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Just a week or two ago, the weight it would have taken
to win on Lake Geneva would likely have been in the high
20 pound range. But as the water warmed, the fish
seemed to spread out and transition toward the spawn. A
new moon the weekend of the tournament also seemed to
factor in as the predictions for a winning weight seemed
to drop. But despite a tougher bite and fewer
concentrations of quality fish, Lake Geneva anglers know
that somebody always manages to “get on em.” The team
that found the winning group of fish was Justin Krauss
of Elkhorn and Joe Pollak of Lake Geneva who weighed in
6 hefty largemouth at 23.67 lbs.
While many teams commented that they caught their fish
early during the cloud cover, Justin and Joe said they
caught their fish all throughout the day. Some might
interpret that statement to mean that they caught big
numbers and big weight. But in reality, the winning
team only got 6 bites all day! They literally stayed in
one area and caught exactly 6 fish to win this
tournament. One key spot seemed to “reload” if they
allowed it to rest - and it reloaded 5 times in seven
hours to give Krauss and Pollak the victory. This team
has proven they are dangerous having taken second in the
final 08’ Geneva tournament and second at the 08’
classic to take home a brand new Skeeter.
Congratulations on your 09’ victory and great success of
late!
For their 1st place finish, Justin and Joe
took home $1,890 Sunday. They would like to say a big
thank you to their sponsors; Action Marine, All Seasons
Roofing, Spancrete, Skeeter, Yamaha, Spyoptics and
Stowmaster nets. In addition, they both thanked their
wives and families for allowing them the time away to be
successful tournament anglers.
Finishing second, with 22.32 lbs. was the team of Brad
Rubin of Antioch and Matt Vose from Aurora. Fishing
their first tournament together, the pair was able to
combine knowledge of the lake and the seasonal pattern
to execute their plan. Matt and Brad also reported very
few bites – but the ones they did get were quality.
Unlike the winners, they could not find a 4 pounder
willing to bite late in the day to complete a winning
limit on Lake Geneva. Still, the anglers executed on
the opportunities they had and took home a solid $1,400
for second place. Brad is sponsored by Captain’s Boat
Wiring,
www.Davesreelservice.com, and Dirty Jigs Tackle.
Matt is sponsored by www.talonlures.com, KicknBass Fish
Attractant, Xtreme Lubricants, and
www.matthewvose1.com. Both anglers appreciate the
support from their families and sponsors.
Congratulations on a great finish guys – way to go.
Rounding out third place was the team of Vaugh and Chris
Capasso who took home $1,000 for bringing in 20.90
lbs. This pair found a mixed bag of fish from the
shallows to the depths and caught them sporadically
throughout the day. Vaughn reported that the team is on
somewhat of a roll after he finished 1st in
the Bass Federation Nation State Championship this
Spring on Lake Shelbyville. Vaughn thanked his
girlfriend and both Capassos appreciate the support of
their local 597 Pipefitters Union. Great job on your
top finish Capasso brothers!
The big fish story belongs to Ray Dennis and his big
bass of 5.13 lbs. He deserves great recognition for his
fish, but the fact he is fishing tournaments at all is
the bigger headline. Ray was involved in a very serious
car accident several years ago that has prevented him
from fishing any tournaments. Geneva #1 on May 24th
was the first tournament he has fished since his
accident and Big Bucks Bass would like to say a
resounding WELCOME BACK! We hope to see you out for
many more tournaments in the future Ray.
The final story from Sunday’s tournament came from the
boat of the 5th place finishers Scott Brefeld
and John Gola. After receiving their check for a solid
finish, they stuck around until the 1st place
checks and plaques were awarded. When Justin and Joe’s
names were announced, they gave a loud round of applause
that every angler should get for winning a Big Bucks
Bass tournament. Way to represent BBB and fisherman
everywhere with great class guys. As usual, the on the
water check in and weigh in worked very well and our
hats off to Julie and the Big Bucks crew for an
excellent tournament. We hope to see everyone next
month on June 21st bright and early at
Williams Bay. |
