SKARLIS SCORES SECOND PWT VICTORY
WALKER, Minn. — Tommy Skarlis has done it again.
In a Professional Walleye Trail tournament on Lake Erie that broke
numerous records last week, nobody was better than the Walker, Minn., resident as
the seventh-year PWT veteran claimed his second tour victory not far from the
Detroit River where he scored his first win almost exactly a year ago.
Over three days of competition in favorable weather, Skarlis lugged a
limit of 15 spawned-out female walleyes to the scale that weighed a whopping 138.28
pounds and shattered the previous three-day record of 132.56 pounds (18
fish) set in 1992.
Other new records included Ted Takasaki’s one-day catch of 53.20 pounds,
and the field’s total haul of 346 walleyes weighing at least 10 pounds each.
That’s an average of one 10-pound walleye for every five caught. The old mark for 10-pounders, also set on Erie, was 35.
Skarlis, who travels and shares information with professional anglers John Kolinski of Wisconsin, Ernie Olson of Foley, Minnesota and Eric Naig of Cylinder, Iowa, stayed in the chase the first two days before a big final day vaulted him to the top.
“Our bite just kept getting better and better, and I kept figuring out more things about how they wanted it, where they wanted it and when they wanted it,”
said Skarlis, who caught his fish trolling Reef Runners and Berkley Frenzy Minnows behind planer boards. “In practice we caught numerous 10-pound
fish with some in the 11-pound range, so we knew we had the right fish.
“We also had fish in different areas with some west of the islands and
some east of the islands, so regardless what happened with the wind, the water
clarity or the water temperature, I felt like I’d be able to stay on a good bite for
those big fish.”
With 42.58 pounds on day one, Skarlis figured he was off to a good start. Not good enough. “I had better than an 8.4-pound average and I was in 50-some place,” he
noted. “I was like, ‘Wow. You’ve got to be kidding me.'”
Skarlis improved his catch to 46.21 pounds the second day and stood eight
pounds out of the lead in 11th place.
When he started the third and final day with an 11.56-pounder, a run at the title crept into the back of his mind. “That fish was just a tugboat,” he said. “Then I started thinking if I could get four more like that I just might have a shot.”
A few hours later, Skarlis had four fish in the livewell, but two were
“only” 6-pounders. He pulled up his lines and relocated. He didn’t troll 100 yards
before adding an 8-pounder to the catch, and followed it up with another
8-pounder, a 9-pounder and a 9 1/2-pounder.
“All the fish in that area seemed like they were in the 8- to 9-pound class,”
said Skarlis. “I decided I needed to move back to the area where I got the 11
1/2-pounder and see what I could do the last two hours of the day.
“When I got there, I was all by myself away from the crowd and I just had
a flurry of fish. I picked up numerous fish in the high 8s and low 9s. I
ended up rounding out my bag with a 9.3-pounder and another 9.5-pounder, so my
smallest fish ended up a 9.2.
“It looked like Jurassic Park in my livewell. I was afraid to put my hands
in there.” Skarlis’ catch of 49.49 pounds was just enough to push him past Carl
Grunwaldt’s 136.09 total.
“It took a lot of patience and persistence,” he said. “My father has a
saying about having the persistence of a bill collector and the tenacity of a
bulldog. Those words of wisdom from Dad kept creeping into my mind and gave me confidence and patience when things got slow and I began to question whether I was doing the right thing in the right place.”
Other factors that gave Skarlis an edge included a zig-zag trolling pattern and the use of Berkley Sensation monofilament line. “The 12-pound test Sensation has the same diameter as 10-pound test, so I could use my “precision trolling” crankbait depth chart with it and still have enough line strength to deal with those big fish,” Skarlis explained.
The win gives Skarlis an automatic berth in his seventh straight PWT Championship, and a likely spot in the RCL Championship, as well. It was worth $52,000 in cash and prizes, including a Mercury powered 20-foot Lund boat package. He became just the 16th angler in PWT history with multiple wins.
“It took me five years and one tournament to get that first win,” he said.
“I was wondering if I was going to have to wait another five years to win
again. “This is awesome. I’m pretty pumped.”
Skarlis is a member of the Coleman Angling Team and is sponsored by Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine, Abu Garcia, Berkley Trilene, Gemini Sport Products, Fenwick Fishing Rods, Lindy Fishing Tackle, Pinpoint Positioning Systems, Berkley PowerBaits, T-H Marine Supplies, Frenzy Hardbaits, Fishing the WildSide and On Ice Tour.
For more information about Tommy Skarlis, log onto http://www.fishingthewildside.com