Drift Sock Harness Buoy
Click
here for more info and to order on line
Church Tackles
Walleye Planer Board
Click
here for more info or to order on-line
Promotional
Team Favorites
Lodging food and more
|
Updated: 07/26/04
Michigan Teams Trigger Big 'Eyes at Saginaw
Bay
By Steve Weisman
Gander Mountain GNWC Publicity Director
After a week of strong north winds, the walleyes
took to the bottom, but
the results were still the same for the teams who fished Sunday's Gander
Mountain Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC) tournament at Michigan's
Saginaw
Bay: limits of big walleyes.
Scott Cain from Midland, MI and Jeff Haag from Traverse
City, MI took
top honors with a five-walleye limit weight of 37.90 pounds. They also
captured the Berkley Trilene Big Fish Award and $400 in Berkley products
for
their 8.68-pound walleye.
Second place and a check for $800 went to Al Toorigny
from Sault Ste.
Marie, Ontario, Canada and Steve Velte from Belleville, MI with a five-fish
limit weight of 32.52 pounds.
Bert Murlick and Bret Bremer from Saginaw Bay, MI
used their third place
finish at Saginaw Bay to lock up the Michigan Team of the Year honors.
Their
five walleyes weighed 30.29 pounds and also garnered them a check for
$500.
"What a great way to end the regular season
on the Michigan Region,"
said Gander Mountain GNWC Tournament Director Gary Bowman. "We had
27 teams
weigh limits, and we weighed some really nice baskets of fish. Cain
and Haag
won by more than five pounds."
Cain noted at the weigh-in, "This is great-a great
time, and I'm
definitely happy." His partner, too, had reason to celebrate because
it was
Haag's first ever-competitive tournament. "I'll definitely do this
again,"
Haag added.
So, how did the teams trigger these bottom-hugging
fish? Slow, slow,
slow. Cain and Haag worked spinners, bottom bouncers and in-line weights
in
27' off Point Augres at speeds ranging from 1.0-1.2 mph. They found
that
silver blades and chartreuse beads triggered more fish than any other
color
and nightcrawlers were the bait of choice.
Toorigany and Velte worked northeast of Buoys 1
and 2 in 35' of water.
Their presentation was the same, but they found purple beads to make
the
difference for them. They also trolled as slow as .8 mph and up to
1.2 mph.
Murlick and Bremer found success in front of the
Marina in 32' to 35' of
water. They also worked the same live bait presentation. However, they
found
the walleyes to be more active during the afternoon, catching fish
at up to
speeds of 1.5 mph. "These two really made a good team. They worked
hard
together, and I congratulate them for taking the Team of the Year honors,"
noted Bowman.
Bowman continued, "Saginaw Bay was a great tournament
at a great
fishery. Part of that goes to the Arenac County Walleye Club. They
provided
volunteer help, but more importantly, are very instrumental in the
quality
of this fishery. Each year they release walleye fry into these waters,
and
this past spring they released 469,512 fry."
Additional awards were also given. The "Yo So Close"
award of a Yo Net
folding net valued at $80 went to the three teams that placed just
out of
the money. They include Nathan Seiferlein from Davison, MI and Ed Clements
from Bay City, MI in 12th place; Mark Lemke from Davisburg, MI and
Lary
Axson from Pontiac, MI in 13th place; and Scott Pettipas and Steve
Elmer
from Midland, MI in 14th place.
Frank Majdecki, Sr., and John Fletcher from Bay
City, MI were the
winners of the Gander Mountain "Need More Stuff" drawing of $200 for
a
Gander Mountain Shopping Spree.
Next up for the Michigan teams will be the Michigan
State Championship
of Walleye Fishing at Lake Leelanau on August 28-29.
For complete results of Sunday's Saginaw Bay tournament,
check out the
Gander Mountain GNWC website at www.walleyecup.com.
Anglers interested in 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 with
other major national
sponsors including Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, the Sportsman Channel,
Berkley, Aqua Innovations, YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO, VIB"E" Lure
Company, TowTector Shield and UpNorthOutdoors.com
|
