$150,000 first prize draws anglers to Nipawin’s Vanity Cup

A $150,000 first prize, the largest in the tournament’s history, will be on the line when the Vanity Cup returns to Nipawin this weekend.

The 33rd annual walleye fishing tournament runs Saturday and Sunday on Tobin Lake.

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Tournament director Jim Chute said each team is allowed five fish per day. Three of them must be 55 centimetres or under and two of them can be over 77 centimetres. Results are based on the total weight over two days.

“The teams are coming from a lot of places… Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario, but I know Oklahoma is coming, Wisconsin is coming, North and South Dakota are coming,” he said.

While the significant payout is a draw, Chute said the chance to catch a large walleye also brings competitors to Tobin Lake. He said 130 walleye weighing more than 10 pounds were caught during last year’s tournament.

“We have big fish here,” he said. “People like big fish. And holding that trophy is like holding up the Stanley Cup for these fishermen. This is the big one.”

Chute has watched both the tournament and the way anglers fish change over the years. He recalled a time when competitors questioned whether fish finders should be allowed. Now, he said, they are common, and newer live-scope technology lets anglers see fish in the water ahead of them.

“They can spot a fish 30 feet away and drop the hook right on his nose,” Chute said. “It’s interesting, but you got to keep up.”

He said the cost of that technology can make it harder for some anglers to compete, though the Vanity Cup continues to attract a strong field.

Chute said some familiar names on the fishing tournament circuit will be in attendance, including Winston Stockdale. He is a 19-year-old professional competitive walleye fisherman from Regina, who has been dominating the provincial tournament fishing scene. He also competes on the U.S. circuit.

“He’s good, this kid,” said Chute. “He’s got technology, and this kid is on it… but hey, there’s eight, nine other teams that think they can beat him.”

The tournament has changed its stakes, too. Chute, who created the tournament more than three decades ago, said the entry fee rose to $3,000 this year, and organizers limit the number of teams competing for the $150,000 top prize to 90.

Chute said proceeds from the event have supported minor sports and recreation facilities in Nipawin, including a four-diamond ballpark and a spray park, as well as an arena score clock.

The public is welcome to watch the weigh-ins at Nipawin Regional Park starting at about 2:30 p.m. Chute encouraged people to come out Sunday as the tournament reaches its finish.

“It’s exciting,” he said.