Grand National Walleye Cup Circuit

Steve Weisman
> GNWC Publicity Director
>
> Grand National Walleye Cup Sets 2003 Tournament Circuits
>
> BY Steve Weisman
> GNWC Publicity Director
> The time has come. The New Standard in Weekend Walleye Tournaments has
> arrived! Executive Director Bernie Barringer has unveiled the new wave in
> team walleye tournaments: The Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC).
> “We are really excited about the introduction of the Grand National
> Walleye Cup. Many tournament anglers have been waiting for a reliable team
> circuit that can offer them a great experience close to home with the
option
> to move up the ladder to a fantastic national championship,” said
Barringer,
> who has the experience of successfully running 70 walleye team events in
the
> state of Iowa over the past nine years.
> For its inaugural season, the GNWC will feature five events each in
five
> states: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Each state
> will have four qualifying events followed by a State Championship. The
entry
> fee is $210 per team for all events with an 80 percent payback. Also, $10
of
> the entry fee will go to an enhanced fishing conservation fund that goes
> directly back to enhance that state’s fishery.
> “What makes the GNWC so unique is that anglers can choose to fish in
> just their own state, or they can compete for the National Championship.
> National championship teams will compete for up to $50,000 in cash and
> prizes. However, to become a National team eligible for advancement to the
> National Championship, the team must put $100 into the National
Championship
> pot before the first event in their region,” added Barringer. “By doing
> this, we feel we are meeting the needs of those teams who want to
experience
> tournament fishing in their state, while at the same time we are adding
> another level for those teams who want to go beyond that and fish for the
> National Championship.”
> A total of 100 National Championship teams will be invited to fish in
> the National Championship. “In this first year only, we will take the top
20
> National Teams from each region. In other words, the top 20 teams from
each
> region who have declared their entry into the National Championship
> competition will converge on West Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa next fall
> for the GNWC National Championship,” said Barringer.
> A guaranteed payout for each qualifier will include at least a $1000
> first place check, while State Championships are expected to be between
> $4000 and $5000. The National Championship will be $15,000 for first place
> including cash and prizes. National Championship teams will compete for up
> to $50,000 in cash and prizes.
> In addition, the GNWC National Championship will be television on a
> national network. “We’re pleased to be able to showcase the top 100 GNWC
> teams for a national television audience on a quality fishery such as West
> Lake Okoboji. As we finalize the details, we will release more information
> about the program,” said Barringer.
> Barringer noted, “We have been fine-tuning the formula for a couple of
> years, and I believe the GNWC is truly what most weekend walleye
tournament
> anglers are looking for. Our goal is to run a national circuit with
> integrity and offer the competing teams quality events at quality walleye
> fisheries.”
> An additional benefit of becoming a GNWC team is the opportunity to get
the
> GNWC official magazine Walleye Wisdom. The magazine will include complete
> tournament coverage, walleye how-to articles and tips to help people
become
> better anglers. “When teams fish the GNWC, they become GNWC members,
and
> with that membership comes a free subscription to Walleye Wisdom. The
first
> year the magazine will be published twice a year, and after that it will
> become a quarterly magazine,” noted Barringer.
> The concept of the GNWC has also generated enthusiasm from sponsors.
> “It’s been good to see the way top national fishing companies have cast
> their support behind walleye tournament anglers by sponsoring the GNWC.
> They, too, see the potential for a professionally run team circuit that is
> sure to become the new standard by which all smaller circuits are judged,”
> added Barringer.
> For more information on the GNWC, check out the GNWC website at
> http://www.walleyecup.com. The website is intended to be the hub for GNWC
members.
> “We’ve worked very hard to make the GNWC website an important site to
visit
> on the Internet,” added Barringer. The site will include detailed
> scheduling information on locations and host communities, tournament
results
> and highlights, how-to articles, along with a message board and free
> classifieds for members. “We think members will like the design of the
> website and how user friendly it is. The message board will be a great
place
> to ask questions and receive answers, to talk about the GNWC and to just
> plain talk fishing,” said Barringer.
> Interested anglers can also call 1-800-890-FISH (3474). “We expect to
> have a high volume of calls as people find out about the GNWC,” said
> Barringer, “so we have hired an answering service to help out. If the
lines
> are busy, a quick way to get ahold of us is to email the GNWC at
> [email protected].”
> Major sponsors for the GNWC include Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards,
ABU
> Garcia and Berkley.
> Yes, there’s a “New Standard in Weekend Walleye Tournaments”! It’s the
> GNWC, and the action is just beginning!
>
> Listed below are the dates and locations:
>
> Iowa GNWC Schedule
>
> Tournament: Little River
> Date: April 13
> Location: South Ramp
> Host Lodging: Little River Motel (fills fast)
> Hwy 2 & 69, Leon
> 641-446-4884
> Host Bait Shop: One Stop Malt Shop
> Hwy 2, Decatur City
> 641-446-8411
> Additional lodging: Chief Lamoni Motel, Super-8 in Lamoni
>
> Tournament: Clear Lake
> Date: May 4
> Location: McIntosh Woods
> Host Lodging: Lake Country Inn
> 2 Miles West of I-35 on Hwy 18
> 888-357-2185
> http://www.netmation.com/lci
> Host Bait Shop: Dome Bait
> Ventura Bay
> 641-829-4418
>
> Tournament: Okoboji
> Date: May 25
> Location: Hwy 9 Ramp
> Host Lodging: Super 8
> Hwy 9 West, Spirit Lake
> 712-336-4901
> Host Bait Shop: Kabele’s Trading Post
> 504 Hill Ave, Spirit Lake
> 712-336-1512
> http://www.vacationokoboji.com
>
> Tournament: Mississippi River, Prairie du Chien
> Date: Sunday, June 22
> Location: Villa Louis
> Host Lodging: AmericInn
> Hwy 18 West Praire du Chien
> 800-634-3444
>
> Championship: Clear Lake
> Date: Sept. 13-14
>
> Illinois GNWC Schedule
>
> Host motels are near the boat ramp sites, and most are offering a discount
> to GNWC anglers so be sure to identify that you are with the tournament.
> Host Bait shops have agreed to be open at 5:00-5:30 a.m. the morning of
the
> tournament.
>
> Tournament: Spring Valley
> Date: March 30
> Barto’s Landing
> Host lodging: Riviera Motel
> Hwys 6& 89 (exit 70)
> 815-894-2225
> More info: Illinois Valley C of C 815-223-0227
>
> Tournament: Springfield Lake
> Date: April 27
> Location: Lindsay Boat Ramp
> Lake Shore Drive, Springfield, IL
> Host Lodging: Super 8 East
> I-55 at exit 96
> 217-528-8889
>
> Tournament: Clinton Lake
> Date: May 11
> Clinton Sate Recreation Area
> 217-935-8722
> Host Lodging: Wye Motel
> Hwy 54 E, Clinton
> 217-935-3373
>
> Tournament: Mississippi River-Albany
> Date: June 8
> Location: Albany Boat Ramp
> Host Lodging: Best Western
> Hwy 67 & 30, Clinton
> 800-728-7112
>
> Championship: Evergreen Lake
> Date: July 12-13
>