Grand National Walleye Cup to Open Michigan Region on April 3
Scheduled for Sunday, April 3 on the Detroit River, this qualifier
showcases the first of four exciting tournaments on the Michigan Region.
GNWC Executive Director Bernie Barringer shared his enthusiasm for
the Michigan Region. "This is our second year in Michigan, and we
expect to see tremendous growth in the number of teams competing.
The GNWC continues to offer a walleye circuit that appeals to the
weekend warrior. We offer the experience of competitive tournament
angling in a wholesome, fun atmosphere." Although there is concern
that there might be ice flowage problems for the April 3rd event,
both Barringer and Bill Dougherty, owner of Bottom Line Bait and Tackle,
the host bait shop, feel confident that the waters should be clear.
Dougherty said, "We're seeing some ice flowing through already, and
I think things will be okay by the time of the tournament. We've got
guys out fishing the river already." Barringer added, "I feel pretty
confident that we will be able to have this tournament as scheduled.
We will wait as long as we possibly can, and if a cancellation occurs
it will probably not occur until a few days before the tournament."
The Detroit River at this time of year means the potential for taking
huge walleyes over eight pounds. Last year's April 26 qualifier showcased
several walleyes over five pounds. Take-off is at 7 a.m. with the
weigh-in commencing at 3 p.m. sharp at Elizabeth Park. "I really hope
the public takes advantage of this opportunity to attend the weigh-in.
The weigh-ins are exciting and most importantly for the crowd, it's
almost like a mini-walleye seminar as the teams describe the presentations
that worked best during the tournament." The tournament director will
have the trailer at Elizabeth Park from 6-8 p.m. the evening before
the tournament to take late entries and answer questions. For those
interested in entering, the entry fee remains at $210 per team for
each tournament. Openings do still exist for the Detroit River qualifier
and Barringer encourages interested anglers to contact him at 1-800-890-FISH
(3474), or email the GNWC at info@walleyecup.com. "I also encourage
people to check out our website at www.walleyecup.com and see what
the Grand National Walleye Cup is all about," added Barringer. Major
national sponsors for the GNWC include Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards,
Lowrance Electronics, YoNet Folding Nets by AMFYOYO, Aqua-VU, Aqua
Innovations, Towtector Shield, VIB"E" Lure Company and UpNorthOutdoors.com.
