The Montana Governor's Cup Walleye Tournament Will be Unlike Any Before. Find Out Why.

This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks to the tournament director, Jason Eggebrecht and volunteer, Tom Kobza about the amazing changes that have been made to this year’s upcoming 39th annual Montana Governor’s Cup Walleye Tournament. Make sure you watch the podcast on MontanaOutdoor.com or listen and without a doubt do not, repeat, DO NOT miss this year’s Gov Cup. Why? The additions to this year’s tournament are amazing. What are those? Well, for starters how about 1st Place this year will be guaranteed $20,000 (based on minimum field of 175)! Oh, and get this one! Each day, four random total weights will be drawn, and the teams holding those weights win cash EXCLUDING THE TOP 10%. With a full field of 200 teams paying the $200 random-weight entry, that works out to $5,000 per draw, per day for four lucky teams! That's $20,000 on July 10th and another $20,000 on July 11th up for grabs purely on luck of the draw. Think about it even if you are as bad at walleye fishing as say a certain podcast host, we know, you STILL have a shot at being in the money. And the list goes on when you add in all the usual cash and prizes you can win if you add them on to your entry. You have got to watch and or listento this podcast to learn all about it. It is going to blow you away gang! So do not miss this podcast and for goodness sake for sure DO NOT miss out on this year’s 39th annual Montana Governor’s Cup Walleye Tournament! Now, it is important to let you know that the tourney is starting to fill up pretty fast so you should register right away!

Links:

• To learn all about the 39th annual Montana Governor’s Cup Walleye Tournament click here.
• To get your two-person team entered right now, click here!
• Click here to see the list of sponsors that are making this year’s amazing tournament possible. Maybe shoot them a word of thanks when you can.
• Click here to see the Roster lineup so far!
• To see the rules for the Gov Cup click here.
• Click here for tournament contact info.
• Want info about the amazing Glasgow and Fort Peck, MT area? Click here!
• Questions for Jason? Click here to email him. Questions for Tom? Click here!
• Click here to email your old pal Downrigger Dale!

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome, welcome, welcome in everyone. Thank you so much for joining us here on the Montana Outdoor Podcast. And I've got a very special program for you. Every year we talk about a lot of different fishing tournaments and things like that, but there's always one tournament that is considered kind of like the Rose Bowl Super Bowl and everything all rolled into one if you're a walleye fisherman, and that is the Montana Governor's Cup. And of course, that'll be going again this year, but there has been some major changes to that tournament. And I think you're going to be really excited to hear about this. That's next.

SPEAKER_02 0:46

The Montana Outdoor Podcast is brought to you by Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer, home of boss snow plows and accessories. And Diamond C trailers and accessories. Go to rmt.com and see everything they have waiting for you online. Or just come by 5680 Expressway in Missoula and buy Superior Hardwoods of Montana, delivering the highest quality lumber, paneling, flooring, and reclaimed wood products anywhere in North America. Let them guide you through the woods at their showroom in Missoula on Highway 93 South or at Superior-Hardwoods.com.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

And welcome in everyone. Thank you so much. Hey, before I get started with my two guests and we talk about the GovCup, which is hard to believe, but it's knocking at the door. It'll be here soon. I want to welcome two groups that we always welcome that are we're we're very proud to have them as special parts of our audience. Number one is our active military all around the world. We are so honored that they play this podcast at bases all around the world and even on uh several ships. And then I found out here recently there's a few pilots that do these really long distance, I can't say all the stuff, but uh they have recorded the Montana Outdoor Podcast and listen on those long trips before they blow a bunch of stuff up. So uh we're honored to have our active military on there. I know you all have been doing some pretty heavy and dangerous lifting here uh recently, and we just want you to know we're thinking of you, we're praying for you. You're loved, and we hope you get home very soon. And uh second group of uh listeners that we have a tremendous number of, and that is our veterans all around the great state of Montana, including one of my daughters. I want to thank all of our veterans that watch, and of course, thank you so much for your service. We will never forget what you've done for our country. Now, let's get into this topic. My this has got to be one of my favorite podcasts that we do every year, uh, and that is talk about the Montana Governor's Cup. It's a legendary uh tournament for sure. There's just no doubt about it. Uh, this will be the 39th annual Montana Governor's Cup, and there's just so much to it, so much great history to it, and all that. But every now and then, even some of these historical great standard bearer kind of tournaments get some tweaks and get some changes, and I think the changes that they have made to this year's Governor's Cup are exciting as hell. I am so excited about it. I can't wait to uh talk about it. So let's bring in our guests. Now you're gonna recognize a couple of these names. Tom Kabodza uh or Kobza. Did I get that right, Tom? I'm sorry. Yes, sir. You got it. Um, Tom has been on this program before. He is a brilliant uh what do we call you? A fabricator, uh, that I mean that the stuff that you put together is really cool stuff. Uh, he's also a great fisherman, and he is also part of the GovCup. Uh, what is it? Is it like a board that you belong to there, Tom? Is that what you got?

SPEAKER_04 4:17

I just volunteer. I'm I'm that's above my pay grade in order to uh to to be a uh on the board.

