2001 PWT St. Mary's River
July 18 - 20

Wisconsin Pro Trolls; Leads Lake Erie PWT Tournament

Dunkirk, New York....Fishing Lake Erie’s eastern basin produced big catches for the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail touring pro anglers. They were competing on day one of the Pinnacle/RealTree Eastern Pro-Am, for a share of the $240,000 purse.

With two days to go Thursday and Friday, Aug. 9 and Aug. 10, Bill Ortiz, Dodgeville, WI, a past PWT winner, leads the pack. He weighed a five fish tournament limit for 35.11 pounds. He fished with amateur Ron Gray, Grand Blanc, MI. Each day the amateurs fish with a different pro angler, using the pro’s gear, boat and bait.

In second place are pro Scott Gerner, Chilton, WI, and amateur Scott Herbolsheimer, Tekamah, NE, who scored with 34.25 pounds. The third place partners were pro Byron Peterson, Blair, NE and amateur Kevin Novak, Clarendon, NY. They weighed 33.76 pounds. A total of 19 anglers are within 10 pounds of Peterson. The highest ranking New York pro angler with 26.97 pounds is Bob Hollingsworth, Kenmore, fishing his first PWT tournament. Well respected in New York tournament circles with many top places in local events, Hollingsworth is in 10th place.

Most anglers enjoyed the relatively calm conditions with seas in the “light” range (less than two feet) most of the day, building to some three-footers later in the day. Competitors could run any direction, fish their best tactics and return to Chadwick Bay Marina in comfort.

Anglers used various equipment to present crankbaits or spinner/crawler combinations at the exact depth, from 15 feet under the surface to bottom-bouncing for walleyes right on the bottom 70 feet down. To reach the customary depths of 35 to 55 feet, anglers used leadcore line, diving planes (Dipsey Divers), weights from two to five ounces clipped on their lines and down-riggers. The eastern basin depths within PWT boundaries dipped to 100 feet.

With 25.44 pounds, pro Kim Papineau, Escanaba, MI, re-captured the In-Fisherman Angler of the Year lead. He is followed by three anglers, Pete Harsh, Perry Good and Gary Gray, within seven pounds, a race which won’t be settled until Friday, the final day of the PWT season. Championship spots for the Dee Zee Eastern Division and from the touring pros will be determined, as will the Mercury Top Amateur and the RayMarine Rookie of the Year.

Lake Erie lived up to its big fish reputation with all Bass Pro Shops big fish awards to anglers with walleyes exceeding 9.66 pounds. Claiming the $1,700 day one first prize was amateur Tom Gonya, Toledo, Ohio, with a 10.90 pound walleye. Amateur Richard Franklin, Louisburg, Kansas, had a 10.26-pounder for $1,050. Pros Peterson and Keith Eshbaugh, Washington, PA, weighed 9.69 and 9.66 pound walleyes for $900 and $750. A total of 10 walleyes over nine pounds were weighed.

The final two weigh-in days and festivities take place in downtown Dunkirk, right on the waterfront and adjacent to the Four Points Sheraton. Bleachers are set-up, and walleye fans can meet and greet the top walleye professionals in North America. The show is free of charge and begins at 3 p.m. each day.

The PWT is part of PRIMEDIA, Inc., America’s leading producer of targeted media headquartered in New York City. PWT sponsors include: Aqua Vu, Bass Pro Shops, Berkley PowerBait, Berkley Trilene, Blue Fox Tackle, Carhartt, Coleman, Cotton Cordell, Daiichi hooks, Dee Zee, Dodge truck, Eagle Claw, Eagle Trailers, Evercel, Flambeau, Guest chargers, IMCO Boat Buckles Lindy Little Joe, Lowrance Electronics, Lund Boats, Mack’s Lure, Marinco, Mercury Outboards, MinnKota, Rapala Lures, Northland Tackle, Oceanwave sunglasses, Pinnacle rods and reels, Plano, RAM, Raytheon Marine, Real Tree, Shimano rods, Storm Lures, T-H Marine, Yamaha all terrain vehicles, Chautauqua County Convention and Visitors Bureau, 716-357-4569 and the City of Dunkirk, 716-366-9858, with support from the Southtowns Walleye Association and the Northern Chautauqua County Conservation Club.