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| Christenson, Molengraaf overcome high winds to win Lake Oahe Tournament |
A good old fashioned South Dakota sandstorm! With 40-mph southerly winds, that's what the teams on the Gander Mountain Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC) had to face on Lake Oahe west of Gettysburg, Sunday, June 6.
In spite of the weather, the teams who were able to master boat control in the four-foot waves caught their six-fish limit with ease.
Leading the way and claiming the $1200 first place check was the team of Shane Christenson from Bruce, SD and James Molengraaf from White, SD with a six-fish limit weight of 18.0 pounds. Their 6.59 kicker walleye not only made the difference in the standings, but also earned them the Berkley Trilene Big Fish Award of $400 in Berkley products.
Second place and a check for $600 went to Cory Jueneman and Brent Beitelspacher from Mobridge, SD with six fishing weighing 15.59 pounds, while Todd Steffensen and Tim Tesch from Watertown, SD took the $500 third place check with a six-fish weight of 15.58 pounds.
According to Gander Mountain GNWC Tournament Director Greg Liebel, the conditions were brutal. "Yesterday was a beautiful day, and the prefishing was tremendous. It was literally a sandstorm today. I know that boat control in these conditions made all the difference for the top teams."
Christenson and Molengraaf headed south of the West Whitlock area and worked the sand flats up and down the shoreline in 20' of water. They pulled Shad Raps and Husky Jerks and as Christenson noted, "It was a real rough ride, but it was worth it!"
The second place team worked the same area but used lead core to pull Shad Raps and Husky Jerks. However, they started the day fishing in the 24' they had found the fish in during pre-fishing. They kept moving shallower because the inside bait kept getting the hits until they were able to position themselves so they could cover the 10' to 20' depths.
Steffensen and Tesch used bottom bouncers and a combination of spinners and plain hooks tipped with minnows, nightcrawlers and leeches. They worked a 1/2 stretch from a point along the shoreline in 15' to 18' about seven miles south of tournament headquarters.
Special awards were also presented. The "Yo So Close" award of a Yo Net folding net valued at $80 went to the teams that placed just out of the money. They include Shane Spooner from Watertown, SD and Aaron Bjerke from Bradley, SD in 8th place; Bob Stalley and Jennifer Stalley from Pierre, SD in 9th place; and Curtis Rees, III from Fort Pierre, SD and Scott Berry from Rockford, IL in 10th place.
The winner of the Gander Mountain "Need More Stuff" drawing of $200 for a Gander Mountain Shopping Spree was the team of Kevan Paul and Johnathon Graber from Chariton, IA.
For complete results, check out the Gander Mountain GNWC wwebsite at www.walleyecup.com.
After three tournaments, the team of Christenson and Molengraaf has a one point lead in the race for the South Dakota Region Team of the Year with 28 points, followed by Steffensen and Tesch with 29 points.
Next up for the South Dakota teams will be the Lake Thompson tournament on Sunday, June 27.
Anglers interested in signing up for the final qualifier or simply wanting more information on the GNWC circuit can call 1-800-890-FISH (3474), or they can email the GNWC at [email protected].
Title Sponsor for the GNWC is Gander Mountain. Other major national sponsors include Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, the Sportsman Channel, Berkley, Aqua Innovations, YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO, VIB"E" Lure Company, TowTector Shield and UpNorthOutdoors.com. |
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| Lake Oahe Next Stop on South Dakota's Gander Mountain GNWC Circuit |
The massive expanse of Lake Oahe is the next challenge for the South Dakota Region teams on the Gander Mountain Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC).
Scheduled for Sunday, June 6 at the West Whitlock Recreation Area, this third of four tournaments is a very pivotal one for the top teams fighting for the crown of the South Dakota Region Team of the Year and for the teams looking to make the top 30 and to grab a berth for the Regional Championships in late August.
Currently, the team of Kevin Molengraaf from White, SD and Lewis Valentz from Volga, SD has a four point lead in the Region Team of the Year race.
Even though the water levels are extremely low, the walleye fishery is turning the corner, and is once again looked upon as one of the quality walleye fisheries on the tournament circuit. According to GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer, pre-fishing is a huge key in the West Whitlock tournament. "Weather, of course, plays a major role in the strategies that these teams will use. If the weather is right, we could see teams run south all the way to Pierre or north to Mobridge. They are limited by only how much time they want to spend running and gunning, versus time spent fishing."
Barringer added, "Lake Oahe at Gettysburg has been on a tear lately, with quite a few larger fish being caught, something we haven't seen much of the last couple years. This one is likely to be our largest South Dakota tournament yet, both in terms of numbers of participants and in numbers of
fish weighed in."
Openings still exist for the Lake Oahe qualifier and Barringer encourages interested anglers to contact him at 1-800-890-FISH (3474), or email the GNWC at [email protected].
According to Barringer, competing teams should be at the West Whitlock Recreation Area between 6-6:30 Sunday morning to sign in and participate in mandatory boat inspections. However, the tournament director will have the GNWC trailer at the check-in site from 6-8 p.m. on Saturday evening to answer questions and to take any late registrations. Host bait shop and lodging will be Bob's Resort.
The tournament hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Weigh-in begins precisely at 3 p.m., with awards to follow. "Fishing Lake Oahe is a tremendous experience, and I know South Dakotans love their river. So, I hope to see a lot of people at the weigh-in on Sunday. There is a lot to see and learn as the teams bring their baskets to the scales," added Barringer.
Anglers interested in checking out the standings, reading the releases about any of the eight regions or simply learning more about the circuit can access the Gander Mountain GNWC website at www.walleyecup.com.
Title Sponsor for the GNWC is Gander Mountain. Other major national sponsors include Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, the Sportsman Channel, Berkley, Aqua Innovations, YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO, VIB"E" Lure Company, TowTector Shield and UpNorthOutdoors.com |
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