SPEAKER_00 4:25

Gotcha. Well, uh I'm so glad that you're here, and then we have Jason Ingebrecht. Did I get that right, Jason? Yep, Ingerbrecht. Uh and Jason, of course, we've heard his name a lot because he wins a lot of these dang tournaments and he does a great job of it. He's also been on our podcast and given us some great fishing advice, too. So uh I want to get into those changes. We're not gonna do that right away, though, because uh I want to talk about a lot of the basics. We want to make sure we get on everybody's calendar and that people that are not entered into this year's GovCup, you gotta make sure you get into it. I would hate for you to miss out. This is gonna be the, I predict, probably the most special Gov Cup we've ever had. So we're talking, guys. Um uh Tom, why don't you go ahead? Date is what July uh 9th through the 11th? Am I correct there?

SPEAKER_04 5:23

Yes, sir. Uh July 9th through 11th, and obviously that's on Fort Peck.

SPEAKER_00 5:29

Two-person teams. Um now, photo catch and release using the e-tournament fishing app. And um, Jason, maybe you can kind of take us through that because that's that's an important. Is this the first time GovCup has done the uh use the e uh app dealy for tell us what that is because I I'm gonna assume there's quite a few uh folks listening that may have never used that before. Tell us about that app and what it does.

SPEAKER_03 6:02

So a lot of tournaments in the Montana have been doing catch and release, either photo or cameras. This takes it to another level. It actually goes through an app, it's timestamped, watermarked. Anglers does it all. They don't have to leave their spot to go find a wayboat. I think it's a win-win.

SPEAKER_00 6:21

So they don't even go to a wayboat. So how does that work? Take us through. Okay, I I've I've hooked into uh, you know, one of the typical fish that I catch uh on Fort Peck, which is about a 15-incher. And I bring it in and I I after I uh you know have given myself enough crap about catching yet another small walleye, I want to go ahead and enter it because it could be the only walleye I catch during the tournament. Um so what do I do next? What take me through what I would need to do to to make sure that fish is now part of what I my team has caught.

SPEAKER_03 7:01

If I catch a fish, you'll give a way we'll give you guys a wayboard. Everybody fishes will have a uh Gelve Cup wayboard. Okay. Yeah, no one's gotta touch, pinch the tail, take a picture, then start recording the release as it swims away. Okay and submit. I mean, if you're out of service, it's supposed to submit automatically when you come back into service, you just gotta leave the app open and running.

SPEAKER_00 7:28

Okay. So this app, uh, you don't have to open the camera or any of that, it just does it all for you, right? When you open it, is that correct?

SPEAKER_04 7:36

Yep. And I can kind of uh go on what what Jason said. Yes, you'll you'll open the app and the app will walk you through it. Like you can't it it makes you take the photo. Once the photo is uploaded, you can review it, make sure that it's a good photo, that you can still see the measurement, the nose is touching all that. Uh and then before it'll even let you proceed, you have to upload the photo. So the photo will upload, and then you'll be able to take your video. And then you've got 60 seconds to take the video, uh, which is great because we don't want any of the fish going in the live. Well, we want to return them to the water as quickly as we can, and that's the great part about these tournaments.

SPEAKER_01 8:16

Absolutely, yes. Now we're gonna submit a fish in our walleye event. We're gonna select the length, which looking at this fish, it's right at 17. He's gonna put it back on. It's 17 and a half. So I'm gonna select 17 and a half. I'm gonna take a measurement photo. Now we're going to try to load this in uh with the best up and down perspective as possible, making sure the nose is touching and the tail's fanned. We take that photo. Now it's gonna allow us to use photo. Now I'm gonna switch over to the release video. I'll tell my partner to take it off the board, and then we're gonna release the fish. See the counter started down, we're good. Go ahead and release it. Swims off. Now we're gonna end it, and it's gonna give us an option for a use video. That's what we're gonna take, and now we're gonna submit the fish. Once that's done, you've successfully submitted your fish.

SPEAKER_04 9:15

So it's it's super simple. The the app will actually show you a countdown timer on the screen, so it'll show you you've got 60 seconds to take the video. Uh, you know, lots of a lot of great benefits to this. One for the gov cup on the backside, but two, it's allowing the the director of the tournament to review every photo and every video. So if there's something wrong with a picture or they notice, hey, the nose of that fish was not on the board. The great part is they can review it and say, hey, instead of a 15-inch walleye, you only caught a 14 and a half, and then they can adjust that that length. And in the app, the the entire photo catch and release formula for the to length the weight conversion is already entered. So it'll actually show you on the app how many pounds according to the chart you already have for the day. Um and there's so many cool benefits. I don't know if they'll have it on. They talked about having it on at the the marina, but there'll be a live leaderboard that you can actually watch to show, you know, it'll shut off part way during the day wherever the tournament director, this guy, whenever he decides to uh to shut it off, and and obviously we don't want people sharing with anglers because that is against the rules.

