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Updated: 07/12/04
Roush, Heller Take Illinois Team of the Year
Honors
By Steve Weisman
Gander Mountain GNWC Publicity Director
Using a fifth place finish on the Mississippi River
at Albany on Sunday,
the team of Rob Roush from Des Moines, IA and Mike Heller from West
Des
Moines, IA captured the Illinois Team of the Year honors on the Gander
Mountain Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC) circuit.
Roush and Heller brought a six-walleye limit weighing
11.32 pounds to
the scale that sealed the Team of the Year honors. First place, however,
went to another Iowa team, Cory Batterson from Pleasant Hill, IA and
Mark
Mussman from Comanche, IA. Their six-fish weight of 15.52 pounds earned
them
the winner's check of $1000.
Rick Holmes and Randy Reuter from Platteville, WI
followed them in
second place with a six-fish limit weight of 13.62 pounds and a check
for
$500.
Steve Lotz from Lena, IL and David Daughenbaugh
from McConnell, IL
cashed the third place check of $270 with a six-fish limit weight of
13.02
pounds.
Ron Mason from Estherville, IA and Jim Wahl from
Eldridge, IA took home
the $400 Berkley Big Fish Award in Berkley products for their 3.61-pound
walleye.
"We hit the Mississippi at the right time," said
Gander Mountain GNWC
Tournament Director Dean Higgins. "We had several six-fish limits,
and the
walleyes were in good shape."
Mussman echoed those sentiments and added, "Thanks
to the DNR for the
slot limit."
Fishing presentations varied. Batterson and Mussman
spent the day
running and gunning from wing dam to wing dam, throwing shad colored
Bombers
off the face of the wing dams.
Holmes and Ruter also fished the ends of and the
face of wing dams, but
went with 3-way rigs and leeches and crawlers for bait. Holmes noted
that
they had their limit by 8:30 in the morning. "It was tough fishing.
We had
an early bite, and then things got really tough."
Special awards include the following. The
"Yo So Close" award of a Yo
Net folding net valued at $80 was awarded to the three teams that placed
out
of the money. Those teams include Dale Kruger and Art Lehrman in 4th
place;
Rousch and Heller in 5th place; and Terry Sparks and Chris Theis in
6th
place.
Mason and Wahl won the Gander Mountain "Need More
Stuff" drawing of $200
for a Gander Mountain Shopping Spree.
Next up will be the Illinois State Championship
of Walleye Fishing on
the Mississippi River at the Quad Cities on August 7-8.
Complete results of this tournament or any tournament
on the Gander
Mountain GNWC can be found at www.walleyecup.com.
Anglers interested in signing up for the final qualifier
or simply
wanting more information on the GNWC circuit can call 1-800-890-FISH
(3474),
or they can email the GNWC at info@walleyecup.com.
Title Sponsor for the GNWC is Gander Mountain. Other
major national
sponsors include Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, the Sportsman Channel,
Berkley, Aqua Innovations, YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO, VIB"E" Lure
Company, TowTector Shield and UpNorthOutdoors.com.
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