Mr. Lindy lengthens lead to over a dozen
Takasaki bags another 30 pounds, Keenan crowned Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour AOY
GREEN BAY, Wis. – If you haven’t figured it out by now, you haven’t been paying attention. All week long the Geano Reef area has kicked out limit after limit and day three on Green Bay was no exception. While the leaderboard has undergone some serious flip-flopping, pro Ted Takasaki has been a bastion of consistency. On day three, Takasaki calmly bagged another 30 pounds and moved one step closer to his first Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour victory.
While he is certainly making it look easy, Takasaki said his last two days have been anything but.
“It’s been a long day; I only had two fish in the boat at 2 p.m.” Takasaki said, sounding like a broken record. “It’s been a pretty dry spell for me the past three years. It has really tested my fortitude. A tournament like this really brings that competitive spirit back.”
Looking like the Pat Neu of last year, Takasaki has now recorded a 30-pound bag in each of the three tournament days. He attributed his success to both his location and the blade pattern he is running. The East Gull Lake, Minn., native said the bite was incredibly slow until the early afternoon.
“I felt like running, but I stuck with it. Later in the afternoon, the sun came up and that causes walleyes to feed up higher in the water column. We caught 12 in about 45 minutes.”
In addition to winning the event, Takasaki also has a good chance at breaking the four-day weight record set by Neu last year on Green Bay. His three-day total currently sits at 94 pounds, 11 ounces; meaning Takasaki would need only 18 pounds to break Neu’s record of 111 pounds, 8 ounces.
“I didn’t necessarily have the greatest prefishing. I fished it hard last Friday, but I never went back until the tournament started. I think that’s made a big difference in my area being able sustain for three days. I just need one more day to close it out. I’m hoping tomorrow with fewer boats I’ll be able to go wherever I want.”
With such a large lead, what will Takasaki keep tomorrow with the no-cull rule in play?
“My program has been working everyday. I suppose I’ll keep anything over 21 inches and I’ll keep a slot for a big fish.”
Butz moves away from the crowd
Wayne Butz continued to find fish away from the legendary Geano Reef. After catching 26 pounds, 1 ounce on day two, Butz backed it up with a 25-pound, 10-ounce limit on day three. His three-day total stands at 81 pounds, 1 ounce, yet he still trails Takasaki by over 13 pounds.
“Today we caught them a little different,” said the second-place pro. “We fished both of my areas and the two big fish came in deeper water.”
Butz, who has two areas completely to himself, said he used both crawler harnesses and 1/8-ounce jigs worked vertically. Between him and his co-angler partner, roughly 60 fish were pulled into the boat.
“I just want to put another nice basket on the scale and see how things shake out. There are big fish out there. I’ve had 40-pound baskets out there prefishing.”
Arnoldussen hangs on to third
For the second consecutive day, Dean Arnoldussen held down the third spot among the pros. He improved his catch from yesterday though, boating five walleyes that weighed 20 pounds, 6 ounces to push his three-day combined weight to 76 pounds, 5 ounces.
“At noon we had two in the livewell so we changed areas and got on them pretty good,” said Arnoldussen. “I’m just happy to be in the top-10. I’m going with the same game plan tomorrow.”
Ortiz up to fourth
Moving up 22 places to fourth was Richland Center, Wis., native Bill Ortiz. After bringing in 26 pounds, 9 ounces on day two, Ortiz was able to locate bigger fish on day three. His five-walleye limit Friday weighed 33 pounds, 12 ounces, bringing his opening-round total to 76 pounds, 1 ounce.
“I figured I could do this today and we got the right bites,” Ortiz said. “I had two days in practice that I know were 40 pounds or better.”
Ortiz credited a great deal of his success to the use of a slider.
“My biggest fish came on the slider. It’s a lot like handlining, I caught four fish on it today, and two were weigh-fish. Guys that are only using four lines are at a big disadvantage.”
Ortiz also said that despite Takasaki’s big lead anything is possible with an open-water troll bite.
“If I get another 30 pounds tomorrow I’d be very happy.”
