Scott Perala, New York Mills, MN, left, and Steve Whiting, Alexandria, MN, right, fished their way to a $7,000 first place payday Sept. 12-13 at Lake Minnewaska.  Presenting the check is tournament director, Corey Bohn, center. 

Scott Perala / Steve Whiting win 2009 Warrior Boats Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic title

By Corey Bohn

It came down to the last team to weigh-in before the 2009 Fall Walleye Classic Champions were officially announced, and once a check of the leaderboard was confirmed, Scott Perala, New York Mills, MN, and Steve Whiting, Alexandria, MN, held on to win the 2009 Warrior Boats Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic in a close race to the finish.

As oftentimes is the case, consistency was the key to victory for Perala and Whiting ($7,000), who posted a two-day, 12-walleye total weight of 17.05-lbs. Eric and Lance Jensen, Glenwood, MN, finished second with a two-day, nine walleye weight of 16.43-lbs. ($3,000 plus $500 in LakeMaster gift certificates), followed by Marshall Koep, Clitherall, MN, and Mike Kerzman, Battle Lake, MN, in third place atop the LakeMaster leaderboard, with a 12-walleye total of 15.88-lbs. ($2,000).

“It was a tough bite overall,” said Warrior Boats Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic tournament director, Corey Bohn. “We had a lot of rain earlier in the week and it stormed again on Thursday, and then it got really nice out. Too nice. With temps in the 80's and virtually no wind either day, it made for a tough bite for most of the 88 teams fishing this year's Fall Walleye Classic.”

“The anglers actually caught more fish than I thought they would with virtually no wind and all the sunshine,” continued Bohn. “And surprisingly, the vast majority of the fish came from shallow water in those clear, calm conditions.”

The top four teams all cashed in on a shallow water bite, and the top three were all using jigs and minnows and rip-jigging the edges or right over the tops of the weeds in 6 to 10 ft. of water. “There were quite a few teams banking on the shallow water bite,” noted Bohn. “There was a pretty good bite going in 6 to 8 ft. of water burning crankbaits as well, while most of the early fish brought to the scales were on shallow cranks.”

Fourth place finishers Greg Jones, St. Cloud, MN, and Brian Bassing, Ogilvie, MN, weighed 11-walleyes for 14.43-lbs. ($1,500), and like the top three teams were fishing shallow both days. Jones and Bassing fished spinners and crawlers shallow along the inside weed edge at rate of 2 miles per hour in 6 to 8 feet of water, and caught numerous fish each day. “We probably put 20-25 walleyes in the boat each day during pre-fishing, and similar numbers both days of the tournament, “ said Bassing. “Only difference between the tournament and pre-fishing is that we always caught one big fish each day during pre-fishing. We didn't see those kicker fish during the tournament.”

For the third place team of Koep and Kerzman (Team Koep's), jigs and minnows were the ticket in 8 to 10 ft. of water both days. “The first day we were rip-jigging in 8 to 10 ft. and caught 15 fish, and nine of those were measure fish that ranged from 15 to 17 inches, “ said Mike Kerzman. “The second day we stayed in one spot, which was a different location from Day 1, and just sat there and pitched jigs tipped with suckers and redtails. We didn't have to anchor because there wasn't any wind, so we just sat there and casted the entire day.”

“The fish were shallow and were pretty lazy, that's why we sat in one spot and didn't move on Day 2,” added Marshall Koep. “On Day 2 we boated 9 walleyes and they were all measure fish, they just weren't anything bigger than 16 inches. Mike was pre-fishing the day before on Friday and caught 9 measure fish including some 18 to 19-inchers in the same spots. When the wind laid down like it did both days and got really sunny those bigger fish were tough to come by.”

It was a story of what could have been for the second place finishers (Team Minnewaska Meats), featuring local anglers and brothers, Eric and Lance Jensen of Glenwood, who despite weighing only 9 walleyes total, were just .63 lbs. out of first place. The Jensen's were snap-jigging in 14 ft. of water on the Glenwood end of the lake using fatheads and redtails. “We caught the vast majority of our fish on fatheads and we were really rippin' it when we jigged it,” said Eric. “We caught 11 walleyes total over the two days and two of those were just under the 15-inch minimum. The one was really close. So close that we let it swim around in the livewell hoping it would relax a little and make 15 inches. It was just a hair under so we released it prior to coming in on Day 2.”

