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| Plautz Family Grabs Historic Win at Spring Valley |
Spring Valley, IL -- Many family teams have fished the Cabela�s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) over the years. Fathers and Sons. Brothers. Husbands and Wives. But there has been only one Mother and Son team. Wisconsinites Danny Plautz of Milwaukee and his mother, Barb Plautz of Muskego, propelled to a win with the tournament�s largest basket of 16.12 pounds on the final day. Their two day weight of 27.19 pounds was enough to cash $23,350 for first place payout. Powered by Mercury Motors they received a $500 contingency bonus and biggest fish of day two at 4.48 pounds earned another $1,600. That�s a total of $25,450. This was not only their first circuit victory but truly a chance to make history.
The Plautz family is serious about their fishing. Danny grew up watching his dad, Dan, competing and winning in the MWC and PWT. As early as 5th grade young Danny fished a Wave Wacker and got hooked early with the tournament bug. �I knew after watching Dad win tournaments that I wanted to compete � and win my own, too!� He started fishing professionally in 2002 and full time with both the PWT and the FLW five years ago. This was his first tournament win, however. �My feet haven�t hit the ground yet!�
What made Mom and Son decide to team up? �We�ve always fished together as a family,� shared Barb. �My first date with Dan was fishing. Our honeymoon was a fishing trip to Canada. And I took the five kids fishing almost every night during the summer when they were growing up! We always had a lot of great family time together.� The two talked about teaming up for the MWC. �I suggested we try it,� continued Barb. �We�ve always had a good time in the boat and we work well together.�
And it is a 50/50 team. �We work as a team and both decide things,� shared Barb. �Like today. Danny wanted to move after we had two fish and I said no, I want to stick it out here. I�ve got a good feeling about these fish.� So they stayed. They had their five legal fish by 10:35 a.m. and were able to upgrade all day until the last one was the 4.48 pounder that garnered big fish of the day.
The duo drifted downriver sideways following 14-16 foot depths. Their 3/8 oz. jigs were hottest in two-tone black and orange with a dark colored power tail and tipped with the largest minnow they could find in the bucket. �We really got more bites with bigger minnows,� shared Danny. �We used our Lowrance LCX113 to mark the transition between gravelly sand and softer sand. When the graph changed in color from soft to hard that seemed to be where the fish were settled in.� They worked a 300 yard spot 2 miles up-river from Barto Landing.
Tim Harms of Owatonna, Minnesota and Chad Kruse of Allison, Iowa came in second place with 27.13 pounds cashing in $10,070 plus $1,000 for the Ranger Cup bonus. Harms also received the $250 �Team FCIS� contingency payout from Farm & City Insurance Services for a total of $11,320.
The Toyota Tundra $1,000 angler bonus went to Mark Kordus from Mosinee, Wisconsin for towing his boat with a Tundra. He and partner Shawn Hettinga of Schofield, Wisconsin came in 14th place cashing in $1,860 for a total of $2,860.
The top finishing Mercury/Ranger Cup combination award of $500 was paid to the husband and wife team of Tom and Lorraine Miller of Yorkville, Illinois. Their 9th place finish brought them $2,520 for a total of $3,020. Plus, they captured an additional $950 for the second largest fish on day one at 4.7 pounds.
First place for big fish on day one was Joe Mans of Peshtigo, Wisconsin and Glenn Wangerin of Escanaba, Michigan for the biggest fish of the event � a 4.86 pounder worth $1,600.
The Oxygenator bonus of $200 was awarded to Matt Davis of Marion, Ohio and Dan Gies of Huron, Ohio for their 6th place finish with 21.42 pounds. They also won half of the NPAA $200 contingency bonus from the National Professional Anglers Association. Sixth place paid out $3,420 plus $300 in bonus for a total of $3,720. Steve Skupien of Frankfort, Illinois cashed the other half of the NPAA contingency bonus for his 5th place finish with Dave Kleszyk of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. Fifth place paid out $3,820 plus $100 for a total of $3,920.
The Spring Valley Walleye Club (SVWC) hosted the event for the circuit for the 22nd consecutive year. �We love having the MWC come to town,� shared Mike Hurless of the Club. �Together with the DNR we�ve done a lot of great things for fishery improvements.� A conservation donation was presented to the SVWC for $2,340 for this year�s efforts. All the fish caught in this tournament are given to the Illinois DNR, who milt the fish and release them back into the system. The stocking program has played a big part in improving the quality of this fishery.