SPEAKER_03 10:41

So uh it is Android and Apple compatible. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 10:46

Okay, and I'm gonna uh just go ahead and ask uh for some of my negative Nellies out there that uh do listen to the podcast and always have that. Well, yeah, but wait a minute now. Uh so as far as the time stamp and all that, fishermen can't control that, right? That's all controlled. Correct. Okay, so there you go. Because I I I've done this podcast long enough that I I know the certain emails that I'm gonna get. Okay, so there really isn't a way for the fisherman to cheat with this app, is there?

SPEAKER_03 11:25

No, no, correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think they can see the water stamp. It's actually water stamp, and just the directors and the people have proven it can see the water stamp. So their phone will timestamp it, but there's also a watermark in it too.

SPEAKER_04 11:38

Yep, then the phone the w the phone will timestamp uh and the the other great part of it is it will actually download that picture and video to your album on your phone. So you've always got a copy of that. So if somebody has a problem with their phone uploading and they say, Well, it didn't upload or we missed this fish, it's it's really easy to determine whether or not they did or not, because it will be in your album. So there's always a fail safe. If the app did not upload, it's still gonna be in your gallery with your picture and your video, so people don't have to panic about, you know, and and the great part too is the guys from eTournament will be on site for GovCup, so they're gonna be there to be able to help anybody having issues or anything like that. So it'll it'll be great to have them here.

SPEAKER_03 12:30

So they're gonna do our approvals this year, just kind of walk us through it so it's smooth transition.

SPEAKER_00 12:35

So but bottom line, this has been a tried and true system, it's not something brand new for this year, it's brand new to the GovCup, but the the the actual system itself, it's been around for a while, right, Jason?

SPEAKER_03 12:49

Yes, yes. Um, I don't believe any series in Montana is using it yet, but a lot of their places are.

SPEAKER_04 12:55

Yep, I believe uh Alberta and Saskatchewan are have both gone to it. There's some other bigger, bigger tournaments in the U.S. that are looking at going to it that they will be. Uh the Colorado series uses it, uh, Nebraska series, Iowa series. So there's quite a few states, and then they do a they've started doing a lot of bass and a lot of saltwater tournaments as well.

SPEAKER_00 13:18

I think I already said it once. I'm gonna say it again. It's a major upgrade for the GovCup tournament. Uh but no contestant or fisherman wants to be learning a new app right on day one being out on the water. Is there a place they can go to to you know download this app and learn about it? And are there like instructional videos or anything like that that folks could find?

SPEAKER_04 13:47

Yeah, if you go to their website, they've got really good detailed videos on how to use it. They'll walk you through it. Uh, if you go to like Apple Play Store or the Android uh version to download the app, uh you can download the app. Uh you can literally enter in all of your information, phone number. So if you are an Angler and you may go to another tournament, it it makes it even better. Uh but the great part is there is a if you go to uh like tournaments, there's a drop-down box. So now you can look at all those tournaments across the US that you can go register in. And in there, there is one that is called practice. So you can literally start using it tomorrow. If you download the app, it doesn't cost you anything to download the app to use the practice section. Uh so you can download it, take the picture video and download it, and then uh the e-tournament guys on the backside will review it and basically okay it. And that's the cool part is you can start using it tomorrow to practice up with it. But super simple, uh, really easy to use, and and they're also great guys. If you've got questions, you can either email them or send them a message and they'll respond and and help you through it if if your phone needs to be updated or something. And again, they will be at the tournament, so they'll be at the park uh during registration. If you've got questions or if something's not working right, they're there to help. And and that's the great part is we're we're all there to help everybody out.

SPEAKER_00 15:20

So I love that idea about doing the practice round and that. So I'll get that in the uh podcast description as well. Uh the uh link to the e-tournament uh fishing app, and I'll put the uh Android link as well as the uh Apple link in there so it'll be easy for you to find. Download it, play with it, and do that uh practice round. I love that idea. So now it's just gonna be second nature to you, and you're not trying to figure it out right in the heat of competition. That's a great one, Tom. Thank you for that. You bet. What I like about it is it really just it lets the angler be an angler that does the documentation, and you're not looking for wayboats and all this, you're just getting right back to the action. So to me, I I think this is a uh an upgrade for sure.

SPEAKER_03 16:13

Uh most anglers are used to using it now just by cameras. This is just gonna record it and send it back to headquarters so we can score it before they even get off the water, hopefully. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Yeah. Uh and entry fee $300 per team. Uh, then you have some optional add-ons. That's always been that way on the GovCup. We'll get into some of that. Top prize gonna be now get this. Top prize is $20,000 guaranteed. Now that's based on 175 teams entered. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I think you will have no problem doing that because we're gonna get into some other really cool changes, too, that I think are gonna push this over the top. Folks, if you have not entered uh to the the GovCup this year, you really should get on it right away. Of course, it's MontanaGovCup.com. If you go to the podcast description, uh the link is right there. Just boom, click it and off you go. Get on it and do it. Um, I think you're really gonna love some of these uh changes. Now, uh July 9th kicks off the rules meeting. Um no money is awarded that day, of course, followed by two full days of fishing. That's the 10th and 11th. So uh on the rules meeting, uh that's what time, guys? 4 30? Is that what time it'll be?

