2006 Tournament of Champions
Patoka Lake
A Reel Squeaker at Patoka
October 21-22
Finish
Team
Fish
Alive
BBass
Weight
Fish
Alive
BBass
Weight
Total Wt
$
   
Day One
Day Two
    
1st Woodard / Guard
4
4
4.55
12.25
3
3
2.47
5.75
18.00
7,000
2nd Horn / Jones
3
3
4.22
8.79
4
4
3.5
9.04
17.83
2,900
3rd Casper / Roberts
4
4
3.29
11.41
3
3
2.33
6.30
17.71
1,500
4th Kaplain / Dunn
3
3
4.61
10.98
3
3
2.50
6.30
17.28
1,000
5th Grider / Thomas
3
3
4.61
8.79
4
4
2.54
7.98
16.77
450
6th Meyers / Graves
2
2
3.65
6.56
4
4
3.77
9.44
16.00
420
7th Hackler / Holowach
0
0
0
0
5
5
4.72
15.59
15.59
380
8th Evans / Evans
3
3
4.69
10.66
1
1
4.04
4.04
14.70
330/325
9th Frederick / Fett
3
3
1.76
4.98
4
4
2.91
9.08
14.06
270
10th Smith / Czorwinski
0
0
0
0
5
5
2.93
13.30
13.30
260
11th Marrs / Marrs
1
1
3.5
3.5
2
2
5.40
8.58
12.08
250/975
12th Sturm / Goodwin
1
1
1.80
1.80
3
3
4.58
9.00
11.70
230
13th Paulov / Paulov
0
0
0
0
5
5
3.76
11.10
11.10
200
14th Minnick / Henkel
2
2
2.45
4.90
3
3
2.10
5.84
10.74
0
15th Pope / Kauchek
2
2
1.88
3.75
3
3
3.24
6.98
10.73
0
16th Rongers / Barnnett
2
2
2.81
4.64
2
2
3.15
6.02
10.66
0
17th Manney / Szwajkowski
1
1
3.32
3.32
2
2
4.31
6.04
9.36
0
18th McNeely / Sessa
1
1
2.39
2.39
2
2
4.00
6.83
9.22
0
19th Blunk / Salas
1
1
3.66
3.66
1
1
5.27
5.27
8.93
325
20th Mullen / Mowrer
0
0
0
0
2
2
4.76
8.11
8.11
0
21st Hammond / Becker
3
3
2.28
6.33
1
1
1.77
1.77
8.10
0
22nd Ashley / Ashley
1
1
2.41
2.41
2
2
4.03
5.66
8.07
0
23rd Canida / Canida
2
2
2.94
5.33
1
1
2.34
2.34
7.67
0
24th Blair / Baumgardt
2
2
3.91
5.75
1
1
1.69
1.69
7.44
0
25th Gad / Gad
1
1
3.57
3.57
1
1
3.37
3.37
6.94
0
26th Beard / Beard
1
1
1.79
1.79
1
1
4.71
4.71
6.50
0
27th Fannin / Fannin
0
0
0
0
2
2
4.40
6.34
6.34
0
28th Fox / Sanders
2
2
3.76
5.70
0
0
0
0
5.70
0
29th Seljan / Wheeler
1
1
5.58
5.58
0
0
0
0
5.58
975
30th Banik / Saksa
2
2
2.77
5.48
0
0
0
0
5.48
0
31st Manns / Wheeler
0
0
0
0
2
2
3.83
5.47
5.47
0
32nd Kasjanski / Kennedy
1
1
2.78
2.78
1
1
2.39
2.39
5.17
0
33rd Billingsley / Kruetz
2
2
2.87
4.97
0
0
0
0
4.97
0
34th Boilek / Trombetta
1
1
4.46
4.46
0
0
0
0
4.46
0
35th Herring / Benz
0
0
0
0
2
2
2.60
4.37
4.37
0
36th Rosenwinkle / Rosenwinkle
0
0
0
0
1
1
4.33
4.33
4.33
0
37th Lee / Dittmar
2
2
2.28
4.09
0
0
0
0
4.09
0
38th Conway / Heck
1
1
2.35
2.35
1
1
1.49
1.49
3.84
0
39th Massingill / Irons
2
2
2.01
3.75
0
0
0
0
3.75
0
40th Marcolini / Marcolini
0
0
0
0
1
1
3.74
3.74
3.74
0
41st Sealy / Yost
2
2
0
3.72
0
0
0
0
3.72
0
42nd Esposito / Andrezjewski
1
1
3.10
3.10
0
0
0
0
3.10
0
43rd Garcia / Beyer
1
1
2.57
2.57
0
0
0
0
2.57
0
44th Wamsley / Harvey
1
1
2.38
2.38
0
0
0
0
2.38
0
45th Draves / Adkins
1
1
1.65
1.65
0
0
0
0
1.65
0
46th Wooldridge / Krause
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Reyes / Downs
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Matual / Danet
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Bowman / Sargent
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Lee / Lee
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Cummings / Cummings
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Robinson / Brakin
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Funston / Surprise
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Shelton / Tipton
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Lambton / Arnold
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Ferrer / Gonzalez
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Regas / Hanus
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Winkelmann / Eyeman
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Wise / Ashley
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Fields / Acker
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Davis / Kurth
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Zimmerman / Martin
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Le
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Crandall / Richards
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Keburis / Slowinski
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Wolfhope / Wolfhope
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Djordjevic
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Orlando / Steiner
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th Gerber / Cullum
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
46th McLean / Glynn
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
70
Total
66
66
0
180.14
78
78
0
209.16
389.30
$17,760.00


2006 Angler's Dream Tournament of Champions
The Squeaker at Patoka

The 2006 Angler's Dream Tournament of Champions capped a successful season of competition Bass fishing on waters throughout the Midwest. This year the main event was held on October 21st and 22nd at the Newton-Steward South ramp on Patoka Lake in down state Indiana.

