WINNECONNE, Wis. (June 19, 2006) Boater Jeff Herburger of Dubuque, Iowa, earned $4,541 Saturday as winner of the Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division bass fishing tournament on the Wolf River Chain of Lakes. The tournament was the second of five regular-season Great Lakes Division events and earned Herburger 200 points in the Boater Division.
Herburgers winning catch of five bass weighed 12 pounds, 15 ounces. He was throwing a buzzbait and tubes along grass and reeds in the main-lake area to catch his bass.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Clayton Reitz of Morton, Ill. (five bass, 12 pounds, 10 ounces, $2,270); Ted Buckman of Machesney Park, Ill. (five bass, 12 pounds, 2 ounces, $1,514); Mike Mayan of Rosendale, Wis. (five bass, 12 pounds, 1 ounce, $1,060) and Robert Greenwood of Barneveld, Wis., (five bass, 11 pounds, 14 ounces, $908).
Reitz also took home an additional $500 for being the highest placing Ranger Cup participant.
Gary Gottschalk of Fall River, Wis., took Boater Division big-bass award honors, earning $660 for a 3-pound, 13-ounce bass he caught on a tube.
Michael Parve of West Bend, Wis., won the Co-angler Division to earn $2,236 as the co-angler winner, thanks to five bass weighing 10 pounds, 8 ounces that he caught on a jig and pig combination around lily pads and wood.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Robin Piwoni of Racine, Wis. (five bass, 10 pounds, 8 ounces, $1,118); Dennis Marcinek of Chicago, Ill., tied for third with Jordan Truttmann of Oshkosh, Wis. (five bass, 9 pounds, 10 ounces, $633); Chris Pennybacker of Racine, Wis. (five bass, 9 pounds, 5 ounces, $447).
Craig Fanning of Elwood, Ill., earned $325 as the co-angler big-bass award winner with a 3-pound, 12-ounce bass.
The Great Lakes Divisions next event will be held July 15 on the Mississippi River near Prairie Du Chien, Wis., followed by an event on the Mississippi River near Clinton, Iowa, Aug. 19. The Great Lakes Division will wrap up its regular season Sept. 16-17 with a two-day Super Tournament on the Mississippi River near LaCrosse, Wis.