A total of $87,360 was paid out to the top 27 places, another $6,400 was paid in big fish cash and $3,650 in contingency bonuses for a total of $97,410. 585 fish were caught on day one for 1050.96 pounds and 522 fish on day two for 931.73 pounds for a total of 1106 fish for 1982.69 pounds. That�s an average of seven fish per team and a 1.8 pound average size fish.
The tournament was filmed for Versus (Vs.) television and will air on Monday, April 28th at 10 am and Wednesday, April 30th at 9:30 am. All times Eastern.
Kids from the surrounding community also benefited as the MWC and NPAA co-hosted another Youth & Family Fishing Clinic. Forty-five kids attended on Saturday and received their very own rod, reel and tackle box � courtesy of MWC sponsors Cabela�s, Lowrance Electronics, Ranger Boats and Toyota. Toyota also donated a bike and the lucky winner was twelve year old Raymond Vogel of Bartonville, Illinois. Raymond is the son of Ray and Kathryn Vogel. �The anglers sure put on a nice instructional clinic,� shared Raymond�s dad. �He�s so excited about his new bike that he�s called everyone in the family and emailed them all photos of it!� The bike was rigged with rod holders and a tackle box to be the ultimate fishing machine.
Cabela�s, the world�s foremost outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is entering their seventh season as the title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include Toyota Tundra, Ranger Boats, Mercury, MotorGuide, Lowrance Electronics, Versus (Vs.) Television Network and North American Fishing Club. Associate sponsors are Farm & City Insurance Services, The Inhibitor, O2 Oxygenator and Sticker Dude.
The remaining 2008 schedule is:
April 25-27(28) Lake Erie out of Port Clinton, Ohio (plus Walleye Madness Sweet Sixteen Finals)
May 17 & 18 Bay of Green Bay out of Marinette, WI/Menominee, Michigan
June 21 & 22 Lake Winnebago out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin
July 18 � 20 Saginaw Bay out of Linwood, Michigan
August 9 & 10 Devils Lake in Devils Lake, North Dakota
August 22 � 24 Lake Erie out of Dunkirk, New York
October 1-4, 2008 Lake Erie out of Dundee/Monroe, Michigan
Spots are available in future tournaments. For more information please contact MWC headquarters at 877-893-7947 or by email at: [email protected]. Complete results and photos are attached. |
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| NPAA Member and Mother Win Big |
VALLEY CITY, ND, April 10, 2008: The National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA), a non-profit organization focused on growing the sport of fishing and increasing the professionalism of its members, is proud to congratulate NPAA member Danny Plautz #315 and his mother, Barb Plautz on their 1st place finish at this year�s inaugural MWC tournament at Spring Valley.
New NPAA member Danny of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of veteran pro angler Dan Plautz , partnered with his mom Barb Plautz used a winning combination of NPAA supporting member Fin Tech�s Knuckle Ball Jigs tipped with NPAA supporting member Berkley�s 3� power grubs and a live minnow while slipping the current in 14-16 feet.
Danny has been a member of the Pure Fishing Pro Staff since 2002 so needless to say, Pure Fishing products paid a key role in Danny and his mom�s success.� Key to the win were 6� Berkley Lighting rods with the new Cardinal 801 spinning reels, 8/3 Fireline Crystal with 15-18� Vanish fluorocarbon leaders.
Having acquired his first major tournament win and having done it with his mom makes the win extra special.� Danny feels that artificial baits will be playing a much larger role in all of his fishing presentations.� His favorite �go-to� artificial baits are Power Bait grubs, Gulp Nightcrawlers, and Gulp Alive.� For additional information on Danny and Barb�s winning combination go to www.masterswalleycircuit.com.
Congratulations again to Danny and Barb! The NPAA will be watching you closely when you participate in the first PWT Can-Am artificial�s only tournament as a member of Team USA.
To learn more about the NPAA and its members go to www.npaa.net
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| 2008 Walleye Season Kicks off with MWC in Spring Valley |
Minnetonka, MN -- The 2008 professional walleye tournament season will be underway shortly with the Cabela's Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC), March 29th and 30th on the Illinois River. Currently 153 teams are signed up to compete for over $85,000 in tournament winnings, plus over $3,000 in bonus contingency money. This marks the 22nd consecutive year that the MWC has launched the season in the sauger capital of the world � Spring Valley, Illinois.
