|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NAWA
North American Walleye AnglersErie Dearie participated at each of the events held and sponsored Dan III, a Pro in his own right and trained by the Master, his father Captain Dan into the amateur field of the Pro/Am tournament.
Erie Dearie known for its never-ending research for developing fishing lures sent Dan III on a mission, which he took to heart with pride and enthusiasm. His mission to learn everything he could about the trolling techniques and products used by the Pro Anglers. Dan got to fish with some of the biggest names of the Pro Walleye circuit and on some of the best fishing lakes, the Mid-West has to offer.
In April, on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio, Dan got to fish with Pro Anglers Jim Bell, Wally Luoma, and Ken Seffron.
In May, on Lake Okoboji in Iowa, Dan fished with two local Pro Anglers Eric Naig and Mike Herrick. In August, on Lake Sakakawea in Garrison, North Dakota, on the first day he fished with Pro Angler Dan Stier.
After that day, they would be known as the Double D Team. While out fishing on the edge of one of the numerous bays, Dan III thought he heard cries of help and could see something bobbing in the rough waters. After hearing it a second time, he told Pro Dan Stier, "something is not right!" They immediately wound up their rods and went to check out the sound. What they found were a couple of young boys and an over-turned canoe, seperating them from each other in the rough water. The Double D fished them out, saved the canoe and their belongings and took them to shore. They definitely would have had the biggest basket if they could have "weighed" the youngsters. Dan also fished with Pro Anglers Tom Darr and Gill Mollet that week. In early September, on Lake Mille Lacs in Onamia, Minnesota, Dan fished with Local Pro Angler Aaron McQuoid
and got to fish again with Pros Eric Naig and Dan Stier. Of the four
events Dan participated in, he took sixth place of the top 25 positions that made it to the NAWA invitational
"Quest Championship" on the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Minnesota.In late September, on day one of the Quest Championship Dan got to fish with the number one Pro angler Jim Peterson, and weighed in six fish at 8.66 pounds. That weight put both Jim and Dan in 10th place of the top 15 places to fish for day two of the event. On day two, Dan fished with Pro angler Dale Sprouse, who caught the biggest basket on day one of the event.
Dale and Dan weighed six fish at 10.45 pounds, which placed them in sixth of the top five teams to fish day three of the event. Pro Angler, Jim Bell and his partner Amateur, Kelly Hamson, who weighed in 10.69 pounds, edged both Dale and Dan out of the top five positions.
On day three of the event, Pro Angler Dave Hanson won the event, but Pro Angler Jim Bell won the race for the coveted Pro Angler of the Year.
Thanks to these events, Dan gained a lot of trolling experience and ideas from the Pro Anglers that he fished with this year. With this in mind, look for new and exciting products in the future.
Dan and Pro Angler John Carney after a day of fishing on Lake Sakakawea.
