Saginaw Bay Bay City Michigan
August 4-6-1999

Calendar of events	Important information	Calendar of Events	Bay City / Linwood  Lodging Information
Pre tournament tips and tactics	1999 tournament sponsors	Pictures	Big fish of the tournament Award

Day 1	Professional  Results	Amateur  Results	Bio Data &  Totals	Big Fish Award	Press Release Tournament Journal
Day 2	Professional  Results	Amateur  Results	Bio Data &  Totals	Big Fish Award	Press Release Tournament Journal
Day 3	Professional  Results	Amateur  Results	Bio Data &  Totals	Big Fish Award	Press Release Tournament Journal

Heavy weight  Award Professional

Heavy Weight Award  Amateur

Coleman Cool Under Pressure  Award Amateur

Coleman Cool Under Pressure  Award Professional

T-H Marine Live Release Award

Pre tournament tips and Tactics

Press Release Day 1
 

August 4, 1999 
 

Tournament journal day 1

Big Fish Award Day 1
 

Name and Hometown	Weight	Winnings
Jeff Taege Pro Rhinelander Wisconsin	10.24 lbs	$2275
Dan Plautz Muskego Wisconsin	9.02 lbs.	$1075
Larry Mote pro from Burlington Indiana	8.98 lbs	$900
Jerry Fox Algonac Michigan (pro)	8.43 lbs	$825

August 5, 1999

Saginaw Bay, Bay City, MI . . 

(Photo) Rick"Bigfoot" Lacourse and his amateur partner show off some Saginaw Bay Hawg" walleyes.
“Saginaw Bay is an awesome walleye fishery,” said  Scott Glorvigen (Boat for sale), Grand Rapids, MN, a pro competing in the Champion Boats Mideast pro-am. His comments were echoed by many In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail anglers. They were fishing Michigan’s Saginaw Bay on the second competition day, with pro  Jeff Taege, Rhinelander, WI taking the lead. He caught 21.15 pounds today for a 2-day total of 50.51 pounds. In second
is rookie pro  Jerry Fox, Jr., Algonac, MI, with 49.67 pounds. He was the first day leader. The third place pro
is Steve Grams, Marshall, WI at 49.13 pounds. On the amateur side, Jesse Cain, Fairfield Bay, AR, is leading after fishing with pros Larry Mote and Chad Hall.
Again, most anglers trolled spinner/crawler combinations or crankbaits ( Hot ‘N Tots are a bay favorite). In-Fisherman Angler of the Year leader Mike Gofron, Antioch, IL, brought 28.32 pounds to the scale after only four pounds on day one. He’s placed second to 11th in five tournaments this year, winning $36,000. He has the inside track on the Coleman Cool Under Pressure award for advancing the most places. All Bass Pro Shops Big Fish awards were again over seven pounds. Earning $1,775 for the first place 8.62 pound Bass Pro Shops walleye was amateur Ernie Olson, Gilman, MN. Second place paid $1,075 to amateur Paul Huckno, Union City, PA for a 8.15 pound fish. Third was worth $900 to amateur Hans Schneeberger, Oregon, WI. He landed a 7.86-pounder. Fourth and $825 went to pro Terry Carr, Pleasantville, IA for a 7.81 pound walleye. A total of 476 walleyes were weighed on day two; 497 on day one, averaging four pounds each.
Friday’s final weigh-in activities take place at Hoyle’s Marina, Linwood, starting at 3 p.m. A total of
$203,000 in cash and merchandise will be paid to the 117 pros and 117 amateurs. The festivities are free and open to the public. Shuttle buses move spectators to the scenic PWT location on the Saginaw Bay shoreline.

