Blaeser, Frasi win Cabela’s NABC Lake Wisconsin event
Category: press release
Jun 8th, 2015 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jun 8th, 2015 at 12:00 AM
Minnesota’s Brian Blaeser and Lindy Frasl weighed a five-largemouth limit totaling 14 pounds, 12 ounces to win the Cabela’s North American Bass Circuit’s Lake Wisconsin tournament presented by Stratos Boats.
“This is incredible,” said Frasl, of Brainerd, moments after topping the 40-boat field. “Words can’t describe it.” He and Blaeser, of Freeport, collected $5,800 in cash plus two $200 Cabela’s gift cards for their efforts.
It was a sweet victory following a slow start on the 7,197-acre south-central Wisconsin impoundment. After struggling to put together a solid pattern during much of prefishing, they finally figured out a game plan just in time for the tournament. “It was a stressful week,” said Blaeser. “We didn’t think we had the fish to win it until late Friday.”
As it turned out, the winning bass were waiting closer than they thought. “After checking out spots all over the lake, we found them by chance 100 yards from our motel,” said Frasl. “They were in shallow water, tight to flooded bushes along the bank,” added Blaeser, noting that the winning pattern consisted of pitching jigs tipped with ribbed, beaver-style creature bites.
Rounding out the top five were:
2nd: Dennis Fiedler and Duane Anderson, 14-8, $2,900 cash plus two $100 Cabela’s gift cards
3rd: Brian Post and Joe Shaw, 13-11, $1,500 cash plus two $50 Cabela’s gift cards
4th: Marty and Dan Sickenberger, 12-13, $1,200 cash plus two $50 Cabela’s gift cards
5th: Andrew and Michael Nitchals, 12-02, $1,000 cash
Big fish of the event was a 4-pound, 1-ounce largemouth caught by Chris James and Jason Mazzarisi, who pocketed $810 from the big bass pot for their catch. In all, the Cabela’s NABC awarded a total payout of $15,960 in cash and prizes.
Weigh-ins were held at the Lakeside Bar and Grill in Dekorra. A total of 104 bass weighing 227 pounds, 1 ounce crossed the scale and were returned to Lake Wisconsin in the Cabela’s NABC’s catch-and-release format.
This was the second of four NABC regular-season qualifiers of 2015. The remaining schedule includes Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota, July 11; and Lake Vermillion, Minnesota, August 15. The NABC Championship is set for Sept. 19-20 on Minnesota’s Lake Minnetonka.
Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its fifth season as title sponsor of the NABC. Other sponsors include: Ranger Boats, Stratos Boats, Mercury Marine, Garmin, MotorGuide, G-Juice and T-H Marine.
Based in Ponca City, Oklahoma, the Cabela’s NABC is open to two-person teams regardless of club or sponsor affiliation. Entry fees are $500 per regular season tournament and $600 for the two-day championship. The Circuit offered more than 100 percent payback to anglers in 2014 and will do so again in 2015. In addition, a small donation is included in each entry fee and matched by NABC and other conservation organizations up to 3-to-1 in support of bass conservation projects anywhere the NABC does business.
Registration closes at 10 a.m. on Monday prior to each tournament. For more information, visit northamericanbasscircuit.com, email [email protected], or call (580) 765-9031.