Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913
Trevor Kleppelid holds up his "biggest fish ever" July 14 on day one of the Gov Cup. The 34' fish held up as the largest caught this year.
Clyde Phipps and Brem Phipps won the top spot and the $15,000 check, presented by emcee Todd Young (center) at the 36th Annual Montana Governor's Cup Walley Tournament held July 14 and 15 on Fort Peck Lake. The father-son duo reeled in 104.32 pounds of walleye to win.
One of the championship rings presented to Clyde Phipps and Brem Phipps at the Gov Cup Awards Ceremony held July 15.
Joshua Johnson (l) of Williston, N.D., and Cody Roland of Noonan, N.D., earned 2nd place at the 2023 Gov Cup with 103.78 total pounds of walleye.
Third place finishers Cody Martinez (l) of Winnett, Mont., and Max Wilson of Campbellsport, Wis., pose with their trophies for 101.50 pounds of fish.
Matt Cowen, owner of MonDak Marina in Glasgow, pilots his boat up to a weigh boat while teammate Travis Amundsen of Billings check's the duo's live well on day two of the Gov Cup.
Smoke hung thick over Fort Peck Lake this past weekend, though whether it was wildfires or fishing rods burning up is hard to say. The top three teams in this year's Gov Cup walleye tournament brought in a combined 309.60 pounds of fish over two days.
Brem Phillips and Clyde Phillips, both of Jordan, Mont., hauled in 104.32 pounds to take the $15,000 check, the championship rings, and plaques home to the south side of the lake this year. The father-son duo reeled in 52.22 pounds on day one and 52.10 on day two of the tourney.
Joshua Johnson of Williston, N.D., and Cody Roland of Noon, N.D., came in second with a 103.78 total weight. The team pulled up 50.56 pounds on Friday and added a few more on day two with 53.22 pound payload.
Coming in third was Cody Martinez of Winnett, Mont., and Max Wilson of Campbellport, Wis., with a 101.50 pound taking. Friday, with "the best seven minutes of fishing in my life" from Wilson, the pair pulled 51.46 pounds of walleye. The two reeled in 50.04 Saturday.
The winds Friday on the water may have been a bit more than anglers wanted for the famed walleye chop, but it certainly seemed to do the job this year. The effects seemed to last well into Saturday as weigh boat volunteers had their hands full and scaly as numerous fishermen proudly weighed and showed off their catches.
In an awards ceremony interview with emcee Todd Young, Wilson noted he'd never encountered fish that fought as hard as the ones he caught in his first tournament on Fort Peck. The Wisconsin-based fishing guide noted the Lake is now near the top of his list for fishing holes and he intends to return for future Gov Cups.
The largest fish of the two-day tournament was hauled in by Trevor Kleppelid of Circle, Mont. The 34-inch beauty earned him 16.17 pounds. At the weight boat Friday, the angler exclaimed, "It's the biggest fish I've ever caught!"
The 2024 event will be held July 12 and 13. Watch the Glasgow Area Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture's calendar for sign-ups, planned for sometime in October of this year.
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