LA CROSSE, Wis. (Sept. 10, 2007) - Boater Dan Thill of La Crosse, Wis., won the Bass Fishing League Great Lakes Division Super Bass Fishing Tournament on the Mississippi River with a two-day catch of 10 bass weighing 35 pounds, 13 ounces. The victory earned Thill $4,944 and placed him one step closer to qualifying for the Mississippi River Regional Championship in Fort Madison, Iowa, Oct. 4-6, where he could ultimately win a new 519VX Ranger boat and a Chevy truck.
Thill caught his bass throwing a Zara Spook near sandy and rocky banks to catch his limit.
Rounding out the top five boaters are Jim Johnson of La Crosse, Wis. (10 bass, 32-08, $2,909); Kyle Von Ruden of La Crosse, Wis. (10 bass, 31-14, $1,939); Craig Jahnke of Appleton, Wis. (10 bass, 31-11, $1,357) and Dan Harbaugh of La Crescent, Minn. (10 bass, 31-04, $1,163).
Jahnke also took home the Boater Division Snickers Big Bass award, earning $772 for a 5-pound bass that he caught flipping a tube.
Michael Syjud of Shorewood, Ill., earned $2,909 as the co-angler winner thanks to 10 bass weighing 31 pounds, 1 ounce that he caught while fishing an array of topwater baits.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are AL Kjos of La Crosse, Wis. (10 bass, 25-06, $1,454); Edward Kamrowski Sr. of La Crosse, Wis. (10 bass, 24-08, $970); James Klemp of Guttenberg, Iowa (nine bass, 22-12, $679) and Michael Parve of West Bend, Wis. (10 bass, 22-11, $582).
Rex Mctier of Endeaver, Wis., earned $386 as the co-angler Big Bass winner after catching a 3-pound, 15-ounce bass that he caught while fishing a Southern Lure Co. Scum Frog near lily pads.