According to the winners, the key for the 2009 Warrior Boats Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic Champions was shallow sandgrass. Fishing in 8 to 10 ft. of water both days, Perala and Whiting rip-jigged their way to the title along the edge of the sandgrass both days. “It was really hard to put two fish together in one spot either day,” said Perala. “We'd catch one and could never put another fish with it, so we were on the run a lot. The second day we caught all our fish, including a couple upgrades out of two spots, and just kept running back and forth between those the two spots. It seemed like if you caught a legal one you better move, because it was nearly impossible to put another one with it so we just ran back and forth the entire day on Day 2 to those two spots.”

“The fish were feeding heavily on bluegills,” added Whiting. “Bluegills the size of your thumbnail to silver dollar size. The walleyes we caught were full of them, and they were upchucking them continuously in our livewell. As far as what we used it really didn't seem to matter. We caught 'em using fatheads, suckers and shiners. It was obvious they were wanting minnows, so we kept feeding them minnows on an 1/8th oz. jig and kept rippin' it hard.”

For their efforts, Perala and Whiting took home a $7,000 first place check, and etched their names in infamy as 2009 Fall Walleye Classic Champions. “They join a select group of anglers to be the best of the best at Lake Minnewaska,” said Warrior Boats Fall Walleye Classic tournament director, Corey Bohn. “They came out on top, and they beat a tremendous field of anglers to get to the top of the LakeMaster leaderboard on Day 2. They deserve a lot of credit and congratulations on a big win.”

10 of the 88 boats in this year's tournament field were eligible to win an additional $7,500 in Warrior Boats Manufacturer Contingency Cash as the original owner of a 2008 or newer Warrior Boat, if fishing from and winning in their boat. Of the eligible Warrior owners, Paul Reiland, Brandon, MN, finished 5th overall, and Wayne Johnson, Miltona, MN, finished 9th. Johnson, and partner Tom Johnson, Ottertail, MN, were in 3rd place on Day 1, just .54-lbs. off the lead heading into Day 2.

Terry Lorentz, Ottertail, MN, and Greg Lorentz, Alexandria, MN, were crowned the Father/Son Division winners with a two day, 8-walleye total of 11.12-lbs. ($450). Bob and Katie Lahmers, Zimmerman, MN, won their second Husband / Wife Division title in the past six years, with a 8-walleye total of 9.10-lbs. ($450). Divisional teams were automatically placed in the divisions at no added cost, and fished only against teams within their divisions for an added $450 cash. They were also eligible to win the overall cash and prize payouts.

Winners of the LakeMaster Shoot-Outs were as follows: Shoot-Out # 1 -- Team Andersen, 7.17-lbs.; Shoot-Out # 2 -- Neumann / Greengo, 6.08-lbs.; Shoot-Out # 3 --Winterfeldt / Herd, 8.92-lbs.; Shoot-Out # 4 -- Team Lorentz, 7.08-lbs. The LakeMaster Shoot-Outs are a mini-tournament within the overall tournament format for the first 40 teams who registered. The teams are randomly drawn into four groups of 10 teams, with the heaviest Day 1 weight in Shoot-Out the winner. Each winning team member received a $100 LakeMaster gift certificate (www.lakemap.com).

Biggest surprise of the tournament: Those who stayed after the rules meeting at the Minnewaska House to enjoy food and beverages may or may not of noticed, but the really, and I mean really big guy with the pretty blonde wife that looked like Brock Lesnar, was indeed Brock Lesnar. The World Heavyweight Mix Martial Arts (MMA) Champion was enjoying a night out in the Lake Minnewaska area, with his wife and a few friends in the back dining area at the Minnewaska House.

“A big thank-you goes out to all the teams and the sponsors,” said Fall Walleye Classic tournament director, Corey Bohn. “With the addition of the Spring Walleye Classic in Alexandria and the culmination of the Fall Walleye Classic at Lake Minnewaska, it was a successful year, and a fun year. Thanks to everyone and we look forward to 2010.”

Bohn also issued a sincere thanks to Glenwood DNR Fisheries, Torgy's on Lake Minnewaska for hosting this year's weigh-ins and providing shuttle service to the weigh-in site for the teams; Palmer Bus Service of Glenwood; the Minnewaska House for hosting the rules meeting; Minnewaska Meats for providing hors de vours for the rules meeting; the Pope County Sheriff's Dept.; and a very special thanks to Sawyer Bohn, Brian Kramber, Butch Kramber, JoAnn Nikolas, Nancy Koep, and Dale and Elois Shackelford.

