Steve Weisman
GNWC Publicity Director
GNWC Heads to Clear Lake
By Steve Weisman
GNWC Publicity Director
Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC) teams get ready! You’re next stop is
Clear Lake, one of the traditional walleye hotspots in Iowa.
Preparations for the second qualifier on the Iowa Circuit of the GNWC at
Clear Lake on Sunday, May 4 are now being completed.
GNWC director Bernie Barringer had this to say about Clear Lake. “What a
great fishery Clear Lake is! Our teams have always had great success here,
and although the spring fishing started a little slow, it continues to
improve as the water temperatures warm.”
According to Barringer, competing teams should be at the McIntosh Woods
boat ramp between 6-6:30 Sunday morning to sign in and participate in
mandatory boat inspections. The tournament hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Weigh-in begins precisely at 3 p.m., with awards to follow. “If there are
some teams who decide to enter at the last minute, teams can still sign up
on Sunday morning. Just show up at McIntosh Woods, and we’ll take care of
the paperwork.”
Barringer continued, “We had an excellent turnout at our first qualifier
at Little River in April. Dean Higgins did an excellent job as Tournament
Director there, and I know he is looking forward to directing the Clear Lake
qualifier.”
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.
In addition, there is the chance to become a National team eligible for
advancement to the National Championship. “To be eligible, the team must put
$100 into the National Championship pot before the first event in their
region,” added Barringer.
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. At this point, there is a great opportunity
to advance to the National Championship in all of the states,” added
Barringer.
Interested anglers can also call 1-800-890-3474, email the GNWC at
[email protected] or get on the GNWC website at walleyecup.com to catch up
on updated information from all five states.
One last bit of news on the GNWC circuit is the addition of The
Sportsman Channel as a major sponsoring partner. Barringer had this to say
about the Sportsman Channel. “The Sportsman Channel will air all of our
state championships. It is a new and upcoming channel that I think outdoor
enthusiasts will really like. From the research I have done, I think they
will offer a top quality product. For those who do not get the Sportsman
Channel, I encourage you to call your local cable company or satellite
television provider and ask for it.”
Major sponsoring partners for the GNWC include Ranger Boats, Mercury
Outboards, Berkley, Abu-Garcia, The Sportsman Channel and
UpNorthOutdoors.com.
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
