Local Teams Top GNWC's Lake Okoboji Qualifier 
By Steve Weisman GNWC Publicity Director

Using the same technique that helped them win the 2001 Okoboji Walleye Classic, the team of Marvin Hansen from Ocheyedan and Neil Houge from Okoboji took top honors on the third qualifier of the Grand National Walleye Cup's (GNWC) Iowa Circuit, Sunday, May 25 on the Okoboji chain of lakes.

Hansen and Houge weighed a six-fish limit of 9.57 pounds to cash the first place check of $2000. Second place finishers, Wes Rose and Todd Hough from Graettinger, were right behind with a six-fish limit weighing 9.49 pounds. They took home a check for $1000.

Chris Scholl from Manly and Kevin Hulsing from Cedar Rapids took third place with another six-limit weighing 9.20 pounds and cashed a check for $750.

A total of seven teams caught six-fish limits while the payout extended through the top 14 teams.

The Abu Garcia Big Fish award of two 6500 Linecounter went to Russell Mann and his son from Gilman for their 3.01 pound walleye taken on a slip bobber and a chub in 15 foot of water on East Okoboji.

Meanwhile David Tolk from Sioux Falls, SD and Stephen Tolk from Lake Park captured the Berkley Family Angler Award of $250 in Berkley product for being the top family team with 7.20 pounds.

Although the top two teams used a slip bobber and a leech presentation to catch their fish on West Okoboji's gin clear waters, Hansen and Houge deviated from the traditional slip bobber presentation. Instead, they worked their slip bobber rigs along a 15 foot weedline in Hayward's Bay, nudging themselves slowly ahead with their front trolling motor. Hansen said, "This is exactly what we did to win the Okoboji Walleye Classic two years ago. We found we can cover a lot of area doing this." As they bump themselves ahead, the key is to still keep the leech in the strike zone.

Rose and Hough slip bobbered a rock pile in Hayward's Bay for their first three fish and then headed across the lake to finish out their limit in the afternoon.