I was really happy to hear that Minaki fishing guru J.P. Kennedy has taken over the reins of the Minaki Walleye Tournament on June 30-July 1. Entry fee is $400 based on a two-man team. Mr. Kennedy has been fishing the tournament for years and is very well known for his skill at catching walleye in the river system. The format has changed with one fish allowed over 28 inches. It is a total catch and release event. Some of the other format has changed and J.P. is hoping to attract a larger field than in past events. It is intended to have a 100% payout back to the anglers. You can get in if you register quickly by calling me at 612-2270. I am sure that with the changes in allowable fish sizes to be measured the tournament will return to former glory and have a full field. The town of Minaki needs this tournament to help its summer sales of rooms, food and gas. I will be out there and have full coverage of the classic event. Good luck J.P., I am sure all your efforts will be rewarded. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to fish in the first annual "Never Alone Foundation" walleye challenge in Lac du Bonnet. It has been years since I have been out in the river system. It sure can be scary when you don't know where you are going. Good thing I was able to follow my pal Chris Bladen and I am happy to report that I never hit a rock. I did watch Barrin Simpson catch a pile of fish, I think he had five different species by the end of the day. This guy is not only a great football player for the Blue Bombers, he can also put fish in the boat. The winning team was Vic Grant from CJOB, Zinger from the Moose and Andrew Klopak from Lund boats. I sat and watched while Zinger boated two hawg walleye in 10 minutes. Congats Craig you did a great job. I want to thank all the people that came out to support the event. Lyle Bauer did a great job as one of the emcees of the event. Day 2 involved AYA (angler young angler) having the Manitoba qualifier for the national championships. The format was to have two children under the age of 18 fishing in a competitive environment with an adult. I was lucky enough to shake up an eight-year-old neighbour of my buddy Sam. Lots of big fish were caught and again I watched John Guzzi and his kids put on a clinic on the proper way to use a crank bait. The three of them put several 25-27 inch walleye back in the water in front of my eyes. Rick Loeb and his two boys also caught their fair share with one of Rick's son's catching a perfect slot and the other a big fish over 28 inches. My young angler caught a 25 inch walleye on a crank and did a great job in bringing it in. Les Moroz had a great day with his two partners as they managed to land the biggest fish of the event. The huge walleye weighed 10.22 pounds and was caught by Les's grandson. I managed to shake up a few muskie on the weekend with the largest being 48 inches. The fish were shallow and were smacking top water baits with a vengeance. The hot bait was the Cisco topper and bucher top raider. I can hardly wait to get up to Minaki again and do some damage. I am looking forward to a real good walleye bite. Till next week, keep your line tight. By Craig Stapon Source: http://www.winnipegsun.com/Sports/Columnists/Stapon_Craig/2007/06/24/4285650.html