KAMSACK - With results, winners, and prizes posted, the 2021 Madge Lake Walleye Cup (MLWC) is now officially on the books. Like everything else, this was a different year for the MLWC.
To start with, we paused for a moment to remember Steve Taylor, 42, and Cody Strass, 35, two credits to the fishing community that were taken much too early the previous weekend. The two men died in a collision on Highway No. 6 near Watson on their way home from a fishing tournament. A 43-year-old man from Spalding also died in the crash.
We also took a moment to remember one of our own, Bob Stoyand, who was also called home too early just over a year ago.
Due to COVID's on-going impacts, less than half the normal field competed, with 30 boats splashing Saturday morning. We gave up that fantastic Ukrainian 'banket' due to COVID rules and moved it online to Facebook Live. We gave up holding awards in person as well.
On more positive notes, while the weather is typically quite cool for the MLWC, this year saw temps over 30 degrees on the afternoon of September 18!
We also saw the largest basket ever at the MLWC, bought in by your 2021 Tournament Champions Don Planedin and Brad Degelman. They put 16.66 pounds on the scales, including a whopping 6.98 pound fish, which according to locals in attendance, was the largest walleye anyone had ever seen. Speaking with Chris Somers of the Saskatchewan Sportfish Research Group, this beautiful fish was estimated to be roughly 20 years old. It sure does take some time to grow them here at Madge. Don and Brad took home $4,000 in cash and prizes, as well as some serious bragging rights. As you might guess, they also took home the Big Fish Prize as well as being the Top Traveling Team.
Tyler Ayres and Matthew Poloyko, who were MLWC tournament winners in 2018, came home in second place for 2021 with a solid 12.5 pound catch, taking home $1,000 in cash, as well as a 5 HP Mercury outboard motor sponsored in part by Woodlake Marina Ltd. and Mercury Marine.
In third place, Lance Marcotte and Karen Soke showed another impressive performance with a haul weighing in at 11.86 pounds. Lance and Karen were also the Top Central Walleye Trail and Mixed Team anglers. In total, they took home $1,850 in cash and prizes sponsored in part by Innovative Outdoorsman, P&J Plumbing, Sas-Kam and Iron Grill.
Darren Ziprick and his son Cooper claimed a prize of $500 for fourth place with a total weight of 11.68 pounds. This was also enough to make Cooper Ziprick the Top Youth Angler, winning a brand new Fenwick Walleye Elite Tech rod, valued at $190 and sponsored by Dr. Bob’s Marine Clinic.
In fifth place we had a tie, with the teams of Jacob Perpeluk and Nicole Lynn Tymofichuk, and John Garner and Evan Moore both weighing in with 10.92 pounds. Both teams earned the prize of free entry to the 2022 Madge Lake Walleye Cup.
We like to take this moment to show some respect to Darren and Cooper for fishing the tournament, and turning in a damn good showing, all off their 15hp kicker. Darren had issues with the main on Friday, but he and Cooper decided to fish the MLWC anyway! This is commitment, determination, and sportsmanship.
Our Top Local Team, made up of Mark Foster and Blake Foster, placed eighth and won $300, sponsored in part by the Duck Mountain Motel. In total, the 2021 Madge Lake Walleye Cup paid out 126 per cent of the entry fees to the anglers who came out and supported the event.
We'd like to thank Brendon Skibinsky for joining the IOMPresents team as our Weigh Master. He did a fine job, and we hope he'll reprise the role in 2022.
Of course, the MLWC could not happen without James, Serena, Kris Currie, and our fantastic volunteers, the Friends of Madge Lake.
The 5th Annual Madge Lake Walleye Cup is scheduled to return September 17, 2022.
