May 27, 2007 By Rod Schoener 5 min read

Look up the word repeat in the dictionary and the simplest definition is to do again. Webster’s Thesaurus suggests many alternative definitions.

Duplicate, renew and reconstruct are a few suggestions, and another is refashion.

Refashion. That his pretty much what defending champions Mark and Richard Fike of Farmington will have to do in the 2007 Cabela’s National Walleye Championship in Green Bay, Wis., June 8-9.

The tournament will be contested on the Fox River and Lake Michigan.

The Fikes are just one of 13 teams from the Yough Walleye Association that qualified for the event.

It is not hard to tell that Mark is already getting hyped up.

“It would be nice to go out and have a good showing – try not to get to excited and take yourself out of the running,” Mark said.

Mark said they haven’t done any special preparation.

“If you’re on them, you’re on them. If you’re not, you’re not,” he said. “It should be cut and dry.

“Last year the walleye on Lake Michigan moved three miles out and held there all summer. Every year is different. Where the fish will be will depend on the water temperature. Some years they stay in close, and other years they are further out. When you find the proper temperature, that is when you find the biggest fish.”

Those who find the biggest fish come home with the most rewards.

Last year, in addition to two of the most fantastic looking trophies, the Fikes won $25,000 and a new Ranger 615VS boat with a 150 hp Yamaha Vmax motor.

When asked how winning a national championship changed his life Mark said, “It helped me on my bills.”

Recently Mark and Ed fished a tournament on the Detroit River.

“We hung right with the winners on the first day,” Mark said, “Then we readjusted.

“You had to catch 40 to 50 fish a day and keep upgrading

“The first day we caught 25 pounds. The leaders had 30. It took 60 pounds to win the tournament.

“We caught tons of fish.”

Mark noted that the boats that stayed on the river caught two-pounders all day long, while the biggest fish were being caught out on Lake Erie. However, fishermen were not allowed to leave Michigan waters.

It was one of the better trips I’ve been on,” Mark said.

“Whenever we had a chance to stay with the winners, all the locals moved in to fish the school. They would sit on top the school and start jigging.”

The Fikes will fish from the same boat they won with last year, leaving the new Ranger at home.

“Rich wanted to fish from the Ranger because if you win with a Ranger boat, you win two new boats.

“I talked him into using the old boat because it is larger and will handle rough water better, plus it his a larger fuel capacity.”

One interesting fact Mark pointed out about the national championship is that no team has ever won it twice in a row.

“Usually you get guys from the area where the tournament is being held that win it. Last year, at Lake Sharpe in South Dakota, we beat about 15 teams from the surrounding area.

“We were fortunate to keep our heads together and get the winning stringer.

“Maybe, if we can perform a miracle, we can win two years in a row.

“Rich and I have always done well in tournaments. Last year, I bought the new boat, and it made a difference. It was much easier to fish from the 20 1/2-foot Triton, and the 50-gallon fuel tank was a plus, too.”

A total of 13 teams made up of members of the local Yough Walleye Association will make the trip to Green Bay.

Yough Walleye Association President Steve Popson, who is also co-owner to S&S Bait and Tackle at Chalk Hill, said the majority of the local anglers have fished in the national championship before.

This will be Popson’s third trip to the nationals, while other club members have competed as many as five times.

“We’ll be fishing out of the Fox River,” Popson said. “I’ve never been there before.

“They say the walleye are a phenomenal bite. They are supposed to be catching lots of fish in the 25-inch range. I’ll find out when we get there in a week or two.”

In commenting on the national championship, Popson said, “It’s a good spectacle. They build a big stage for the weigh-in. They also get fairly large crowds. It is nothing like a Bassmasters event, but they pack in a good crowd.”

Some local teams qualified for the nationals through a series of club tournaments, where the top five of six finishes were averaged to determine the top seven qualifiers.

Other local teams qualified through West Virginia Walleye Club events and the Deep Creek Lake tournament, which send two teams apiece to the nationals.

“There isn’t much to tell until I get out there,” Popson said. “We have some good walleye fishermen from this area. They fish all over on several walleye circuits, and every place they fish is different.”

Local teams that will compete in the nationals include: Mark and Richard Fike (Farmington); Mike Kalafut and Mike Siesky (Uniontown); Steve Popson (McClellandtown) and Scott Gates (Farmington); Melvin Bankhead (Morgantown, W. Va.) and Bill Pinskey (Scottdale); Jeff Tomi and Brian Murray (Farmington); Jim Dice and Regis Provance (Uniontown); Ken Harding and Dave Sines (Oakland, Md.); George Dressel and Tanya Dressel (Markleysburg); Garland Maust and Jamie Maust (Accident, Md.); Joe Davler and Bob Fisher (Uniontown); Jim Nestor and Taylor Watring (Morgantown, W.Va.); Bob Stone (Markleysburg) and Brian Reiger (Elizabeth) and Terry Teets and Kerry Teets (Uniontown.).

Herald-Standard Outdoor Editor can be reached on line at rschoener@heraldstandard.com