Morgenthaler Holds Rend Lake Fishing Tournament

  This event was held in the fall for the first time in the seven-year history of the Tournament. The day turned out to be a cold one for the competitors. The weather didn’t matter to Ricky Byrnes and Earl Sigley. The Illinois duo caught five bass totaling 19 pounds, 15 ounces. That’s over six pounds more than the second place team of Ed Daniels and Jeff Atchison. Byrnes and Sigley earned $2,500 for the victory, plus a $500 bonus for catching the biggest bass of the tournament. The winners caught their fish on rock and wood structures. "Rend Lake in the fall, when the weather gets cold like this, they eat," Byrnes said. "They’re feeding because they feel winter coming on, so we threw them swim baits, spinner baits and crank baits and caught our fish that way." The Chad Morgenthaler Benefit Bass Fishing Tournament has raised a total of $180,000 in its seven-year history for various causes. This year’s benefit raised nearly $17,000 for the Illinois Conservation Foundation, Five-Star Industries and a number of local high school fishing teams. "These guys really reached deep this year," said Morgenthaler. "The money is going to some great causes."