Wes Haney and Barry Rettke WIN BALSAM!
Balsam Lake, June 10, 2006, by Bill Schutts

    
The competitors were greeted with winds and chilly temperatures when they arrived at the host site, Paradise Landing, on the shores of beautiful Balsam Lake.  We were in the second day of a severe cold front.  This cold front did not seem to affect the bass all that much as the 31 teams competing in this event brought 110 bass, weighing a total of 203.9 pounds to the scales.  There were 14 5-fish limits.  

First place honors went to the team of Wes Haney and Barry Rettke.  Wes had to leave a couple of hours early, so he left the task of anchoring their limit with a big fish, up to Barry.  Barry came through and caught a 3.38# bass that raised their total bag to 13.03 pounds, plus tied for Big Bass.  For their efforts, Wes and Barry received $1200 for 1^st Place, $750 from the Stratos Boats Platinum Program, $250 Dock Bucks from Warner’s Dock, $100 Dock Bucks because they have a Minn Kota trolling motor, plus ½ of the Big Bass pot amounting to $155.  Their total purse was $2455. Wes Haney (not pictured, Barry is pictured with Stratos Boats Rep Steve Lindahl)

Second Place weighing in a 5 Bass limit seeing the scales reach 11.12 pounds is the team of Joe Granberg and Mike Erickson.

Coming in the Third Place possition with a 5 Bass limit weighing 10.92 pounds was the team of Dale Lundeen and John Amhrien

On hand to present the awards was Steve Lindahl, the Stratos Boats rep.  In addition to handing out the awards and talking with the competitors, Steve gave a helping-hand to one of the anglers.  An angler had a bilge pump go out.  Steve excused himself for a bit, went to his personal vehicle, and came back with a new bilge pump for him.  Now that is a prepared rep.

Be sure to check out all the results from this tournament, plus the YTD point standings.  A team needs to accumulate a total of 300 points to qualify for the 2006 Wisconsin Bass Classic to be held on the Minocqua Chain of Lakes in September.  The top point earning team will receive “Top Team of the Year”, which includes free entry into next year’s Bill’s Series WTC tournaments and 2 St. Croix Rods.

The next Bill’s Series tournament will be held July 8^th on Big Chetac.  Host site is Birch Lakes Resort and the Sponsor for this tournament is Crystal-Pierz Marine, Rice Lake.

PLEASE VISIT WISCONSIN TEAM CIRCUIT FOR COMPLETE RESULTS, STANDINGS AND UPCOMING EVENTS.