BISMARCK, N.D. – When you draw Tommy Skarlis as your pro partner in a professional walleye tournament, you can count on two things: catching a lot of fish and listening to a lot of words. Co-angler David Anderson dealt with Skarlis for two consecutive days, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Anderson drew Skarlis on day two by virtue of a random computer draw. At the completion of day two, both Skarlis and Anderson finished third in their respective divisions. That meant one more day on the water together.
“I really think it helped being in the same boat for two consecutive days,” said Anderson. “I knew the area, I knew the program – there wasn’t much of a learning curve. I really enjoyed having Tommy as my partner. I think that guy talks in his sleep.”
Anderson is a veteran of the FLW Outdoors walleye program. At the third qualifier of the year on Cass Lake in northern Minnesota, he took third place and cashed a $3,500 check. This, however, was his first appearance in the year-end championship.
“It’s huge. I don’t think I’ve been this nervous since I was waiting for the birth of my two boys. This is probably my 20th tournament. It’s been a goal of mine to fish these as a pro someday. This win here might be what it takes.”
Anderson said the walleye fishing on the Missouri River was good both days he was with Skarlis.
“Tommy’s really got it going on. We caught probably 20 fish. I was a little bit of the net boy today, but I don’t feel bad about that. Yesterday, I caught one that weighed over 5 pounds.”
With 15 pounds, 13 ounces, Anderson will return to his Sauk Rapids, Minn., home with a first-place check worth $15,000.
“You dream about stuff like this. To actually have it happen is unreal.”
Ringling second
Coming in second for the co-anglers was Del Ringling of Valley, Neb. Ringling finished the opening round in fifth place and rose to second after catching 14 pounds, 3 ounces on day three. Ringling earned a purse of $13,500 thanks to $7,000 in boat and motor contingency awards.
Coincidentally, Ringling got an up-close and personal view of Anderson’s win. Ringling was partnered with pro Ross Grothe on day three, and Grothe is the friend and teammate of Skarlis. Grothe and Skarlis not only are sharing the same water, they are also using the same techniques.
While Skarlis and Anderson caught roughly 20 walleyes Friday, Ringling and Grothe managed only seven.
“It’s been a thrill,” said Ringling. “I’ve had three great partners, and I’ve learned a lot. That sure was close, wasn’t it?”
This was both Ringling’s first Walleye Tour top-10 finish and his first appearance in the championship.
Brunz third, Bertelsen fourth
Nate Brunz, son of fellow co-angler Robert Brunz and nephew of pro Tom Brunz, finished in third place. Amazingly, this is Brunz’s fifth top-10 finish in only 12 FLW Outdoors events. Unfortunately, Brunz has yet to taste victory in his young career. Earlier this season he took second on Cass Lake and helped pro Scott Steil secure his first Walleye Tour win.
Fishing with pro Robert Blosser on day three, the Madison Lake, Minn., co-angler caught 14 pounds, 1 ounce and earned a check worth $6,500. In addition to the money, Brunz is earning a reputation as a pro’s best friend.
“I had a blast with Robert, and we caught a bunch of fish today,” he said.
In the not-too-distant future, “big-fish Brunz” wants to step up to the pro side and rub elbows against his uncle.
Twenty-three-year-old co-angler Patrick Bertelsen of Jackson, Minn., moved up three places with a 12-pound, 15-ounce catch and finished fourth. For his efforts, Bertelsen earned a check worth $3,500. At the 2007 Walleye Tour Championship on Lake Erie, Bertelsen finished third.
Woodward fifth
Fifth place went to veteran co-angler Scott Woodward of Glendive, Mont. This was Woodward’s second top-10 finish on the Walleye Tour, the other coming on the Missouri River as well – albeit downstream in Pierre, S.D. Fishing with pro Chris Gilman Friday, Woodward boated five walleyes that weighed 12 pounds, 2 ounces, earning him a check for $5,000.
Rounding out the top 10 co-angler finalists at the FLW Walleye Tour Championship on the Missouri River:
6th: Dick Wherry of Milbank, S.D., five walleyes, 12-1, $3,000
7th: Boyd Strissel of Billings, Mont., five walleyes, 10-14, $2,200
8th: Fred Gordon of Willmar, Minn., three walleyes, 8-12, $1,400
9th: Terry Etzkorn of Pierre, S.D., five walleyes, 7-11, $1,800
10th: Cal Van Cleve of Wilmot, S.D., three walleyes, 7-6, $1,600