SPEAKER_03 17:43

Yeah, correct. 4 30 is uh the rules meeting, but open sign-up start at 3 p.m. down there, down at the park.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

Okay. And that's down at the when you say down at the park, that's the same place that it's always been. Am I correct on that?

SPEAKER_03 17:56

Down at Kwantas or downstream campground.

SPEAKER_00 17:59

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Okay. All right. And uh if you go to uh the website, which again on the podcast description, it's right there, MontanaGovCup.com. Uh there's all this information on there too, guys. So we can get into that and and do that. Now, um there is another segment to this that I don't want you guys to go anywhere because I'm I'm just gonna keep it a mystery for a little bit longer on the podcast yet, because I I just I can't wait for you all to hear this because you're gonna just freak out when you hear this change. I want to take a minute to thank Superior Hardwoods of Montana for their support of this podcast. It is what allows us to bring you the latest from Montana's Great Outdoors, with very few interruptions, by the way. That said, there is another reason we are lucky to have Superior Hardwoods of Montana on board. They are an amazing business that can offer all of you some of the most incredible wood products you have ever seen. Plus, Superior Hardwoods of Montana is still a place that actually cares about and appreciates their customers, the same way we appreciate you, our viewers and listeners. They offer you something original and totally unique, like their eleven acres of wood wall paneling, flooring, trim, beams, slabs, well, you name it. Every single piece has a story behind it. Wood from old barns, historic homesteads, even historic factories. And that amazing wood can be part of your story too. Right there in your home can be a piece of American history, brought back to life, custom milled and refinished to your specifications. So it not only tells its original story, but also speaks to who you are and how special your home is. Superior Hardwoods also has exotic woods, live edge slabs, prefinished and unfinished flooring too. All in stock and ready to go. Need help picking out the right material? Just ask. Their team has been doing this since 1977. They know how to guide you through the woods. Swing into their beautiful showroom at 5120 Highway 93 South in Missoula. Or you can just check them out online at superior-hardwoods.com. That's superior hardwoods of Montana. Local, knowledgeable, family run, and ready to help you build something that lasts. Let them guide you through the woods at superior-hardwoods.com. Superior Hardwoods of Montana. Go see 'em. So let's talk a bit about um is there any major other rule changes? Uh we won't get into the new add-on stuff, but everything else is just the same old good old GovCup, right?

SPEAKER_03 21:12

Yeah, same boundaries.

SPEAKER_00 21:16

Okay, same boundaries, all that stuff. So um this is uh this is your your typical Gov Cup, but there's a new twist to it this year. And I don't know which one of you wants to take off on this this new twist, but it's pretty dang exciting. Who wants to take that? All right, Jason, take take it away. This is something brand new for the Montana GovCup.

SPEAKER_03 21:46

So we're doing a it'll be another side pod. You'll have to enter it. But it'll be uh random waits. So at the end of every day, whenever fish is checked in, right before Calcutta, we will We'll draw four random weights. It don't have to be one fish, I'd be per team, but it could be six pounds, it could be anything that don't place in the top ten percent will be in a random drawing for random weights. And we'll get four prizes, five grand a piece for that. If full filled. Each each day? Each day. So an extra twenty thousand if folded.

SPEAKER_00 22:29

So you're you're gonna pull out these these uh these random weights. Now what if uh there's several fishermen that have the same weight? What is how does that work?

SPEAKER_03 22:44

Well split that random weight in two, but it should be pretty tough with uh taking the top uh 10% out anyways, and then whatever else in there. But there could be ties, and we'll just split that one random weight for two places, three places.

SPEAKER_00 23:00

Now, here's what I love about this. I just love this idea because for for some of us, you know, like me, and that that say we never really do real great at the GovCup, but it's just a fun tournament to be in. You want to be part of it and all that. Everyone's got a chance of being in some big money.

SPEAKER_03 23:24

Oh, correct. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:27

Now that is really cool. What would you say would be was the main motivator to to make this big add-on and to change that?

SPEAKER_03 23:38

Trying to get more people back out and fishing. I mean, you don't have to go against the big sticks every day. I mean, there you got a chance to win five grand. You got four chances actually.

SPEAKER_00 23:50

Right. So uh each day four uh dates get pulled out random. If you've got that weight of fish, you're putting five grand in your pocket. Um I I'm telling you, gang, that makes the um to me, this is just a game changer completely. Because it doesn't matter where you're at in the tourney, you got a shot at it. Now, what does that cost to add that in to your to your deal here? How much was that again?

SPEAKER_03 24:25

$100 per team.

SPEAKER_00 24:27

$100 per team. Okay. So each team says, okay, yeah, we got to get in on that five grand deal, so we're gonna throw in an extra hundred bucks for uh per day. Um you got a shot at now pulling in, well, a shot uh four shots at pulling in five grand. Uh and then the other side of this that that really gets me excited is on Fort Peck this year, and I don't know what the reason is, but it's and and correct me if I'm wrong, but you know, on MontanaOutdoor.com, people are always reporting into us, well, you know, we caught this fish, we caught that fish. We're just seeing a lot of big walleye being caught already on Fort Peck. Are you guys seeing the same thing?

