Walleyes INC

Michigan Walleye Tour Tournaments
sponsored by
Saginaw Bay Walleye Club
Last update 08-26-98
 
 
 

            1998 Michigan Walleye Tour Championship Results

 The 1998 MWT Championship fulfilled its expectations as the top 40 teams gathered in AuGres August 13, 14, 15.  Mother nature made amends to the tour and provided blue skies and variable winds for all three days of championship fishing.  Storms the previous week had scattered the schools of walleye which would challenge the teams of anglers to put together a winning pattern.  The three day event also tested stamina, patience, versatility, and boat performance.  After all, this is how manufacturers gauge their products and teams have literally worked since last year to get another shot at the title.
The top 40 teams idled out in order of their finish in the four combined qualifiers with team of the year, Marple/Jones in the lead.  The hot hand they held cooled off considerably as day one leaders Mike Brunet and Skip St. Aubin hoisted 24.95 pounds of walleye onto the scales.  Second place was the father-son team of Tom and Josh VanderWeide with 22.65 pounds.  Big fish on day one went to the team of Raes/Tschirhart with a 7.5 pounder.  Ten limits were brought to the scales on day one. 

Day two brought sun and light breezes as teams tried to refine or regroup to stay in the hunt.  Joe Gorris and Mike Zielinski Jr. weighed the heaviest basket on day two with a total weight of 26.70.  Craig Meyers and Jim Collin were a .10 pound back at 26.50.  Big fish on day two and for the tournament was an 8.50 beauty caught by the team of Bradly/Veenaman winning themselves $100.00 worth of  Tackle.  Tournament totals for day two revealed Bruce and Barry Pettingill shot into the lead with 44.55 pounds.  This team almost took team of the year without anyone really noticing and have been consistent all year. 

The third and final day of fishing was again a keeper.  If anything teams probably would have liked more wind.  The top ten teams were separated by just a few pounds and as big as the bay is, anything could happen and did!  The team of Mike Victor and Dennis Glapa weighed in 24.15 pounds to jump into the lead using Tattle Flags on their Offshore boards.  It looked as though they had an opportunity to win their second tournament of the season but one team was still soaking in the tank.  Mike Brunet from Algonac, MI and Skip St.Aubin of Chesterfield weighed in their third limit of the tournament to take the 1998 championship with 66.10 pounds and finished only .45 of a pound ahead of Victor/Glapa.  Brunet/St.Aubin fished at Quanicassee using spinners 30 feet behind the board with a 1 1/2 snap 4 ft. in back of the board.  Victor and Glapa finished a wonderful season in second fishing south of L. Charity using spinners 10 to 20 ft. behind the board depending on wind.  Third place went to Mark Romanack and Steve Holt with 64.05 pounds.  They fished 5 miles north of buoys 1-2 using Pa's.  The Storm "cool under pressure" award went to the team of Nagy/Hodges who came from skunksville to 14th place. "Ice Team" donated an fishing package to the team winning the cool under pressure award.  The tournament directors, sponsors and volunteers need a special thanks from all of us.  Without them we would all still be fishing against our brother-in-laws.
 

Contributed by Mark Sak, Woods-N-Water News (The MWT would like to thank Mark for his dedication in doing all the MWT news releases during the l998 season).

Contact Nels Larsen at(517)832-3626 or e-mail nlarsen@tm.net. for more information on The Michigan Walleye Tour  which work with the following fine sponsors

Ice Team
Drift Master Sea Anchors
Riviera Down Rigger corporation

Autohelm/Apelco
Theylen Chrysler Bay City Michigan
Gander Mountain
Fish Tales 810-235-4229

Tite Lok 1-800-848-3565
Trojan Batteries
Franks Great Outdoors 1-517-697-5341 fax 517-697-3862
Boaters World Marine Centers 517-797-3800 fax 517-797-3806
Rays Custom Tackle
Aero Communications  Marine Radio and Repair

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