Steve Weisman
GNWC Publicity Director
Grand National Walleye Cup Kicks Off South Dakota Circuit at on the Missouri
River at Chamberlain
By Steve Weisman
GNWC Publicity Director
Teams competing in the South Dakota circuit of Grand National Walleye
Cup (GNWC) are making final preparations for the Sunday, May 4 opener on
Lake Francis Case at Chamberlain.
GNWC director Bernie Barringer had this to say about the South Dakota
circuit. “It is exciting to bring the GNWC to South Dakota. We have had an
excellent response from anglers in the state, and we think starting on Lake
Francis Case is a great way to kick off the season. Headquartering out of
Chamberlain will allow anglers to be able to fish key waters both north and
south of the Cedar Shore boat ramp.
According to Barringer, competing teams should be at the Cedar Shore
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 Cedar Shore, and we’ll take care of the paperwork.”
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. “I really look forward to seeing both teams who have been with
the IWTT and newcomers who are interested in trying the Grand National Cup
when we kick things off at Little River.”
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: Francis Case
Date: May 4
Location: Cedar Shore
888-697-6363
Host Lodging: Cedar Shore
Host Bait Shop: Cedar Shore
More info: http://www.cedarshore.com