Big Fish Award Day 2
 

Saginaw Bay, Bay City, MI . .
(photo) Chris Gilman and amateur partner Ken Schoenecker show off the catch that put him over the top for his third PWT victory.Veteran walleye pro  Chris Gilman  won his third In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail tournament. After three days fishing the  Mideast Pro-Am on Saginaw Bay, he weighed 74.75 pounds and won $50,000. Gilman also won in 1995 and 1997, and in five
years has pocketed $182,000 in PWT winnings. He’s placed in the top 10 in 40 percent of PWT events fished. Gilman, Chisago City, MN, a past PWT Angler of the Year, concentrated on Saginaw Bay’s Pinconning Bar in 18 feet, running 3/8 ounce  Rattling Hot ‘N Tots. Gold and purple were his top colors. The exact spots he fished seven years ago were holding walleyes all week. In second was day one leader  Jerry Fox, Jr, Algonac, MI a rookie pro fishing his first PWT season. He weighed 71.65 pounds for $15,000. He also won the Dee Zee Eastern Division race and qualified for the PWT Championship. The third and fourth place pros were Bill Hall, Algona, IA and Rick LaCourse, Oregon, OH. They weighed 68.61 and 67.91 pounds and won $10,000 and $7,500 respectively. On the amateur side, Jesse Cain, a fishing guide for 30 years from Fairfield, AR, won $12,500 including an Arctic Cat ATV. The overall Mercury Top Amateur who qualified for the Championship was Tobby Miller, New Hudson, MI. He won $4,000 including a Mercury outboard. A total of $203,000 was awarded, at Saginaw Bay. A special award went to pro  Mike Gofron, Antioch, IL for winning the $20,000 In-Fisherman Angler of
the Year title. He collected $10,000 cash and a Mercury V-6 outboard. He had a dream season with a 2nd, a 3rd, a 5th, an 8th, an 11th and a 27th. He also won the $1,000 Coleman Cool Under Pressure award for advancing 85 places at Saginaw Bay. Gofron will wear #1 at theDodge/Mercury Championship Sept 9 - 11, in Madison, WI.
Saginaw Bay was the final tour event and set all Championship berths. Fox will be joined by four
other Dee Zee Eastern Division winners, Bill St. Peter, Bay City, MI, Mark Meravy, Shorewood, IL, Steve Bohn, Fairgrove, MI, and Andy Kuffer, Fair Haven, MI. The EXIDE Rookie of the Year award went to Steve Bohn. He won $3,000 towards the 2000 PWT tour entry fees
During the 3-day event, the largest Bass Pro Shops walleye was 10.24 pounds, caught by Jeff Taege, Rhinelander, WI. He won $2,275. On the final day, amateur J. Michael McMacken, Cedarville, MI caught the largest walleye, 8.58 pounds. He won $1,775. The second largest fish, 8.53 pounds, paid $1,075 to pro Steve Poll, Fond du Lac, WI. Third, $900, went to pro Todd Macy, Ft Wayne, IN for a 8.42-pounder, and fourth was worth $825 to pro Todd Riley, Amery, WI for a 8.36-pounder. The Storm Heavyweight Award, $500, went to Fox. His amateur on day one who participated in the 31.69 pound catch, Steve Landosky, Kawkawlin, MI, won $300. The T-H Marine $500 live release award went to Gilman for releasing the most walleyes alive. Nearly half of the 1,284 walleyes weighed went back into the bay.
A special “Key Award” went to Ken Shear, president of the Saginaw Bay Walleye club for his
coordination of on-site volunteers and activities. Linda Cassar organized and headed all tournament
committees for the Bay Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Due to the positive public response and the excellent fishery, the PWT committed to return to Saginaw Bay in 2000.

Big Fish Award Day 3
Total Three day pot worth $13.900

Name and Hometown	Weight	Winnings
J. Michael McMacken Cedarville Michigan (amateur)	8.58 lbs	$1775
Steve Poll Fon du Lac Wisconsin (pro)	8.53 lbs.	$1075
Todd Macy Fort Wayne Indiana (pro)	8.42 lbs	$900
Todd Riley Amery Wisconsin Boat For sale (pro)	8.36 lbs	$825

Name	City	State	# of places  advanced	Winnings
Mike Gofron	Antioch	Illinois	85	$1,000

Name	City	State	# of fish  released	Winnings
Chris Gilman	Chisago	Minnesota	15	$500

Name	City	State	Total Weight	Winnings
Jerry Fox	Algonac	Michigan	31.69 five fish	$500

The  big fish of the tournament  wins an extra $500 and a graphite replica of his trophy. A duplicate will be enschrined in the Bass Pro Shops Gurnee, IL, store. 

.

Name	City	State	Weight	Winnings
Jeff Taege	Rhinelander	Wisconsin	10.24 lbs	$2275

1999 Sponsors

Bomber Lures	Polar Wrap	Saginaw Bay Walleye Club
Coleman	Guest	DODGE TRUCKS
DEE ZEE	T-H MARINE	Lubrimatic