Walleye Tourneys Set

Fishing

Walleye fishing tournaments were illegal in Washington just three years ago. Now they’re on the verge of becoming a series.

The number of walleye tournaments in the state will expand to four events next year, beginning with Big Wally’s Spring Walleye Classic May 18-19 at Banks Lake.

The tournament will be based out of Coulee City, said Gordon Steinmetz of Big Wally’s Sport Shop.

The next competition will be the Governor’s Cup on Lake Roosevelt and based in Kettle Falls on June 22-23.

The Kettle Falls Chamber of Commerce proposed the state’s first walleye tournament three years ago and broke the ice for getting state regulations to allow the events. The Governor’s Cup this year had 105 entrants fishing on Lake Roosevelt.

Two other walleye tourneys are set for Moses Lake and Potholes Reservoir.

Nine walleye tournaments are scheduled in the Pacific Northwest for 1996, five of them on the Columbia River based out of Oregon.

, DataTimes