Cabela's NTC Escanaba, MI Championship

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Go >>> Ohio I-Guys!!! :)

http://www.liveleaderboard.com/llb.asp?t=142

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We have a Pa team in 13th place at present, but only 67 out of 250 national teams have weighed in so far...

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ConGrats Glenn and Carol Chenier :)

No Chagrin for Victorious Chenier Team
Second Place Decided with a Coin Toss

By Frank Ross
June 12, 2004


Back to 2004 NTC

Escanaba, MI - One of the unique aspects of any sporting competition is putting together back to back days of championship quality. This is especially true in fishing, where the fish control the main factor in the equation—the bite.

When it comes to team tournaments, particularly when they are produced on a scale as grand as the Cabela's National Team Championship (NTC), leading on the first day can be both bad news and impending doom. For the third year in a row a team from the field has overtaken the day one leaders following a major setback in their game plan.

While yesterday was earmarked by high winds, prompting tournament officials to invoke the foul weather boundaries, today's weather forecast promised milder winds and many of the field took off at 7:30 a.m., headed for their unmolested #1 spots in Big Bay de Noc. The consensus among anglers was Big Bay held the biggest and most easily caught fish and spots in Little Bay had been hit too hard by the entire field being restrained to a limited number of productive areas. Curiously enough, anglers that continued to fish in Little Bay fared far better than those that spent yesterday lamenting the limitations. Many of those teams that made the long-awaited run reported their fish had vanished, while others were able to locate their coveted quarry only to find they had become lip-locked, forcing a time-wasting return to Little Bay.

As the drama of the final day of Cabela's National Team Championship progressed through the 250-boat field, it became readily apparent that many of the competitors in this high-stakes event were losing their footing on the slippery slopes of team walleye angling's high peak, including local favorites.

Following numerous light basket weights, and tales of woe, a significant local team fell, the leaders. Troy Hodges and Craig Nagy were toppled from their briefly held perch atop the world of walleye team tournaments, by a self-inflicted wound. An obviously disappointed Hodges and Nagy weighed in less than half their day-one-weight today, adding a scant 10.06 pounds to Friday's big basket weight of 23.91 pounds. Hodges said that they made the gamble and went to their Big Bay spot first and spent three hours there with no fish, then ran to the spot where they had success yesterday only to come up short.

Glenn and Carol Chenier, of nearby Gladstone, replaced them in the number one spot with the second largest basket of the day. While both teams weighed five fish both days, the Chenier's were more consistent, with baskets of 20.55 and 25.46 pounds. Today, the Chenier's only caught seven fish, but five of them added up to the right numbers for a victory of less than two pounds.

Consistency has been the hallmark of the Chenier's, who were awarded dual titles on the 2003 MWC tour, grabbing Team of the Year as well as the Husband and Wife Team of the Year honors. Further validation of their consistent performance under pressure is documented by the fact that they have won the husband and wife Team of the Year title on the MWC five times.

The level of excitement of both anglers and the audience rose and fell with the amount of walleye filling each of the translucent weigh-in baskets that crossed the huge stage, off-set with a gigantic Jumbotron TV screen. While contestants, fans, and their families enjoyed seeing their faces displayed on the billboard-sized screen as they stepped on stage, it was a medium that cut both ways and quickly revealed the emotion in angler's faces as they moved down as well as up the tournament tally.

The basket that created the most excitement today was brought in by a Larsen, Wis., father-son team that came close to snatching the prize away from the Chenier's. Derrick and Mark Dedeker made their run at the title from 26th place with the largest basket of the day, weighing 44.27 pounds. This basket also contained the big fish of the tournament, which tipped the scales at 9.78 pounds. For the Dedekers, the excitement started early and fast and was actually decided by a coin toss.

Derrick related their strategy by explaining they had two good spots, one in Big Bay and one in Little Bay. As they sat waiting for the start, they decided to flip a coin and when the quarter came down it was Little Bay that won. Once they arrived they immediately started pulling spinners in 10 to 15 feet of water at 1.5mph. Within minutes their first fish was landed, a 28-inch beauty. No sooner than they had it re-baited and back in the water, three rods went down and they were stumbling over gear to get them all under control. When the chaos was over three walleye lay in the bottom of the boat, a 25-, 27- and 29-inch fish. Derrick said they were both so nervous at this point that both he and his dad's knees were shaking. Speaking on stage, after hefting the winning Stihl Chain Saw Big Fish in the air, there was an obvious quaver in his voice that revealed the emotions that had been building throughout the day. Off stage, father and son exchanged the obligatory high-five, and then Mark put his arms around his son and gave him a big hug.

When the trophies were handed out, Glenn and Carol experienced their peak of excitement as they were awarded the two huge trophies, $25,000 in cash and a new Ranger boat. The first thing Carol wants to do now is have a beer and get back to reality, and kids baseball games, for a while anyway. They'll certainly want to keep their angling skills honed for next year's Cabela's NTC.

For the remaining 249 teams, it will be a long drive back home where they will meld back into the field of 60,000 anglers that all want to qualify to fish the 2005 Cabela's NTC.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/content/community/inthefield/fieldguides/Fieldguides_home/ntc_article_final.jhtml;jsessionid=IV5FJI4APAUWACW QNVDCCPAK0BWUOIWE

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Cabela's National Team Championship
Bays de Noc, MI
June 11-12

Final Team Results:

http://www.liveleaderboard.com/llb.asp?t=142

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:eek: :cool:

Dang ... the top Pa I-Guys hung-one on the top Oh I-Guys this year!!!


23th Place ... Jack Wills Jr. & Jack Wills Sr. ~ Warren, PA
Day 1 .. 16.28 - Day 2 .. 17.10 - Total weight 10 Eyes @ 33.38 lbs

68th Place ... Kenneth Abernathy & Nathan Marcini ~ Ravenna, OH
Day 1 .. 13.27 - Day 2 .. 10.36 - Total weight 10 Eyes @ 23.63 lbs



-Twas a Great Tourney!!! :)

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Cabela's NTC Wrap Up Story by Brian Stangel


http://www.walleyecentral.com/mods/articles/?a=496

:)