GNWC-Minnesota Region-Whitefish Chain Results

Keeping on the Move Triggers Win for Klemmensen, Hering at Whitefish Chain of Lakes

By Steve Weisman
GNWC Publicity Director
On a day when the bite on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes was definitely tough for the teams competing on the Minnesota Region of the Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC), the words heard over and over were "you gotta keep moving!"
That is exactly what the team of Todd Klemmensen from Edina, MN and Brent Hering from Maple Grove, MN did as they captured the $1200 first place check with a four-fish weight of 13.23 pounds.
The team of Brand Stockman from Pine River, MN and Mark Dammann from Glencoe, MN cashed the $600 second place check with a five-fish weight of 12.07 pounds.
Third place and a check for $550 went to the team of Corey Bohn from Kensington, MN and Jason Overby from Marshall, MN with a four-fish weight of 7.07 pounds.
The Cabela's Big Fish Award of a $200 Cabela's shopping spree and $260 in the option Big Fish Pot went to the team of Chad Benson and Joe Edlund with a 6.45-pound walleye.
"This was definitely a tough bite," said GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer. "It was one of those days where it seemed you had to keep moving from spot to spot to find the fish."
According to Klemmensen, he and his partner kept an open mind. "We had to because we didn't get a fish until after 10 o'clock."
Hering agreed, "We had a really slow start, and kept moving from spot to spot. I'll be we tried 20 spots before we finally found some fish."
When they did find active fish, Klemmensen and Hering trolled silver spinners and nightcrawlers along the edge of the deep weeds in 16 feet of water. Even after they found a fish, they had to keep moving because "the walleyes really move around on Upper Whitefish," noted Hering.
Stockman and Dammann found their fish in 13-14 feet of water fishing the mouth of the Pine River area. They used Lindy Rigs and leeches, moving along the edges of the weedline and then working the pockets of the weedbed.
Bohn and Overby caught their first two fish Lindy Rigging along the deep weed edges on the bar that separates Upper and Middle Whitefish. Then, with less than half an hour to go in the tournament, they decided to switch to crankbaits and caught two nice fish in 15 minutes. However, it was too little, too late to make a run at first place.
The Yo So Close Award, provided by AMFYOYO, manufacturer of the innovative stowable folding landing net, went to the three teams just finishing out of the money. They Ronald and Brian Swanson from Osceola, WI in 9th place; John Madson from Cokato, MN and Gordon Schreifels from Kimball, MN in 10th place; and Todd Andrist and Tom Smith from Brainerd, MN in 11th place.
After the first two tournaments on the Minnesota Region, the team of Michael Marushin and Jeffrey Clem from Minnetonka, MN leads in the race for the Minnesota Region's Yamaha Outboards Team of the Year award with 13 points, followed by the team of Corey Bohn from Kensington, MN and Jason Overby from Marshall, MN with 21 points.
The next tournament for teams on the Minnesota Region is the Green Lake tournament on Sunday, June 26. For those interested in entering this or any of the remaining qualifiers, call 1-800-890-FISH (3474), or email the GNWC at info@walleyecup.com.
"We're at the halfway point in the Minnesota Region, and we have an exciting race taking place, I encourage people to check out our website at www.walleyecup.com. I think they will find it extremely interesting to see how the teams do in each of the 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.