Minnesota duo top walleye derby

Mike Vacura and Mami Korpi have 15,000 reasons to be glad they decided to bait their hooks north of the border.
The Roseau, Mn. duo blew away the 80-team field to win the Rainy River Live Release Walleye Tournament over the weekend—netting the $15,000 first prize.
Vacura and Korpi, who finished fifth in last year’s event, caught eight fish during the two-day tournament for a combined weight of 16.3 pounds.
Sean Westman (Andover, Mn.) and partner Dave Oldakowski (Ham Lake, Mn.) were well back in second—reeling in eight fish with a total weight of 13.7 pounds to collect $6,500.
Mark Chapman and Kent Christianson of Baudette, Mn. took home $3,000 for third place with an eight-fish catch totalling 13.34 pounds, as well as an extra $500 for weighing in the biggest fish yesterday (6.72 pounds).
James Hartnell (Rainy River) and Leslie Morrison (Baudette) took fourth spot with 13.32 pounds to win $2,500, while Brian Ney (Baudette) and Dan Stier (Pierre, S.D.) were fifth at 13.02 pounds, earning $1,500.
The top Canadian finishers were Frank McWhinnie (Balmertown) and Frank Grunewald (Red Lake), who wound up sixth with 12.28 pounds to pocket $1,200.
Rounding out the top 10 were Bill Stay of Baudette and Mark Chivialkowski from Delano, Mn. (12.18 pounds), Marty Leefe and Christian Armstrong of Rainy River (11.9 pounds), James Jarvis of Rainy River and Jason Jarvis (11.28 pounds), and Allan and John Stone of Rainy River (10.84 pounds).
Leefe and Armstrong also had the big fish on Saturday (3.7 pounds).
The last major derby of the season locally will be held this weekend when the Rainy Lake Bass Classic takes to the water from LaBelle’s Birch Point Camp on Northwest Bay.