Steve Weisman
07-08-2005, 09:39 AM
Saginaw Bay Final Stop for Michigan Region of the GNWC
By Steve Weisman
GNWC Publicity Director
The fourth tournament for the Michigan Region of the Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC) is set for Sunday, July 24 at Saginaw Bay.
On the line is the coveted Yamaha Outboards Team of the Year honors. Heading into the Saginaw Bay Tournament, the top two teams are tied with 30 points. They include the team of James Ballor, III from L'Anse, MI and John Thekan from Florence, WI and the team of Robert Watkins and Jereme Watkins from New Carlisle, IN. Also at stake is a berth in the Regional Championship at Gun Lake, August 27-28.
"Saginaw Bay is a great place to hold a tournament," said GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer. "There is a good walleye population, and I look for some monster baskets in the 30-pound range at the weigh-in.
According to local walleye guides, the walleye action from Au Gres south began to really heat up in late June and early July with good numbers of fish coming from the 17-30 foot depths south of Point Au Gres. Mini Silver Streaks and Stingers run off a three-way swivel above a Rattle Tot have been working well, while the little spoons have also been productive behind the Luhr Jensen No. 3 Dipsey Diver and the bigger Big Jon Mini Diver.
Anglers can look forward to fast action, because there is a huge year class of 14-14 1/2-inch walleye in the fishery.
The tournament director will have the trailer at the Northpoint Marina, Au Gres 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 the Northpoint Marina.
"The weigh-ins are always a lot of fun for people to attend. I encourage folks to come out early. It's free to the public, fun and educational. We will also have a couple of Aqua-Vu underwater cameras set up in our release tanks so that the public can see how they work. There are excellent teams fishing the Michigan Region, so this will be a great time for folks to learn what presentations and tactics ware working to trigger the fish," added Barringer.
For those interested in entering, the entry fee remains at $210 per team for the Saginaw Bay Tournament. Openings do still exist for the Saginaw Bay tournament, 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. There is a lot of excitement as we come to the end of our regular season tournaments in all seven regions," added Barringer.
Major national sponsors for the GNWC include Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, Lowrance Electronics, YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO, Aqua-VU, Aqua Innovations, Cabela's and UpNorthOutdoors.com. National championship sponsors are Towtector Shield and the FoodSource Lure Corporation.
By Steve Weisman
GNWC Publicity Director
The fourth tournament for the Michigan Region of the Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC) is set for Sunday, July 24 at Saginaw Bay.
On the line is the coveted Yamaha Outboards Team of the Year honors. Heading into the Saginaw Bay Tournament, the top two teams are tied with 30 points. They include the team of James Ballor, III from L'Anse, MI and John Thekan from Florence, WI and the team of Robert Watkins and Jereme Watkins from New Carlisle, IN. Also at stake is a berth in the Regional Championship at Gun Lake, August 27-28.
"Saginaw Bay is a great place to hold a tournament," said GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer. "There is a good walleye population, and I look for some monster baskets in the 30-pound range at the weigh-in.
According to local walleye guides, the walleye action from Au Gres south began to really heat up in late June and early July with good numbers of fish coming from the 17-30 foot depths south of Point Au Gres. Mini Silver Streaks and Stingers run off a three-way swivel above a Rattle Tot have been working well, while the little spoons have also been productive behind the Luhr Jensen No. 3 Dipsey Diver and the bigger Big Jon Mini Diver.
Anglers can look forward to fast action, because there is a huge year class of 14-14 1/2-inch walleye in the fishery.
The tournament director will have the trailer at the Northpoint Marina, Au Gres 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 the Northpoint Marina.
"The weigh-ins are always a lot of fun for people to attend. I encourage folks to come out early. It's free to the public, fun and educational. We will also have a couple of Aqua-Vu underwater cameras set up in our release tanks so that the public can see how they work. There are excellent teams fishing the Michigan Region, so this will be a great time for folks to learn what presentations and tactics ware working to trigger the fish," added Barringer.
For those interested in entering, the entry fee remains at $210 per team for the Saginaw Bay Tournament. Openings do still exist for the Saginaw Bay tournament, 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. There is a lot of excitement as we come to the end of our regular season tournaments in all seven regions," added Barringer.
Major national sponsors for the GNWC include Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, Lowrance Electronics, YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO, Aqua-VU, Aqua Innovations, Cabela's and UpNorthOutdoors.com. National championship sponsors are Towtector Shield and the FoodSource Lure Corporation.