SPEAKER_04 25:17

Yeah, there's there's a lot of good fish, and and it's been a really good spring. Uh, you know, the spawn is for the most part over. We might be catching a few females that are still holding eggs right now just because it is a little cooler at the dam area. But yeah, it's it's been an extremely good year for for big fish for sure. A lot of those 27 to 31, 32 inch walleye for sure.

SPEAKER_00 25:43

And what tells me that this also becomes a game changer is I'll give you a good example. Uh, Mary Beth Kibler, uh, who's an outfitter over in Hell Creek, uh, she does a report on our uh radio show, uh, the Montana Outdoor Radio Show. And she said, Yeah, uh lately we've had several of our guests that are catching these really large walleye. Now, these are not these are not experienced fishermen. These are folks that, you know, just hired Mary Beth so they can have some fun, get out on Fort Peck and catch a fish. And they're catching them. So again, that to me tells me that for those of you that maybe don't place real high, you got a great shot at it as well being in the big money just because there's a lot of big fish out there. I think Fort Peck is continuing to develop into this world-class walleye fishery. Do you guys agree with me there?

SPEAKER_03 26:51

Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_04 26:52

Well, for sure. And and to elaborate on that a little bit, I I don't think there's going to be many tournaments in the nation where you're gonna be able to go catch, you know, the weights that we have. We don't have a slot limit, it's uh what you catch is what you weigh. And to me, I've I've fished some other tournaments in other states and and they were great tournaments and they were a lot of fun. But to have the chance to come out here and weigh 10 fish that are 30 inches and and pull a hundred-pound or a hundred and five-pound bag, that there's there's not another tournament in the states that you're gonna find that.

SPEAKER_00 27:25

No, see, and that that's where it gets exciting. Now, you know, I'll I'll go ahead and mention the elephant in the room. Some people say, well, you know, this forward-facing sonar is a da-da-da-da-da. I'm telling you, when you have random tourists that on a regular basis are pulling out 30 plus inch walleye, and they're not they're not looking at forward-facing, you know, sonar, they're they're not looking at any of that. Now, does it is it helpful? Well, of course it is. But for uh for some of the people that have chosen not to invest in that, between the new $5,000 deal that the the regular side pots, which we'll get into as well, plus the fact that we seem to be having more bigger fish out on the the lake, it's entirely possible that it may not be the usual suspects that are you know pulling in the top money.

SPEAKER_04 28:30

Would you say so? I I would agree. And in in touching on your forward-facing side, you know, there's a lot of people that forget, you know, uh, was it Rock Creek probably 10 years ago, one of the biggest weights ever weighed for a tournament? And that was 10 years ago plus. And and I believe Loudouns weighed a huge bag for Hell Creek maybe five or six years ago, that then that beat that weight. So I mean, there there's a lot of people saying forward facing yes is an issue, but at any time you can go out. I mean, Jason won Gov Cup a couple years in a row where he he was still 80 plus pounds, you know, which is a heck of a bag in the last two years. That would have put him right there in the money with everybody else. So yeah, it's uh it yes, it plays a role in it for sure, if you're good at it and you know what you're looking at, but there's still a lot of fish out there and a lot of good fish that anybody at any time can be right there with the the top ones.

SPEAKER_00 29:34

And it's a huge lake. So guys, there is the odds of you being able to find and run into that that big group of walleye are great if you've got you know just some good basic angular knowledge. You don't have to be, you know, have every you know electronic gizmo in the world. If you want to have it, okay, fine. But you know, I I see plenty of people that continue to catch huge fish and win tournaments without it. So what what I would recommend you do, pull out your bucks and enter this and and have some fun with it, because you're gonna have so many different ways to win. We have we still have the big fish pot, correct? That that's still there, right, guys?

SPEAKER_03 30:27

Correct. Yes, correct. Both big walleye and big bass this year, another change. Not big northern, but it's going to big bass.

SPEAKER_00 30:35

And then we have uh the wee walleye pot, which you know, if uh the captain would ever enter the uh uh you you hear the captain on the Montana Outdoor Radio Show. If he would ever enter uh the uh the GovCup, you know, he he would be a shoe-in for that, I would think. Uh I think he's reasoning.

SPEAKER_04 31:00

Oh, there's definitely some dirty looks going on, so yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:05

Then we have the day money. Now, this is paid 100% on a uh sliding scale based on participants. Then we have the additional side pots, these are daily payouts throughout the tournament. So you've got all these different ways to win out there. You have the new um app that's gonna make it much easier for you to get your fish entered and get those lines back in the water. Uh, I think when you add all this up, I I think we're looking at a a pretty damn exciting GovCup this year, I would say.

SPEAKER_03 31:44

We also do the um auction. Calcutta Calcutta. There's the word I'm looking for.

