Tournament roster

1999 tournament sponsors

Pictures

Big fish of the tournament Award

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

Heavy weight  Award Professional

Coleman Cool Under Pressure  Award Professional

T-H Marine Live Release Award

Tournament Roster

Total Weight	Rank	Picture	First Name	Last Name	City	State
243.45	1		Mike	Gofron*	Antioch	IL
222.32	2		Chris	Gilman*	Chisago City	MN
208.37	3		Jeff	Taege*	Rhinelander	WI
205.24	4		Dan	Plautz*	Muskego	WI
202.13	5	New Articles	Rick	Olson*	Mina	SD
199.01	6	New book	Daryl	Christensen*	Montello	WI
196.37	7		Shannon	Kehl*	Bismarck	ND
193.78	8	Scott Glorvigen    Boat for sale	Scott	Glorvigen*	Grand Rapids	MN
192.07	9		Scott	Fairbairn*	Walker	MN
191.59	10		Gary	Gray*	Oshkosh	WI
190.93	11		John	Bergsma*	Walker	MI
189.20	12		Marty	Glorvigen*	Grand	Rapids
187.51	13		Gregg	LaMere*	Gwinn	MI
185.56	14		Bill	Ortiz*	Dodgeville	WI
184.87	15	Mark Martin    Boat for sale	Mark	Martin*	Twin	Lake
183.70	16		Rick	LaCourse*	Oregon	OH
181.39	17		Pete	Harsh*	Sauk Centre	MN
180.53	18		John	Campbell*	West Dundee	IL
178.04	19		Ted	Takasaki*	Algonquin	IL
177.58	20		Keith	Kavajecz*	Kaukauna	WI
177.39	21		Ron	Seelhoff*	Lewellen	NE
176.73	22		Pete	Parkinson*	Ankeny	IA
175.15	23		Gary	Parsons*	Sherwood	WI
173.85	24		Mike	McClelland*	Pierre	SD
171.27	25		Perry	Good*	Eagan	MN
169.36	26		Dave	Kraft*	Bismarck	ND
166.53	27	boat for sale	Vaughn	Cornelius*	St Cloud	MN
165.34	28		Tommy	Skarlis*	Waterloo	IA
162.97	29		Dan	Stier*	Pierre	SD
162.55	30		Sam	Anderson*	Eagan	MN
161.60	31		Richard	Mellon*	Pincher Creek	Alberta Canada,
157.13	1st Alternate		James	Myszkewicz*	Burlington	WI
Dee	Zee		East	Division	Championship	Qualifiers
135.06	1		Jerry Jr.	Fox	Algonac	MI
126.38	2		Bill	St. Peter	Bay City	MI
123.00	3		Mark	Mearavy	Shorewood	IL
117.22	4		Steve	Bohn	Fair  Grove	MI
115.19	5		Andy	Kuffer	Fair Haven	MI
Dee	Zee		West	Division	Championship	Qualifiers
112.25	1		Bruce	Samson	Cambridge	MN
71.32	2		Sheldon	Medinger	Bismark	ND
70.85	3		Dean	Miller	Stevens Point,	WI
66.54	4		Dan	Glucky	Bismark	ND
63.20	5		David	Anderson	AppleValley,	MN
	Mercury	Top	Amateur
			Toby	Miller	New Hudson	MI

Press Release Day 1
 

September 9, 1999

Madison, WI . . The youngest angler claimed top honors after day one of the Dodge/Mercury Championship. Sam Anderson , 25, Eagan, MN, weighed a 5-walleye limit at 9.26 pounds to lead all In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) Championship contestants. He graduated from UW-Madison two years ago (marketing) and said, “I’m happy to be back.”
Fishing the Madison lakes in the shadow of Wisconsin’s capital, anglers faced the coolest weather of the season and the severe cold front affected the catch. However, anglers with limits captured the top three places. Pushing young Anderson are the 1999 Angler of the Year,  Mike Gofron, Antioch, IL, 7.72 pounds, followed by six past PWT winners. Fishing for the $100,000 first prize, all 42 anglers, including the 19 “blanks,” know the walleyes grow big and healthy in Lakes Mendota, Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa. The winner could collect the Dodge Truck, Champion boat, Mercury outboard and cash based on one or two day’s weight.
The Bass Pro Shops big walleye was 3.43 pounds, caught by  John Campbell, West Dundee, IL. A total of 50 walleyes were weighed.  Tommy Skarlis as he jigs to what he hopes becomes a winning catch on lake Monona (Photo by Tim Drascic)  The exciting in-door weigh-in will be at the Dane County Coliseum at 4 pm Friday and Saturday. Also, the PWT youth fishing exprience and a huge fishing tackle, boat and marine sport show is being held in the adjacent Expo Hall. All activities are free to the public

Big Fish Award Day 1
 
 

Place	Name	City	State	Weight
1	John Campbell	West Dundee	Illinois	3.43
2	Shannon Kehl	Bismark	North Dakota	3.21
3	Tommy Skarlis	Waterloo	Iowa	3.18

