Fairbairn, Hager City, Wis., and amateur Larry Eaton, Blue Mounds, Wis., weighed 23 pounds for third place.
Conditions were very mild compared to the final three days of practice, when strong southwest winds blew the Bay waves to three to five feet. Light winds allowed anglers to travel and fish as far away as the Cedar River and into both Big and Little Bays de Noc.
This was the first walleye tournament held from the Escanaba Municipal Marina, and with the assistance of the Chamber of Commerce, the Great Lakes Sportsfishermen Club, and many local volunteers, the first day weigh-in only took two hours. A huge first-day crowd of walleye fans cheered the anglers. Days two and three, Saturday and Sunday, begin at 7 a.m., with weigh-in from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. More than $300,000 in tournament and year-end prizes will be awarded Sunday.
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!, Trilene, PowerBait, Realtree, Miller High-Life, Nissan, Frenzy, Lowrance, MinnKota, Optima Batteries, Gander Mountain, Blue Fox, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, Coleman, Storm, Eagle Trailers, Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Drift Control, DeeZee, Cotton Cordell, Seal Skinz, Aqua-Vu, IMCO, Plano, KeepAlive, Stowmaster.net, Quantum Performance Tuned rods & reels and the Delta Chamber of Commerce 1-888-335-8264. |
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