(Nov. 01, 2007 - Lake Freeman, IN)... The Tippecanoe Valley Anglers had just concluded their 2007 season. Rod Coffing earned the angler of the year crown for the second year in a row, and Wade Cohagen had won the end of the year classic. The dust had barely settled and it was time to go back to work, sort of speaking. The 2008 season was about ready to start. The TVA club has held two open tournaments in the past during the fall. This gives other fisherman a chance to try out the club without having to pay membership fees. In the past, the club has fished Lakes Freeman and Shafer during the fall months; however, it might be about time to shake things up a little bit and go down and fish either Morse or Giest in the fall. Since it would be after Labor Day, the ramp fee would only be $10.00. We will have to see for next year. The points that an angler accumulates in these two fall tournaments will count towards their angler of the year and top eight totals as well.
The turn out for the tournament was great. A total of eighteen fisherman participated in the event. I would like to welcome some new faces to the club, and make them feel welcome. Jeff Denton, Don McLain, Ken Synesael, Joe Costello, and Rollie Norton III all fished in their first TVA event. All four of these guys are excellent fisherman, and more importantly are quality guys. These are the type of fisherman and people that we like to see join the Tippecanoe Valley Anglers. Ed Moravec also fished in Saturday’s event. This is not Ed’s first TVA tournament, as a matter of fact, the only other TVA tournament Ed fished in he won. In the spring of 2006, Ed came down from Gary, IN and fished his first event with the club, shortly after that his wife became quite ill. After a year and half, she is much better and Ed has found the time to come back and fish with the club. Welcome back ED! I also would like to mention the guys that fished in the classic that came and fished in this tournament: Rod Coffing, Jeff Vandergraff, Fuzzy Dunn, Frank Brown, Bill Kelly, Ron Pangborn, Jim McWhirter, and John Kolarik.
Jeff Vandergraff wins first tournament of 2008! Whenever I have had a bad day or struggled in a tournament, I will always say, "I am sure somebody got on them", or "Somebody will find them", and that has always been 100% accurate until this tournament. Nobody did find them this time. Jeff was able to scratch up two keepers that weighed 3.22 pounds, which is the lightest winning weight in a TVA tournament ever. Congratulations to Jeff for hanging in there and getting those winner bites. This type of day is much more mental than physical. Bill Kelly, of Monticello, IN finishes in second place with one fish that weighed 2.17 lbs, this was also the heaviest fish weighed in for the tournament. Fuzzy Dunn of Crown Point, IN finishes in third place with one fish that weighed 2.05 lbs. Dean Mullins of Monticello, IN finished in fourth place with one fish that weighed 1.92 pounds. Unfortunately, of the eighteen fisherman that were participating in the tournament only seven weighed in fish and only one angler had more than one fish.
The next event will be held on Lake Shafer October 13th, 2007. It will launch out the Big Monon Ramp. Tournament hours will be 8:00-4:00. Pre-tournament meeting will be at 7:30. Ramp Fee will be $7.00.
The Tippecanoe Valley Anglers are proudly sponsored by Edgewater Marine, Fishingworld.com, Main Street Station, Twin Lakes Fish & Game, and Lake-Land Real Estate.
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