2003 Oregon Governor’s Cup results

The Oregon Governor’s Cup Walleye tournament was held on September 6th and 7th in Umatilla Oregon. This tournament was the third and final tournament of the year in the Columbia River Walleye Circuit. All of the tournaments are catch and release. One hundred and two fishermen and women entered the tournament, with entries from Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Each two person team pays and entry fee of $230. They may weigh in up to six fish per day, only 2 of which may be over 24”. The total payout for the weekend came in at $14,710!

On Saturday the weather was very hot. An impressive 194 fish were weighed in with an average weight of 3.62 pounds. The team of Ron Fear and Kurt Sonderman showed that they had what it took. They boated an impressive 32.24 pounds to take over the day one lead. Brothers Gerald and Danny Wright had the second heaviest bag of the day at 27.56#. They also landed the largest walleye of the day at 13.46 pounds. This one bite guaranteed them a check for $816. The third place team for Saturday was a father and son team from Boardman, Wren and Travis Hyder. They weighed in 25.78#. The top ten teams of the day all weighed in over Twenty pounds.

The Columbia River Walleye Circuit names a “Fisherman of the year” at the Governor’s Cup each year. The winner is determined by points that are awarded at all three circuit events through out the year. The winners receive a $2000 cash bonus, $500 from each tournament and $500 from Smoker Craft Boats. This year the team to watch was Craig Turner and Pete Vermeulen. Things were looking pretty good for them at the scales on Saturday. They were sitting in forth place with 24.80#. The team sitting in fifth place was the team of Steve and Jared Romig. They weren’t going to give Turner and Vermeulen any breathing room. Steve Romig was just 2 points behind them in the Fisherman of the Year point’s race. That would mean that Steve would have to finish just three places higher than them to take home the bonus money.

Sunday the weather didn’t cooperate. Stiff breezes and dropping temperatures and rain showers prevailed. The big bag brought to the scale on Sunday belonged to the team of Fritz Lamb and Travis Whitney of Kennewick. They weighed six fish for total weight of 35.22 pounds, including the largest walleye of the day at 14.26 pounds, bringing their total weight of the weekend to 51.50 pounds. Still this would only make their total weight heavy enough to earn them second place for the weekend.

Fear and Sonderman proved that consistency is what it takes to win a tournament. They brought another 29.42 pounds to the scale on Sunday, bringing their total weight to and impressive 61.16 pounds for the weekend. Turner and Vermeulen ended up with a total weight of 34.78 pounds for the weekend, giving them a tenth place finish. Steve and Jared Romig managed to haul in 37.78 pounds for the weekend, putting them in sixth place for the tournament and earning Steve Romig title of Fisherman of the Year for the Columbia River Walleye Circuit.

Three Hundred and forty-one walleye were weighed in over the weekend for a total weight of 1204.13#! All but one team brought fish to the scales.

The Columbia River Walleye Circuit will be holding their first tournament of the 2004 season in March. For more information you can contact the Tournament Director, Rod McKenzie at 541-567-8419.

1st R. Fear & K. Sonderman    61.16#    $4056 
2nd F. Lamb & T. Whitney    51.00#    $3057 includes Sun Big Fish 14.26# 
3rd G. Wright & D. Wright    43.80#    $2407 includes Sat Big Fish 13.46# 
4th J. Weisz & J. Sturgis    39.02#    $960 
5th J. Grubenhoff & J. Grubenhoff    37.92#    $800 
6th S. Romig & J. Romig    37.78#    $897 includes 2nd big fish 
7th S. Hockaday & M. Hockaday    36.88#    $533

Steve Romig also received $2000 from the Columbia River Walleye Circuit for Fisherman of the Year. He will also receive a paid entry into the Cabela’s National team Championship in Minnesota Compliments of Mack’s lures.