LA CROSSE, Wis. (May 22, 2006) Boater Jason Skutt of Roberts, Wis., earned $5,057 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division bass fishing tournament on the Mississippi River. The tournament was the first of five regular-season Great Lakes Division and earned Skutt 200 points in the Boater Division.
Skutts winning catch of five bass weighed 16 pounds, 15 ounces. He was slow rolling a spinnerbait over milfoil to catch his bass.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Clayton Reitz of Morton, Ill. (five bass, 16 pounds, 4 ounces, $2,528); Chase Gillette of Rock Falls, Ill. (five bass, 16 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,685); Heath Ahnen of Westby, Wis. (five bass, 16 pounds, $1,180) and Larry Pennekamp of Black River Falls, Wis. (five bass, 15 pounds, 15 ounces, $1,011).
Pennekamp also took home an additional $500 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.
Michael Luther of Wisconsin Dells, Wis., took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $780 for a 4-pound, 15-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a swimming jig.
Michael Otool Jr. of Ft. Madison, Iowa, bested Co-angler Division competitors to earn $2,528 thanks to five bass weighing 15 pounds that he caught on a Sweet Beaver.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Kevin Whitaker of West Chicago, Ill. (five bass, 13 pounds, 14 ounces, $1,264); Chris Pennybacker of Racine, Wis. (five bass, 13 pounds, 4 ounces, $845); Ronald Syverson of La Crosse, Wis. (five bass, 12 pounds, 9 ounces, $590); and Kyle Vonruden of La Crosse, Wis. (five bass, 12 pounds, 7 ounces, $506).
Whitaker earned an additional $390 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 4-pound, 6-ounce bass he caught on a spinnerbait.
The Great Lakes Divisions next event will be held June 17 on the Wolf River Chain near Winneconne, Wis., followed by an event on the Mississippi River near Prairie Du Chien, Wis., July 15. The divisions fourth event will be held on the Mississippi River near Clinton, Iowa. The Great Lakes Division will then wrap up its regular season Sept. 16-17 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Mississippi River near La Crosse.