Shaffer Leads Stren series on Detroit River

[JimDicken]

SHAFFER MAINTAINS LEAD AT STREN SERIES EVENT ON THE DETROIT RIVER


TRENTON, Mich. (Sept. 7, 2006) - Ranger Pro #### Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio caught a two-day total weighing 44 pounds, 11 ounces to lead day two of the Stren Series Midwest Division event on the Detroit River presented by Evinrude.
Pros are competing for as much as $64,500 and valuable points that could qualify them for a trip to the $1 million Stren Series Championship for a shot at $140,000. The highest-finishing pro from each division at the Stren Series Championship will also earn a spot in the new $2 million 2007 Forrest Wood Cup where they will compete against top pros from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and Ranger owners' tournaments for bass fishing's first $1 million top award.
"I had a tough day today and struggled to get what I did," said Shaffer, who has one Stren Series win and five top-10 finishes. "The wind changed directions from yesterday and repositioned the fish. I only got five bites all day."
Shaffer caught his fish on either a drop-shot rig rigged with a goby or a by dragging a tube. He ran from spot to spot - starting at the ramp and fishing as far as 35 miles out on to Lake Erie.
Rounding out the top five pros are Joe Balog of Harrison Township, Mich. (10 bass, 43 pounds, 6 ounces); Mike Trombly of Perrysburg, Ohio (10 bass, 43 pounds, 4 ounces); Bryan Coates of Amherst, Ohio (10 bass, 42 pounds, 12 ounces); and John Devries of Fishers, Ind. (10 bass, 42 pounds, 8 ounces).
Scott Emery of Livonia, Mich., earned $425 for the Snickers Big Bass award in the Pro Division thanks to a 6-pound, 2-ounce bass.
#### Parker of Amherst, Ohio leads the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award worth as much as $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met. He caught 10 bass weighing 42 pounds, 3 ounces while fishing with pro Bob Snyder who finished the tournament in 129th place.
"Bob had a tough day yesterday and only caught one fish," said Parker, who had a top-10 finish on Lake Erie in July. "He could have easily stayed in the river today, because he was basically out of the tournament, but he didn't. He said he would take me anywhere I wanted to go."
Parker concentrated his efforts on humps in 22 feet of water using a 3-inch ISG tube in melon.
"We went to a few areas that I found pre-fishing and looked for fish on the graph," he said. "About three of the humps and heavy marks on them and that's where I caught my fish."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are James Richardson Sr. (10 bass, 41 pounds, 9 ounces); Caleb Kuphall of Mukwonago, Wis. (10 bass, 40 pounds); Charles Hasty of Toledo, Ohio (10 bass, 37 pounds, 9 ounces); and Barry Narrin of Fostoria, Mich. (10 bass, 37 pounds, 9 ounces).
Andy Bylander, earned $185 for the Snickers Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division thanks to a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass.
Anglers will take off at 7 Friday morning from Elizabeth Park located at 200 Grosse Isle Parkway in Trenton, Mich. The weigh-in will be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday, anglers will launch from Lake Erie Metropark located at 32481 W. Jefferson in Brownstown, Mich., at 6:45 a.m. with the weigh-in to be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 23800 Allen Road in Woodhaven, Mich. beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The event is hosted by the Elizabeth Park and Wayne County Parks. For more information, visit their Web site at www.waynecountyparks.org.
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of three rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 20 pros and co-anglers - based on two-day accumulated weights - advance to day three. Anglers start at zero Thursday and compete for 10 spots in each division in the final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.

