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Professional Walleye Trail's
Mercury Championship Makes A "Splash"!

50 Top Anglers From Throughout The U.S Fight It Out For The $100,000 Purse!

May 18, 2008       Leave a Comment
By: MyBayCity Staff

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"The Winner Takes All"!!!! Mark Courts shows off his "catch" at the Sunday weigh-in which ultimately put him over the top to take the $100,000 prize!
(MyBayCity Photo)

This weekend Bay City was the setting for a national fishing competition, the Professional Walleye Trail's Mercury Championship and did it bring out the people! Over 2,000 people were in Bay City to take part in the weekend's festivities.

The PWT championship, which brings 50 of the nation's top walleye fishermen to Bay City, was last in town in 2005.

In-Fisherman's Jim Kalkofen, who is also the PWT Executive Director said, "This is one of the best fisheries in the nation. It is cyclic and in a few years, just may prove to be the best."

The Dow Corning Sport/Outdoor Show & Family Fun Center, which features an inflatable bouncer and a National Rifle Association BB gun trailer, was open all weekend for "family fun". A Plano tackle-box giveaway for kids also occurred each day. On Sunday, the final day, children made the give-away a "trample tackle box session." Hundreds of children were on hand on the final day - despite the cold and wind - to get their free tackle box!

Saturday kicked off with a giveaway of 1,000 Shakespeare rods and reels, which were awarded to youngsters who attended. Children also had a chance to make their own fishing lure.

Adults were able to test-ride boats, most of them fishing vessels, at nearby Liberty Marina.

The winner of the competition, Mark Courts from Harris Minnesota, went into this competition ranking 7th on the Walleye Central Ranking. Courts took home a Lund/Mercury walleye boat and cash prizes totaling $100,000.00!

Tommy Skarlis finished a close second. Skarlis fished the final day just 2 1/2 miles out into the Saginaw Bay. Second place prize was a Starcraft/Mercury walleye boat prize valued at $41,000

In 2005, Mark Courts visited this same stage to propose to his current wife, the former Vicki Basil from Bay City. Vicki was a former Bay City Central star athlete and now coaches Softball and teaches at Cambridge Instani High School in Minnesota.

Courts and his wife have seen some rough times over the past few years and this win was just what the family needed. "Something bigger than us, someone was looking down on me today," Courts said.

Another local competitor in the PWC Tournament was local Bill St. Peter. St. Peter has the best records on the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail as far as percentage of top 10 finishes per events fished. St Peter has 14 top 10 finishes in 56 fishing events.

"Bill has a phenomenal record," said Jim Kalkofen, PWT Executive Director. "He has cashed checks 63 percent of the time when he has stepped to the plate.

St. Peter, whose competitive nature may stem from his past Bay City Northwest Little League experience, (and a brief pro baseball career in the Chicago Cubs organization) competed in his ninth consecutive PWC Championship. Unfortunately St. Peter did not qualify to compete on the final day of competition.

St. Peter currently ranks among the circuit's top 10 money-winners.

It was a tense scene with contenders Tommy Skarlis and Mark Courts before the grand prize winner was announced.
(MyBayCity Photo)

Mark Courts has placed in the top 10 for the past 5 years in a row! Today, Courts is the "Ultimate Champion" of the Mercury Event!
(MyBayCity Photo)

Tommy Skarlis was a close second throughout the tournament
(MyBayCity Photo)

Tommy Skarlis poses for MyBayCity camera with an avid fan anxiously awaiting the results!
(MyBayCity Photo)

Tommy Kemos hooked his "catch of the day" using a 1/4-oz. jig.
(MyBayCity Photo)

The weekend event was filled with excitement for those that love to "reel em' in"
(MyBayCity Photo)

Another contender that qualified for the final day of competition, Richard Boggs, from Brainard Minnesota, put up a fight to the finals.
(MyBayCity Photo)

Geri and Michelle Boggs, mother and wife of contender Richard Boggs, enjoyed lunch at Bay City's Hooter's Friday while awaiting his return from the first day of competitive fishing.
(MyBayCity Photo)

Mark Gwizdala, Dow Chemical employee and regular touring pro angler, is Championship Chairman and served as the Weigh-In Master throughout the competition
(MyBayCity Photo)

Sunday was the final day of competition and it was frigid but that didn't stop 5-month old Carter from Bay City from attending the ceremony!
(MyBayCity Photo)

Some contenders chose to fish in the river while others headed off to Saginaw Bay during the weekend.
(MyBayCity Photo)

Terrell Causley, age 90 and Mike Androl (pictured), both from Quanicassee caught 10 fish on Friday!
(MyBayCity Photo)

Contender Bill Hall from Iowa landed 12 1/2 lbs. Friday!
(MyBayCity Photo)

Pete Gorske from Frank's Great Outdoors works his "magic" with a customer Saturday afternoon and "hooked him up"!
(MyBayCity Photo)

This wonderful, national event was an honor for the city of Bay City this year!
(MyBayCity Photo)

For final stats on all competitors, visit http://walleye.outdoorsfirst.com/leaderboard/llbpwt.asp

For Information On How Your Event Can Obtain This Exposure, Contact (989) 892-8501

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