South Dakota GNWC Teams Compete for Title at Angostura Reservoir
By Steve Weisman GNWC Publicity Director
The top 30 teams on the South Dakota Region of the Grand National
Walleye Cup (GNWC) are making final preparations for the South
Dakota State Championship of Walleye Fishing which will be held
at Angostura Reservoir on August 27-28. The teams will be competing
for a guaranteed $5000 for first place, plus trophies. In addition,
the winners will receive the Lowrance "YOU WIN!" award of two
Lowrance LMS-332C color sonar/GPS units valued at $1400, making
the total first place purse worth $6400. Leading the way will
be the Yamaha Outboards South Dakota Region Team of the Year
Doug Iverson from Pierre, SD and Rolfe Behrend from Brookings,
SD. They ended up 14 points ahead of their nearest competitor.
Angostura is a huge holding reservoir for the Cheyenne River,"
said GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer. "It is an excellent
walleye fishery, and I expect to see some quality fish brought
to the scales." Located 10 miles southeast of Hot Springs, Angostura's
water levels fluctuate throughout the summer months because
it is also used for irrigation purposes. With 36 miles of shoreline,
a maximum depth of 75 feet at full capacity, Angostura offers
anglers a variety of underwater structures, vast flats, sandy
and rocky shorelines. According to Dave Longacre of Hot Springs,
an Angostura regular, who fishes local walleye tournaments each
year, Angostura will pose several challenges for the teams.
"Angostura is a great fishing lake. It is low, though, because
they are drawing water out for irrigation. However, there is
still 50-60 feet of water by the dam and 30 feet off the shale
banks. What the teams will have to overcome right now is the
incredibly clear water and the fact that Angostura is loaded
with shad." Longacre continued, "The walleyes are there, and
they are in great shape. They have plenty of food. It's going
to be a matter of figuring out what presentation will match
the baitfish. I really think that there will be some big fish
brought in." Although the tournament competition begins on Saturday,
August 27, the activities for the South Dakota teams actually
begin on Friday evening with the Championship banquet at the
Scotty's Roundup. The South Dakota Championship competition
headquarters for take-off and weigh-in will be at the marina
at the north end of the lake. Saturday's action begins at 7
a.m. with the opening ceremonies and take-off. Weigh-in will
be at 3 p.m. Sunday follows the same time frame with the weigh-in
festivities beginning at 3 p.m. Sunday's weigh-in will determine
who will walk away with the South Dakota State Championship
of Walleye Fishing title. "We hope to have a good crowd at each
day's weigh-in. It is a great way for the public to witness
some great fishing action," noted Barringer. "Weigh-ins begin
at 3 p.m. each day. The first day will be a day of positioning,
but the second day will be for the title. Plus, on the second
day, we will find out from the top teams what strategies they
used to catch their fish." Special awards will be give out at
the Championships including the Cabelas Big Fish Award of a
$200 shopping spree for the team that catches the largest walleye
during the two-day Championships. In addition, an optional Big
Fish Pot will go to the team catching the overall big fish during
the Championships. Skeeter Boats is offering an additional $3000
above their GNWC winnings to any owner of a Skeeter boat who
wins the Great Plains Championship of Walleye Fishing while
fishing in the Skeeter. In addition, the top-finishing Skeeter
owner will receive $1000. This extra $1000 is above the $3000
for winning. YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO will offer the Yo
So Close Award of an $80 folding net to the three teams finishing
just out of the money. TowTector, maker of the premium boat
protector for towing vehicles, will offer the Towtector Comeback
Award of a Towtector Shield valued at $269 for the team advancing
the most places from day one to day two. The FoodSource Lure
Company is sponsoring $200 in FoodSource Lures for the top placing
family team. Those interested in checking out the standings,
reading the releases about any of the seven regions or simply
learning more about the circuit can access the GNWC website
at www.walleyecup.com. 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 FoodSource Lure Corporation
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