2010 Walleye Classics (Alex Spring -Minnewaska Fall) Fins N Feathers

[Corey Bohn]

-2010 Alexandria Chain of Lakes Spring Walleye Classic set June 4-5 (Friday-Saturday)

-2010 Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic set Sept. 11-12 (Saturday-Sunday)

-2010 Year-End Qualifier - Buffalo Ridge Resort Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge set Oct. 16-17 (Saturday-Sunday) (No entry fee for the Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge for teams that qualify in 2010)

I will apologize in advance for this being so long, but there's a lot of info to pass on with the new year-end event in 2010. Priority registration for the 2010 Walleye Classics (Alexandria Spring and Lake Minnewaska Fall) will be Jan. 3-17, 2010, for all teams who fished in 2009. Teams who register during the priority registration period will have their spots guaranteed and reserved. First 40 teams to register qualify for the 2010 Shoot-Outs (a mini tourney within the overall tourney format. Teams are drawn at random into 4 groups of 10 teams. Team with the heaviest Day 1 weight in each group is the Shoot-Out winner). Registration will open to all teams on Jan. 18.

Teams who sign up initially to fish both tournaments will be eligible to qualify for the year-end Buffalo Ridge Resort Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge on Oct. 16-17 in Gary, SD. The top 20% of the teams with the lowest combined accumulative point totals after the two Walleye Classic tournaments will qualify for the Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge (up to 15 qualifying teams possible).

"With the growth of the tournaments in 2009 and the expected continued growth in 2010, we felt it was important to add a year-end qualifying event in 2010," said Walleye Classics tournament director, Corey Bohn. "The Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge gives the teams something to shoot for in 2010, and provides some added incentive to make it to the year-end qualifier."

As stated by Bohn, if you make it to the Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge in 2010, each qualifying team member will win a free pheasant hunt with guide and dog and compete against other qualifying teams in the Day 1 Feathers Challenge. Each team member will have a total of 3 shells to knock down three pheasants from point with the guide and dog. 10 points will be subracted for each miss. "The goal for each team member is to still have 30 points after three birds are flushed and 3 shots are fired," said Bohn. "We'll keep track of team points and individual points with all points transferred to the Day 2 Fins Challenge."

During the Day 2 Fins Challenge, each team will have a 4 walleye limit with inches converted to points (16 1/4 inch walleye equals 16.25 points--rounded to nearest quarter inch). Teams must keep track of who catches the fish on a scorecard so team and individual points can be tracked. Fish will be kept in livewells so length can be verified at weigh-ins and points tablulated accordingly. **Teams will fish 1 of 5 area lakes with no pre-fishing allowed. Name of lake will be revealed at Day 1 Feathers Challenge.

Team with the highest combined two-day point total from both Challenges is the overall Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge winner. Individual with the highest two-day point total is the overall individual winner.

The number of teams that qualify for the Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge will be based on the total number of teams that fish both Walleye Classic tournaments. If 50 teams fish both tournaments, 10 will qualify; if 60 teams fish both tournaments, 12 will qualify; if 75 teams fish both tournaments, 15 teams will qualify. Teams that fish only 1 of the 2 Walleye Classic tournaments are not eligible.

Payout purse for the no-entry fee Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge will be based on the total number of teams that fish both Walleye Classic tournaments. If 50 teams fish both tourneys the payout purse for the Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge would be $5,000 less licenses for each qualifying team member i.e., (less $980 -- $4,020 paid out to top 3 teams); 60 teams fish both tournaments, $6,000 less licenses for each team member (less $1,180 -- $4,820 paid out to top 3 teams); 75 teams fish both tournaments, $7,500 less licenses for each team member (less $1,470 -- $6,000 paid out to top 3 teams (for example) - 1st--$3,000; 2nd--$2,000; 3rd--$1,000). Non-resident one-day pheasant preserve and one-day non-resident fishing licenses will be purchased for each qualifying team member from the payout purse, with remaining purse paid out to the top 3 teams with the highest combined point totals in the Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge. (Non-resident pheasant license is $35, n/r fishing license is $14=$49 per qualifying team member.)

