Escanaba, Michigan.....Walleye tournament pro Andy Kuffer, Fair Haven,
Michigan, overcame adversity to take the day one lead at the Lowrance/Lund
North Central Pro-Am today (Friday, Aug. 22).  The In-Fisherman Professional
Walleye Trail pro slammed his Mercury 4-stroke 225-horsepower into a rock
Wednesday, and spent the day before the tournament trading boats.  He met
his brother at the Mackinac Bridge, and made it back the night before the
tournament.  

    He showed determination by heading onto the water and concentrating.
³After all,² Kuffer said, ³what else could go wrong?²  He trolled, as did
many anglers, and put together a limit of two over 23 inches and three just
under the Bay slot limit, for a total weight of 27.36 pounds.  His amateur
partner was John Matchinski, Manistique, Mich.  They weighed the Miller Big
Fish of the day, 9 pounds, worth at least $1,000.

    Kuffer is fishing his sixth PWT season, and in 20 tournaments has placed
in the money nine times.  His top finishes are 6th, 7th and 9th.  He
qualified for the 1999 Championship, and is working towards qualifying for
the upcoming Mercury Championship in Houghton, another community in
Michigan¹s Upper Peninsula.  That event is Sept. 12-14.  Kuffer has 32
points to make-up for a Championship invitation and said, ³I will try to
repeat tomorrow.²  

    Second place pro Bill Ortiz, Dodgeville, Wis., was third in the Angler
of the Year standings, and moved up considerably because current Angler of
the Year leader Keith Kavajecz (also last year¹s Champion), ended day one in
98th place.  Ortiz and his amateur partner Herb Franks, Marengo, Ill.,
weighed 23.57 pounds.  Pro Scott Fairbairn, Hager City, Wis., and amateur
Larry Eaton, Blue Mounds, Wis., weighed 23 pounds for third place.

    Conditions were very mild compared to the final three days of practice,
when strong southwest winds blew the Bay waves to three to five feet.  Light
winds allowed anglers to travel and fish as far away as the Cedar River and
into both Big and Little Bays de Noc.

    This was the first walleye tournament held from the Escanaba Municipal
Marina, and with the assistance of the Chamber of Commerce, the Great Lakes
Sportsfishermen Club, and many local volunteers, the first day weigh-in only
took two hours.  A huge first-day crowd of walleye fans cheered the anglers.
Days two and three, Saturday and Sunday, begin at 7 a.m., with weigh-in from
3 p.m. to 5 p.m.  More than $300,000 in tournament and year-end prizes will
be awarded Sunday.

        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, Miller High-Life, Nissan,
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 and the
Delta Chamber of Commerce 1-888-335-8264.

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