SPEAKER_00 31:53

Yeah, we haven't even got into that one. Now, uh to get in the Calcutta, they they've got to be um what what time do they have to be there to to uh bid on those?

SPEAKER_03 32:06

Calcutta starts on Thursday night at 6 30.

SPEAKER_00 32:09

6 30.

SPEAKER_03 32:10

Okay, 6 30 Friday night also.

SPEAKER_00 32:13

So make sure, guys, you and gals out there that you do not mess that up and miss that because that Calcutta can I I've seen some people win some big money buying you know, teams. So again, another great way to do this. Um, so what am I missing, guys? Is there anything else that that we we need to cover here?

SPEAKER_03 32:37

Looking up, bringing in some um food trucks for the public to come out and enjoy some different food from around the area. We don't have a number on how many are coming or yeah, but that's kind of a goal this year, too.

SPEAKER_00 32:51

Now, see that that that piques my interest. Um, if I was standing up where people could see me full screen, you'd know that I don't pass by too many food trucks. Uh so you seem like a taco truck type of guy. I I well, you know, that usually gets me started. The taco truck is kind of the beginning part, then you then you move to more of the starches and you know that. Uh, but I I will make a stop at any any and every food truck within, you know, within a mile of me if I can.

SPEAKER_04 33:24

Uh they they need the support too.

SPEAKER_00 33:27

Well absolutely. Now, uh Chamber of Commerce is is um still the main ones running the the the whole tournament and doing that. Um any other reminders that we ought to get uh on top of the biggest thing is just remembering have everything in the boat because you can't unload it on the boat ramp.

SPEAKER_03 33:47

And if you're in your flight, get up earlier.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

Yep. Any tips that you could give us, guys, as far as for let's say somebody that says, you know, after hearing all this stuff, uh, I think I'm gonna give the GovCup a try for the first time. Uh maybe they're used to fishing walleye some somewhere else in another state or that. Can you give us maybe maybe a few hints or ideas of of colors and some things depth-wise, structure-wise, things like that that might help uh a first-time governor to to uh you know find the fish and and get into them?

SPEAKER_04 34:29

You know, that time of year it it's there's a lot of those fish are from weed line out to 20-25 feet. You know, it just depends. You know, colors, boy, it I don't know if there's a a real true color that works the best on Fort Pack. You know, it seems like everything kind of works. I I believe Jason's won a couple times on yeah, some secret red hooks with white beads and stuff like that. But it uh yeah, I mean that time of year, it's those fish could be anywhere from two feet of water out to 35 feet of water. So it's definitely the structure. I mean, you're looking for structures and main lake points and stuff like that is always a good start for sure.

SPEAKER_00 35:11

Rocky Mountain truck and trailer. Truth is, the Montana Outdoor Podcast wouldn't exist without their incredible support. And if you've been enjoying these episodes each week, maybe it's time to support the folks who help make it happen. So here's the question Do you need a trailer for work for hauling gear to your next adventure? Well then, go see the folks who already get what you're about. You see, if you listen to this show, you've already got something in common with Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer. Like you, they love the outdoors, they work hard, and they're dang good at what they do. Their job? Helping people like you get your work done faster so you can get back out in Montana's great outdoors. Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer carries a full lineup of Diamond C trailers, gooseneck, equipment, dub trailers, well, you name it. Whether you're hauling a few supplies or towing the big stuff, Diamond C trailers are built to handle it all with reliability and ease. Plus, they service everything they sell. Need your trailer rewired so the lights work the way they're supposed to? They'll take care of that too. Got a new truck? They'll get you set up with the accessories you need, installed and ready to roll. And don't wait until the last minute to schedule your trailer service. Do that ahead of time so your gear's ready to go when you are. They also stock a huge selection of parts for box snowplows and diamond sea trailers, and if it's not in stock, they'll find it. Need financing? Well, they've got you covered there too. Need a gooseneck or fifth-wheel hitch for that rodeo trip or family outing to the Great Outdoors? Yep, they install those too. Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer. They're in Missoula at 5680 Expressway. You can call them at 406-549-4243. Or check them out online at rmtte.com. That's Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer. RMTTE.com. Now let's get back to what Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer helped create the podcast. I'll share one with you. Um I believe this is when I caught my first 30-incher on Fort Peck. I uh pulled out a maroon. It was a maroon um little blade. And that son of a gun, I had the best day I'd ever had. And uh I went to that maroon color quite often. So if you're stumped and thinking, I don't know what to do, and you've tried the normal, usual suspects, might try one of those maroon ones. They worked for me, but just a thought, you know. These two are looking at me like, what the hell is he talking about? Uh now let's talk about weather. Uh, for for folks, again, that maybe are going to be new, because I'm I'm really hoping that listening to this podcast, some of you, you know, even out of state, you're welcome to come. Give it a try. Get online, uh, sign up, and and come on. We'd love to have you. Um the Fort Peck is a big lake, and it can throw some weather at us. Uh, any kind of things that we ought to really watch out for there, weather-wise, uh, that could kind of give us a little indication. Uh oh, we better be uh moving to a little uh safer spot.

