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NOVAK FAMILY TEAM WINS CABELA’S MWC - MOTORGUIDE TOURNEY WITH
BIG FISH ON LAKE ONTARIO
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Kevin and Zachary Novak the Winners
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Minnetonka, MN -- A full basket of five big walleyes was
just what the father and son team of Kevin and Zachary Novak
needed for the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit tournament
win on Lake Ontario. The Clarendon, NY team brought in nine
out of the ten allowable fish limit over two days, weighing
a whopping 67.53 pounds. |
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The Top Three Teams are shown holding checks and plaques
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The 7.5 pound average fish were worth an even $1000 each;
as the first place finish netted $9000 in all. This was
the first Circuit victory for the team. The smaller than
usual MWC field is due to a new geographic region of the
country. This is only the second season of the new East
division, and this stop is the furthest East of the three
tournaments. But while the field size may have been smaller;
the fish were certainly bigger than usual. |
The 7.5 pound average fish were worth an even $1000 each; as
the first place finish netted $9000 in all. This was the first
Circuit victory for the team. The smaller than usual MWC field
is due to a new geographic region of the country. This is only
the second season of the new East division, and this stop is
the furthest East of the three tournaments. But while the field
size may have been smaller; the fish were certainly bigger than
usual. A total of 140 fish were weighed in over the two days
totaling 1085 pounds. That’s a 7.75 pound average walleye.
The second place finishing team of Larry Johnson of Corfu,
NY and Jason Lawrence of Binghamton, NY pushed the average up
to 7.92 pounds for their 8 fish basket – totaling 63.36 pounds.
Their second day basket of 40.37 pounds propelled them up from
9th place after day one to second place overall. Theirs was
one of three baskets on day two that totaled over 40 pounds.
Nate Capton of Niagara Falls, NY and Dave Waldeck of Sanborn,
NY brought in 43.45 pounds; moving them from 13th to 4th; and
the Bradford, PA team of Doug Yohe and Darrin Pound weighed
in 40.77 pounds after a goose egg on day one. Matt Davis of
Marion, OH and Dan Gies of Huron, OH won the $1000 bonus from
Ranger Cup with their 9th place finish.
The winners used a stealth approach to target the fish. They
stayed in their number one location for both days and quietly
worked their spot-within-a spot on Chaumont Bay. Boat noise
was kept to a minimum and board expanse to a maximum. “Many
times the lines would be hugely sagging because of all the line
that was out – but that’s just what you had to do to not spook
the fish. They were very jittery,” stated son Zachary after
all the winning photos were taken. Zachary’s father Kevin added,
“the key really seemed to be slowing down the boat speed. We
didn’t catch a single fish unless we were going 1.4 or 1.5 miles
per hour.” Black and silver cranks seemed to hit the best.
The top seven teams shared the purse of $19,400. An additional
$1800 was paid out in big fish money, with $900 to the team
of Steve Gould of Watertown, NY and Chris Monica of Adams, NY
for their 11.31 pound walleye on Sunday. Another $900 was paid
to Fred Maggio of Liverpool, NY and Dan Letiecq of Brewerton,
NY for their 11.86 pounder. Maggio and Letiecq were also awarded
with a new trolling motor from presenting sponsor MotorGuide
for the heaviest fish of the tournament weekend. “We sure were
hoping for the 13 or 14 pounder on stage for this tournament,”
pined local tournament director Fred Kucik. “We know we have
Henderson Harbor walleye that can shatter the MWC tournament
record of 12.34 pounds, just wishing it would have come in over
these two days.” “The quality of the fishery is like none other
that I have ever seen” exclaimed MWC stage emcee, and North
American Fisherman editor, Kurt Beckstrom. “It’s not just that
there’s large fish – it’s that ALL the walleyes here are large
fish.” Tournament statistics would back Beckstrom’s exclamation
– as the smallest walleye weighed was 5.95 pounds.
The Henderson Harbor Chamber of Commerce served as host and
coordinated all volunteers for tournament operations. The community
will benefit from the $600 MWC Conservation Fund raised for
this tournament to be used in their walleye re-stocking program.
“All of the anglers are so professional and so very nice,” shared
Diane Gamble, a Chamber of Commerce member in Henderson Harbor.
The anglers have, in turn, expressed their affection for this
little town that is a great place to live, to vacation, or to
hold a walleye tournament. A television show was filmed for
Fishing Club Journal on The Outdoor Channel. The show will air
three times during the week of June 16th. See the website for
exact show times.
Tournament Statistics
- Number of Teams: 40
- Number of Fish: 140
- Total cash and prizes: $21,200
- Total Weight: 1085 pounds
- Water Temp: 52 to 54 degrees
- Big Fish: 11.86 pounds
- Water Level: Normal
- Winning Pattern: Trolling Cranks with Boards Water Clarity:
Clear Inside
- Tip: Slow and Stealthy
- Openings exist in some of the remaining 2005 MWC tournaments
and anglers are encouraged to sign up. The entry fee is $600
per team. Further information is available at www.masterswalleyecircuit.com
or call the MWC office toll-free at 1-877-893-7947. 2005
- Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Schedule
- MWC Central Oshkosh, WI – Lake Winnebago June 25 & 26 (full)
- Menominee, MI – Bay of Green Bay July 16 & 17 (nearing capacity)
- MWC East Dunkirk, NY – Lake Erie August 19 – 21
- In addition to Cabela’s the MWC sponsors include: MotorGuide,
Lindy, Lowrance, Ranger Boats, Mercury, The Outdoor Channel,
North American Fishing Club, Panther Marine, Salmo Performance
Lures, Daiichi Hooks, Aqua Innovations and Walleye Central.
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