Sponsors for the 2009 Warrior Boats Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic were: Warrior Boats, LakeMaster, WhiteCap Splashguards, Minnkota Outdoors TV, Excellent Multimedia, Lindell Ice Rigs, Glenwood State Bank and Eagle Bank.

The Top 20 teams and payouts were as follows:

1---Perala / Whiting 12-walleyes, 17.05-lbs. $7,000

2---Team Jensen 9-walleyes, 16.43 $3,000 plus $500 LakeMaster gift certificates

3---Koep / Kerzman 12-walleyes, 15.88 $2,000

4---Jones / Bassing 11-walleyes, 14.43 $1,500

5---Reiland / Tillotson 10-walleyes, 14.29 $1,350

6---Neubarth / Schnitzler 9-walleyes, 14.07 $1,200

7---Winterfeldt / Herd 8-walleyes, 13.86 $1,000

8---Bigalke / Marohl 8-walleyes, 13.40 $700

9---Team Johnson 9-walleyes, 13.15 $600

10--Neumann / Greengo 9-walleyes, 12.40 $500

11--Kral / Sadelmeyer 5-walleyes, 12.07 $350

12--Servin / Grochow 9-walleyes, 11.48 $350

13--Team Lorentz 8-walleyes, 11.12 $350

14--Team Herd 9-walleyes, 11.04 $350

15--McCrory / Meuleobroeck 8-walleyes, 10.76 $350

16--Piekarski / Shultz 8-walleyes, 10.74 $350

17--Team Schoeck 8-walleyes, 10.20 $350

18--Keenan / Nixt 7-walleyes, 10.20 $200 LakeMaster gift certificates

19--R. Wagner / Lehn 8-walleyes, 9.98 $200 LakeMaster gift certificates

20--Boraas / Sunde 3-walleyes, 9.96 $200 LakeMaster gift certificates

TOURNAMENT STATS AND FACTS:

-Day 1 leaders were Steve Boraas and Doug Sunde (3-walleyes weighing 9.96-lbs., including a 5.22-lb. Walleye. In second place on Day 1 were David and Shawn Lentsch (4-walleyes weighing 9.70-lbs., including a 5.66-lb. walleye). Both teams zeroed on Day 2.

-Of the Top 10 teams on Day 1, six remained in the top 10 on Day 2.

-187 walleyes were caught on Day 1 with an average weight of 1.44-lbs. 164 walleyes were caught on Day 2 with average weight of 1.43-lbs. 351 walleyes were caught total.

-Day 1 biggest walleye was 5.66-lbs. and was caught by David Lentsch, Glenwood, MN, and Shawn Lentsch, Norwood, MN ($600). Day 2 biggest walleye was 5.92-lbs., caught by Rod Kral, Sartell, MN, and Greg Sadelmeyer, Osakis, MN, ($600). Kral and Sadelmeyer placed 11th overall despite catching just 5 walleyes total.

-Perala and Whiting join the following Fall Walleye Classic winners as champions at Lake Minnewaska: 2004 David Andersen and Jeff Solum; 2005 Josh Schoeck and Tim Schoeck; 2006 Jamie Wall and ; 2007 Kenny Neumann and Jack Greengo; 2008 Mark Berle and Brian Berle.

-15 teams were eligible to fish in the Father / Son / Daughter Division, with 4 teams overall fishing in the Husband / Wife and / or Boyfriend / Girlfriend Division. 3 divisional teams placed in the Top 20 overall (13,14, 17).

-Only 2 teams caught 6 fish limits both days.

-6 of the 88 teams caught six fish limits on Day 1 and 6 teams caught limits on Day 2. 8 teams caught five walleyes on Day 1, with 8 teams catching four walleyes on Day 1. 5 teams caught five walleyes on Day 2, and 6 teams caught four walleyes on Day 2. Everyone else caught three walleyes or less either day, while 13 teams zeroed for the tournament.

-Each team was allowed 2 walleyes 20-inches or longer each day. Minimum size requirement was 15-inches with a six walleye daily tournament limit.

-Teams reported catching numbers of fish just under the 15-inch minimum size requirement as well as numbers of 14-inch fish.

-88 teams were the most teams to date to fish a Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic, after the tournament filled the past two years at 75 teams.

-Dates for the 2009 Alexandria Chain of Lakes Spring Walleye Classic are Friday-Saturday, June 4-5, with the Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic moved back to Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 18-19, 2010. Entry forms are available online now under the Tournament Info heading. In the drop down, click on 2010 entry forms.