SPEAKER_03 38:44

We do get a lot of auto-stators coming to the soul. I mean, quite a few of them.

SPEAKER_00 38:49

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 38:50

Yeah. I'm not sure the original count right now, but I know I seen it, but I can't remember.

SPEAKER_00 38:55

When you get the big blows that cause some of these, you know, really rough water, where's it coming from? Is it typically what coming out of east, west, south, north? What what wind am I really what wind should I be worried about as the new guy on the water?

SPEAKER_04 39:14

North, northwest or west, because that'll blow right down the right down the lake. So especially west wind. That'll that'll line up perfect. And I I believe the four the the weather service comes every night and talks at the GovCup to kind of give us an update of what the next day is looking like and stuff like that for for and and the GovCup committee is also great because they they will start letting everybody know, hey, if it's going to be really windy, we need to watch out for this. So kudos to the to the the committee for sure.

SPEAKER_03 39:47

And we'll still have patrol boats out there for abandoned boats or somebody struggling.

SPEAKER_00 39:53

So now another thing that I wanted to bring up, guys, is what was it, three, four years ago, something like that, uh there was a there was a day, uh, or maybe it was a couple days even where the there was just an unbelievable bite. And and this is something Fort Peck has kind of been known for, is when it's good to a few folks, it can be good to a lot of folks. And if I remember right, the we're talking about, I mean, a huge number of teams during that tournament were pulling in more than 40 pounds in that day. But it tell us about that. Uh am I right? I can't remember when it was, but it it was a big day for a lot of people.

SPEAKER_04 40:39

Yep, I I think that was three years ago. Uh some of those weights, like there was a lot of people that were over that 40-pound mark. Uh, I believe first day 55 pounds was leading. Yeah. Oh, yeah, that's right. It was. I think that was Pat Ryder and Josh Kittelson, or they were right there at the top within, and they were pulling bottom bouncers and minnows and and bottom bouncers and and worms, but there was also a lot of guys that were pulling cranks, you know, forward facing was there, so guys were throwing some jigging wraps and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_03 41:10

But yeah, I think there's another team in the top five also that was uh pulling bottom bouncers and over.

SPEAKER_00 41:16

Yeah, so I mean it I'm glad you brought that up because um, you know, we often think about tournament time everybody's jigging, but sometimes that's not the bite that does it. So there are people that bottom bounce and, like you say, are pulling cranks and things like that, right?

SPEAKER_04 41:36

Absolutely. And there's a lot of guys right now pulling bottom bouncers, you know, pulling minnows or or even pulling a you know, uh an egg weight with a a two or three foot leader right now that are doing really well on walleyes this time of year as well. So it's not just a forward-facing game, it's crankbaits, bouncers. Like these walleye love to eat that time of year, that is for sure. That's that's what they're there for.

SPEAKER_00 42:00

Well, and I I'm gonna tell you, folks, I am no expert fisherman, but the biggest fish, biggest walleye I ever caught in Fort Peck, I caught bottom bouncing.

SPEAKER_04 42:12

So there's there's been a lot the lot of walleye have fallen to a bottom bouncer, that is for sure.

SPEAKER_00 42:19

Yeah. So, you know, again, if if uh you're one of these folks that that tends to to like to do that sort of thing, and you go, oh yeah, but it's all now a jigging game. No, it's not. And especially now where we've got this really cool deal where you might even just get picked a random weight and get five thousand dollars put in your hands. I mean, there's just a lot of reasons to to enter this tournament. That's what I guess I'm getting at. Is uh the way that the committee and everybody that's worked on this has put this year's GovCup together. There's just too many reasons to enter. I I just if you like the walleye fish, I don't know why you would not enter this year. I really wouldn't. Uh it's just there's a zillion reasons to do it.

SPEAKER_04 43:10

No, and it's they're they're always trying to make it better, trying to make it uh always family friendly. There, there's a lot of dads and kids fishing. It it's pretty crazy to me to see the the amount of husbands and wives in the mixed couples that are now fishing. Yeah, so I mean, if you can tolerate your husband in a boat, you know, for eight hours over two a two-day course, you know what? A lot of times the women will catch more fish than the men. So that's what my wife always says, but that's uh that's not true.

SPEAKER_00 43:41

So yeah, yeah, as the song goes, bet your life, your sweet wife will catch more fish than you. Yeah. Um so why not? Uh we we have people in what now, uh 80 different countries, uh uh in 2,000 cities that regularly listen and watch this podcast. Now I'm not saying that, you know, for we have some a bunch of regular uh viewers from South Africa. Okay, you may not make the trip from South Africa all the way up. Well you're welcome to come but I'm telling you if you're within can any province in Canada and the 48 states I don't know why you wouldn't come do this. One, it's just a great summer vacation but two uh there's some odds that you're gonna go home with more money than you showed up with.

SPEAKER_03 44:40

Right now we have nine different states in the tournament.

SPEAKER_00 44:43

Nine different states.

SPEAKER_03 44:44

South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Washington, Kansas, Nebraska and Oregon.

SPEAKER_00 44:50

Already so there you go, folks. And we've got about a hundred is it a little over a hundred teams right now.

