FINAL STANDINGS MERCURY OUTBOARDS MWC WALLEYE TEAM TOURNAMENT ILLINOIS RIVER, SPRING VALLEY, ILL. – MARCH 27-28, 1999 TOP 35 PLACES  

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

1       Steve DeLain        MN           John Renschen       MN      34.70    $15,000
2       Darrell Culjan      IL           James Culjan        IL      32.95      6,000
3       Robert Bodin        MN           Scott Mann          MN      32.65      4,500
4*      John Balla          IL           Kevin Byrne         IL      32.45      3,300
5       Craig Anderson      MN           Eric Anderson       MN      32.45      2,200
6*      Glen Pyle           IL           Jeff Tartol         IL      32.40      1,250
7       Jeffrey Adams       WI           Bradley West        WI      32.40      1,250
8       Pat Byle            WI           Jim Schiefelbein    IL      31.35      1,250
9       James Balzarine     IL           Ken Tonelli         IL      31.20      1,250
10*     Bill Leonard        IA           Wayne Stensrud      MN      31.15      1,250
11      Dean Arnoldussen    WI           Jim Swinkles        WI      31.15        900
12      Blaine Hornes       WI           Chris Schrader      WI      31.05        900
13      Lorraine Miller     IL           Tom Miller          IL      30.95        900
14*     Mark Keenan         WI           Tom Keenan          WI      30.85        900
15      Kim Papineau        MI           Glenn Wangerin      MI      30.85        900
16      Scott Strangstalien WI           Steve Tauscher      WI      30.70        750
17      Scot Hastings       IL           Troy Nelson         IL      30.05        750
18      Patrick Neu         WI           Mike Schaefer       WI      29.60        750
19      Tom Espinoza        IL           Jare Kohn           IL      29.55        750
20      Kelly Deets         IL           Tommy Skarlis       IA      29.40        750
21      Richard Dobbs       IL           Bill Elder          IL      29.25        500
22      James Ott           IL           Dennis Pieper       IL      29.10        500
23      Jeff Marusich       IL           Gary Merkel         IL      29.00        500
24      John Campbell       IA           Kevin Campbell      IL      28.90        500
25*     Kevin Dahl          WI           Steven Stack        WI      28.70        500
26      Ronald DeGraaf      IL           Roy Perez           IL      28.70        400
27*     Carol Chenier       MI           Glenn Chenier       MI      28.40        400
28      Gary Dalzot         IL           John Dalzot         IL      28.40        400
29      Jerry Tipping       WI           Kay Tipping         WI      28.40        400
30*     Scott Allar         MN           Tom Diercks         WI      28.35        400
31      Jay Janny           WI           Kyle Morgan         WI      28.35        400
32      Ralph Muccilli      WI           Max Streichert      MI      28.20        400
33      Adam Sandor         IL           Steve Sandor        IL      28.15        400
34*     Scott Duncan        IL           Vincent Rizzo       IL      28.00        400
35      Scott Carlson       MN           Ralph Diercks       MN      28.00        400

*=Won Tie Breaker                                               CASH PAYOUT = $52,000

Big Fish Pot (Three daily prizes: $1,500; $1,000; $975)                       $ 6,950

                                                          TOTAL CASH PAYOUT = $58,950

Mercury Outboards Big Fish Award - $1,000 Engine Rebate
Donald Solis, Perronville, MI - 5.00 lbs. (sauger)

Big Basket Awards:
Day 1 - Robert Bodin & Scott Mann, Red Wing, MN, 18.65 lbs.,
won Goldeneye Panther Auxiliary Motor Lift (value $500)

Day 2 - Steve DeLain & John Renschen, Red Wing, MN, 18.10 lbs., 
won Big Jon Manual Downriggers (value $500)

Stats:
Teams Entered: 200
Fish Caught: 1,726
Weight: 4,327.05 lbs.

SPRING VALLEY, ILL. – Steve DeLain and John Renschen of Red Wing, Minn., topped a field of 200 teams, winning the Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) 1999 season opener.

Beginning the MWC’s 15^th year, the Mercury Outboards Team Walleye Tournament took place March 27-28 on the Illinois River at Spring Valley, Ill., hosted by over 200 volunteers from the Spring Valley Walleye Club.  The tournament is the state’s largest pro-fishing event.

DeLain and Renschen collected $15,000 for the win, plus a pair of Big Jon manual downriggers valued at $500 for their second day big basket catch of 18.10 lbs.  It was the first win for the MWC veterans, who weighed an allowable ten fish limit (all saugers) totaling 34.70 lbs., a 3.43 lb. average.

The winners fished an area approximately three miles down river from the Hennepin bridge in depths between 10 and 13 feet.

According to Renschen, "We used 28 lb. test leadcore line with three foot Berkley FireLine 14 lb. test leaders. We trolled upriver just under 3 m.p.h., sometimes faster."

DeLain added, "On Saturday, we caught most of our fish between eleven and one o’clock. Blue and chrome #7 Shad Raps worked best. Today [Sun.] the morning bite was good, and they went for chartreuse or firetiger colors."

DeLain, a Minnesota DNR fisheries employee, believes the Illinois River to be one of the top sauger producers in the country. He commented, "The habitat is ideal for this species, and the restocking program is really paying off."

Second place went to Darrell "Buster" Culjan (Ottawa, Ill.) and James Culjan (Princeton, Ill.), who weighed 32.95 lbs., worth $6,000.  The pair vertical jigged the clam beds adjacent to Depue Lake, using a variety of two-tone colored 3/8 oz. to 3 /4 oz. jigs tipped with chartreuse sparkle tail plastic grubs.

First day leaders, Bob Bodin and Scott Mann of Red Wing, Minn., took third place and $4,500.  They were also awarded a Goldeneye Products Panther auxiliary engine lift valued at $500 for their first day big basket catch of 18.65 lbs.  The team fished similar areas and techniques as the winners.

Donald Solis (Perronville, Mich.) caught the tourney’s largest fish, a 5.0 lb. sauger, and received a $1,000 Mercury Outboards engine rebate.

Record Catch

Weather & water conditions were nearly ideal. Only one team failed to weigh fish. An Illinois River tournament record was set for a 200 team field: 1,726 fish were caught weighing 4,327.05 lbs., a 2.50 lb. average.

DNR Illinois River Project Manager, Mike Cochran, and his crew assisted at the weigh-ins. All of the fish were conveyed to the LaSalle, Ill. hatchery, where they will be stripped of eggs and milt for restocking purposes. Cochran told the large weigh-in crowds that the project has been so successful, fry and fingerling offspring from tournament-caught fish are now being stocked throughout the state.