Second best was good enough for the championship at the sixth annual Chad Morgenthaler Fishing Tournament to Benefit Special Olympics, July 30th, on Rend Lake in Illinois.

Joe Bullock and Clint Joiner, both of Benton, Illinois, tipped the scales with 16.83 pounds. That was good enough to beat everyone but Morgenthaler and his partner, fellow professional, Dave Mansue with 16.99 pounds. A tournament record 93 boats were entered.

Morgenthaler and his fellow pros don’t compete for the tourney title. Instead, local anglers could enter a side “Beat the Pros” competition. This is the first time in the six years of the tournament Morgenthaler and his partner topped the field.

“I’d be lying to you if I said it wasn’t fun to do it once,” Morgenthaler said. “You always want to weigh in some fish, that’s just the competitive spirit. Trust me, in the last six years I’ve taken my share of ribbing from my friends.”

The team of Danny Schipkowski and Steve Tucker earned the big bass honors with a 5.07 pound fish.

Jeff Henson, director of special events for Special Olympics Illinois, said the tournament is expected to net $30 - $35,000 for Special Olympics. The “Beat the Pros” contest netted an additional $1,200. “The first five years of the tournament has raised more than $133,000,” Henson said.

There are more than 27,000 Special Olympians in Illinois. “They train free of charge all year round because of events like these,” Henson said.

Friddle: Oldsmobile debuted which automobile on this day (October 14th) in 1965?

Check our blog next Friday for the answer and another Friddle.

Last Week’s Friddle: What does the automotive acronym tbi stand for?

Last Week’s Friddle Answer: throttle body injection

Last Week’s Friddle Contest Winner: MK Hill