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| Propst Jr Wins the PWT Super Pro in SD |
The inaugural In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail Super Pro tournament honored Bob Propst, Jr., with the $55,000 first place prize. The Fort Pierre, SD Super Pro angler and fishing guide follows in the footsteps of legendary guide, father and tournament angler Bob, Sr.
The Berkley/Lund Pro-Am was his first PWT win, and he did it his own way. He was the only Super Pro casting 1/16th, 1/8th and 1/4th ounce jigs with Berkley PowerBait Realistix 3-inch Power Minnows. He found glow chartreuse to be the best color, when cast against the rocks and bluff banks. "It's better than bait, and has been all year. The past several tournament wins on the Missouri River in Chamberlain, SD, have come with Power Minnows," he said.
His win included a Lund/Mercury walleye boat on an E-Z Loader trailer and a check for $25,000. Big Springs, Neb., Super Pro Barry Walker was second and won $15,000. The Number One ranked Super Pro, Perry Good, Brainerd, Minn., was third for $10,000. Day two leader Steve Bohn, Unionville, Mich., won $8,500 for fourth. Super Pro Tom Kemos, Oconomowoc, Wis., fresh from a third place finish at the first PWT Regional tournament, raked in $7,500 for fifth.
The winning amateur/co-angler was Bob Truax, Brandon, SD. He won a $15,000 Lund/Mercury walleye boat. Under the Super Pro series presented by MinnKota, amateurs/co-anglers fish with three different pros, using their gear and tackle and riding along and fishing with them each day.
The Coleman Big Fish, a 5.52-pounder was worth $1,500 to Bohn and Robert Scott, Swanton, Ohio. Scott was second in the event. The E-Cell Heavyweight $1,000 award also went to Bohn for his day two catch, 13.78 pounds.
The final standings represent the Johnsonville Angler of the Year rankings. The top 10 pros at year-end will also be invited to the special PWT Celebrity Shootout at Aiken's Lake Lodge in Manitoba. This event will raise funds for the Boomer Esiason Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis.
Both Cedar Shore Resort and the Oacoma/Chamberlain Chamber of Commerce received special honors as hosts of the Berkley/Lund Pro-Am and the PWT Outdoor Festival with Dock Dogs, rock-climbing wall, GAMO air rifle range and the Cabela's/Shakespeare trout fishing pond.
The next PWT stop is in Devils Lake, ND, May 24-26, where some amateur/co-angler spots still remain. Contact PWT headquarters, 218-829-0620, for details. |
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| Steve Bohn Takes Day 2 at Super Pro |
Anchored by a 5.52 pound walleye, Super Pro Steve Bohn's day two catch vaulted him into the Berkley Pro-Am lead. With one day remaining (Friday, May 12), Bohn, Unionville, Mich., will attempt to stay on top and capture his second PWT victory.
He is fishing with the Super Pro field of 61 pros by invitation, based upon their past In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail tournament success. Minn Kota presents the Super Pro series.
Bohn leads the Coleman Big Fish honors and the E-Cell Heavyweight standings with his 13.78 pounds today on the Missouri River. Holding second place is Super Pro Tom Kemos, Oconomowoc, Wis. Super Pro Bob Propst, Jr., Fort Pierre, SD, is in third. Super Pro Danny Plautz, Muskego, Wis., who was ranked 61st going into the tournament, is in fourth place. Day one leader Super Pro John Butts, Dryden, Ontario, dropped 56 places when he brought only two walleyes to the scales.
The Super Pro anglers competed against 25 to 35 north mph winds the first two days. Those pros jigging and casting the shorelines used two and three drift socks. Some trollers also deployed socks to slow their speeds.
Crankbaits on leadcore in the 12 to 14 foot range were very effective, with another "bite" at about 18 feet. Jiggers worked the bank out to about 11 feet, with the 5 to 7 foot range producing well.
On the amateur/co-angler side, Robert Scott, Swanton, Ohio, has a 2-pound lead for the $15,000 Lund/Mercury walleye boat on an E-Z Loader trailer. The winning pro wins a Lund/Mercury $30,000 boat and $25,000 cash for a total $55,000 prize. The top 31 pros win at least $2,000.
The final day weigh-in at Cedar Shore Resort in Oacoma/Chamberlain, SD, begins as the anglers return. When they catch their limits, they return to the stage, sometime after 4 p.m. The peak weigh-in occurs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., with awards immediately following.
Families and walleye fans had fun at the PWT Outdoor Festival, with free activities including a Cabela's/Shakespeare trout fishing pond, an Outdoor Channel rock climbing wall and TV show hosting simulator, a GAMO air rifle shooting range, and the crowd-favorite jumping Dock Dogs. These events are set-up adjacent to the PWT stage and Cedar Shore Resort. |
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| John Butts Takes Lead at PWT Super Pro |
Limits ruled on day one at the Berkley/Lund Pro-Am in Chamberlain, SD. The Super Pro series presented by MinnKota, saw the top-ranked 61 In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail anglers hit the Missouri River for day one of the competition, May 10.
