WINNECONNE, Wis. (June 20, 2005) - Boater Ed Sanders of Fremont earned $4,195 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Winneconne. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Great Lakes Division events and featured 136 boaters vying for the win, which earned Sanders 200 points in the Boater Division.
Sanders' winning catch of five bass weighed 12 pounds, 4 ounces. Sanders was fishing heavy cover with a scum frog when he caught his bass. Sanders earned an additional $2,000 as winner of the Ranger Cup and Garmin Grand awards.
Finishing second was Robert Greenwood of Barneveld with five bass weighing 11 pounds, 9 ounces that earned him $2,097. Jay Wollenburg of Waukesha claimed $1,373 as the third-place finisher thanks to five bass weighing 11 pounds, 6 ounces. In fourth was Troy Anderson of Galesville with five bass weighing 11 pounds, 4 ounces worth $1,068, and finishing fifth and earning $877 was Wayne Meetz of Appleton with five bass weighing 11 pounds, 3 ounces.
Anderson took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $680 for a 3-pound, 8-ounce bass. He caught his big bass on a jig. Thomas Darst Jr. of Franklin earned $2,082 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 10 pounds, 13 ounces that he caught on a Senko.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Dave Durbala of Ft. Madison, Iowa (five bass, 10 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,041); Derek Meier of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and Rob Russow of Brookfield, Ill., tied for third place. Each co-angler caught five bass weighing 9 pounds, 6 ounces worth $605. Scott Zagrodnik of Brooklyn finished in fifth place (three bass, 7 pounds, 6 ounces, $435).
Pat Herolt of Waterford earned $338 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 3-pound, 2-ounce bass he caught on a jig.
The Great Lakes Division's next event will be held July 23 on the Mississippi River near Prairie Du Chien, followed by an event on the Mississippi River near Wabasha Aug. 20. The Great Lakes Division will wrap up its regular season Oct. 1-2 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Mississippi River near Prairie Du Chien.