Steve Weisman
04-20-2005, 07:59 AM
Grand National Walleye Cup Anglers on Great Plains Circuit Prepare for Sherman Reservoir Tournament
By Steve Weisman
GNWC Publicity Director
It's been a long time coming, but the first tournament on the Great Plains Region (Nebraska/Kansas) of the Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC) is just about here!
Set for Nebraska's Sherman Reservoir, on Saturday, April 30, the Sherman Reservoir qualifier is the first of four tournaments in the Great Plains Region, which ultimately leads to the Great Plains Region Championship in August hosted by Eldorado, KS.
Also on the line is the chance to compete for a berth in the 2005 GNWC National Championship presented by Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards with a first place prize of two fully rigged WX 1880 Skeeter boats rigged with Yamaha outboards, Minnkota electric trolling motors and Lowrance Electronics. With a retail value of $35,000 per rig, this brings the first place purse at the National Championship to $70,000.
"The GNWC is a walleye circuit that targets the weekend warrior. It gives anglers an opportunity to get a taste of competitive walleye fishing without having to tie up extended periods of time and a lot of money in entry fees," said GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer. "We expect this to be a great opener for the Great Plains teams."
Sherman Dam creates a reservoir with 65 miles of shoreline and a surface area of over 2800 acres. The reservoir is used to store off-season water flows for release during the irrigation season, and according to Angie Wright, co-owner of Tradewinds Marina, the walleye numbers are very strong. "When the DNR did their walleye netting this spring, they were pleased with the results."
Wright noted that by late April, anglers will probably be working several areas of Sherman Reservoir. "I'm sure they will work the face of the dam, Big Thunder Island located off of Trail 12 and the northwest side along Muddy Point."
The tournament director will have the trailer at Tradewinds Marina from 6-8 p.m. the evening before the tournament to take late entries and answer questions. Take-off is at 7 a.m. with the weigh-in commencing at 3 p.m. sharp at Tradewinds Marina.
"I encourage the general public to come to Saturday's weigh-in. There is no cost, and it is a great opportunity for folks to get a glimpse at what tournament fishing is all about. I expect the race for first to be really tight, which will provide a lot of excitement. Also, we will have a couple of Aqua-Vu underwater cameras set up in our release tanks so that the public can see how they work. The audience will also get to hear from the teams and find out what presentations and tactics worked to trigger the fish. This is a great way to learn about taking walleyes at Sherman Reservoir," added Barringer.
For those interested in entering, the entry fee remains at $210 per team for each tournament. Openings do still exist for the Sherman Reservoir qualifier, and Barringer encourages interested anglers to contact him at 1-800-890-FISH (3474), or email the GNWC at info@walleyecup.com. "I also encourage people to check out our website at www.walleyecup.com and see what the Grand National Walleye Cup is all about," added Barringer.
Major national sponsors for the GNWC include Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, Lowrance Electronics, YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO, Aqua-VU, Aqua Innovations, Towtector Shield, VIB"E" Lure Company and UpNorthOutdoors.com.
By Steve Weisman
GNWC Publicity Director
It's been a long time coming, but the first tournament on the Great Plains Region (Nebraska/Kansas) of the Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC) is just about here!
Set for Nebraska's Sherman Reservoir, on Saturday, April 30, the Sherman Reservoir qualifier is the first of four tournaments in the Great Plains Region, which ultimately leads to the Great Plains Region Championship in August hosted by Eldorado, KS.
Also on the line is the chance to compete for a berth in the 2005 GNWC National Championship presented by Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards with a first place prize of two fully rigged WX 1880 Skeeter boats rigged with Yamaha outboards, Minnkota electric trolling motors and Lowrance Electronics. With a retail value of $35,000 per rig, this brings the first place purse at the National Championship to $70,000.
"The GNWC is a walleye circuit that targets the weekend warrior. It gives anglers an opportunity to get a taste of competitive walleye fishing without having to tie up extended periods of time and a lot of money in entry fees," said GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer. "We expect this to be a great opener for the Great Plains teams."
Sherman Dam creates a reservoir with 65 miles of shoreline and a surface area of over 2800 acres. The reservoir is used to store off-season water flows for release during the irrigation season, and according to Angie Wright, co-owner of Tradewinds Marina, the walleye numbers are very strong. "When the DNR did their walleye netting this spring, they were pleased with the results."
Wright noted that by late April, anglers will probably be working several areas of Sherman Reservoir. "I'm sure they will work the face of the dam, Big Thunder Island located off of Trail 12 and the northwest side along Muddy Point."
The tournament director will have the trailer at Tradewinds Marina from 6-8 p.m. the evening before the tournament to take late entries and answer questions. Take-off is at 7 a.m. with the weigh-in commencing at 3 p.m. sharp at Tradewinds Marina.
"I encourage the general public to come to Saturday's weigh-in. There is no cost, and it is a great opportunity for folks to get a glimpse at what tournament fishing is all about. I expect the race for first to be really tight, which will provide a lot of excitement. Also, we will have a couple of Aqua-Vu underwater cameras set up in our release tanks so that the public can see how they work. The audience will also get to hear from the teams and find out what presentations and tactics worked to trigger the fish. This is a great way to learn about taking walleyes at Sherman Reservoir," added Barringer.
For those interested in entering, the entry fee remains at $210 per team for each tournament. Openings do still exist for the Sherman Reservoir qualifier, and Barringer encourages interested anglers to contact him at 1-800-890-FISH (3474), or email the GNWC at info@walleyecup.com. "I also encourage people to check out our website at www.walleyecup.com and see what the Grand National Walleye Cup is all about," added Barringer.
Major national sponsors for the GNWC include Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, Lowrance Electronics, YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO, Aqua-VU, Aqua Innovations, Towtector Shield, VIB"E" Lure Company and UpNorthOutdoors.com.