---

September 10, 1999

Madison, WI . . “Second place is nice, but this is better,” said Dodge/Mercury Championship leader  Ron Seelhoff. One of the permier walleye anglers in North America, Seelhoff, Lewellen, NE, weighed his second limit and leads the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail event with 20.72 pounds. Seelhoff finished second in each of the last two Championships, and has two PWT victories. If he holds the lead on the third and final day, he will win the $100,000 first prize.
Mike Gofron, Antioch, IL, maintained his second place standing. He has 12.55 pounds. Chris Gilman, Chisago City, MN, jumped to third with 12.01 pounds. Day one leader  Sam Anderson, Eagan, MN, a recent UW-Madison graduate, slipped to fourth, 11.72 pounds.
The Bass Pro Shops big fish was a 3.35-pounder caught by Dan Stier, Pierre, SD, who weighed one of three limits on day three.
Rick Olson of Mina Cty South Dakota (New Articles)hoists a walleye he picked up trolling Lake Waubesa on day 2 (after forgetting his trolling gear in his truck on day 1) that helped vault him into 9th place.  (Photo taken by Tim Drascic)
Fishing post cold-front conditions and the coolest temperatures of the year, anglers also faced strong winds. They’re optimistic as they plan strategies for day three on the Madison Chain of Lakes. Walleye fishing fans are invited to the Saturday weigh-in festivities at 4 pm inside the Dane County Coliseum, to cheer the 1999 Champion and meet the top walleye anglers. A total of $210,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded. A special PWT Youth Fishing Experience of games, lessons and fun takes place in the adjacent Expo Hall from noon to 3 pm. A large tackle, boat and sport show is also open to the public and free of charge, from 10 am to 8 pm. 

Big Fish Award Day 2

Madison, WI . . 

Walleye pro Ron Seelhoff, Lewellen, NE trolled to the $100,000 winner’s circle in the Dodge/Mercury Championship in Madison.(Photo by Tim Drascic) He is the first quarter-million dollar In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) winner.
Seelhoff scored second place finishes in each of the last two Championships, and trolled to victory on Madison’s Lake Waubesa Sept. 9-11. He credited a bit of good fortune on a practice day when he discovered two silver and blue lures floating. He picked up the tiny  Rattling Deep Fat Raps, and a few minutes later, a local angler eased up and shyly asked if he could get his favorite “walleye” lures back. Following some fish-talk, Seelhoff tried the pattern and it worked. His best spots were 18-24 feet on the edge of a rock reef. He is respectfully known as “Commander Troll” on tour and is one of the world’s best trollers. Seelhoff won PWT Angler of the Year in 1995, has 14 top 10 PWT place finishes, three PWT victories and has won $267,225.
Second place angler  Rick Olson, Mina, SD, also trolled on days two and three after forgetting his trolling gear the first day; he planned to jig all day. He weighed 19.12 pounds, about seven less than the 26.94 pound winning weight. In third was Mark Martin, Twin Lake, MI, with 18.11 pounds. He was also third last year. Seelhoff won the Storm Heavyweight award,$500. Olson collected $1,000 for the Coleman Cool Under Pressure award for advancing 22 places.  Martin won $1,000 for the T-H Marine Live Release award; he released the most fish. First, second and third places paid $100,00, $30,000 and $7,000 respectfully. A total of $210,000 in cash and merchandise was paid out.
Special Bass Pro Shops big fish awards for the tournament went to Rich Mellon, Pincher Creek, Alberta. On the final day he landed this an 8.94 pound walleye on Lake Mendota to win $1,000. This action photo taken by Tim Drascic of Monona Wisconsin while in a PWT observer boat with Walleyes Inc editor Randy Tyler  The second place big fish, 3.43 pounds, paid $800 to John Campbell, West Dundee, IL, and third was worth $700 to Dan Stier, Pierre, SD. He caught a 3.35 pound walleye.
A total of 187 walleyes were landed by the 42 anglers. They averaged just under two pounds. More than 90 percent were released into the Madison Lakes by Wisconsin DNR fisheries biologists. The final day crowd inside the Dane County Coliseum cheered the anglers as they pulled walleyes from their livewells. The walleye boat, tackle and sport show attracted serious buyers and avid walleye fans. 

Big Fish Award Day 3

Name	City	State	Weight	Winnings
Richard Mellon	Pincher Creek	Alberta Canada	8.94	$900

$1000 Professional Coleman Cool Under Pressure award
 
 

Name	City	State	# of places  advanced	Winnings
Rick Olson  New Articles	Mina Cty	South Dakota	22	$1000

$500 T-H Marine Live Release Award

Name	City	State	# of fish  released	Winnings
Mark Martin	Twin Lake	Michigan	12	$1000

Name	City	State	Total Weight	Winnings
Ron Seelhoff	Lewellen	Nebraska	13.02	$500

The  big fish of the tournament  wins $1,500 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
Richard Mellon	Pincher Creek	Alberta Canada	8.94	$900

1999 Sponsors

Bomber Lures
Coleman	Guest	DODGE TRUCKS
DEE ZEE	T-H MARINE	Lubrimatic