Schoenecker fifth
In fifth place was Ken Schoenecker, who caught five walleyes that weighed 21 pounds, 8 ounces. Schoenecker’s three-day total was 74 pounds, 14 ounces.
Rest of the best
Rounding out the top 10 pros, who will be fishing on day four at Green Bay:
6th: Ross Grothe of Northfield, Minn., 72-10
7th: John Schneider of Shawano, Wis., 71-6
8th: Tom Keenan of Hatley, Wis., 70-15
9th: Jeff Ryan of Lake View, Iowa, 70-9
10th: Paul DeVoss of Dodgeville, Wis., 69-8
Szczech looks for second win
Kristine Szczech moved up to the top spot in the Co-angler Division by way of a 22-pound, 10-ounce limit. After winning the Red Wing event as a co-angler, the St. Paul, Minn., native has a chance to win two out of her last three tournaments.
“She worked her butt off today,” said Neu, her day-three pro partner.
Szczech’s three-day combined weight now stands at 80 pounds, 14 ounces. Based on her performance thus far, Szczech has likely reached her goal of qualifying for the 2006 FLW Walleye Tour Championship on Lake Oahe in Pierre, S.D.
“I’ve never had to work so hard, he was all over it,” she said. “Pat Neu is an exceptional angler. He runs a tight ship; I can see why he won last year. I have never been pushed that hard. But it was a good thing, it clearly worked for us. That one big fish he thought was a sheepshead.”
On her chances to become the first angler in FLW Walleye Tour history to win two events in one year Szczech said: “It’s a milestone I’d like to achieve. I’m glad I’m getting to fish with Ted tomorrow. When I’m in these tournaments, I just have to stay focused, do my part and follow my pro’s lead.”
Coming in second for the co-anglers was Chad Wertepny of Green Bay, Wis. Wertepny partnered with Butz on day three and the two registered a limit weighing 25 pounds, 10 ounces. His opening-round total is 79 pounds, 15 ounces, only 15 ounces behind the leader.
“Being a co-angler, they put me on the fish, I just help put them in the boat,” said Wertepny.
Having qualified for the top-10 in his first FLW Walleye Tour event, Wertepny is more than getting his money worth.
“I live real close to here and I’ve been fishing walleyes my whole life. I just wanted to learn more.”
Based on their second-place standings, Wertepny and Butz will pair up again on day four.
Co-angler Todd Mueller of Appleton, Wis., retained third place thanks to a 21-pound limit of Green Bay walleyes. Mueller’s catch brought his three-day combined weight to 78 pounds, 9 ounces.
Joshua Northagen of Grand Forks, N.D., had the identical three-day total as Mueller but currently sits in fourth due to a largest one-day catch tiebreaker.
Falling to fifth place was co-angler Flo Swank of Pierre, S.D., for 75 pounds, 11 ounces.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers, who will fish on day four at Green Bay:
6th: James McCartin of Land O’Lakes, Wis., 74-13
7th: Darrell Martin of Forest Lake, Minn., 73-15
8th: Charles Dahl of Burlington, Wis., 71-10
9th: Randy Ludwig of Neenah, Wis., 69-14
10th: Randy Reek of Minocqua, Wis., 69-14
Keenan claims AOY
In other tournament news, Tom Keenan has captured the 2006 FLW Walleye Tour Angler of the Year award. Keenan entered the tournament third in the points race, 12 behind pro Dennis Lantzy and three behind pro Jason Przekurat. Lantzy finished the Green Bay event in 48th place while Keenan currently sits eighth with a chance to move up tomorrow. Przekurat, who works with Keenan at the nearby Gander Mountain store, stumbled on day three and finished in 100th place.
“I told Jason that if he beat me, he would have to work during rifle season,” quipped Keenan. “You guys gave me some motivation by not mentioning my name at the registration meeting. I wasn’t trying to win this one so to be in the top-10 is just a bonus.”
The final day of FLW Walleye Tour competition on Green Bay begins as the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers take off from Metro Park Boat Launch at 7 a.m. Saturday. The final weigh-in, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 4 p.m. Central time at the Wal-Mart store located on West Mason Street in Green Bay.