1999 MWC Green Bay Results

FINAL STANDINGS NORTH AMERICAN FISHING CLUB MWC WALLEYE TEAM TOURNAMENT LITTLE BAY DE NOC, GLADSTONE, MICH. – AUGUST 1-2, 1998 TOP 35 PLACES

Rank    1st Partner         State        2nd Partner         State   Lbs.     Winnings

1      Ralph Diercks       MN           Rick Zentz          MI      54.24    $13,000 
2      Lynn Hanisko        MI           David Klasell       MI      50.17      7,500 
3      Robert Lauridsen    WI           Kim Spigarelli      MI      48.71      5,000 
4      Mark Keenan         WI           Tom Keenan          WI      37.79      3,500 
5      Gary Gray           WI           Del Zerbe           WI      37.48      2,500 
6      Scott Allar         MN           Tom Diercks         WI      36.26      1,500 
7      Dean Nathe          MN           Paul Thompson       MI      33.56      1,350 
8      Dan Kotowski        MI           Doug Schreiber      WI      32.78      1,250 
9      Rollie Bessett      WI           Jim Kiepke          WI      31.19      1,150 
10     Carol Chenier       MI           Glenn Chenier       MI      29.08      1,000 
11     John Renschen       MN           Tom Renschen        MN      28.97        900 
12     Dave Tellock        WI           Todd Tellock        WI      28.66        900 
13     Andy Schmidt        WI           Tom Walters         WI      28.52        900 
14     Patrick Byle        WI           Rick Jerzak         WI      27.14        900 
15     Bob Schommer        WI           Jim Schommer        WI      26.82        900 
16     Dick Bowden         MI           Donald Corbett      MI      26.57        700 
17     William Herbst, Jr. WI           Keith Soderman      MI      26.52        700 
18     Dave Bjorkman       WI           Ken Bjorkman        WI      26.17        700 
19     Michael Hendricks   WI           Bob Woodke          WI      25.79        700 
20     Jerry Wery          MI           Louis Wery          WI      25.60        700 
21     John Kolinski, Jr.  WI           Blane Poulson       WI      24.94        500 
22     Peter Hibbard       WI           Leroy Schroeder     WI      24.84        500 
23     Alan Erickson       MI           Jack Henning        WI      24.41        500 
24     Robert Bodin        MN           Scott Mann          MN      23.60        500 
25     Rod DeClark         MI           Brandon Rouse       MI      23.39        500 
26     Jim Carlson         MI           Steve Towns         MI      22.48        400 
27     Jay Pepin           MI           Jerry Searle        MI      22.15        400 
28     Robert Newton       WI           Mike Schnettler     MN      21.82        400 
29     Kevin Dahl          WI           Steve Stack         WI      21.76        400 
30     Dale Mellema        MI           Earl Mellema        MN      21.59        400 
31*    Dean Novak          WI           Allan Witt          WI      21.06        350 
32     Jay Mott            WI           Craig Slonski       WI      21.06        350 
33     Glenn Farrell, Jr.  IL           Dennis Robinson     WI      20.60        350 
34     John May            WI           Pat Neu             WI      20.53        350 
35     Pat Kotowski        WI           Mike Phelps         WI      20.12        350

*Won tie breaker

                                                               CASH PAYOUT = $52,000

Big Fish Pot (Three daily prizes: $1,000; $900; $750)                          5,300

Comeback Award: (Advanced 119 places, from 156^th to 37^th)                       1,100 
Gary Falkowski, Franklin, WI & George Wlodarski, Orland Park, IL

Big Fish Awards:

Mariner Outboards $1,000 Engine Rebate & MotorGuide Trolling Motor 
Larry Allison, Muskegon, MI - 8.54 lbs.

                                                         TOTAL CASH PAYOUT = $58,400

Stats

Teams Entered: 200 
Fish Caught: 1,073 
Weight: 2,404.45 lbs.

WINNING TECHNIQUES GLADSTONE, MICH. – Ralph Diercks (Red Wing, Minn.) and Rick Zentz (Escanaba, Mich.) won the North American Fishing Club Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) Team Walleye Tournament held August 1-2 on Little Bay de Noc at Gladstone, Mich.

The winners put together consistent catches of 26.65 and 27.59 lbs., an allowable ten fish MWC limit totaling an impressive 54.24 lbs., nearly a 5-1/2 lb. average. Their first circuit victory was worth $13,000.

At the awards presentation, Diercks, a former MWC tournament site director stated, "I ran tournaments for years and now I’ve won one. It’s a great feeling, especially when you come out on top over some of the best walleye fishermen in the country."

He added, "We fished an area about ten miles north of the Cedar River. There’s a bunch of finger-shaped humps between 25 and 38 feet of water. The fish were suspended throughout the water column. We trolled crankbaits from Wille Side-Liner planer boards from 40 to 100 feet behind the boat. Brown trout and perch colored lures caught most of the fish. We also used line counter reels spooled with 10 lb. test Berkley XT and FireLine."

Zentz, who runs the Northland Motel near the city of Escanaba, fishes the Bay often, but stated he had never fished this particular area.

According to Zentz, "We found this spot on Thursday before the tournament. We probably wouldn’t have won if it wasn’t for my global mapping sonar unit. I loaded it with a Lake Michigan sea cartridge, which is extremely detailed and accurate. We were able to pinpoint the fish and stay on them."

Zentz added, "We trolled slowly, about 1-1/2 m.p.h. in a zigzag pattern. It didn’t matter if we went up or down wind. Most of the fish would hit when the inside boards would slow down or slack off. We had two other spots to go to in case this one petered out. I’m glad we didn’t have to go to them."