OKOBOJI, Iowa (KTIV) - 2,200 Anglers registered to cast their lines on “Walleye Weekend” on the Iowa Great Lakes. One of those anglers was lucky enough to reel in a prized walleye worth 43-thousand dollars.
It has only happened a handful of times in the 43 years of “walleye weekend,” and it took just two hours for one lucky angler to reel in a tagged Walleye worth 43-thousand dollars.
Dawn Ingvaldson was introduced to the sport through her boyfriend, an Iowa Great Lakes fishing guide, and took part in her first “Walleye Weekend” last year.
“Last year when we were walleye fishing, we were all over the lake. Sean says it all depends on which way the wind is blowing,” explained Ingvaldson.
This year the wind was blowing just right for the couple. Despite struggling with an unfamiliar fishing pole, Dawn was able to reel in the prized fish.
“I bounced the poor thing off the side of the boat a couple times, and he grabbed tine and pulled it up in, and he said ‘Hun, you’re not going to believe this.’ And I was thinking oh gosh here we go again, another small one,” said Ingvaldson.
A tiny yellow tag revealed what turned out to be possibly the biggest catch of Dawn’s life.
The tagged walleye was brought to Stan’s Bait and Tackle. With 43-thousand dollars on the line, the verification process was extensive and included both the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce, and their insurance company. But, by 5:30 AM, Dawn’s walleye was officially confirmed to be a winning catch.
Because the prize money will be paid out by insurance this year, the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce will still award grant money to area organizations.
“We just go with the mission of enhancing our lakes area and really benefiting the anglers that come to our area,” said Morgan Strauss of the Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
The Iowa Great Lakes Chamber of Commerce plans to announce grant recipients later this month.
