Contact: Walleye Anglers Trail, Inc.
Bill Brosnahan, Executive Tournament Director
P.O. Box 744
Dubuque, IA 52004-0744
Telephone (563) 543-2863
e-mail: [email protected]
http://www.walleyeanglerstrail.com
FOR: IMMEDIATE RELEASE-3/21/04
WALLEYE ANGLERS TRAIL KICKOFF 2004 IN BELLEVUE, IA WITH THE BURNETT-THIEL FORD WALLEYE CHALLENGE
Bellevue, IA-31 teams launched from the Lock & Dam ramp Saturday and Sunday, March 20-21, 2004 at 7:00a.m. for this 2-person, 2-day team walleye event.
The teams were greeted by air temperatures of 50 degrees that quickly deteroited as strong north winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour drove the temperatures down to 35 degrees at weigh-in on Saturday. Sunday conditions were no better with temperatures in the low 30’s and a gusty north wind. The water temperature was 37 degrees with good water clarity. The bite was strong until mid-morning Saturday, when wind direction changed from out-of-the southwest to out-of-the north. The slow bite continued on Sunday.
The team of Galen Bremmer of Avoca, WI and Tim Watson of Blue River, WI weighed a limit of 6 walleye each day for a total weight of 28.00 pounds to claim the first place check of $3000.00. Galen and Tim are the reigning W.A.T. Team of the Year and have continued their winning ways with this event win after winning the final event in 2003. Galen and Tim found success jigging in the tail waters of the Lock and Dam each day.
Complete list of prizewinners:
1st Place $3000.00 28.00 lbs Galen Bremmer, Avoca, WI
Tim Watson, Blue River, WI
2nd Place $2250.00 22.20 lbs. Curt Henderson, LaCrescent, MN
Zach Boudreau, LaCrescent, MN
3rd Place $1500.00 20.10 lbs. Mark Brye, Viroqua, WI
Tom Brye, Westby, WI
4th place $ 500.00 19.25 lbs. Mike Glynn, Dubuque, IA
Maury Schmerbach, Dubuque, IA
5th place $ 250.00 18.85 lbs. Robert McKinnon, LaCrescent, MN
Denver McKinnon, LaCrescent, MN
Big Fish $ 310.00 3.80 lbs. Wade Carney, Readstown, WI
Ashley Whitney, Readstown, WI
(more)
Executive Tournament Director Bill Brosnahan praised the quality of competition at this event. “W.A.T. anglers prevailed as weather conditions shut-off a quality bite that many teams had experienced pre-fishing earlier in the week” With a slot limit in effect on this pool, W.A.T. anglers brought 181 walleyes to the scales totally 328.45 lbs. A special thank you and appreciation goes out to our event sponsor Burnett-Thiel Ford of Maquoketa, IA, their sponsorship supports a great event and the great anglers that participate.
The Walleye Anglers Trail is sponsored by: Cabelas, Miller Electric Supply Inc., Dubuque Electric Motor, Inc., Burnett-Thiel Ford, Dubuque Advertiser, WalleyeCentral.Com, Patriot Power Boats, Mercury Outboards, WallyeFIRST.Com, Happy Joe’s Pizza & Ice Cream, and Bird Chevrolet.
Membership is required to fish in Walleye Angler’s Trail events. Membership is $20.00 per person per year. Membership and Tournament information can be obtained by writing to Walleye Angler’s Trail at P.O. Box 744, Dubuque, IA 52004-0744 or on the web at http://www.walleyeanglerstrail.com or e-mail at [email protected].