"Since the Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge is held right across the Minnesota border in Gary, SD, non-resident hunting and fishing licenses will be covered for all qualifying team members," said Bohn. "If you qualify, you're licenses will be purchased and the pheasant hunting, guide and dog are free ($800 value per team). And if you can put it all together in the boat on Day 2, you'll cash a nice check as well as noted above."

"When I looked closely at adding a year-end qualifying event to the 2010 Walleye Classic tournaments, I looked at what we could do to provide some up-front value to the teams that qualify," said Bohn. "If we do just another fishing tournament it's really tough to do that. Whereas with a Day 1 competitive pheasant hunt added to the mix at a top-notch facility, there becomes some real value to each team and team member for just qualifying (free hunt and licenses purchased). When you add the cash payouts to the mix the total value to the qualifying teams is far greater than what we could offer with just a year-end fishing tournament."

"To make the Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge possible, we increased the entry fee for each Walleye Classic tournament (Spring & Fall) $50 per team in 2010," said Bohn. "100% of the increase in entry fees will be applied to the year-end Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge payout purse."

"We gave this a trial run this past Halloween weekend (Oct. 31-Nov. 1) as myself and the top 3 teams from the 2009 Walleye Classic tournaments traveled to Buffalo Ridge Resort in Gary, SD," said Bohn. "We hunted on Day 1 at Dakota Ridge Hunting and walleye fished for 5 hours on Day 2 at Lake Cochrane and it was about as much fun as one could have in one weekend," said Bohn. Video highlights and results are on the official tournament HSOforum, while an outdoor TV show will air on the event in late February and March on Fox Sports North (FSN). Bryan Winterfeldt / Darrin Herd; Jack Greengo / Kenny Neumann and Tim Servin / Dean Grochow participated. Dates and air times on the outdoor TV show will be posted once confirmed in the weeks ahead.

Payouts for the 2010 Walleye Classic tournaments will be as follows: $6,000 first place guaranteed; 2nd--$3,000; 3rd--$2,000; 4th--$1,500; 5th--$1,350; 6th--$1,200; 7th--$1,000; 8th--$700; 9th-$600; 10th--$500; 11th through 15th--$350. Entry fee $400. 75 team limit. **Tourney director reserves right to increase team limit and to increase payouts accordingly.

Sorry this is such a long post guys, but there's a lot of info to share and FM prefers that I give complete details here. If you have any questions feel free to call my cell at 320-424-1382 or make a reply post on this site. 2010 entry forms are on the official tournament HSOforum.

Sincerely,

Corey Bohn

[Corey Bohn]

2010 entry forms have been sent today to all teams that fished the 2009 Walleye Classic tournaments on the Alexandria Chain and/or the Lake Minnewaska Fall Walleye Classic. Entry forms were sent via email and through the postal service.

Priority registration for all teams that fished in 2009 will be from Jan. 11 to Jan. 25. If you want to get on the mailing list for the 2010 tournaments with a chance to qualify for our new (no entry fee) year-end championship qualifier, the Buffalo Ridge Resort Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge, send me an email at: [email protected] or by calling my cell at 320-424-1382.

Corey Bohn

[canman]

Hi Corey,

It looks like Warrior boats have gone down. How this going to affect your tournaments?

[Corey Bohn]

The Walleye Classic tournaments are growing and steps were taken in the off season to assure continued growth without relying on any one particular sponsor. New sponsors were added that allows for a "no entry fee" year-end championship, the Buffalo Ridge Resort Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge. The top 20% of the teams that fish both Spring & Fall Walleye Classic tournaments qualify for the Fins & Feathers Outdoor Challenge to be held Oct. 16-17 in Gary, SD.

Aside from Warrior not being affiliated with the tournaments in 2010, it has no effect on the tournaments.