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Pro Mark Courts Wins First PWT Tournament
 Fishing under the hottest conditions ever in an In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail tournament, Minnesota Pro Mark Courts claimed his first victory. He landed 5-fish limits each day of the Lowrance Pro-Am for 42.62 pounds on Lake Oahe.
The contestants faced 105 degrees under sunny skies at 11 a.m., and all afternoon of the final day, July 28, the temperatures were at 110 degrees. Despite the heat, a big crowd of walleye fans attended the weigh-in ceremonies in the Mobridge ALCO store parking lot. The thermometer was at or near the 100-degree mark all week.
Courts’ $54,294 win (including a Lund/Mercury walleye boat) came at the Highway 212 bridge and the area within five miles of the bridge. He was trolling crank baits, as were many of the pro anglers. He edged out second-place pro Scott Ziegler, North Platte, Neb., by one-half pound. Ziegler won $14,294. Both finishes were their PWT “personal bests.”
Akaska, SD angler Chad Shilling, fishing his first PWT tournament finished third, with 37.12 pounds, and won $12,294. The winning amateur/co-angler was Mobridge Dairy Queen owner Dick Deacon. He won the $15,000 Lund/Mercury walleye boat.
Many anglers talked about the resurgence of Lake Oahe based on the numbers and quality of the walleyes caught all week. Big fish and lots of fish in the 18 to 22 inch class were registered all week. Anglers brought 1,408 walleyes to the scales, which will help the Northern Oahe Rescue Team raise funds for their valuable assistance to hunters, boaters and fishermen in the region.
The Lowrance Pro-Am was the third Regional event presented by MotorGuide. Leading the Regional race for the Tommy Docks $5,000 Champion’s trophy is Ron Gazvoda, Lakewood, Col. The fourth and final Regional tournament takes place at Bay de Noc in Escanaba, Mich., Aug. 23-25, an event won by Gazvoda in 2004. He finished fourth at Mobridge.
Anglers fished Lake Oahe and the upper reaches of the Missouri River. Some were in water as shallow as 14 feet. Others were ticking the tops of trees in 50 feet of water. An estimated 2,000 crank baits are decorating the flooded trees, courtesy of the anglers.
Ziegler won the Coleman big fish honors with his amateur/co-angler partner Jody Stack, Watertown, SD. They collected $1,500 and $500 respectively. Ziegler also netted the E-Cell $1,000 Heavyweight award for his 20.46-pound catch on day two. Troy Walwood, Grand Haven, Mich., won the Coleman Cool Under Pressure award for advancing 81 places. Stack moved up 84 places on the amateur/co-angler side.
The Mobridge Chamber of Commerce and the ALCO store personnel were cited for their outstanding assistance during the planning stages and the management of the event. They received PWT Superior Achievement Awards.
The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Brainerd, Minnesota, and PRIMEDIA, America's leading producer of targeted media. PWT promotional partners include: Mercury Marine, Lund, The Outdoor Channel, Berkley, Optima Batteries, Realtree, MotorGuide, Lowrance, MinnKota, Trilene, Frenzy, Blue Fox, Powerbait, Johnsonville Brats, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, GULP!, Coleman, Storm, Tommy Docks, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, E-Village, Kwik Pfyt, Raymarine, Rapala, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Gerbing’s Heated Clothing, Aqua-Vu, Plano, Stowmaster.net, Navionics, Yellow Bird, Beckman, Drift Control, Gemini Sport Marketing, Yo-Zuri , Reef Runner, the Mobridge Chamber of Commerce; 605.845.2387. |
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