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| Pulse, Handel Take Final South Dakota Tournament at Lake Thompson |
How would you like to catch a 30" walleye and have to release it because you already had two others in the live well just as large? That's what Lee Pulse from Kimball, SD and Scott Handel from Chamberlain, SD had to do at Sunday's Lake Thompson Tournament on the South Dakota Region of the Gander Mountain Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC).
However, it didn't matter as Pulse and Handel ran away from the rest of the competition with a six-fish weight of 21.44 pounds and a check for $1400. Their 9.10-pound walleye also earned them the Berkley Trilene Big Fish Award of $400 in Berkley products.
Second place and a check for $700 went to the team of Shane Christenson from Bruce, SD and James Molengraaf from White, SD with six fish weighing 17.60 pounds.
Shane Spooner from Watertown, SD and Aaron Bjerke from Bradley, SD collected the third place check of $540 for bringing four fish to the scales weighing 16.70 pounds.
According to Gander Mountain GNWC Tournament Director Greg Liebel, the bite was early and short-lived. "Most of the teams caught their fish in the first hour when we had some wind and during the rain. When the wind died down, the fish, for the most part, just shut off."
Pulse and Handel worked 18-20' using lead core line to pull Reef Runners' Little Rippers, while Christenson and Molengraaf also used Reef Runners, but also tried jointed Shad Raps.
"I'd say at least half of the teams pulled plugs in the deeper water," noted Liebel. "These teams showed how important it is to be on top of the fish when the bite is going."
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 Mike Kayser from Mitchell, SD and Jeremy Kayser from Alexandria, MN in 11th place; Brand Leonard from Estherville, IA and Mel Reilching from Watertown, SD in 12th place; and Darold and Flo Swank from Pierre, SD in 13th place.
The winner of the Gander Mountain "Need More Stuff" drawing of $200 for a Gander Mountain Shopping Spree was the team of Clint Schroedermeier from Davis, SD and Colin Beitelspacher from Sioux Falls, SD.
For complete results, check out the Gander Mountain GNWC wwebsite at www.walleyecup.com.
The team of Christenson and Molengraaf won the South Dakota Region Team of the Year with 30 points, 18 points ahead of their nearest competitor.
Next up for the South Dakota teams will be the South Dakota Regional Championships at Lake Kampeska August 21-22.
Anglers interested 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 Thompson Final Stop on South Dakotas Gander Mountain GNWC Circuit |
It's showdown time for the teams competing in the South Dakota Region of the Gander Mountain Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC).
The site for the final tournament will be Lake Thompson and the date of the competition will be Sunday, June 27. At stake will be a berth in the South Dakota Regional Championship and determining who will be the South Dakota Regional Team of the Year.
Only one point separates the top two teams in the Team of the Year race. Shane Christenson from Bruce, SD and James Molengraaf from White, SD have 28 points while Todd Steffensen and Tim Tesch from Watertown, SD have 29 points.
"With only one point separating these two teams, it will be quite a finish for the South Dakota Region Team of the Year," said Gander Mountain GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer.
Lake Thompson is one of the most popular walleye fishing destinations in eastern South Dakota. Once a 9,000-acre marsh, Lake Thompson now covers nearly 18,000 acres and has a maximum depth of nearly 20 feet.
Barringer added, "Lake Thompson is a tremendous walleye fishery. However, there is also a lot of surface area, so eliminating water will undoubtedly be part of pre-fishing game plan as the teams put the pieces of the puzzle together."
Openings still exist for the Lake Thompson 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 Lake Thompson 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 will be Mac's Bait and Tackle in Lake Preston, SD.
The tournament hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Weigh-in begins precisely at 3 p.m., with awards to follow. "I hope a lot of people come out to the weigh-in. The South Dakota Region has some excellent teams, and I am confident that they will bring good fish to the scales. The weigh-in is a great time to learn what the teams did to catch their fish," 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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