Veteran In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail touring pro Mark Courts won his first Mercury Championship this weekend. He was fishing Saginaw Bay with the top 50 pros from the 2007 PWT tour. He won $103,850 in cash and merchandise, including a diamond ring from Escanaba, Michigan Richardson Jewelers and a Kwik Pfyt mudflap.
His four fish limits each day totaled 39.53 pounds, a 4-pound advantage over second-place pro Tommy Skarlis, Waukon, Iowa. Skarlis won $46,000. Bill Ortiz, Richland Center, Wisconsin, weighed 34 pounds for third and a $41,000 Lund/Mercury walleye boat.
The cold front that blew through during the second weigh-in day dropped temperatures and roughed up Saginaw Bay. Anglers on day three faced three to five footers, which forced some pros to consider the Saginaw River. For some, like Skarlis and fourth place finisher Chase Parsons, Brillion, Wisconsin, the river was very kind to them.
Courts, from Harris, Minnesota, caught the Dow Heavyweight $1,000 award on day one with a 19.70 pound catch. He maintained the lead on day two with 10.30 pounds and added 9.53 pounds on the third day. He ran JT Custom Tackle spinners in 12 to 14 feet of water with one-ounce bottom bouncers.
Skarlis fished the first two days on the Bay, then caught a 21 1⁄2 inch walleye with five minutes to go by Hooters, just prior to checking in at Bay City’s Veterans Park tournament headquarters on day two. He turned upstream immediately upon send-off on day three and motored two miles. He fished 3/8ths ounce Lindy Max Gap jigs with Gulp Alive and jigged up 12.47 pounds in 8 to 16 feet of water.
Proving versatility is the name of the pro walleye game, Bill Ortiz, Richland Center, Wisconsin, captured third by trolling Hot ‘N Tots, a popular Saginaw Bay crankbait. Chase Parsons concentrated on the river on the third day and trolled leadcore with Flicker shads in 12 to 16 feet of water. He won $10,000. Parsons, the youngest pro qualifier, fishing his third Championship in three years, now has second, fourth and 12th place Championship finishes.
Todd Riley, Amery, Wisconsin, advanced 33 places to win the Coleman Cool Under Pressure award. The Coleman Big Fish $2,000 honors went to Tom Kemos, Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, with a 7.02-pounder caught on the final day.
The season-ending Mercury Championship was a combination of successful efforts from many Saginaw, Midland and Bay City community foundations, fishing clubs, many sponsors, The Dow Chemical Company, the Bay City Convention and Visitors Bureau and volunteers. The Dow Corning Sport Show allowed fans to take boat rides, check out the latest in tackle, RV, boats and learn about fishing. The fishing extravaganza conducted by the Michigan DNR resulted in more than 600 youngsters getting a taste of the outdoors and fishing. Area kids also received 1,000 Shakespeare rods and reels at the Covenant Healthcare booth. At the end of each daily weigh-in, kids mobbed the stage for their Plano tackle boxes, which were a big hit.
The Championship was the opening event of the 2008 PWT season. The Pro-Am tour kicks into high gear in Mobridge, SD, May 28-30. Details, news, photos and more information is available at www.professionalwalleyetrail.com.
The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Baxter, Minnesota, and InterMedia, America's leading producer of targeted media. PWT promotional partners include: Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, Optima Batteries, Minn Kota, Realtree, Outdoor Channel, Northland Fishing Tackle, The Dow Chemical Company, Fin-Tech Tackle, StowMaster, Reef Runner, Yo-Zuri Quality Lures, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt Mud Flaps, Yellow Bird Planer Boards, Allstar Graphics, Ram Mounts, Element Edge, Pflueger, Plano Tackle Systems, E-Cell, Cannon and Do-It Molds.
