Locals do well in PWT walleye tourney
Locals do well in PWT walleye tourney
By MARK WILCOX
DMG sports editor
CHASSELL— The Professional Walleye Trail Johnsonville Brats Pro-Am walleye tournament, held here last week, brought the top sixty professional walleye anglers on the SuperPro circuit tot he Keweenaw. As they were in the past two professional tournaments held in the Copper Country the pros were impressed by the Keweenaw Waterway, the fishery itself and the area’s accommodations.
This time around the pros experienced another aspect of the Keweenaw they hadn’t been able to before...the prowess of local anglers.
As a pro-am tournament, each pro fished with an amateur co-angler. Each day brought a different pairing. The pros were judged by the fish taken out of their boat, regardless of who the co-angler was, while the amateurs were scored based on the sum of the daily catch between the amateur and pro.
While some of the co-anglers were current or former PWT tour pros who were “seeing things from the other side of the boat,” most were avid fisherman from a variety of professions.
Jim Broberg is a district court Judge from Albert Lea Minn., who has been fishing with the pros on and off for a decade and a half.
“It’s a lot of fun, I learn something every time I’m with these guy’s,” Broberg said. “And there’s no pressure on me because they’re the ones making a living off this, I’m just trying to help them and have fun.”
A total of 14 Keweenaw anglers were among the sixty chosen to fish with the pros. An additional came from elsewhere in the U.P. The PWT paid out merchandise prizes to the top 15 co-anglers, a third of those “in the money” were from the Copper Country.
Hank Pole, III, of Trout Creek won bragging rights among Keweenaw anglers finishing second overall in the tourney with a total weight of 39.28 from 11 fish.
Jon Cynoweth, of Hancock finished third among the amateurs with 11 fish weighing 38.40.
Also making the top ten were Chassell’s Dan Loyd and Lake Linden’s Phil Gagnon.
Gagnon and Ron Wiitanen of Houghton led the amateurs in total number of fish taken with 13 each. Wiitanen’s total weight of 25.80 was good enough for 18th place. Floyd Kaiser of Calumet rounded out the local prizewinners in 15th place.
Jim Kalkofan, executive director of the PWT had high praise for the local anglers.
“These are the guys who fish these waters every day,” he said. “They know the kind of fish that are here, where they are and how to get them.”
Under PWT rules, co-anglers were only allowed to assist the pros in fishing and landing fish, but were prohibited for doling out any advice or local data.
Kalkofan said the PWT’s third trip to the area was successful and it wouldn’t surprise him if they were to come back soon.
“We don’t have any upcoming events scheduled for the Keweenaw. But this area is on our ‘short list’ of tournament locations.”
Results from the Johnsonville Brats Pro-am co-angler division.
1 Neil Feck, Traverse City, 40.78
2 Hank Pole III, Trout Creek, 39.28
3 Jon Chynoweth, Hancock, 38.40
4 Steve Atkinson, Sault Ste. Marie, 34.60
5 Dan Loyd, Chassell, 33.90
6 Terry Nelson, Pierre, S.D., 33.47
7 Phil Gagnon, Lake Linden, 31.65
8 Sheldon Hatch, Ontario, CN 31.16
9 Todd Scherer, Mina, SD 31.11
10 Dave Anderson, Apple Valley, MN, 30.57
11 Eddie Craig, C-Ville, KY 30.32
12 Nick Vasquez, Des Moines, IA , 30.18
13 Gabriel Boda, Dearborn, Mich. 29.45 7
14 John Beckman, Republic, Ohio, 28.81
15 Floyd Kaiser, Calumet, 26.49
16 Dean Halvorson Moorhead, Minn. 26.38
17 Brian Talvensaari, Marquette 25.93
18 Ron Wiitanen, Houghton, 25.80
19 Matt Kiilunen, Chassell, 25.66
20 Garlan Heikkinen, Chassell 25.65
21 Michael Vasquez, Des Moines, Iowa, 25.64
22 Doug Happe, Edina, Minn. 25.47
23 Todd Askelson, Perham, Minn., 24.95
24 Patrick Klontz, Brunsville, Minn., 24.35
25 Creighton Whitehill, Pleasant Hill, Iowa, 23.43
26 Steve Stackhouse, Houghton, 23.30
27 Tom Curtis, Marquette 22.90
28 David Atkinson, Sault Ste. Marie, 22.89
29 Craig Looney, Scandia, Minn. 22.44
30 Ron Scott, Deddo, Mich. 22.35
31 Kory Knutson, Antigo, Wis. 22.06
32 Brock Anderson, Munising, 21.90
33 David Childers, Ozark, MO 21.78
34 Dan LaBeske, Baraga, 21.24
21 35 Clem Jacak, Allenton, Wis., 21.12
36 Randy Reek, Minocqua, Wis., 20.95
37 Stanley Funk, Gillette, Wis., 20.78
38 Michael Hinkens, Michigamme, 20.76
39 Bill Hyska, Northfield, Minn., 20.53
40 Aaron Gagnon, Atlantic Mine, 20.50
41 Dave Mulaski, UK ,20.38
42 Jon Plummer, Jackson, Mich. 19.99
43 Aaron Humbert, Republic, Ohio, 19.93
44 Jim LaBeske, Hancock, 17.69
45 Steve Butchart, Duluth, 17.33
46 Tony Plut Burnsville, Minn. 17.28
47 Tom Barney, Chassell, 17.03
48 Kris Worley, Birch Run, Mich. 17.01
49 Mike Craig, Campbellsville, KY 16.63
50 Mike Vasquez Jr, Des Moines, Iowa 16.46
51 Gene LeMere, Amery, Wis. 14.48
52 John Pap, Marquette, 14.44
53 David Johnson, Menomonie, Wis., 14.30
54 James Broberg, Albert Lea, Minn. 14.00
55 Norbert Belz, Nixa, Mo., 11.98
56 Anthony Vasquez, Des Moines, Iowa, 11.75
57 Phil Verdura, West Bloomfield, Mich. 10.39
58 Ronald Arvo, Houghton, 9.94
59 Dennis Barrette, Dollar Bay, 4.80
60 Joe Roach, Edina, Minn 2.3
Previous page: 08 Twp Board Meetings
Next page: Tourney success