North Dakota National Guard Public Affairs
“The FLW tournament officials did an incredible job setting up the Soldier appreciation day in Devils Lake. It provided the opportunity to have Soldiers fish and learn from professional anglers and also experience the thrill of tournament fishing on Devils Lake,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Brad Heim, who participated and helped coordinate the event. “This tournament wasn’t necessarily just about the fishing. It was about the FLW and the pro anglers giving back a little something to service members.”
The Minnesota Army National Guard organized and partnered with the S.D. Army National Guard and the N.D. Army National Guard this year to provide the opportunity for Soldiers in each of their states to compete and learn from the pro fishermen. The Soldier appreciation day provides 20 positions for Soldiers to fish with a pro. It also allows two Soldiers the opportunity to move on to compete in the FLW tournament as co-anglers.
This year, Troxel and Leshovsky won the tournament and Master Sgt. Cory Everson and Master Sgt. Rob Shepherd were selected to compete as co-anglers. In addition, six area VIP’s were selected by the local recruiter to fish on Saturday with a pro as well. This is provided to give back to the community for their support of the North Dakota National Guard.
“We caught our fish trolling and using slip bobbers.” said pro Dan Stier, who will fish at the FLW Walleye Tour event, which starts July 29. “It was a lot of fun and I was honored to take these guys out fishing.”
Troxel and Leshovsky were awarded plaques and a rod and reel for winning the tournament. Leshovsky also had the largest fish at 25” and weighed in at just over 6 pounds.
“This was my first time fishing this year and my first time on Devils Lake,” said Troxel. “It was a little intimidating at first being out with a pro, but Dan was such a great guy and very patient with us; if we made a mistake, he gave us tips on what to do differently. We all caught a lot fish and had a great day.”
“Going home with the trophy is always great,” said Leshovsky. “It was really great to be able to go out with a pro and see what they do differently than the novices, I learned a lot about bait presentation which was really neat.” Each of the participants in the National Guard Soldier Appreciation Tournament were members of the North Dakota National Guard and most have had at least one tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. Everson and Shepherd will participate as co-anglers in the FLW Walleye Tour Western Division finale on Devils Lake in Devils Lake, N.D., July 29-31.
Hosted by the Devils Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau, the tournament will feature as many as 300 top walleye anglers casting for top awards up to $35,000 in the Pro Division and $7,500 in the Co-angler Division. Anglers will take off from Woodland Resort located at 1012 Woodland Drive in Devils Lake at 7 each morning. Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will also be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m.
The Saturday weigh-in will be held at Lake Chevrolet, 123 5th Street NE, Devils Lake, N.D.
Stumble It!
