Pete Harsh Rigs Way to 4th PWT Win
Pete Harsh captured his fourth In-Fisherman Professional Walleye
Trail victory at Houghton, Mich. June 28-30. He pocketed a $55,000
first prize in cash and a Lund boat with a Mercury outboard
for 42.87 pounds. He was one of 60 Super Pro anglers fishing
the Keweenaw Waterway in Houghton.
The Super Pro series presented by MinnKota is open only to
the top-ranked PWT anglers. To stand with the first place trophy
is a major accomplishment. Harsh, Sauk Centre, Minn., rigged
with night crawlers in 6 to 8 feet of water (in the weeds) on
Torch Lake. He remained within a tight area about 100 yards
long and 50 yards wide.
Anglers scattered on the scenic waterway, fishing the canals
that connected to Lake Superior, and Portage and Torch Lakes.
Some were in 5 to 10 feet of water; others fished for suspended
walleyes (8 to 16 feet deep in 30 foot of water) in Portage
Lake.
The winning amateur/co-angler was Neil Feck, Traverse City,
Mich. He won a $15,000 Mercury/Lund walleye boat on an E-Z Loader
trailer. On the pro side, Bill St. Peter, Bay City, Mich., was
second. He won $15,000, with 40.22 pounds by trolling Northland
holographic spinner blades and crawlers in the top 16 feet of
the water column. He also won the E-Cell Heavyweight $1,000
award for a 23.65 pound catch, the largest daily basket of the
Johnsonville Pro-Am. The PWT limit was 5 walleyes per boat per
day.
Five-time PWT winner Ron Seelhoff, Burlington, Col., was third
with 37.32 pounds. He won $10,000. Day-two leader Chase Parsons,
Brillion, Wis., struck out on the final day and dropped to sixth
place. He won $7,000.
The Coleman Big Fish winners were Jim Muzynoski, Bozeman,
Mont., and Dan Loyd, Chassell, Mich., with a 7.52-pounder. They
won $1,500 and $500 respectively. St. Peter advanced 54 places
(56th after day one - 1.20 pounds) to win the Coleman Cool Under
Pressure award, and Todd Scherer, Mina, SD was the Cool Under
Pressure amateur winner for advancing 48 places.
In the Johnsonville Brats Angler of the Year race, St. Peter
took the lead by 15 points over Bill Ortiz, Richland Center,
Wis. The top 10 anglers in the race qualify for the PWT Celebrity
Shootout, where they will compete at Aikens Lake Lodge (www.aikenslake.com)
in Manitoba to raise funds for the Boomer Esiason Foundation
for Cystic Fibrosis. The top 30 will be invited to the Mercury
Championship.
The Super Pro series turns to Mille Lacs Lake in Minn., Aug.
9-11, at Hunter's Point Resort. The PWT also runs a Regional
Series presented by MotorGuide, with two stops remaining: Mobridge,
SD July 26-28, and Escanaba, Mich., Aug. 23-25. The two Regional
events still have space for amateurs/co-anglers. Check the PWT
website, www.professionalwalleyetrail.com, or call 218-829-0620.
A big crowd of over 1,000 walleye fans turned out at Chassell
Centennial Park to meet and greet the pros and watch the stage
festivities. Executive Director Richard Baker, with the Keweenaw
Peninsula Chamber of Commerce received a PWT Superior Achievement
Award for organizing the effort to bring the PWT to Copper Country.
A similar award went to Dave Mattson with the Chassell Township,
for providing a terrific location for the tournament.
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,
Yellow Bird, Beckman, Drift Control, Gemini Sport Marketing,
Yo-Zuri , Reef Runner and the Keweenaw Peninsula Chamber of
Commerce, 906.482.5240 |