Press Room
PR Contacts:
Larry Whitely
417-873-5022
Jenna Kendall
417-873-5059
2500 E. Kearney
Springfield, MO 65898
September 19, 2005 -- Many dream of becoming a professional fisherman, but just never quite seem to catch a break. For one young fisherman, this is not the case. Wisconsin native Chase Parsons has had quite a year. Unlike his fellow 22-year old friends, Parsons' career has taken him to places he still can't believe. His career highlights include: Rookie of the Year, top-ten finish in walleye tournaments, PWT National Walleye Championship qualifier and a second-place finish at the PWT National Championship tournament in Junction City, Kansas.
PWT National Championship Finish
Following
in the footsteps of his father Gary Parsons and grandfather Don Parsons, Chase is proving to be quite a success in the family business. He took home a second- place finish at the PWT National Championship tournament in Junction City, Kansas, on Sunday. His total catch weighed in at 18.77 pounds earning him $46,000 in tournament winnings. Parsons also won the Coleman® Big Fish Award on day one with a 6.7 pound fish and on day three with a weight of 6.23 pounds. The Big Fish Awards earned him an additional $2,000.
Every
tournament fisherman celebrated their success at a special banquet held Sunday evening. Parsons was awarded his tournament winnings, plus a plaque for earning the title of Rookie of the Year. "My goal being a rookie was just to make the championship, but to finish 2nd makes it a whole lot better. It's an honor to be fishing with guys that I have been around since I was a little kid. I appreciate the support from my family and TRACKER® Marine Group. I wouldn't be here had it not been for all of you," said Parsons.
When
prompted about his future possibilities, Parsons responded, "I am still shaking from the tournament win. It's going to be a while before I come down from this."