Brothers win Season Opener on Illinois River Hennepin.

 

The Illinois Walleye Trail began its 2006 Season in Hennepin, Illinois with teams from Indiania and Illinois.  The teams arrived with the river being very low and no current flow causing fish to be scattered all the way up and down the river. Water clarity was good with the surface temps in the mid 50's.

The team of Jay Walsh from Chicago and Bill Walsh from Ottawa was one of only two teams who managed to catch a 6 fish limit weighing 10.59 pounds.  They found these fish on Saturday pre fishing in a 20 foot washout hole on jigs and minnows.  Upon returning Sunday they were able to put there limit in the boat by 8:15, the key to catching the fish was not really jigging but dragging the bait very slow on the bottom.  This technique won them $1,785.00.

Second place went to the team of Jim Melton, Wyoming, Illinois and Joe Tonozzi, Dalzel, Illinois with 7.41 pounds and $870.00 plus $100.00 bonus money from Hennepin Marine for the first Lund owner in the Money.  Jim and Joe also tied for big fish honors with a 2.97 pound Sauger earning an addtional $255.00.

Thrid place team of John Dalzot, Spring Valley and Tom Giachetto, Ladd was the other team with a 6 fish limit weighing 7.09 pounds and earning them $515.00.