For Immediate Release
For more information, contact
218-587-2864
Minnesota GNWC Teams Prepare for First Tournament at Red Wing
By Steve Weisman
GNWC Publicity Director
Finally! Minnesota walleye tournament anglers have had a long wait, but the
first tournament on the Minnesota Region of the Grand National Walleye Cup
(GNWC) is just about here!
Set for the Mississippi River at Red Wing on Sunday, May 8, the Red Wing
qualifier is the first of four tournaments in the Minnesota Region, which
ultimately leads to the Minnesota Region Championship on September 10-11 at
Lake Bemidji.
Also on the line is the chance to compete for a berth in the 2005 GNWC
National Championship presented by Skeeter Boats and Yamaha Outboards with a
first place prize of two fully rigged WX 1880 Skeeter boats rigged with
Yamaha outboards, Minnkota electric trolling motors and Lowrance
Electronics. With a retail value of $35,000 per rig, this brings the first
place purse at the National Championship to $70,000.
“The GNWC is a walleye circuit that targets the weekend warrior. It
gives anglers an opportunity to get a taste of competitive walleye fishing
without having to tie up extended periods of time and a lot of money in
entry fees,” said GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer.
According to Barringer, the Red Wing Tournament is a great way to kick
off the Minnesota Region. “We were here on the corresponding weekend last
year. It took a 6-pound kicker fish to be near the top. I look for this year
to be the same.”
Tim Zimmerman, who works at the Four Seasons Bait Shop, looks for good
fishing. “After the spawn, the fish really spread out, and it was tough to
get numbers of fish. By that time in May, the walleyes should be moving from
the dam back to Lake Pepin.” That should help anglers lock in on where the
fish are.
The tournament director will have the trailer at Colvill Park 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 Colvill Park.
“I encourage the general public to come to Sunday’s weigh-in. There is
no cost, and it is a great opportunity for folks to get a glimpse at what
tournament fishing is all about. I expect the race for first to be really
tight just like it was a year ago, which will provide a lot of excitement.
Also, we will have a couple of Aqua-Vu underwater cameras set up in our
release tanks so that the public can see how they work. The audience will
also get to hear from the teams and find out what presentations and tactics
worked to trigger the fish. This is a great way to learn about taking
walleyes on the Mississippi River,” added Barringer.
For those interested in entering, the entry fee remains at $210 per
team for each tournament. Openings do still exist for the Red Wing
qualifier, and Barringer encourages interested anglers to contact him at
1-800-890-FISH (3474), or email the GNWC at [email protected]. “I also
encourage people to check out our website at http://www.walleyecup.com and see what
the Grand National Walleye Cup is all about,” 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 VIB”E” Lure Company.
