Long Prairie anglers win Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic

[Iceberg]

Long Prairie anglers win Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic
Contributed by Corey Bohn, Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic tournament director

Kevin Hanson and Jamie Wall, of Long Prairie, came from fourth place on day one to win the 2006 Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic with a two-day total weight of 20.40 lbs. For their efforts, they took home the $6,000 cash first place payout. The tournament took place Sept. 16-17. 

Ken Neumann, of Glenwood, and Jack Greengo, of Alexandria, finished second ($2,070) with a two-day total weight of 17.34 lbs., followed by Josh Dyrstad and Riley Miller, of Alexandria, in third place ($1,380) with a two-day total of 16.78 lbs.

Winning the Father/Son Division were Tony and Charlie Renner, of Hutchinson, with a two-day total weight of 13.66 lbs. Team Renner received $310 for their divisional win and another $410 for finishing in 9th place overall.

Glen and Belinda Wink, of Alexandria, were crowned the Husband/Wife Division winners ($310) with a two-day total weight of 15.36 lbs. Team Wink also cashed checks for finishing in 5th place overall ($930) and they netted another $450 for having the biggest overall walleye on day two (5.50 lbs.) to take home $1,690 for their efforts. They were also the defending 2005 Husband/Wife Division champions.

Day one's biggest walleye (4.26 lbs., $450) went to the team of Nate Olson, of Mound, and Jamie Turk, of Minnetonka.

Strong thunderstorms, heavy rain and heavy wind hit the Glenwood area on Sept. 15 and 16, but the teams were able to fish a full day on Saturday after being delayed one hour on Sunday.

Tournament officials held the boats on their trailers Sunday morning after sustained winds of 40 mph rolled into the launch and weigh-in site on day two between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. as the teams were arriving for their check-ins.

Following a brief team meeting, all teams traveled from the Glenwood City Beach to the west end of the lake by vehicle and launched at the Hobo Park Marina in Starbuck and began fishing by 8 a.m.

"Considering the weather and the strong thunderstorms that went through each night, the bite really held up," said Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic tournament director, Corey Bohn.

"We knew heading into the tournament that the bite was going really good as many of the teams were reporting high numbers of fish and some really nice walleyes during prefishing," Bohn said.

Saturday's walleye total of 111 walleyes weighed (average weight of 1.63 lbs.) was nearly double the total of 57 walleyes caught for the entire tournament the previous year. Sunday's 119 walleyes caught (1.73 lbs avg. weight) saw the teams shatter the previous tournament total of 157 fish caught in 2004. Last year's (2005) two-day winning weight was just under 10 lbs. under tough bite conditions.

Bohn said, "To bring 230 legal fish to the scales this year was really a tribute to the 52 teams. They stuck to their game plan and the lake really responded with some great fishing."

Tournament rules allowed six walleyes per day per team with a minimum length of 15-inches. Each team was allowed two walleyes per day over 20-inches with a no cull rule in effect.

"Some of the teams reported catching upwards of 30 fish a day, and with the no cull rule, some were releasing legal fish in hopes of catching bigger fish, while numerous teams reported releasing high numbers of 14 1/2 to 14 3/4-inch fish," said Bohn.

"Those walleyes will all be legal fish next year, and when you add to those fish the high numbers of 18 to 23-inch fish that are already in the lake the prospects for next year look really good," Bohn said.

This year's 2006 Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic saw the fish already in their fall patterns as crankbaits in five to six feet of water (trolled at speeds of 3 to 4 mph) took the vast majority of the fish for the top 15 teams.

"The teams were having a lot of fun, because the fish were aggressive and they were really smacking those shallow running crankbaits," said Bohn. "Some were getting them right away in the morning, but it was like flipping a light switch at about 1 p.m. each day, because they really got going in the afternoon and the teams were netting a lot of walleyes along with numbers of 4 to 5-lb. smallmouth."

"What a great lake," said tournament angler Brad Carr, of Ottertail. "Having never fished Minnewaska before it took us until the second day of prefishing to find the walleyes and once we did, the vast majority of them were 18 to 23-inches, just beautiful fish. When you add to that the nice smallies that are in this lake it (Minnewaska)  becomes a tremendous fishery. We had a lot of fun and can't wait to come back."

Anglers from five states participated in this year's Fall Walleye Classic. Otis Funk, of Green Bay, WI, was presented a Stearns parka and bib dryware combo for traveling the furthest. Of the 230 walleyes caught during this year's tournament, 218 (95 percent) were successfully released back in to the lake.

An outdoor television show about the tournament promotes Lake Minnewaska along with Glenwood and Starbuck. The show will air in March of 2007 of FSN (Fox Sports Net North). Look for updates on air times in the Pope County Tribune at a later date.

Tournament director Corey Bohn issued a thanks to the City of Glenwood and the DNR Fisheries and Trails and Waterways for working to improve the ramps on the Glenwood end of the lake due to low water conditions, while also thanking the Minnewaska Lake Association board members who volunteered their time to serve the food during the hog roast for the teams following the day one weigh-ins.

Bohn added, "Also, thanks to Minnewaska Meats for donating the hog and Minnewaska Marine for helping with equipment and gear for the weigh-ins, as well as all sponsors and those who volunteered their efforts during the 2006 Fall Walleye Classic."