Chris Gasser - 8/19/2005

Winneconne, WI - Lynn Niklasch and Paul Bruss ended the 2005 season in commanding fashion, by not only winning the World Walleye Association Wisconsin Team Challenge event held on the Winnebago Chain at Winneconnie Sunday Aug 14 but by also winning the 2005 Wisconsin Team Challenge Team Of The Year Title.

Going into the tournament all the competitors new from previous events held in the weeks preceding it that the bite was incredibly tough, but as always, WWA anglers manage to find fish somewhere, somehow.

Niklasch and Bruss made the long run to Lake Winnebago where they had a series of approximately fifteen submerged rock piles that they fished with jigs and slip bobber rigs. Though they had to hop from rock pile to rock pile then back again, their strategy paid off with three fish for 4.32-pounds which included the big fish of the tournament weighing 2.45 pounds.

"We were a little disappointed coming in with only three fish," said Niklasch, "because we had around fourteen pounds prefishing yesterday. But I guess it worked out."

Second place finishers David Woyak and Butch Schulz also had three fish for a total of 2.77-pounds. Woyak and Schulz went up the Wolf River above Fremont where they used green rattle jigs tipped with livebait.

Bob Kolodzik and Jim Forbes placed third with one fish weighing 1.07 pounds. Kolodzik and Forbes trolled crankbaits on Lake Winnebago for their fish.

The win at Winneconnie solidified Lynn Niklasch and Paul Bruss as the 2005 Wisconsin Team Challenge Team Of The Year finishing with 1752 points out of a possible 1800.

David Woyak and Butch Schulz vaulted into second place overall with their second place finish at the Winneconnie event.

Rounding out the top five were; Steve Weidmeyer and Rick Czekalski in third, Dick and Mary Clark were fourth and also named Husband and Wife Team Of The Year in the Wisconsin Team Challenge, and Mike Karempelis and Kevin Smith in fifth.

To see pictures of the winning teams and a complete list of how all the teams finished, visit the WWA website at www.worldwalleye.com which is hosted by the leaders in multi media technology, OutdoorsFirst Media.

For information on fishing the World Walleye Association, a "Tournament Circuit For Fisherman, Run By Fisherman", visit the website or call 920-651-1066

The World Walleye Association is proudly sponsored by Yarcraft Boats, "The Dry One!"

WWA WI Qualifier - Winnebago Chain Results