Still in the consciousness of many anglers from last year � flood conditions -- are once again a worry due to the heavy snowfall over the winter and the pending spring thaw. Three weeks out the river is currently at flood stage.
"It's just not uncommon for the Illinois River to be at high water in March," shared Mickey Stuefen. Mickey and his brother Marty, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, were the lucky winners last year with the largest of only four sauger caught during the one day shoot out. "That river is easily fishable in high water conditions. I just hope it doesn't change either up or down too drastically the week of the tournament. If something consistent will hold, the fish will bite." The Stuefen brothers cashed over $60,000 between the tournament's first place purse, big fish pot and Ranger Cup contingency money. Based on today's field size 26 teams will be paid out a total of $85,680 with $23,080 for first place. "That's still a real nice payout," added Stuefen. "And 153 boats in the field is a good sized field considering how gas prices are making it hard on everyone these days."
The Stuefens will check their best spots during the pre-fishing days before the tournament. They look for structure and where the fish are holding. "We tend to do well on river tournaments, with a 17th at Spring Valley in 2006 and then first place last year. We also were 9th at the Cabela's National Team Championship in 2003 and 3rd in 2005 � all river bites. The lakes give us a bit of trouble figuring out."
Many Great Lakes fishermen will be scratching their heads wondering why a big national circuit like the MWC comes to a notoriously dirty, oft-flooded spot on a relatively small river for sauger. A big fish at Spring Valley is 5 to 6 pounds. That's the cookie cutter walleyes on the Great Lakes where 10 to 12 pounders catapult one from amongst the masses to winning a tournament. But there is a magic in the air with this tournament that is not easily found in other places. What makes it so appealing?
"Where else can a walleye guy fish in March without cutting a hole through the ice?" asked Larry Keller of Neshkoro, Wisconsin. He and his partner Chad Kropp, also of Neshkoro, took first place at Spring Valley in 2006, and have had other top five finishes on the Illinois River. "Spring Valley is steeped in tradition. There's something special about getting the boat out and ready for another tournament season while there's still snow on the ground in Wisconsin. The town people are always so excited to see us arrive. They roll out the red carpet with all their hospitality."
Kim "Chief" Papineau of Escanaba, Michigan agrees. "Traditionally, Spring Valley is the first tournament of the year and that is a big deal. I just love meeting up with all our friends in fishing that we haven't seen since last season. It is a good-times tournament." Papineau and his partner Jay Janny of Eagle, Wisconsin, have been paired up for a lot of years on the Illinois River. "We've had 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th place finishes there, not in that order," shared Chief. "This year I really want a 1st place finish."
Regardless of first place finish or not � a number of MWC sponsors have added contingency bonuses into the program. These pay out for the top finishing team in their category � whether it is a win, 10th place or 100th place!
Toyota Tundra - $1,000 bonus for the top finishing team towing their boat with a Toyota Tundra
Ranger Cup - $1,000 bonus for the top finishing team in Ranger Boat's Ranger Cup owners program.
Mercury - $500 bonus for the top finishing team in a Ranger/Mercury combination
FCIS - $250 bonus for the top finishing team on Team FCIS
NPAA - $200 bonus for the top finishing two NPAA members ($100 each)
Oxygenator - $200 bonus for the top finishing team with an Oxygenator system in their livewell (must complete an entry form prior to the tournament completion)
Cabela's, the world's foremost outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is entering their sixth season as the title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include Toyota Tundra, Ranger Boats, Mercury, MotorGuide, Versus (Vs.) Television Network and North American Fishing Club. Associate sponsors are Farm & City Insurance Services, The Inhibitor, O2 Oxygenator, Sticker Dude.
On Saturday the MWC and NPAA will co-host a Youth & Family Fishing Clinic. Kids are invited to come down to watch the weigh-in and immediately following the anglers will host a clinic teaching the kids to rig up their very own fishing rod and reel. "Our sponsors have graciously donated funds so that we can bring rods, reels and tackle boxes for the kids," shared Frank Pilney, NPAA #920 that has organized the clinics. "We teach the kids � and their parents � the basics with the hope that the whole family will learn to enjoy fishing."
For more information please contact MWC headquarters at 877-893-7947 or by email at: [email protected]. |
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