Tom Kemos Claims PWT Walleye Championship

Oct 16th, 2006 by OutdoorsFIRST

Modified Oct 16th, 2006 at 12:00 AM


	Tom Kemos lead wire-to-wire for the win

Wisconsin pro angler Tom Kemos claimed the $115,500 Mercury Championship victory. The Chevy Top 25 pros hit the water at 8 a.m. and returned to the cheers of nearly 4,000 walleye fans in the Bismarck, ND Civic Center.Kemos motored his Optima Batteries boat about 70 miles down the Missouri River to the Fort Rice area each competition day, Oct. 13-15. Most of the top In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail pros fished from about 12 miles south of Bismarck to the state line.Kemos vertical jigged, as did second-place pro Scott Fairbairn, Hager City, Wis., and third-place pro Keith Kavajecz, Kaukauna, Wis. They preferred back channels or eddies below or alongside sandbars. “Getting there was half the fun,” Kemos said.Only four pounds separated the top five pros. Kemos had 36.90 pounds; Fairbairn had 35.09 pounds; Kavajecz weighed 34.66 pounds for $115,500, $45,000 and $18,000 respectively. Kemos won $75,000 including a $10,000 Mercury bonus, a Lund/Mercury boat valued at $35,000, a KwikPfyt mud flap and a diamond ring from Richardson Jewelers in Escanaba, Mich. 2006 was Kemos’ best year with a first, a third, a fifth and seven-money finishes in eight events.Special Championship awards went to Troy Walwood, Grand Haven, Mich., with a 6.64-pounder for the $2,000 Coleman Big Fish award. Ron Gazvoda, Lakewood, CO won the $1,000 E-Cell Heavyweight award for a third-day catch of 15.69 pounds. PWT pros could weigh four fish per day. The average throughout the event was 2.56 pounds. Jeff Taege, Rhinelander, Wis., won the Coleman Cool Under Pressure award. The Optima Top Gun award went to Optima Pro and the Mercury Champion Tommy Kemos.Based on the comments and testimonials of the amateurs and co-anglers he fished with all season, Bob Propst, Jr., was selected the Norb Wallock Memorial Teaching Award winner. The $500 award honors PWT winner and top-ranked pro Wallock’s many accomplishments; he died in 2001.The Budweiser Conservation award of $5,000 went to the North Dakota Game & Fish Department. Budweiser and McQuade Distributing were PWT conservation partners. The pros donated $500 to Boy Scout Troop 73 for washing boats before they were brought through the Civic Center behind new Chevy trucks. The PWT is an integral element of the In-Fisherman Communications Network headquartered in Brainerd, Minnesota, and PRIMEDIA, America’s leading producer of targeted media. PWT promotional partners include: Mercury Marine, Lund, The Outdoor Channel, Berkley, Optima Batteries, Realtree, MotorGuide, Lowrance, MinnKota, Trilene, Frenzy, Blue Fox, Powerbait, Johnsonville Brats, Northland Fishing Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, GULP!, Coleman, Storm, Tommy Docks, Smooth Moves Seat Mounts, E-Village, Kwik Pfyt, Raymarine, Mack’s Lures, Rapala, Pflueger, Ram rod holders, Gerbing’s Heated Clothing, Aqua-Vu, Plano, Stowmaster.net, Navionics, Yellow Bird, Beckman, Drift Control, Gemini Sport Marketing, Yo-Zuri , Reef Runner, Bismarck/Mandan CVB, 701.222.4308 and Bismarck Civic Center 701.222.6487

Tom Kemos Claims PWT Walleye Championship

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