For Immediate Release
Iowa Regional Teams Head for Okoboji Chain of Lakes
By Steve Weisman
Gander Mountain GNWC Publicity Director
With the first tournament on the Iowa Region in the books, the Gander
Mountain Grand National Walleye Cup now heads northwest to the Iowa Great
Lakes and Lake Okoboji on Sunday, May 9.
Teams will have the opportunity to fish the gin clear blue waters of
West Okoboji, head to the shallower East Okoboji or pick out one of the
other smaller lakes in the chain as they vie for a berth in the Regional
Championship at Big Spirit Lake in September.
“With the variety of waters on this chain of lakes, these teams will
definitely have to do their homework. We’ve seen winners come from the mud
basin of Lower Gar all the way to the deep, deep waters of West Okoboji.
Each year is a little different, and that’s the challenge of fishing
Okoboji,” said Gander Mountain GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer.
Heading into this second tournament, the team of Randy Mumm and Jim
Juhlin, who won the first tournament at Clear Lake is the leading team in
the race for the Iowa Region Team of the Year. “Randy and Jim are off to a
great start. However, there are lots of excellent teams in the Iowa Region,
and I have learned that anything can happen between now and the final
qualifier.”
Openings still exist for the Okoboji qualifier and Barringer encourages
interested anglers to contact him at 1-800-890-FISH (3474), or email the
GNWC at [email protected]. The tournament director will have the trailer
at the Hwy 9 Boat Ramp area from 6-8 p.m. the evening before the tournament
to take late entries and answer questions.
Teams are to meet at the Hwy 9 Boat Ramp the morning of the tournament
for registration and mandatory boat check. Host bait shop is Kabele’s
Trading Post.
Take-off is at 7 a.m. with the weigh-in commencing at 3 p.m. sharp. “We
anticipate a great crowd at the weigh-in. It’s wide open and with our stage
it is easy for people to see and hear what is going on. The weigh-in is also
a great place for people to learn what presentations worked. I know that
many times we will have people at the weigh-in who learn a technique and
then head out to try their luck,” added Barringer.
Title Sponsor for the GNWC is Gander Mountain with other major national
sponsors including Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, the Sportsman Channel,
Berkley, Aqua Innovations, YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO, VIB”E” Lure
Company, TowTector Shield and UpNorth Outdoors.com. Iowa Regional sponsors
include Carlson-Sanderson Real Estate, Motor Inn, Inc., and Triggs Bay
Resort.