[JimDicken]

TROMBLY LEADS STREN SERIES EVENT ON THE DETROIT RIVER

TRENTON, Mich. (Sept. 8, 2006) - Ranger Pro Mike Trombly of Perrysburg, Ohio, caught five bass weighing 21 pounds, 7 ounces Friday to lead day three of the Stren Series Midwest Division event on the Detroit River presented by Evinrude.
Pros are competing for as much as $64,500 and valuable points that could qualify them for a trip to the $1 million Stren Series Championship for a shot at $140,000. The highest-finishing pro from each division at the Stren Series Championship will also earn a spot in the new $2 million 2007 Forrest Wood Cup where they will compete against top pros from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and Ranger owners' tournaments for bass fishing's first $1 million top award.
"I started off in the river today, but we had a strong wind from the south, so I decided to run out to the lake," said Trombly, making his 6th Stren Series top-10 appearance. "From there, I was able to cull out all of my fish."
Trombly ditched his plan to fish the river because southerly winds slow the river's current - displacing fish that were concentrated in current breaks and eddies. Once on Lake Erie, he fished a Poorboy's goby on a drop-shot rig and dragged a Mike's Rx Baits tube in a "Crushed Oreo" color to catch his day-three limit.
Rounding out the top five pros are Vic Vatalaro of Kent, Ohio (five bass, 19 pounds, 13 ounces); Joe Balog of Harrison Township, Mich. (five bass, 19 pounds, 7 ounces); Stacey King of Reeds Springs, Mo. (five bass, 19 pounds, 7 ounces); and Bryan Coates of Amherst, Ohio (five bass, 18 pounds, 3 ounces).
#### Parker of Amherst, Ohio, leads the Co-angler Division in the chase for a top award worth as much as $35,000, including a 519VX Ranger if contingency guidelines are met. He caught five bass weighing 19 pounds, 8 ounces while fishing with Ranger Pro #### Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio, who is currently in 7th place.
"I've had a really great day and an awesome tournament," said Parker, who had a top-10 finish on Lake Erie in July. "I just have to go out tomorrow and fish the best I can."
Parker fished with Shaffer on both days one and two. The pair fished humps in 22 feet of water and topping out in 16 feet of water. Parker fished a melon-colored ISG 3-inch tube to catch his leading limit.
"The better humps were the ones that sloped off gradually," he said. "The ones with the steeper drops didn't produce as well."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Charles Hasty of Toledo, Ohio (five bass, 17 pounds, 3 ounces); Ron Fabiszak of South Bend, Ind. (five bass, 16 pounds, 14 ounces); Mike Lawrence of Toledo, Ohio (five bass, 16 pounds, 6 ounces); and Kenneth Taylor of Shelby Township, Mich. (five bass, 16 pounds, 4 ounces).
Anglers will launch from Lake Erie Metropark located at 32481 W. Jefferson in Brownstown, Mich., at 6:45 a.m. Saturday and the weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 23800 Allen Road in Woodhaven, Mich. beginning at 4 p.m. Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.
The event is hosted by the Elizabeth Park and Wayne County Parks. For more information, visit their Web site at www.waynecountyparks.org.
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of three rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 20 pros and co-anglers - based on two-day accumulated weights - advance to day three. Anglers start at zero Thursday and compete for 10 spots in each division in the final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most-respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.

[JimDicken]

