Groton Duo Wins Walleye Classic

by chamber2387 ~ June 17, 2010

By Jay Davis, Mobridge Tribune
Wednesday, June 16, 2010 12:00 PM CDT

Groton anglers Ron and Blake Anderson caught 17.62 pounds of walleye to win the seventh annual Mobridge Chamber Walleye Classic on Saturday.

In a tournament that saw more than half of the 49 teams bring in a limit of fish, the Andersons were nearly a pound better than the rest of a tightly packed field. Bringing in the tourney’s biggest walleye at 6.39 pounds put the winners over the top. First place sent the fishermen back to Groton with a check for $1,500.

Local anglers took second and third and were found throughout the top 15.

Bridge Citians Mark Melcher and James Fiddler, along with Craig Maher of McLaughlin, took second place with 16.76 pounds. The biggest of their six fish was 3.8 pounds. The trio shared a check for $750.

The Mobridge team of Kent Mauck, Benj Stoick and Rick Cain took third with 16 pounds even. Third place was worth $600.

Teams placing sixth through 10th picked up $200 each. Three local teams were in the bunch. Jim Larson of Mobridge and son Justin of Ipswich took seventh with 15.7 pounds. Bryan Zahn of Mobridge, with brothers Wade of Kulm, N.D., and Kevin of Valley City, N.D., took eighth with 15.58 pounds. Tim Quenzer, son Tanner and Brandon Peters tied for 10th with 15.23 pounds.

Coming in 11th through 15th put $150 in each team’s collective pockets. Local and locally connected teams rounded out the placings. Jeff Martin of Mandan, N.D., and Pat Martin of Aberdeen, MHS graduates and sons of Duane and Judy Martin of Mobridge, teamed with Steve Haugen of Mandan to take 13th with 15.01 pounds. Last year’s winners, Marty and Deb Looyenga of Mobridge and Bob Zimmerman of Nebraska took 14th with 14.89 pounds. Ritchie Davis of Mobridge teamed with former Mobridge residents Byron Larson (son of seventh place Jim Larson) of Pierre and Mike Verhulst of Spearfish finished 15th with 14.89 pounds.

Forty-nine teams competed in this year’s tournament. The teams combined to weigh in 214 walleyes with a total weight of 508.47 pounds. The average walleye making it to the scales weighed in at 2.37 pounds.

MHS graduate, Dana Deacon of Slayton, Minn., won the pot for the largest non-walleye, embarrassingly bringing in a 19.49-pound carp.

Total payout for the tournament was $5,450 in cash and another $3,000 in prizes.

Chamber Walleye Classic

Top 15: 1. Ron Anderson, Blake Anderson, Groton, 6, 17.62; 2. Mark Melcher, James Fiddler, Mobridge, Craig Maher, McLaughlin, 6, 16.76; 3. Kent Mauck, Benj Stoick, Rick Cain, Mobridge, 6, 16.0; 4. Gordon Wanttie, Gerald Wanttie, Aberdeen, 6, 15.88; 5. Jody Stack, James Peterson, Watertown; 6. Mark Ketterling, Blake Ketterling, Aberdeen, Phillip Ketterling, Warner, 6, 15.81; 7. Justin Larson, Ipswich, Jim Larson, Mobridge, 6, 15.7; 8. Bryan Zahn, Mobridge, Wade Zahn, Kulm, N.D., Kevin Zahn, Valley City, N.D., 6, 15.58; 9. Grant Gilchrist, Randy Wilke, Columbia, Tom Washenberger, Aberdeen, 6, 15.39; 10. Tim Quenzer, Tanner Quenzer, Brandon Peters, Mobridge, 6, 15.23; 10. James Scarlett, Greg Nehlick, 6, 15.23; 12. Leonard Glines, Box Elder, Bill Magnuson, Rapid City, 6, 15.15; 13. Jeff Martin, Steve Haugen, Mandan, N.D., Pat Martin, Aberdeen, 6, 15.01; 14. Marty Looyenga, Deb Looyenga, Mobridge, Bob Zimmerman, Nebraska, 6, 14.95; 15. Ritchie Davis, Mobridge, Byron Larson, Pierre, Mike Verhulst, Spearfish, 6, 14.89.

For all results please follow this link: http://www.mobridge.org/update/images/calendar/ChamberWalleyeClassicResults-2010.pdf