The top 49 pros landed 5-fish limits, with Dryden, Ontario pro John Butts, leading with 11.65 pounds. The second-place pro Jay Janny, Eagle, Wis. had 11.28 pounds, with Tom Kemos, Oconomowoc, Wis. in third with 11.13 pounds. Another 15 pros scored 10 pounds or better. Don Baker, O'Neil, Neb., leads the amateur/co-angler field.
With the slot limit of 15 to 20 inches and one over 20 inches (and the "overs" being scarce), pros were forced to make tough decisions. They could not upgrade; once a walleye was in the livewell, it became part of the limit and could not be replaced.
Pros found lots of walleyes during pre-fishing and on the first day of the event. The key will be catching those fish closest to 20 inches, or hopefully a couple exceeding this magic number on the final two days.
Leader Butts captured a victory last season in the opening PWT tournament, and would like to take the first place prize of $60,000 to Canada later this week.
Pros were successful with these tactics:
trolling crankbaits with boards;
trolling crankbaits on leadcore;
running bottom bouncers with spinners & crawlers;
bouncers with floating jig-heads;
casting jigs with minnows;
jigs with half-crawlers;
jigs with PowerBait Minnows;
casting crankbaits (Shad Raps).
Some anglers motored upstream to Big Bend dam, while others traveled through some rough stretches to the Highway 44 bridge. They fished shorelines, channel edges and flats everywhere in-between, continuing to look for and find fish.
The final two weigh-in days take place at Cedar Shore Resort on the west shore of the Missouri River in Chamberlain/Oacoma, beginning about 5 p.m. In addition to the tournament, families and fans will have fun at the PWT Outdoor Festival, which includes free activities at the Cabela's and Shakespeare trout fishing pond, the Outdoor Channel rock climbing wall, the GAMO air rifle shooting range and the famous "jumping" Dock Dogs. These festivities begin at 1 p.m. daily.
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| PWT Super Pros Ready for Action at Chamberlain |
 |  |  | Perry Good and other Super Pro's - ready to roll at Chamberlain |
All the talk and all the hype can be tossed out the window. Now, it's time for action. And, that's what will occur at the Berkley/Lund Pro-Am at Chamberlain, SD, beginning May 10. After three days of intense In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail competition, the first Super Pro Champion of 2006 will be crowned.
The top pros in every walleye ranking system will be in Chamberlain.
They've won the most top 10 place finishes and the most money. They've fished the most Mercury Championships and are the most recognized walleye pro anglers on the planet. Leading the list is Perry Good, the Number One ranked PWT angler. He is followed closely by Mike Gofron, the 2005 Johnsonville Angler of the Year and Keith Kavajecz, a past PWT Champion.
Other names in the top 10 include Gary Parsons, Ron Seelhoff, Mark Martin (a past winner at Chamberlain), Rick Olson, Dan Stier, Mark Brumbaugh and Dan Plautz. Both Olson and Stier are South Dakota residents (Mina and Pierre). Collectively, these 10 pros represent 25 PWT victories.
A total of 60 Super Pros (see their photos and bios on the PWT website) will fish. They will be joined by amateurs/co-anglers who will partner with them to learn about walleye fishing, spots to fish, tactics, electronics and boat control. A few amateur openings still remain. To enter, call PWT at 218-829-0620. The PWT web is www.professionalwalleyetrail.com.
The daily weigh-in and stage ceremonies begin at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, May 10-12. Adjacent to the stage, the PWT Outdoor Festival will take place beginning at 1 p.m. each day. The Festival includes the crowd-favorite Dock Dogs, a rock-climbing wall, a catfish tank, an Outdoor Channel TV "Host your own TV show" for youngsters, and an air rifle shooting gallery. These events begin at 1 p.m. daily and are free of charge - as are the stage ceremonies.
All events occur at Cedar Shore Resort on the banks of the Missouri River. Anglers will fish from the Big Bend Dam downstream into Lake Francis Case to the Highway 44 bridge. A key to the PWT format is that pros share what they learn with walleye fans at the weigh-in festivities, and on the final Friday they tell the secrets they have discovered.
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 promotional partners include:
Mercury Marine, Lund, The Outdoor Channel, Berkley, Optima Batteries, Realtree, MotorGuide, Lowrance, MinnKota, Trilene, Frenzy, Blue Fox, Powerbait, Johnsonville Brats, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, GULP!, Coleman, Storm, Tommy Docks, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, E-Village, Kwik Pfyt, Raymarine, Rapala, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Gerbing's Heated Clothing, Aqua-Vu, Plano, Stowmaster.net, Navionics, Yellow Bird, Beckman, Drift Control, Gemini Sport Marketing, Yo-Zuri, Reef Runner and Cedar Shore Resort, 605-734-6376, and the Chamberlain/Oacoma Chamber, 605-734-4416. |
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