Friday the 20th was pre-fish day. The weather was cloudy with air temperatures in the mid 60's. Many of the fishermen reported the bite was on with several claiming limits of large fish. Saturday dawned clear with blue bird skies and the temperature quickly climbed and leveled out in the mid-60's. The effects of the weather change on the fishing was immediate and disappointing.

Of the sixty-eight teams on hand for the 8 a.m. take off thirty-two returned empty handed. While the fishing didn't turn off completely it was a tough day to say the least. There were no 5 fish limits bought to the scale on day one. The team of Wes Woodard from Columbus, IN and Dan Guard from Crawfordsville, IN, led the field after the scale was closed for the day. The Hoosier team weighed in 4 fish that totaled 12.25 lbs with a big fish of 4.55 lbs. Spinnerbaits, jigs and buzzbaits were the weapons of choice. The fish were caught in the Painters Creek section of the lake.

In second place at 11.41 lbs were James Casper from Indianapolis, IN and Ed Roberts from Fortville, IN. The Indiana team also weight 4 fish with a 3.29 pounder being the largest.

In third place for the day was the team of Russell Kamplain from Steger, IL and David Fuzzy Dunn from Crown Point, IN. Their 3 fish totaled 10.98 lbs with a 4.61 pounder the biggest. Fuzzy used the Rick Clunn tactic of becoming one with the fish. He walked off the boat dock first thing Saturday morning to get a feel and a view of what the water was like. No other competitor was really willing to try or questioned Fuzzy's tactic.

The big bass of the day and the tournament went to Tom Seljan and Jim Wheeler from Wawasee Division. The 5.58 lb beauty was taken on a blade bait near the dam in 20 feet of water. That fish was worth $975.

2nd big bass was taken by Rick Evans of Valparaiso, IN and Cory Evans of Knoxville, IN. The Indiana team boated 3 fish with the largest weighing 4.69 lbs and worth $325. Their weapons of choice were bleeding shad colored Rattle Trap in back of coves on the weed edges.

The weather flip flopped again for the day 2 finale with heavy overcast, high winds and temperatures in the 40's, all of which improved the appetites of the Bass. There were 12 more fish weighed Sunday compared to the sixty-six brought in Saturday. The 3 teams with 5 fish limits at the end of the day all were fishless on day one and finished in the money. Hopefully that will be a lesson to the handful of teams who packed it in after going fishless on Saturday.

In what proved to be a real squeaker the first day leaders, Woodard and Guard, hung on to capture the $7,000 top prize with a 3 fish bag of 5.75 lbs and a total weight of 18 lbs even. The lure of the day was a buzzbait. The winner's showed that perseverance and positive attitude in tournament fishing pays off. Their last fish each day came with just minutes left before the mandatory 4:00 PM check in. In fact Sunday they were across the bay from the designated check with just two minutes left when they took their last fish.

Climbing from 5th in the standings to finish 2nd were Jake Horn and Tim Jones of Valparaiso, IN. Four fish weighing 9.04 lbs just weren't enough to over take the winners as they came up only .17 of a pound shy with 17.83 lbs but good enough for $2,900. Their first day fish came on a chartreuse and black 300 bandit crank bait. Day two it was a gold and black rattle trap. The fish came from a main lake bay while ripping the bait through the weeds. While on stage Tim and Jake gave a special thanks to Mike Stetich. The second place finishers spun a hub Sunday early in the morning. Mike lent them a prop so they could finish the day.

James Casper and Ed Roberts finished 3rd with 3 fish on day 2 with a total weight of 17.71 lbs. That was just a mere .12 of a pound out of second and .29 of a pound out of first. Memories of the 4 pounder that got away Sunday morning are deeply embedded in the back of their minds. Their weapons of choice were 3/8 ounce black jigs taken in the back of the Big Patoka River in 4 to 6 feet of water. They took home $1,500 for their two days on Patoka.

Big Bass for day 2 went to the team of Kenneth Marrs of Valparaiso and Kenneth Marrs of Hebron, IN. The fish weighed 5.40 lbs and was worth $975. The fish came on a white and chartreuse spinnerbait under duck decoys behind an island while dodging buckshot from the duck hunters.

Second big Bass went to John Blunk of Aurora, IL and Louis Salas of Grayslake, IL The fish weighed 5.27 lbs and was worth $325. It was taken on 1/8 ounce jig and pig at noon by the marina in 3 foot of water.

The largest stringer of the event was taken by Geist Division Directors Jeff Hackler from New Palastine and Jeff Holowach of Fishers Indiana. The first day of the tournament the duo blanked. But on the second day Jeff and Jeff had one of the only two five fish team limits taken in the event. Their fish weighed 15.59 pounds. They took their fish on the flats in the Fork Lick area on spinnerbaits. They came back from 38th place to finish in seventh and a check for $380. The duo claimed they took nine keepers that second day and only wish they could have taken one of them on day one.

In all 144 fish with an average weight of over 2.50 lbs were boated, weighed, and returned to the water with a 100% live release rate. A great job by all involved. The winners of the 50/50 raffle were John Kennedy of Tinley Park, IL and Rob Kasjanski of Plainfield, IL.


" Tournament Champion Pictures"