Wilson Lake Up Next for Great Plains Region
By Steve Weisman
GNWC Publicity Director
Teams who are fishing the Great Plains (Kansas/Nebraska) circuit of the
Grand National Walleye Cup (GNWC) are preparing for the second tournament
scheduled for Sunday, May 29 at Wilson Lake in central Kansas.
With over 9,000 acres, Wilson Lake is known for its clean and often
times clear water conditions. According to fisheries biologists, there is an
excellent walleye population, and regulations include a 15-inch minimum
length limit. Rolling hills and sandstone bluffs surround Wilson Lake, so
anglers need to prepare for both south and north winds that funnel through
the canyons.
Bud and Gladys George, owners of Bud’s Bait and Tackle, note that the
walleye bite has been excellent in May. “We’ve seen a lot of fish coming in.
The average size will probably be in that 15-17 inch size. We’ll have plenty
of bait on hand.”
According the GNWC Executive Director, this will be the second time the
Great Plains Region has had a tournament on Wilson Lake. “The Great Plains
Region Championship was held there last August, so we were talking about a
late summer bite back then. Now, we’re looking at late May, and all
indications are that the fishing will be good.”
The tournament director will have the trailer at Wilson State Park at
the Hell Creek Recreation Area 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 the Hell Creek Recreation
Area.
“I encourage the general public to come to Saturday’s weigh-in. There is
no cost to attend, and it is a great opportunity for folks to get a glimpse
at what tournament fishing is all about. 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 at Wilson Lake.
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,” added Barringer.
For those interested in entering, the entry fee remains at $210 per
team for each tournament. Openings do still exist for the Wilson Lake
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
is happening in all 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 VIB”E” Lure Company.