Batterson, Sundet Take Back to Back Win at Sunday’s Motor Inn Spirit Lake Qualifier
By Steve Weisman
I.O.W.A. Publicity Director
Using the same game plan they had refined at Saturday’s Spirit Lake Fun Tournament, the team of Cory Batterson from Pleasant Hill and Scott Sundet from Urbandale used a five-fish limit weight of 7.82 pounds to take Sunday’s Motor Inn Spirit
Lake Qualifier on the I.O.W.A. Team Walleye Tournament Trail.
It was quite a payday for the winners as they collected $2290 including the $500 Motor Inn first place bonus check, the $300 Net Your Cash Award from StowMaster Nets for being the highest placing team using a StowMaster net and the Smooth Moves Seat Mounts Award of two $100 certificates.
Second place and a check for $1080 went to the team of Ron Plumb from Rock Island, IL and Jim Riddles from East Moline, IL with a five-fish weight of 6.59 pounds.
Third place and a check for $780 went to the team of Bruce and Terry Sparks from Des Moines with a four-fish weight of 4.20 pounds.
“This was quite a weekend for Cory and Scott!” said Dean Higgins, I.O.W.A. Executive Director. “To dial in the fish the way they did and do it two days in a row is quite an accomplishment.”
Several other special awards were also awarded at the tournament.
The Berkley Big Fish Award of two IM7 Graphite Berkley Tactix rods and two Mitchell Avocet Gold Series reels went to the team of Joe and Kathy Kirk from Urbandale with a 1.62-pound walleye.
The team of Bruce and Terry Sparks from Des Moines won the $100 gift certificate for taking the Cabela’s Family Team award for the highest placing family team.
The Need Mack’s Lure Award of two $100 Mack’s Lure certificates went to the team of Scott and Mike Peterson from Ogden.
Post-season honors were also awarded. The Humminbird Team of the Year prize turned out to be a three-way tie between the team of Mike and Doug Rodwell from Oskaloosa, David Smithburg from Libertyville and Greg Lowenberg from Fairfield and Bruce and Terry Sparks from Des Moines. Higgins could only shake his head at that one. “I would never have guessed in a million years that we would end up with a three-way tie. But then that’s why you fish the tournaments! All three teams did what they needed to do to win the title, and we definitely have a three-way tie for Humminbird Team of the Year!”
A second honor, the Mercury Heavy Weight Award for the highest total weight at the end of the four qualifiers, went to Smithburg and Lowenberg with a combined weight of 30.50 pounds, while the Rodwell team ended up second with 27.64 pounds.
The MinnKota Family Team of the Year honors was also a tie between the Rodwell team and Sparks team with each team receiving a MinnKota Vantage 80 transom mount trolling motor for the highest placing family team.
Mike and Doug Rodwell also won the $500 Lund Bonus for the highest placing team fishing from a Lund Boat.
Although the ties initially caused some confusion, Higgins and the teams noted just shows how competitive the 2007 I.O.W.A. circuit has been. “I’m proud of all of these teams. They are great, positive representatives of this circuit.”
As far as the Motor Inn Spirit Lake results, the top teams all pulled crankbaits. However, Batterson and Sundet had their presentation dialed in just a little bit better.
“I really don’t have an answer, because other boats were doing exactly what we were,” said Batterson. “All I know is that we used lead core and tried to run at precisely 2.2 mph. We would let enough line out to tick the bottom and then crank up to just keep the bait off the bottom.”
Sundet added that #5 Shad Raps were the key bait. “The better color seemed to be white, but as the day wore on, the bite slowed and we began to change colors. Then color didn’t really seem to matter.”
The winners began the day in Anglers Bay, pulling over the weeds, but after five passes and no fish, they headed to their second spot in 20 feet of water off of Buffalo Run. “We had them going yesterday in Anglers, but then the wind changed today and that bite died.”
Plum and Riddles worked the weeds in 9-10 feet of water pulling #7 Shad Raps in white and bluegill colors. They used fluorocarbon instead of lead core.
The third place team also pulled #5 Shad Raps with lead core. They discovered the pattern on Thursday and it worked both Saturday and Sunday. However, they, too, saw the Anglers Bay bite fall apart and then ended up in the deep water off of Buffalo Run.
Next up will be the two-day I.O.W.A. State Championship. “We will hold this on both Big Spirit and the Okoboji chain, except for West Okoboji, October 14-15. Teams can fish both Big Spirit and East Okoboji and its smaller chain of lakes, but they must start and finish on the same body of water each day. They can, however, switch lakes from one day to the next,” said Higgins.
All of the latest news on the I.O.W.A. circuit can be found at the I.O.W.A. website (www.walleyepromotions.com).
Anglers interested in learning more about the I.O.W.A circuit can call (515) 571-1085 or they can email the I.O.W.A. staff at [email protected].
Corporate sponsors for the 2007 I.O.W.A Team Walleye Tournament Trail include Lund, Mercury Outboards, ShoreLand’r Trailers, Algona Marine and Sport, MinnKota, Humminbird, Berkley, Cabela’s, Mack’s Lure, Smooth Move Seat Mounts, StowMaster, Hooters and FCIS “Anglers Choice” Insurance of Forest City.