Thirty-four boats pushed off into the waters of Lake Ripley early Saturday morning to compete for $1,200 in prize money and fishing bragging rights at the 59th annual Watercade fishing contest Saturday.
The 34 boats, which were restricted to no more than five anglers per boat, trolled Lake Ripley for four hours Saturday morning to try and win the prize for largest Northern, largest stringer of up to three Northerns, largest bass, largest stringer of up to five bass, largest stringer of up to five pan fish and largest walleye.
Boat 11, captained by Ryan Piepenburg, had a terrific day on the water: Piepenburg took home largest walleye, at six pounds, 14 ounces; largest stringer of up to three Northerns, 13 pounds, seven ounces; tied for first in largest Northern, eight pounds, seven ounces; tied for sixth place in largest bass, three pounds, 12 ounces; and tied for ninth in largest stringer of up to five bass, at five pounds, 10 ounces.
Boat 7, captained by Jim Guza, tied Piepenburg for first place with an eight-pound, seven-ounce Northern and took home second behind Piepenburg in largest stringer of up to three Northerns, pulling in three fish weighing in at a combined 12 pounds, 13 ounces.
Troy Simmons, captain of Boat 16, took home the trophy for largest bass with a fish of five pounds, five ounces; Ron Warren, captain of Boat 17, took first in largest stringer of up to five bass, pulling in 18 pounds, two ounces of bass; and Jerod Barrick, captain of Boat 15, rounded out the first-place trophy winners by taking top honors in largest stringer of up to five pan fish with a weight of four pounds, six ounces.
Results
July 11 from Lake Ripley
(Weights in Pounds-Ounces; listed captain in parentheses)
Largest Northern: 1-t. Boat 7 (Jim Guza), 8-7; 1-t. Boat 11 (Ryan Piepenburg), 8-7; 3. Boat 6 (Steve Nelson/Woods), 5-0; 4. Boat 32 (John Rarline), 3-2; 5. Boat 17 (Ron Warren), 2-13; 6-t. Boat 10 (Brandon Nagel), 2-3; 6-t. Boat 33 (Mathwig/Lawrence), 2-3.
Largest stringer of up to three Northerns: 1. Boat 11 (Ryan Piepenburg), 13-7; 2. Boat 7 (Jim Guza), 12-13; 3. Boat 6 (Steve Nelson/Woods), 6-9; 4. Boat 17 (Ron Warren), 5-15; 5-t. Boat 13 (Casey Twardy), 4-1; 5-t. Boat 32 (John Rarline), 4-1. 7. Boat 33 (Mathwig/Lawrence), 3-2.
Largest bass: 1. Boat 16 (Troy Simmons), 5-5; 2. Boat 2 (Justin Schneider), 4-11; 3. Boat 17 (Ron Warren), 4-6; 4-t. Boat 19 (Justin Johnson), 4-1; 4-t. Boat 23 (Jason Zepplin), 4-1. 6-t. Boat 11 (Ryan Piepenburg), 3-12; 6-t. Boat 12 (Brandon McDowell), 3-12; 8-t. Boat 34 (Terry and Val Serbus), 3-7; 8-t. Boat 18 (Michael Carl), 3-7; 8-t. Boat 15 (Jerod Barrick), 3-7; 11-t. Boat 30 (Joe Batchelor), 3-2; 11-t. Boat 1 (Michael Ness), 3-2; 13. Boat 27 (Chad Zepplin), 2-8; 14-t. Boat 7 (Jim Guza), 2-3; 14-t. Boat 10 (Brandon Nagel), 2-3.
Largest stringer of up to five bass: 1. Boat 17 (Ron Warren), 18-2; 2. Boat 23 (Jason Zepplin), 15-0; 3. Boat 13 (Casey Twardy), 11-14; 4. Boat 2 (Justin Schneider), 10-10; 5. Boat 27 (Chad Zepplin), 9-11; 6. Boat 12 (Brandon McDowell), 6-14; 7-t. Team 19 (Justin Johnson), 5-15; 7-t. Boat 18 (Michael Carl), 5-15; 9-t. Boat 11 (Ryan Piepenburg), 5-10; 9-t. Boat 34 (Terry and Val Serbus), 5-10; 11. Boat 30 (Joe Batchelor), 5-0; 12. Boat 8 (Chris Weimer), 4-11; 13. Boat 15 (Jerod Barrick), 3-7.
Largest stringer of up to five pan fish: 1. Boat 15 (Jerod Barrick), 4-6; 2. Boat 20 (Johnson/Limborgh), 1-14.
Largest walleye: 1. Boat 11 (Ryan Piepenburg), 6-14; 2. Boat 17 (Ron Warren), 6-9; 3. Boat 5 (Dennis Beck), 6-4.
Copyright 2015 Litchfield Independent Review/Crow River Media/Media News Group.