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| The Ultimate Panfish League - www.ultimatepanfishleague.com - 2004-2013 |
Lawrence Luoma/Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson
Birth Date: 1966
Home Town: Roseville, MN
Fun Comments: Michael has been ice fishing
for over 40 years! He got his start in 1970
when he was 4 years old! He thought it was a
magic trick when he dropped the bait down
and pulled up fish! He was hooked too, and
has been at it ever since! He likes to help
other kids have the same good experience
when starting out, so you will see him helping
out at a lot of kids fishing events. Michael
started ice fishing with a jig stick and float
until he learned how to tightline in the mid
1980′s. In 1995 he went to the ice fishing
show and saw Dave Genz do a seminar on
modern ice fishing and decided he wanted to
learn more. Later that winter, with help from
Ice Team pro Pat Smith, he picked up his first
Vexilar flasher and Fish Trap. He learned how
to use them and gained confidence that he
could catch fish on just about any lake in the
winter. Michael joined the Ultimate Panfish
League in 2004, got lucky and won the first
tournament they had. He was hooked on
panfish competition and started going to
every tourney. He won many UPL
tournaments with three different partners. He
is the leading money winner in the UPL and
he was one half of UPL’s team of the year in
2011/12. The same year, Michael also
qualified to fish in the World Ice fishing
Championship and the North American Ice
fishing Championship. He will also be fishing
the UPL with Lawrence Luoma. Their team is
known as MN Fish Chasers.
Birth Date: 1966
Home Town: Roseville, MN
Fun Comments: Michael has been ice fishing
for over 40 years! He got his start in 1970
when he was 4 years old! He thought it was a
magic trick when he dropped the bait down
and pulled up fish! He was hooked too, and
has been at it ever since! He likes to help
other kids have the same good experience
when starting out, so you will see him helping
out at a lot of kids fishing events. Michael
started ice fishing with a jig stick and float
until he learned how to tightline in the mid
1980′s. In 1995 he went to the ice fishing
show and saw Dave Genz do a seminar on
modern ice fishing and decided he wanted to
learn more. Later that winter, with help from
Ice Team pro Pat Smith, he picked up his first
Vexilar flasher and Fish Trap. He learned how
to use them and gained confidence that he
could catch fish on just about any lake in the
winter. Michael joined the Ultimate Panfish
League in 2004, got lucky and won the first
tournament they had. He was hooked on
panfish competition and started going to
every tourney. He won many UPL
tournaments with three different partners. He
is the leading money winner in the UPL and
he was one half of UPL’s team of the year in
2011/12. The same year, Michael also
qualified to fish in the World Ice fishing
Championship and the North American Ice
fishing Championship. He will also be fishing
the UPL with Lawrence Luoma. Their team is
known as MN Fish Chasers.
Career UPL Earnings: (since 2012)
$2,965.00
Notable Events:
1st Place - Medicine Lake - 2/15/15
1st Place - Big Marine Lake - 1/12/14
1st Place - Spring Lake - 2/24/13
2nd Place - Big Marine Lake - 1/18/15
2nd Place - Green Lake - 12/28/14
2nd Place - Pelican Lake - 1/27/13
2nd Place - Clearwater Lake - 3/2/14
4h Place - Lower Prior Lake - 2/16/14
5th Place - Clearwater Lake - 3/10/13
$2,965.00
Notable Events:
1st Place - Medicine Lake - 2/15/15
1st Place - Big Marine Lake - 1/12/14
1st Place - Spring Lake - 2/24/13
2nd Place - Big Marine Lake - 1/18/15
2nd Place - Green Lake - 12/28/14
2nd Place - Pelican Lake - 1/27/13
2nd Place - Clearwater Lake - 3/2/14
4h Place - Lower Prior Lake - 2/16/14
5th Place - Clearwater Lake - 3/10/13
Lawrence Luoma:
Birth Date: 11/25/78
Home Town: Big Lake, MN
Fun Comments: Lawrence is a professional
and well-known competitive ice angler, fishing
the UPL, NAIFC, and other ice fishing circuits
around the country. As part of team MN Fish
Chasers, not only does he compete at a high
level, but he likes to share what he has
learned from competitive ice fishing with kids
and new anglers. In his five years of
competitive ice fishing he has qualified for two
NAIFC National Championships. 2012 was a
successful season with 2 top five finishes
and a 3rd place overall for angler of the year in
the UPL. Also, finishing in the NAIFC national
championship in 15th place. 2011 he
finished with a top five at the Pelican NAFIC
event and finished 8th overall for team of the
year. Although most days you find Lawrence
running around the lake with an attack bucket
and a Vexilar FL-20 his favorite type of fishing
is sight fishing for Gills in his Trap Scout TC.
Growing up fishing Lake Osakis has taught
him all aspects of panfish fishing, the
unpredictability of location and what it takes to
get them to bite.
Birth Date: 11/25/78
Home Town: Big Lake, MN
Fun Comments: Lawrence is a professional
and well-known competitive ice angler, fishing
the UPL, NAIFC, and other ice fishing circuits
around the country. As part of team MN Fish
Chasers, not only does he compete at a high
level, but he likes to share what he has
learned from competitive ice fishing with kids
and new anglers. In his five years of
competitive ice fishing he has qualified for two
NAIFC National Championships. 2012 was a
successful season with 2 top five finishes
and a 3rd place overall for angler of the year in
the UPL. Also, finishing in the NAIFC national
championship in 15th place. 2011 he
finished with a top five at the Pelican NAFIC
event and finished 8th overall for team of the
year. Although most days you find Lawrence
running around the lake with an attack bucket
and a Vexilar FL-20 his favorite type of fishing
is sight fishing for Gills in his Trap Scout TC.
Growing up fishing Lake Osakis has taught
him all aspects of panfish fishing, the
unpredictability of location and what it takes to
get them to bite.
