Otter Tail Lake Gives up Walleye Gold to Super
Pro Christensen at Lund Pro-Am
Veteran pro Daryl Christensen, Montello, Wis., jumped into
the day one lead at the Lund Pro-Am in Ottertail, Minn. He was
one of 60 Super Pro anglers fishing the In-Fisherman Professional
Walleye Trail tournament on Otter Tail Lake. He weighed a 4-fish
limit for 13.81 pounds, a two-pound advantage over second place
pro Bruce "Doc" Samson, Minnetrista, Minn.
Christensen has two previous victories on Lake Erie and Lake
Stockton. Samson has three wins, with two on Devils Lake and
another at Mille Lacs. A third of a pound back at 11.65 pounds
is pro Danny Plautz, Muskego, Wis. Pro Rick Franklin, Park Rapids,
Minn., holds fourth with 10.97 pounds.
Fishing Otter Tail Lake was fun for the Super Pros during
practice and on day one of the Lund Pro-Am. They found walleyes
tucked into every imaginable spot on the lake. Some anglers
trolled crankbaits, many dragged live bait (leeches and minnows
mainly - perch would eat any night crawler dropped into the
water), others jigged weed edges and in the cabbage, while slip
bobbers were favored by a few. Bottom bouncers and spinners
were an effective tool.
The Minnesota state law allows one walleye over 20 inches
per person, which meant that each Pro-Am partnership could weigh
two "big" fish and two from 14 to 20 inches. Or, they
could weigh four in the 14 to 20-inch range. Two-thirds of the
Pro-Am partners caught limits on day one.
The Coleman Big Fish leader is Danny Plautz and his amateur
partner Dennis Cornelius, Plymouth, Minn. Their walleye tipped
the scales to 6.29 pounds. Christensen's largest fish went 5.68
pounds.
Christensen fished with policeman Jack Harris, Boyertown,
PA. He leads the amateur division. Fred Sanchez, Fergus Falls,
Minn, is in second, and Cornelius is in third. Amateurs and
co-anglers traveled from Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Missouri,
Ontario, Montana, Wyoming and many mid-western states to fish
with the Super Pro anglers.
In addition to the weigh-in ceremonies, which start about
5 p.m. each day at Ottertail Fairgrounds (under the blue water
tower), the PWT Outdoor Festival with many activities for youngsters
starts at 1 p.m. The final two days are Wednesday and Thursday,
June 14 and 15. The winner will be crowned and receive a $55,000
first prize, and the Super Pros will explain their tactics to
the walleye fans on Thursday.
The Lund Pro-Am is the second event in the Super Pro series,
presented by MinnKota. The next Super Pro is set for Michigan's
Upper Peninsula in Houghton. Fishing takes place on Portage
and Torch lakes and two canals that lead to Lake Superior. The
final Super Pro takes place on Mille Lacs in north-central Minnesota.
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 promotional
partners include: Mercury Marine, Lund, The Outdoor Channel,
Berkley, Optima Batteries, Realtree, MotorGuide, Lowrance, MinnKota,
Trilene, Frenzy, Blue Fox, Powerbait, Johnsonville Brats, Northland
Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, GULP!, Coleman,
Storm, Tommy Docks, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, E-Village, Kwik
Pfyt, Raymarine, Rapala, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Gerbing's
Heated Clothing, Aqua-Vu, Plano, Stowmaster.net, Navionics,
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Yo-Zuri and Reef Runner. 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 and the Ottertail Country Tourism, 218.758.2716. |