Houghton, Michigan......Veteran pro Dan Plautz, with two In-Fisherman
Professional Walleye Trail (PWT) wins to his credit, jumped into the lead on
day two.  The Muskego, Wis. 2-time PWT winner was competing against the
world¹s best walleye anglers in the 2003 Mercury Championship, set to
conclude Sunday, Sept. 14.

    Fishing the Keweenaw Waterway and Portage and Torch Lakes, Plautz landed
a Championship limit of four walleyes weighing 19.77 pounds on day two.  His
total of 36.59 pounds is five better than Keith Kavajecz, Kaukauna, Wis.
Rookie of the Year Kevin Schweder, Janesville, Wis., jumped into third
place, 25.91 pounds.  Day one leader Perry Good, Brainerd, Minn., is in
fourth place, a few ounces behind Schweder.

    Kavajecz landed the largest walleye at 8.21 pounds on day two.  It could
be worth $3,000.  The Quantum $1,000,000 bonus for the angler breaking the
Michigan state record (17 pounds, 3 ounces), is still up for grabs.

    The top five anglers were trolling Portage Lake, with an emphasis on
matching the precise depth.  Spinners with nightcrawlers trolled from up
high all the way to 40-plus foot depths produced walleyes, and so did
crankbaits for some.  A couple of the ³jiggers² moved into the top 10, also,
indicating that the system holds huge numbers of walleyes.

    During the practice time, Kavajecz said, ³With my underwater camera, I
saw more walleyes in this system than anywhere I¹ve been.²  Plautz echoed
that sentiment, ³My fish bit early, and I know they were only a few of
hundreds down there, but I couldn¹t get any others to go.²

    PWT Angler of the Year Bill Ortiz, Dodgeville, Wis., made a big comeback
and moved from 43rd to ninth, and with a monster catch on the final day,
could win the Championship and the Mercury $250,000 bonus.  The special
Mercury incentive goes to the Angler of the Year if he also wins the
Championship.  

    A large crowd numbering 3,500 walleye fans, cheered and welcomed the 51
contestants into the Michigan Tech Ice Arena.  Youngsters quickly grabbed
the 250 complimentary Plano tackle boxes, and all said they¹d return on day
three for one of the 1,000 Shakespeare rod and reel combos.  The boat and
sport show running in conjunction with the walleye Championship has drawn
huge crowds to the first-ever sport show in Houghton.

    The Sport Show will open at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 14, with the final
stage show and festival set for 4 p.m. with special music.  The first pro
will weigh walleyes at 4:30 p.m.  The winner will receive $108,000,
including a Lund 20-foot walleye boat and Mercury 200-horsepower outboard.
A special $3,000 winner¹s ring, crafted by Richardson¹s Jewelers, Escanaba,
Mich., goes to the Champion.  All pros win a minimum of $2,000, in the
prestigious event, which does not require an entry fee.

    The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications
Network headquartered in Brainerd, Minnesota, and PRIMEDIA, America's
leading producer of targeted media. PWT sponsors include: Mercury Marine,
Lund, Berkley Gulp!, Trilene, PowerBait, Realtree, Frenzy, Lowrance,
MinnKota, Optima Batteries, Gander Mountain, Blue Fox, Northland Fishing
Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, Coleman, Storm, Eagle Trailers,
Raymarine, Rapala, Matzuo, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Drift Control, DeeZee,
Cotton Cordell, Seal Skinz, Aqua-Vu, IMCO, Plano, KeepAlive, Stowmaster.net,
Quantum Performance Tuned rods & reels.
 

Day Two Bio Dato:
Air Temp: 63š @ 7 a.m.  75š @ 5p.m.
Water Temp: 68š
Skies: Cloudy
Wind: 5-15 mph
Seas: Calm to 1-foot

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