We are officially halfway through the Midwest Walleye Challenge in South Dakota, and this means it’s time for a halftime special! We take a look at where things stand in the event, and a bit of the bite the anglers have been on!
The Midwest Walleye Challenge began on April 1, and runs through June 29. South Dakota is one of six other states participating in this event, which includes Iowa, Nebraska, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. Anglers compete for both longest fish and most fish, as well as numerous other random draw bi-weekly awards as well.
Anglers can sign up for the event through Anglers Atlas, and download the MyCatch app to submit their fish. The event is $25 to enter, and upon their first submission of a trip anglers will receive a $20 gift card to Discount Tackle. Anglers are able to sign up at any time and can begin submitting fish, and be eligible for prizes, at any point until the event concludes June 29.
“We’re halfway through the event, and I think the competition is still wide open,” says Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “Currently 27 inches is leading for the longest walleye, which is absolutely beatable. Likewise, we know 100 fish days can happen on several waterbodies, and it only takes a few great days of fishing to rocket up the leaderboard for total fish.”
Tom Wanttie currently has the lead for longest walleye, which is coming in at 27 inches. Three other anglers have broke 25 inches, with Hunter Halverson (26.5 inches), Andrew McDonald (25.2 inches), and Herbert Leuthe (25.2 inches) rounding out the top three.
“I’ve had a great bite on Lake Sharpe, but I haven’t yet cracked that 20 inch mark since the event began,” continued Harrington. “There’s some really nice fish on the leaderboard, but we know there’s some big walleye to be caught and it only takes one bite to find yourself at the top.”
The complete top 10 for longest walleye includes:
- 1st Place: Tom Wanttie 27 inches
- 2nd Place: Hunter Halverson 26.5 inches
- 3rd Place: Andrew McDonald 25.2 inches
- 4th Place: Herbert Leuthe 25.2 inches
- 5th Place: Brian Blacwekll 22.8 inches
- 6th Place: Zachary Schwartz 22 inches
- 7th Place: Kevin Holter 21.7 inches
- 8th Place: Michael Ocobock 21. 7 inches
- 9th Place: Jeremy Heideman 21.7 inches
- 10th Place: Jeremy Friebel 21 inches
The excellent numbers bite on numbers factories such as Lake Sharpe, Lake Francis Case, and Belle Fourche Reservoir has played a major role in the top spots for total fish.
“I’ve enjoyed a great bite on Lake Sharpe, I’ve got as many of my fish submitted as I can but I have left probably 30-40 out there that I wasn’t able to submit because of League or other tournament distractions,” confessed Harrington. “Even with these fish, keeping pace with Mikey has been a major challenge-he’s on a terrific bite.”
Michael Ocobock currently has the top spot for total fish, with Harrington not so close behind in second. Jeremy Heideman has the third spot locked down as well.
“We’re getting to the point in the season it’s going to be tough for me to reclaim the top spot for total fish, as it’s time to start focusing on getting a bit larger fish,” stated Harrington. “Hopefully I work my way up the leaderboard for the longest walleye, and I’ll keep grinding trying to add up as many fish as I can.”
The complete top ten for total walleye includes:
- 1st Place: Michael Ocobock 377
- 2nd Place: Nick Harrington 230
- 3rd Place: Jeremy Heideman 172
- 4th Place: Hank Asher 87
- 5th Place: Seth Malsom 51
- 6th Place: Riley Sprouse 41
- 7th Place: Travis Blum 34
- 8th Place: Jeremy Way 33
- 9th Place: Jesse Curnow 16
- 10th Place: Zachary Schwartz 16
“It’s great to see so many fish being submitted, as all of this data will then be shared with our fisheries biologists to keep even better tabs on our fisheries,” concluded Harrington. “There’s still plenty of time to get signed up, get on the water, and get your fish submitted!”
Individuals can learn more and sign up for the Midwest Walleye Challenge at AnglerAtlas.com!
