Evinrude anglers dominate the tournament with seven finishing in the top 10!

Sturtevant, Wis., Sept. 23, 2013 – Chris Gilman edged out fellow Evinrude pro Joshua Vanderweide to capture the first ever Cabela’s National Walleye Tour Championship at Devils Lake, N.D. Gilman led the charge for Team Evinrude, whose anglers claimed seven of the top 10 spots, making the tournament the most successful ever for walleye pros running the Evinrude E-TEC engine.

Gilman started the final day of competition in second place, but surged into the lead after hauling in a remarkable 22.26 pounds on Saturday. His three-day total of 55.91 pounds was good for a .05 pound margin of victory, a $15,000 payday and the distinctive honor of being the very first Cabela’s National Walleye Tour Champion.

“I’m ecstatic about being the first angler to ever win the tour championship, but I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my Evinrude E-TEC engine,” Gilman said. “I’ve been using Evinrude outboards for more than 25 years because their superior speed and durability gives me the confidence to make runs others can’t.”

This is the second time in Gilman’s storied career that he’s won a major walleye championship. He claimed the FLW Walleye Tour Championship in 2010. Besides Joshua Vanderweider’s runner-up finish, Evinrude pros Matthew Taylor, Dan Stier, Tom Keenan, Mark Courts and Mike Cira also placed in the top 10.

“We couldn’t be happier for Chris on winning the tour championship, and for the rest of the Evinrude anglers who competed at a high level all weekend,” said Krista Heidgerken, Senior Communications Specialist for Evinrude. “Taking seven of the top 10 spots is an incredible accomplishment for Team Evinrude, and we look forward to coming back and winning it again next year.”

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