About Dow
With annual sales of $54 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element” to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. More information about Dow can be found at www.dowinmichigan.com http://www.dowinmichigan.com
About In-Fisherman
For over thirty years, In-Fisherman has been the communications leader in the freshwater fishing industry through the integration of publications, television, radio, books, videos, fishing tournaments and the Internet. It is part of InterMedia Outdoors, a portfolio company of InterMedia Partners VII, L.P., a media focused private equity firm. In-Fisherman Publications include In-Fisherman and Walleye In-Sider magazines; plus five annuals, Walleye Guide, Catfish In-Sider Guide, Bass Guide, Ice Fishing Guide, and Pike & Muskie Guide. The In-Fisherman Library consists of over 19 educational fishing books and 95 instructional fishing DVD's and videos.
Day Two News Release:
Mark Courts Takes Commanding Lead at Mercury Championship
Maintaining his lead, In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail pro Mark Courts netted enough walleyes to keep his Mercury Championship first-place position. After two days of Saginaw Bay fishing, Courts, from Harris, Minnesota, has 30 pounds in the Championship presented by The Dow Chemical Company.
Competing against the top 50 pros based on last year’s performances on tour, Courts, a past winner, trolled the Bay in 3 to 5 foot waves. With the 15 mph southwest winds at take-off, anglers got to their favorite spots, and began trolling. Winds kicked up to 25 mph by noon. Spinners were popular, although some pros tried crankbaits.
Pat Neu, Forestville, Wisconsin, jumped from 12th to second with the largest catch of the day, 14.58 pounds. Keith Kavajecz, Kaukauna, Wisconsin, the PWT pro with the best Saginaw Bay record, moved to third with 13.26 pounds. He is three pounds back. Mark Christianson, Walker, Minnesota is in fourth with 26.18 pounds. Making the biggest move was Mark Brumbaugh, Arcanum, Ohio. He went from 26th to fifth place with 25.43 pounds.
Brumbaugh also caught the Coleman big fish of the tournament, a 6.35-pounder. He is a past Championship winner on Saginaw Bay (1995). The pros started weighing their fish earlier than normal due to a frontal line that was darkening the horizon. With storms looming, the PWT staff rushed the weigh-in process, and other than signage blowing down and one video camera crashing, the 40 mph winds chased fans inside the Dow Corning Sport Show tent and the hospitality tent. The rain missed the crowds; the sun peaked out; and the walleyes came from the pro’s livewells and back into the river.
The real heroes during the day were hundreds of Bay City, Saginaw and Midland area youngsters – many from the inner city – as the Michigan DNR trained them. The kids received complimentary Plano tackle boxes at the Dow stage and Shakespeare rods and reels in the Covenant Healthcare booth. They also hand-printed their own t-shirts, learned how to cast and identify fish, and had fun in the outdoors. They also fished from the Saginaw River seawall.
The third and final day takes place Sunday, May 18, again at Veterans Park in Bay City. The Dow Corning Sport Show and boat test rides will continue all afternoon, prior to the weigh-in that starts at 5 p.m. More Shakespeare rods and reels and Plano tackle boxes will be given away to youngsters. The winner will receive a first prize worth more than $100,000, including a Lund/Mercury 20-foot walleye boat, a Kwik Pfyt mudflap and a $3,500 gold/diamond ring from Richardson’s Jewelers in Escanaba, Michigan. If a Mercury owner wins, it means a $10,000 Championship bonus. Both second and third place finishers win Lund/Mercury walleye boats. Over $330,000 will be awarded Sunday night.
The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Baxter, Minnesota, and InterMedia, America's leading producer of targeted media. PWT promotional partners include: Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, Optima Batteries, Minn Kota, Realtree, Outdoor Channel, Northland Fishing Tackle, The Dow Chemical Company, Fin-Tech Tackle, StowMaster, Reef Runner, Yo-Zuri Quality Lures, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt Mud Flaps, Yellow Bird Planer Boards, Allstar Graphics, Ram Mounts, Element Edge, Pflueger, Plano Tackle Systems, E-Cell, Cannon and Do-It Molds.
