NPAA Members Storm St. Mary’s River
Category: npaa
Sep 13th, 2008 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Sep 13th, 2008 at 12:00 AM
VALLEY CITY, ND, Sept. 13th, 2008: The National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA), a non-profit organization focused on growing the sport of fishing and increasing the professionalism of its members, is proud to congratulate many NPAA members as they stormed the top ten this past week at the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye Trail on the St. Mary’s River out of Sault Ste. Marie, MI.
Veteran angler and NPAA member, Dan Stier #53 from Clearwater, MN was victorious securing another win in the world of walleye fishing. Stier was fishing close to the dam on the St. Mary’s river identifying a key area to drift that held the winning walleyes. Critical tactics were jigging while it was sunny and pulling spinners when overcast. When asked about his win, Stier said, “The fish came early on day three and I knew someone would need a huge bag to beat me. I fished hard and it paid off.” Stier is sponsored by Ranger Boats, Yamaha Outboards, Optima Batteries, Lowrance, and Berkley.
Finishing close behind in 2nd place, was another veteran to the sport of competitive walleye fishing, NPAA member Mike Gofron #93 from Antioch, IL. Gofron was fishing a similar stretch below the dam on the St. Mary’s river with Northland Gumball jigs and a mix of Berkley Power Minnows, Gulp, and live nightcrawlers. Gofron said, “Paying close attention to my electronics and identifying the mood of the fish was the key while drifting and jigging. The water was clear and I believe the fish could feel the boats presence. This is when details make a difference.” Gofron’s sponsors include Lund Boats, Mercury Outboards, Shorelandr’ trailers, Northland Fishing Tackle, Berkley, Rapala, Beckman Nets, Carhart, Glyde Ryde, Lowrance, Navionics, Motorguide, Plano, and Offshore Tackle.
NPAA Members finishing 4th-10th are:
4th place – Jim Carroll #13 from Minot, ND
7th place – Gary Parsons #24 from Glidden, WI
8th place – Jon Thelen #395 from Crystal, MN
9th place – Dave Van Oss #45 from Appleton, WI
10th place – Tom “Doc” Johnson #15 from Denver, CO
Congratulations to all on a very strong finish!!
Special thanks to NPAA Supporting Partners and their dedication to the growth of fishing, which include: Northland Fishing Tackle, Navionics, Mercury Marine, Evinrude Outboards, Lund Boats, Ranger Boats, Offshore Tackle, Fin-tech Tackle, Berkley, Walleye’s Inc., Greater Insurance Services, Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC), and FLW Outdoors.
To learn more about the NPAA and its members go to www.npaa.net