TROMBLY WINS STREN SERIES EVENT ON THE DETROIT RIVER

TRENTON, Mich. (Sept. 9, 2006) - Ranger Pro Mike Trombly of Perrysburg, Ohio, caught a final-round total of 10 bass weighing 38 pounds, 8 ounces to win the $262,125 Stren Series Midwest Division tournament presented by Evinrude on the Detroit River Saturday. Trombly won a 519VX Ranger powered by an Evinrude outboard and equipped with Minn Kota trolling motor, Lowrance electronics and EverStart batteries plus $9,000 cash. He also earned a $10,000 contingency bonus from Ranger for a total of $54,500.
Trombly opened the tournament Wednesday with five bass weighing 20 pounds, 13 ounces. On Thursday, he added another five bass weighing 22 pounds, 7 ounces to his catch to make the top-20 cut in fourth place with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 42 pounds, 12 ounces. He then caught five bass weighing 21 pounds, 7 ounces Friday to make the top-10 cut in first place. On Saturday, he caught another five bass weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce to secure the win.
"This is fantastic," said Trombly, who has six Stren Series top-10 finishes. "I've had the opportunity to win before, but I let them slip away. I just went out and gave it a 100 percent and it worked for me."
Trombly managed several key areas over the course of the week to earn his first Stren Series victory.
"I tried to share my time between the areas and not burn one spot out," he said. "And it worked out perfectly."
Wind direction was a major factor when Trombly chose and area to fish. He would fish the river if the wind was coming from any direction, but from the south. Otherwise, he would fish his areas on Lake Erie. His two key baits were the goby on a drop-shot rig and a Mike's Rx Baits tube, both fished on humps and current breaks.
Rounding out the top five pros are Bryan Coates of Amherst, Ohio (10 bass, 38 pounds, 3 ounces, $9,000); #### Shaffer of Rockford, Ohio (10 bass, 37 pounds, 3 ounces, $8,000); Gain Pro Vic Vatalaro of Kent, Ohio (10 bass, 35 pounds, 14 ounces, $7,350); and David Hayward of Sylvania, Ohio (10 bass, 35 pounds, 6 ounces, $6,850).
#### Parker of of Amherst, Ohio, won the Co-angler Division thanks to a final-round total of 10 bass weighing 37 pounds, 6 ounces. Parker earned a 519VX Ranger plus $4,400 cash for a total award of $34,400.
Parker made the top-20 cut Thursday with a two-day total of 10 bass weighing, 42 pounds, 3 ounces. He then caught 5 bass weighing 19 pounds, 8 ounces with pro #### Shaffer Friday to make the top-10 cut in first place. On Saturday, he caught five bass weighing 17 pounds, 14 ounces to earn his first Stren Series victory.
"It's a great feeling," Parker said. "I whacked them really well this morning and had five in the boat in only 10 casts."
Parker used an ISG tube and Poorboy goby all week, and today was no different.
"I stuck with those baits," he said. "I did catch two on a lipless crankbait today, but I don't know if they made it to the scales or not. We caught fish steadily and just kept culling up."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Todd Kuipers of Lafayette, Ind. (10 bass, 35 pounds, 15 ounces, $3,400); Dale Fisher of Watsontown, Penn. (nine bass, 34 pounds, 7 ounces, $3,140); Kenneth Taylor of Shelby Township, Mich. (10 bass, 34 pounds, 2 ounces, $2,240); and Charles Hasty of Toledo, Ohio (10 bass, 33 pounds, 6 ounces, $1,740).
Stren Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of three rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 20 pros and co-anglers - based on two-day accumulated weights - advance to day three. Anglers start at zero Thursday and compete for 10 spots in each division in the final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
The top 40 pros and top 40 co-anglers from each of the Stren Series' five divisions - Central, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast and Western - following four tournaments in each division will advance to the $1 million Stren Series Championship on Wheeler Lake in Decatur, Ala., Nov. 1-4 where they will fish for top awards of $140,000 and $70,000, respectively. The highest-finishing pro from each division at the Stren Series Championship will also earn a spot in the new $2 million 2007 Forrest Wood Cup where they will compete against top pros from the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and Ranger owners' tournaments for bass fishing's first $1 million top award.
Named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood, FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Series, Stren Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail presented by Abu Garcia, Stratos Owners' Tournament Trail, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Series, Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series and Wal-Mart FLW Striper Series. These circuits offer combined purses exceeding $37.9 million through 249 events in 2006.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournament programs, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
Wal-Mart and many of America's largest and most-respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its tournament trails. Wal-Mart signed on as an FLW Outdoors sponsor in 1997 and today is the world's leading supporter of tournament fishing. For more information about Wal-Mart, visit Wal-Mart.com.

[mattplapp]

Way to go ####, nice job showing those guys up North what you could do.

Matt