By Steve Weisman
It’s getting ever closer, the 37th annual Great Walleye Weekend is just around the corner! Slated for May 3-5, the Great Walleye Weekend kicks off on Friday evening when Great Lakes Marine (www.greatlakesmarineco.com) hosts its annual Great Lakes Marine Kick-Off Seminar and Open House from 4-9 p.m., at the Great Lakes Marine Showroom.
Cost will be $5, which includes a meal and seminars by Scott Peterson, Humminbird pro staffer and expert; Jon Thelen, host of the popular Lindy’s Fish Ed TV program along with both boat and motor representatives.
According to owners Shane and Christa Kendall, the goal is to bring anglers together for a fun and educational evening. “Food, fun, fellowship and then you add in fishing…it makes for a great time spent with great people,” says Shane.
Peterson’s seminar will give those in attendance a refresher course, so to speak, and the opportunity to learn more about the advanced technology of Humminbird electronics. Anglers will have the chance to ask Peterson specific questions about electronics.
Thelen, a former guest presenter at the Okoboji Blue Water Festival, is both host to the highly popular Lindy’s Fish Ed TV and also a highly acclaimed professional walleye angler. Thelen will cover early season walleye techniques and will be more than willing to take questions and answers from the audience about topics that directly affect anglers right here in the Iowa Great Lakes.
People planning on attending should pre-register at being taken at Great Lakes Marine (located just east of Pizza Ranch on HWY 9). For more information, give Shane and Christa a call at (712) 336-3822.
It’s for the kids
Stan’s Bait and Tackle, Oak Hill Outdoor, Perkins and Boji Junction are partnering to make the Walleye Weekend special for kids. Travis Harman, owner of Stan’s Bait, says, “Our goal is to give youngsters a reason to be part of Walleye Weekend. The first 100 youth 14 and under that register for the Youth Walleye Weekend by midnight Friday here at Stan’s Bait and Tackle will receive a free Zebco rod and reel combo and a lure from either Pure Fishing or Shucks Lures, along with a free kid’s meal from Perkins. They will also be part of a special drawing on Saturday afternoon.”
During the weekend, Oak Hill Outdoor is offering Jiggin’ at the Junction with a display of boats and will also feature pro walleye angler, Jim Carroll from Minot, ND. Early Saturday morning Carroll will take two veterans and one youngster fishing. Then at 1 p.m., Oak Hill Outdoor will offer a meet and greet with Carroll followed by a walleye seminar at 2 p.m. The first 75 people in attendance will win a door prize.
The big news for the kids that registered at Stan’s Bait and Tackle will be the special drawing after Carroll’s seminar. Harman says, “All of the kids’ names will be put in a hat, and we’ll draw four names with each one getting a specially guided fishing trip by one of four local guides: Rod Blau, Shawn Haley, Darrin Jones and Captain Chad Loreth.”
Each winner will get to take an adult and one other youngster (brother, sister, friend) on the fishing trip. Three winners will also get a St. Croix rod and Daiwa reel donated by 3-D Lawn Care and one will win a JT rod donated by Captain Chad Loreth.
It’s about the weekend
Kabele’s Trading Post’s focus for the weekend is on the anglers, the fisheries and the community. Owners Thane and Tanya Johnson are excited to host anglers for the 37th annual Great Walleye Weekend. Anglers will receive a Kabele’s cup when they register for the contest, and those anglers that weigh-in their catch at Kabele’s will get their name put into a drawing for $2500 in 13 Fishing tackle with eight names drawn.
The Spirit Lake Protective Association will also have a booth set up Friday afternoon and also on Saturday over lunch. Representatives will be there to explain what the association does, its history and the role it plays in protecting the watershed and waters of Big Spirit Lake. Memberships will also be available.
A one-stop shop
Oh Shucks Bait and Tackle is just that: the only one-stop shop in the Iowa Great Lakes Region. Owner Steve Pflueger has been offering the one-stop concept for the past 20 years. “That’s what we offer to both residents and visitors. We have anything that an angler would need from tackle, to live bait, to clothes, to food and gas.” Tongue in cheek and with a wink, Pflueger also notes, “We’ll offer the most updated ‘fake fishing news’ in the Iowa Great Lakes all weekend!”
Gill netting done quickly
What a difference a year makes. The ice never went out in 2018 until April 29, while this year’s official iceout was Monday, April 8! This, of course, made the walleye collection at the Spirit Lake Hatchery much sooner than a year ago. As a matter of fact, the gill netting was completed by April 14! Here are the results:
- April 8 on East Okoboji 315 walleyes
- April 9 on East Okoboji 243 walleyes
- April 13 on East Okoboji 407 walleyes
- April 14 on East Okoboji 163 walleyes
Total on East Okoboji = 1,128 walleyes
- April 13 on Big Spirit 643 walleyes
- April 14 on Big Spirit 629 walleyes
Total on Big Spirit = 1,272 walleyes
Is that awesome or what? 2400 walleyes! As DNR Fisheries Biologist Mike Hawkins always tells me: right water temperature + right photo light period (midi-April) makes for the best gill netting time. As for walleye fishing for the opener, Hawkins says, “With the spawn being completed this soon, they should be recovered and have the feedbag on!” Hawkins added that walleye numbers are excellent on the Okobojis and Big Spirit with good numbers of 14-16+ inch fish along with an abundant supply of slot fish.
Of course, we have to take into consideration the weather for the opener and the water clarity, but it looks like it could be a great walleye weekend.
Taking a Look at the Great Walleye Weekend
This will be the 37th annual Great Walleye Weekend and is set for May 3-5 with the fishing weekend officially beginning on Saturday at 12:01 a. m. This two-day fishing tournament brings thousands of anglers to the Iowa Great Lakes to see if they can catch one of the specially tagged walleye. In 2018, nearly 2000 individuals entered the contest.
Of course, Mother Nature hasn’t been kind so far this spring, with incredibly high waters from runoff, but at least all of the Iowa Great Lakes have been free of ice since Monday, April 8.
This year’s event includes the opportunity to catch one of the 10-tagged walleyes with a grand prize worth $37,000. Although it doesn’t happen very often, in 2017, Josh Brenner of Ames caught one of the specially tagged walleyes at 5:30 Saturday morning off of Templar Park on Big Spirit Lake and was awarded $35,000 for his efforts.
Last year during the extended contest, which runs through the end of August, two tagged walleyes were caught, but only one was caught by an angler registered in the contest. Payoff for that fish was just over $2000.
In addition to the tagged walleyes, Pure Fishing provides $3500 in prizes for the heaviest stringer of three walleye, heaviest northern pike, heaviest stringer of five panfish and heaviest stringer of 10 bullhead. In addition, a $1000 in chamber bucks will be awarded in a special drawing with first place awarded $500, second place $300 and third place $200.
Registration forms are available online at www.okobojichamber.com or you can register in person at Great Lakes Marine, Fisherman’s Factory Outlet, Kabele’s Trading Post, Oh Shucks, Stan’s Bait & Tackle, and at the Iowa Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce office in Arnolds Park. For more information regarding the 37th Annual Walleye Weekend, please visit www.okobojichamber.com or call (712) 332-2107.
To enter the Walleye Weekend contest, the cost is $25 for individuals 16 years of age and older and $15 for anglers 15 and under. The deadline for the general tournament and extended contest registration is at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 3. The summer long extended contest will run through 11:59 p.m. on August 31.
