By Steve Weisman
The 41st Walleye Weekend can definitely be determined a huge success held on the Iowa Great Lakes May 6-7.! Nearly 2,000 anglers entered the contest to give themselves a chance at catching one of the 10 tagged walleyes worth $41,000. None of the 10 tagged walleyes were caught when the weekend’s contest ended with the noon Sunday banquet and awards ceremony.
That quickly changed when Dennis Weerheim caught one of the tagged walleyes off his dock on Big Spirit Lake on Sunday night around 10 p.m.
Weerheim, who had registered for the extended contest, brought his tagged fish in to Kabele’s Trading Post and Lodge on Monday morning, where the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce confirmed his tag and registration. The tagged walleye garnered Weerheim a check for $5,080. A total of nine tagged walleye remain in the area lakes, and two more will be paid out if caught before the August 31 deadline.
According to Tanya Johnson, she and her husband Thane who are owners of Kabele’s Trading Post and Lodge, were definitely excited about Weerheim’s catch. Tanya says, “On Friday, I told a lot of customers that I think it’s going to be caught. I actually went to bed really bummed, and now we can’t even believe it. He was 10 hours late, but he still received a nice check and was so excited for that amount.”
In his own words
Weerheim was fishing off his dock on the east side of Big Spirit Lake near little Stony Point. In telling his story, Weerheim says, “My wife was getting ready for bed, so I told her I’d go down to the dock and fish for a while. I already had caught two, when I hooked this fish. As I reeled it in, I saw something on the fish’s back. I had a feeling that it was a tag, so when I got it in the net, I went right to shore to check it out and make sure I didn’t drop it in the water!”
After verifying the tag, Weerheim began to worry about whether he should put the tagged walleye in the metal basket. “I couldn’t get it checked at Kabele’s until morning, so I was concerned that maybe overnight, the tag might get caught in the basket and pop out. We talked about it, but there really wasn’t anything else I could do. I didn’t get a lot of sleep that night worrying about the tag.”
Weerheim had to work at 7:30 on Monday morning, but he knew that Kabele’s opened at 7 a.m., “So I was there a little before 7, and they were already open. I had no idea what the prize money would be. I thought maybe $100 or even $500. I was shocked when I found out it would be $5080.”
Tanya says with a chuckle, “He was using a lighted bobber and a Kabele’s leech, to be exact. Dennis and his wife are regular customers.”
What a Walleye Opener
Kiley Zankowski, directory of marketing and events for the IGLA Chamber of Commerce, reflects on the impact of the Walleye Opener. “It’s great to welcome individuals from all ages, backgrounds and states across the country to our small town area to showcase the beautiful and abundant natural resources that we have available all year long. Whether it’s from the individual who is visiting for the first time, or the family who has been coming together for years, this event has a large impact on the attendee and community. Each year we hear stories from individuals who have attended Walleye Weekend with their family and friends over the years. We love assisting in creating memories and welcoming people from near and far to our area.”
While there were nearly 2,000 anglers fishing the tournament, there were thousands of others who were simply there to fish, and was it ever a walleye smackdown. Although the walleyes were closed mouth during the day, all of the walleye catching took place in the dark. At 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, things went crazy. Limits of walleyes up to the 19” – 25” slot were taken on both Big Spirit Lake and West Lake Okoboji.
However, the best bite occurred on Big Spirit, with anglers trolling crankbaits in 8-9’ of water using #4 and #5 Flicker Shads, Berkley Hit Sticks and #4 Salmos. In visiting with anglers, they worked different colors and adjusted cranking speed until the walleyes cooperated. It was nothing for boats to catch and release 20-30 and even 50 slot fish (19-25”) in the first four hours of legal fishing.
Biggest walleye contest back
It’s been missing since 2019, but through the use of the Fish Donkey App, nearly 100 registered anglers entered the optional Biggest Walleye Contest (measured by length) with 30 trophy walleyes submitted via the Fish Donkey App. First place went to Karsten Elsen of Milford, with a 27.75 incher worth $435. Second and third place fish were brought in by Dustin Koele of Alton (27”) worth $261 and Drew Laidig of Bettendorf (26.75”) worth $174.
According to Zankowski, “Heaviest Fish categories brought in tons of fish to our local bait shops to be weighed. Over $3,500 in rod and reels were donated from Fisherman’s Factory Outlet and Pure Fishing for the winners of each of these categories.”
Listed below are the results:
Heaviest Stringer of (3) Walleye (Under 19″)
1st Place (Charlie Shuck Memorial Award): Kelly Cook of Spencer, IA with 7.12 lbs
2nd Place: Luke Christiansen of Spencer, IA with 7.00 lbs
3rd Place: Brandon Veen of Worthington, MN with 6.96 lbs
Heaviest Northern Pike
1st Place: John Reising of South Sioux City, NE with 9.57 lbs & 35″
2nd Place: Shawn Vanderweide of Remsen, IA with 8.64 lbs & 35.5″
3rd Place: Zac Christensen of Spencer, IA with 8.46 lbs & 35″
Heaviest Stringer of (10) Bullhead
1st Place: Chris Daisy of Estherville, IA with 13.6 lbs
2nd Place: Wyatt Lincoln of Dexter, IA with 13.31 lbs
3rd Place: Nick Biestedt of Cambridge, IA with 12.69 lbs
Heaviest Stringer of (5) Panfish
1st Place: Brad Cabrera of Barnum, IA with 8.63 lbs
2nd Place: Carter Johnson of Jackson, MN with 8.11 lbs
3rd Place: Chris Daisy of Estherville, IA with 7.14 lbs
Zankowski shared the Chamber’s thoughts about the weekend. “This annual kickoff event brought individuals of varying ages from 16 different states to see what our area has to offer. We would like to congratulate and thank everyone who was involved in the efforts that went into weekend. A huge thank you to our sponsors: City of Arnolds Park, Oak Hill Outdoor, Okoboji Gas Company, Pure Fishing and Fisherman’s Factory Outlet, Okoboji Motor Company, Stan’s Bait and Tackle, Walker Insurance, and Mediacom. An additional thank you to all of the bait shops and weigh-in stations that we are fortunate enough to work with including Fisherman’s Factory Outlet, Kabele’s Trading Post, Oak Hill Outdoor, and Stan’s Bait and Tackle.”
Zankowski continued, “We also want to thank over 60 of our member businesses who donated a variety of items and prize packages to be given out during our Awards Luncheon, and a big thank you to Pure Fishing for generously donating over $3,500 in prizes for our 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in the heaviest fish categories.”
Finally, the Walleye Opener contest is about more than catching fish. It’s about giving back. Zankowski says, “A large portion of proceeds from Walleye Weekend are given back into the community each year to various angling and water quality projects to assist in the longevity of angling in our area. This is a great way to give back to the community and guarantee that generations to come will be able to enjoy the Iowa Great Lakes area and all that it has to offer. Last year we were able to donate $23,500 to various projects in the Iowa Great Lakes and are looking forward to announcing our grant recipients for 2023 very soon.”
Registration is already open for the 42nd Walleye Weekend set for May 4-5, 2024.
(Photos submitted)
(L to R) Thane Johnson, Dennis Weerheim with his tagged walleye and Tanya Johnson.
A healthy tagged walleye in the tanks at Kabele’s Trading Post & Lodging waiting to be
verified.
Top placers in the Heaviest Stringer of (3) Walleye (L to R) Brandon Veen, third place; Kelly Cook, first place; Luke Christiansen, second place.
Karsten Elsen of Milford, with his 27.75” that won the Biggest Walleye contest.