About Dow
With annual sales of $54 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element” to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. More information about Dow can be found at www.dowinmichigan.com http://www.dowinmichigan.com
About In-Fisherman
For over thirty years, In-Fisherman has been the communications leader in the freshwater fishing industry through the integration of publications, television, radio, books, videos, fishing tournaments and the Internet. It is part of InterMedia Outdoors, a portfolio company of InterMedia Partners VII, L.P., a media focused private equity firm. In-Fisherman Publications include In-Fisherman and Walleye In-Sider magazines; plus five annuals, Walleye Guide, Catfish In-Sider Guide, Bass Guide, Ice Fishing Guide, and Pike & Muskie Guide. The In-Fisherman Library consists of over 19 educational fishing books and 95 instructional fishing DVD's and videos.
Day One News Release:
Mark Courts Takes Commanding Lead at Mercury Championship
The first day of the Mercury Championship presented by The Dow Chemical Company produced limits for all but one angler. These top qualifiers were invited to fish Saginaw Bay based on their performances during last season’s In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail.
They were out on a very calm Bay, with some even wishing for wind – to increase their opportunities for bigger fish. The average walleye weighed nearly three pounds, with the Coleman largest fish weighing 5.92 pounds caught by Keith Kavajecz, Kaukauna, Wisconsin.
Leading the Mercury Championship is Mark Courts, a past PWT winner from Harris, Minnesota, with 19.70 pounds. Walker, Minnesota pro Mark Christianson holds the second spot with 15.13 pounds. Dave Van Oss, Appleton, Wisconsin, a multiple winner is in third with 14.95 pounds. Karyl Walcher, Minneapolis, fishing his first Championship is in fourth with 14.18 pounds.
The top pro anglers all trolled spinners with either night crawlers, PowerBait or Gulp! They weren’t as specific as they will be at the completion of the event, although they all fished depths from 11 feet to 20 feet. Depths of 13 to 15 feet came up often. Days two and three take place Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18 at Veterans Park, downtown Bay City.
The first day weigh-in was completed to the wild charge of more than 150 youngsters who all received free Plano tackle boxes. On Saturday, more Plano tackle boxes will be distributed. Also, a huge youth education effort will take place under the guidance of the Michigan DNR and the Saginaw and Bay City Community Foundations. On Saturday, a total of 1,000 Shakespeare rods and reels will be donated at the Covenant Healthcare booth under the Dow Corning Sport Show tent.
The Sport show includes manufacturers displays, dozens of boats and RV units, tackle, clothing, entertainment by the popular band Steel Wheels and chances to meet and talk with the PWT pro anglers immediately after weigh-in. The Saturday weigh-in will commence at 5 p.m.
The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Baxter, Minnesota, and InterMedia, America's leading producer of targeted media. PWT promotional partners include: Berkley, Lowrance Electronics, Optima Batteries, Minn Kota, Realtree, Outdoor Channel, Northland Fishing Tackle, The Dow Chemical Company, Fin-Tech Tackle, StowMaster, Reef Runner, Yo-Zuri Quality Lures, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, Kwik Pfyt Mud Flaps, Yellow Bird Planer Boards, Allstar Graphics, Ram Mounts, Element Edge, Pflueger, Plano Tackle Systems, E-Cell, Cannon and Do-It Molds.
About Dow
With annual sales of $54 billion and 46,000 employees worldwide, Dow is a diversified chemical company that combines the power of science and technology with the "Human Element” to constantly improve what is essential to human progress. The Company delivers a broad range of products and services to customers in around 160 countries, connecting chemistry and innovation with the principles of sustainability to help provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. More information about Dow can be found at www.dowinmichigan.com http://www.dowinmichigan.com
About In-Fisherman
For over thirty years, In-Fisherman has been the communications leader in the freshwater fishing industry through the integration of publications, television, radio, books, videos, fishing tournaments and the Internet. It is part of InterMedia Outdoors, a portfolio company of InterMedia Partners VII, L.P., a media focused private equity firm. In-Fisherman Publications include In-Fisherman and Walleye In-Sider magazines; plus five annuals, Walleye Guide, Catfish In-Sider Guide, Bass Guide, Ice Fishing Guide, and Pike & Muskie Guide. The In-Fisherman Library consists of over 19 educational fishing books and 95 instructional fishing DVD's and videos.
