Five years ago, high-school friends Edward Cabral and Jamie Blattner were fishing on the Manitou Rapids when Cabral landed a 22-inch walleye.
“Why couldn’t you have reeled that in during the tournament?” said Blattner.
A few days earlier, the pair finished second last in the 2017 Emo Walleye Classic.
That was Cabral’s first time fishing a tournament. He says he and Blattner had to keep switching out baits while boats around them kept bringing up fish.
Blattner has fished the Classic with other partners before, but hasn’t gone with Cabral since their previous outing in 2017. The duo are competing together again this year.
Cabral says he’s looking forward to being out on the river.
“It’ll be nice to get back out there,” he says.
This time around, he says it would be good if they got top-10 finish.
“Hopefully we don’t get second last,” says Cabral.
The Times reached out to Blattner, but he was unavailable for comment.
The Emo Walleye Classic is returning to its waterfront format after a virtual tournament last year, and nothing the year before.
Fishing will be on Friday, May 27, and Saturday, May 28. Teams can register as late as May 26, prior to a mandatory rules meeting that night.
Based on 30 boats, the team with the heaviest weight will take home a $6,000 cash prize.