SPEAKER_03 44:58

It's sitting right at a hundred.

SPEAKER_00 45:00

Yeah so that's right at uh when we recorded this podcast uh I'm gonna say probably by the time we're you're done listening to this it's the numbers gonna go up so I wouldn't you know dilly dally too long on this I would get on it. If you're if you're thinking that you might want to do it well then you know you are go ahead and just sign up and do it. I think you're really gonna have a lot of fun with this. Uh now I'm gonna post also in the podcast description some phone numbers for you uh for the Chamber of Commerce uh again the the um website will be there uh where you have to click on it it's MontanaGovCup dot com dot com slash uh uh registration but you don't even have to try to remember that I'll just have the link there and just click it and off you'll go so be sure and check the notes in the podcast description and uh all that info will be there for you so it's gonna make it real easy for all of you that are watching uh andor listening to it uh so let's go through um the big reasons again before we leave guys let's go through the big reasons again why you ought to give the GovCup a try uh and we're gonna start with the the $20,000 top prize guaranteed at 175 fishermen so if you feel like you're a hell of a good walleye fisherman okay 20 grand ought to entice you right there go over the $5,000 daily random payouts one more time for us so people uh hear that again because I want them to understand this this is a new deal and it's awesome so it's four spots per day it's exercise pot for $100 per team so it's four per day so both days it'll be eight spots in full it'll be 20 grand you split each day. So five grand each day for four places all right guys I don't know uh I don't know what else to tell you there then you have your normal big fish pot the wee walleye pot the day money we've got the Calcutta going uh we've got all that stuff but really in my opinion what's makes it worth it is getting out on Fort Peck Reservoir and catching some of these walleye which uh if you've never done it this is one of the best walleye lakes in the world well in fact uh what was it uh I think it was in Fishman named it the uh in the top five walleye lakes in the world and I would call it number one myself but that's me I think we're both pretty partial. So yeah I would agree with that. Of course a a big tournament like this uh doesn't just happen with a few folks it it takes a it takes a whole town to pull this off and some great organization skills from uh of course the uh the folks at the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce uh just do a phenomenal job in pulling everybody together and putting this team together and that um and and really this doesn't happen without sponsors right right uh Jason yeah correct yeah if it wasn't for for all our sponsors we couldn't do this and our volunteers were all volunteered so we have a lot of great sponsors in the small town that get hit up for a lot but they they support us well yeah and Lisa Kosky is a big part of that with the Chamber of Commerce.

SPEAKER_04 48:45

The Chamber of Commerce does a great job bringing volunteers getting getting the the sponsors as ourselves and and a lot of the other ones to to commit year after year because we know it's a big benefit to our business businesses but and then the the wayboat uh wayboat and official boats you know it's great that they'll take a couple days off their schedules to come out and and help people on the water or or do whatever so that's that's a big benefit as well. So it's it's a huge shout out to all the volunteers for sure.

SPEAKER_00 49:15

Yeah and they even have first responders on the ready and I mean all that it it it really is an impressive uh well-run tournament and I I I just can't thank all of you out there that that make this thing go just thank you for all that you do because uh it makes this tournament go off like it's just easy happens every day but it it is a tremendous amount of work in fact uh the the the day after this this 39th uh gov cup will be done they will start planning the next one you know I mean it's it's that we're doing yeah so I thank you all for for what you do and when you get your information packet and all that stuff you'll see sponsors' names in there uh you know go through and especially if you need something pick it from one of those sponsors because those are the people that make this happen so you know uh give them some love all right guys well uh I think we've covered this thing from bow to stern and and port to uh starboard so if you don't have anything else uh all I gotta say is thank you both for coming on and doing this and being part of the GovCub crew that uh puts this together and uh let's just get out and and do some fishing here and see if see who wins it. It's gonna be July 9th through the 11th that's right around the corner so I can't I can't say this enough if you have not entered I would do it right away again we have well this audience now is in the hundreds of thousands on this podcast once this podcast drops it isn't gonna take long so I would get on it all right uh until we talk again out there everyone and oh by the way my email address is on the screen now you can always email me anytime if you got any kind of question I'll run down the answer for you. I want to thank all of you for tuning in uh be careful out there be safe and be good to each other and we'll see you next time here on the Montana Outdoor Podcast.

SPEAKER_02 51:36

Thanks for watching the Montana Outdoor Podcast you know there's no way we could do this podcast without the incredible support of sponsors like Superior Hardwoods of Montana home of the largest selection of in-stock high-end wood products and flooring in the western United States let them guide you through the woods at superior-hardwoods.com and of course Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer in Missoula home of both snow clouds and accessories and diamond seat trailers and accessories go see them on the web at rmttecom we'd love to hear what you thought of this week's podcast when you get a minute or two shoot us an email and tell us your thoughts same goes if you have any questions for rigor or this week's guest just send your questions or comments to downrigger at montanaoutdoor.com Hey don't forget we should be dropping a new podcast this next Saturday until then gang we hope to see you soon out in Montana's great outdoors