It抯 perhaps the longest-running major walleye tournament held on one of the hottest fisheries in America. Who else, then, could have won the event but one of the nation抯 most enduring and successful walleye stars.
Along with partner, Jammie Koepp, Lund Boats?pro Ted Takasaki took top honors at the recent 38th Annual South Dakota Governor抯 Cup walleye tournament. Weighing respectable six fish limits on both days of the event, held July 21 and 22 out of Spring Creek Resort near Pierre, Takasaki and Koepp weighed 12 fish for 29.38-pounds, edging the competition by a mere .78 pounds. Considering the challenging Lake Oahe venue and a field of 137 other talented teams, the victory was extra sweet for the dynamic walleye duo, who walked away with $21,400 cash and sweet tournament rings.
Key to the win, said Takasaki, was the precision boat control afforded by his commanding tournament rig.
揗y Lund 208 Pro V GL is incredibly responsive, and set up perfectly for trolling. Together with a 9.9 HP Mercury kicker, I used the bow trolling motor to control our speed and make slight adjustments along the critical 17-foot contour梐ny shallower and you hit trees; any deeper and you were out of the zone.?Takasaki also noted that speed was a critical component, and tried to stay between 1.8 and 2 mph.
揥e trolled one-ounce white/chartreuse spinnerbaits over and through the trees in the Peoria Flats area,?Takasaki reported. 揕eadcore line allowed us to dial in to the depth of the fish, which even in the trees, marked clearly on side imaging.?
揑 absolutely love this boat,?Takasaki inserted. 揑t just has a ton of room in the back end. That was a key. We were able to stand right next to the gunnels, monitor our spread and always be in a comfortable position to immediately grab a rod or net a fish.?
