MWC WALLEYE TEAM TOURNAMENT
Little Bay De Noc
Gladstone Michigan
August 1 and 2nd 1998
Last update 08-08-98

DIERCKS / ZENTZ WIN MWC LITTLE BAY DE NOC WALLEYE TOURNEY
CAPTURE NORTH AMERICAN FISHING CLUB TITLE
 

 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  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  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.”
Second place finishers were the Escanaba, Mich. team of Lynn Hanisko and Dave Klasell with 50.17 lbs., worth $7,500. Third place and $5,000 went to Bob Lauridsen (Oconomowoc, Wis.) and Kim Spigarelli (Gladstone, Mich.) who tallied 48.71 lbs.

The top 35 teams shared the $52,000 cash purse.  An additional $5,300 was paid in big fish prizes.  Local merchants sponsored a $1,100 comeback award which went to Gary Falkowski (Franklin, Wis.) and George Wlodarski (Orland Park, Ill.), who went from a tie for last place to 37th place.  Total cash payout was $58,400. Larry Allison (Muskegon, Mich.) was awarded a $1,000  rebate and a  electric trolling motor for the tourney’s largest walleye, 8.54 lbs.

The 200 team field caught a total of 1,073 fish weighing 2,404.45 lbs. intheMWC catch and release format.  The next circuit stop is the MWC Team Tournament, August 22-23 on Lake Michigan’s Green Bay and the Fox River at the city of Green Bay, Wis.  A few openings still exist.  For more information contact the MWC at 414-761-0657 or TFM Promotions at 920-830-9586.
 The MWC is a nonprofit corporation which conducts a series of professionally operated fishing tournaments at which family participation and conservation of fishery resources are stressed.  To date the MWC Conservation Fund, the only fund of its kind in professional fishing, has contributed more than $188,000 to fisheries programs in states where MWC tournaments are held.

1998 Sponsors
 

Rank	1st Partner	City	State	2nd Partner	City	State	Lbs	Winnings
1	Ralph Dierks	Red Wing	Minnesota	Rick Zentz	Escanaba	Michigan	52.24	$13,000
2	Lynn Hanisko	Escanaba	Michigan	David Klassell	Escanaba	Michigan	50.17	$7,500
3	Robert Lauridson	Oconomowoc	Wisconsin	Kim Spigarelli	Gladstone	Michigan	48.71	$5,000
4	Mark Keenan	Appleton	Wisconsin	Tom Keenan	Hatley	Wisconsin	37.79	$3,500
5	Gary Gray	Oshkosh	Wisconsin	Del Zerbe	St Germaine	Wisconsin	37.48	$2,500
6	Scott Allar	Welch	Minnesota	Tom Dierks	Hager City	Wisconsin	36.26	$1,500
7	Dean Nathe	St. Cloud	Minnesota	Paul Thompson	Wallace	Michigan	33.56	$1,250
8	Dan Kotowski	Gladstone	Michigan	Doug Schreiber	Green Bay	Wisconsin	32.78	$1,200
9	Rollie Bessett	Minoqua	Wisconsin	Jim Kiepke	Hazelhurst	Wisconsin	31.19	$1,150
10	Carol Cheneir	Gladstone	Michigan	Glenn Chenier	Gladstone	Michigan	29.08	$1,000
11	John Renschen	Red Wing	Minnesota	Tom Renschen	Red Wing	Minnesota	28.97	$900
12	Dave Tellock	Omro	Wisconsin	Todd Tellock	Omro	Wisconsin	28.66	$900
13	Andy Schmidt	Malone	Wisconsin	Tom Walters	Cambellsport	Wisconsin	28.52	$900
14	Patrick Byle	Milwaukee	Wisconsin	Rick Jerzak	Theinsville	Wisconsin	27.14	$900
15	Bob Schommer	Fon Du Lac	Wisconsin	Jim Schommer	Fon Du Lac	Wisconsin	26.82	$900
16	Dick Bowden	Escanaba	Michigan	Donald Corbett	Escanaba	Michigan	26.57	$700
17	William Herbst Jr.	Ootsburg	Wisconsin	Keith Soderman	Gladstone	Michigan	26.52	$700
18	Dave Bjorkman	Green Bay	Wisconsin	Ken Bjorkman	Marshfield	Wisconsin	26.17	$700
19	Michael Hendricks	Green Bay	Wisconsin	Bob Woodke	Gillette	Wisconsin	25.79	$700
20	Jery Wery	Vulcan	Michigan	Louis Wery	Sheboygan	Wisconsin	25.60	$700
21	John Kolinski	Menasha	Wisconsin	Blaine Poulson	North Prarie	Wisconsin	24.94	$500
22	Peter Hibbard	Neenah	Wisconsin	Leroy Schroeder	Larsen	Wisconsin	24.84	$500
23	Alan Erickson	Kingsford	Michigan	Jack Henning	Florence	Wisconsin	24.41	$500
24	Robert Bodin	Red Wing	Minnesota	Scott Mann	Red Wing	Minnesota	23.60	$500
25	Rod DeClark	Kingsford	Michigan	Brandon Rouse	Kingsford	Michigan	23.39	$500
26	Jim Carlson	Escanaba	Michigan	Steve Towns	Escanaba	Michigan	22.48	$400
27	Jay Pepin	Gladstone	Michigan	Jerry Searle	Escanaba	Michigan	22.15	$400
28	Robert Newton	McFarland	Wisconsin	Mike Schnettler	Sartfell	Minnesota	21.82	$400
29	Kevin Dahl	Muskego	Wisconsin	Steve Stack	Muskego	Wisconsin	21.76	$400
30	Dale Mellema	Walled Lake	Michigan	Earl Mellema	Plymouth	Minnesota	21.59	$400
31	Dean Novak*	Sheboygan	Wisconsin	Alan Witt	Sheboygan	Wisconsin	21.06	$350
32	Jay Mott	Tomahawk	Wisconsin	Craig Slonski	Tomahawk	Wisconsin	21.06	$350
33	Glenn Farrell Jr	Omaha	Illinois	Denniss Robinson	Tomahawk	Wisconsin	20.60	$350
34	JohnMay	Forestville	Wisconsin	Pat Neu	Forestville	Wisconsin	20.53	$350
35	Par Kotowski	Kimberly	Wisconsin	Mike Phelps	Green Bay	Wisconsin	20.12	$350

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