Local team earns 13th at fishing tournament

Boysen Reservoir was home to a branch of the 2018 Wyoming Walleye Stampede, and the team of Bill and Julie Mathews places 13th among the competition with a two-day total weight of 22.28 pounds.

Teams can enter up to five fish each day of the tournament, but they have to be at least 15 inches long. Bill noted they caught several that were under the length requirement and had to be thrown back, but they landed one that was 20 inches and another that was 22. "We needed 10 of those," he said of their bigger fish.

In addition to placing 13th and getting a check for $1,050, the team also won the mixed couple division and had the heaviest fish in a Lund boat. Bill said this is a tough tournament and they worked hard to place where they did. To get a better idea of what the competition is like, he explained people come from all over and many of them do fishing tournaments for a living. Only about seven pounds kept the Mathews from getting the top spot, and less than a pound kept them from breaking into the top 10.

On top of the competitors, weather can play a big factor. This year, Bill said they had to deal with rain, hail, wind and large waves the first day, but still brought in their five fish.

The competition can also be a humbling experience, Bill noted, as one might wind up with no fish while everyone else is making their limits.

Earlier this year, the Mathews also participated in the Wyoming Walleye Circuit and did well, but didn't get any checks. Looking ahead, Bill said after retirement they might consider doing entire circuits since they enjoy it so much.