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Steinhoff and Benz Display Patience on the Way to the GNWC's Minnesota State Walleye Title By Steve Weisman GNWC Publicity Director Displaying the virtue of patience helped propel the team of Bob Steinhoff from Lake Shore and Kevin Benz from Shokopee to the top at the Grand National Walleye Cup's (GNWC) Minnesota State Walleye Championship held Saturday and Sunday on Gull Lake. Their combined two-day weight of 27.05 pounds, which was almost 10 pounds more than the second place team, earned them a check for $3100. Patience was the key because Steinhoff and Benz were Lindy rigging red tailed chubs with six foot snells and 3/4 ounce Lindy sinkers in 22-30 foot along Gull Lake's steep break lines. They would drift or use their electric motor to slowly slide along the break, and by doing so, they could feel the movement of their bait. "Their presentation required great patience," said GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer. "When they felt their chubs get really active, they would feed out line because it meant the chub was struggling to get away from a predator-most likely a walleye. So, they would feed line out, wait for a couple of minutes, then reel up their line until they felt pressure and set the hook." The second place team of Richard Eberspacher from Rockford and John Greig from Brainerd, who cashed a check for $1300 with seven fish and a two-day weight of 17.16 pounds, were less than a pound back after Saturday's competition. However, their bite deteriorated on Sunday, and Steinhoff and Benz pulled away. "Eberspacher and Greig were right there on Saturday with 15.88 pounds," noted Barringer. "They were pulling #9 chartreuse Shad Raps along the deep weedlines of a hump and picked up a 5.82 pounder the first day. I know in talking to them on the stage at Sunday's weigh-in, they were really frustrated because they just couldn't get anything going on the second day." Close behind in third place with 16.27 pounds was the team of Pat Reidel and Jason Moske from Miltona. They worked the deep weed edges with live bait and their 11 fish weighed 16.27 pounds. In addition to winning the Minnesota State Walleye Championship, Steinhoff and Benz took the Abu Garcia Big Fish Award of two Abu Garcia 6500 Linecounter reels for their 7.01 pounder caught on Saturday, while James Breusse and Michael Dubois won the Abu Garcia Big Fish Award on Sunday with a 4.16 pounder. The Big Fish pot of $300 for the largest walleye of the tournament also went to Steinhoff and Benz. The Berkley Family Award of over $200 in Berkley product for the top overall family team went to Dave and Tom Vogt from Owatonna, who finished 7th with 12.50 pounds. The 2003 Mercury Team of the Year in Minnesota, Chad Benson and Joe Edlund from Bemidji ended up in 6th place with 12 walleyes weighing 14.13 pounds. "These two guys really had a tremendous year. They just couldn't get the kicker fish each day that they needed to move them up in the standings." Barringer added, "Gull Lake showed us what a classic northern Minnesota glacial lake is like. It is definitely one of the top walleye fisheries in the Midwest. Although the temperatures climbed to 90 degrees each day, these teams worked hard and proved they belonged in the Minnesota State Walleye Championship." For those interested in learning more about the GNWC, call 1-800-890-3474, email the GNWC at info@walleyecup.com or check out the official GNWC website at walleyecup.com. The website has all of the latest in GNWC information in not only Minnesota, but also in Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Major sponsoring partners for the GNWC include Ranger Boats, Mercury Outboards, Berkley, Abu-Garcia, The Sportsman Channel and UpNorthOutdoors.com. Television viewers who do not have The Sportsman Channel and want to watch the GNWC's television series Walleye Wisdom, are encouraged to call their cable company or satellite television provider and ask them to include it in their package. Fish Clix Banner Exchange Please visit these site sponsors |
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