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Takasaki and Koepp Win 38th Annual South Dakota Governor’s Cup

Category: Tournament

 Jul 25th, 2012 by OutdoorsFIRST 

Modified Jul 25th, 2012 at 12:00 AM

Lund/Mercury Pro Ted Takasaki and partner Jammie Koepp won the South Dakota Governors Cup Tournament held on Lake Oahe, South Dakota July 21st and 22nd. The 2012 Governor’s Cup, one of the most prestigious events in the region,  was the 38th running of the tournament and featured 138 teams competing for the coveted title.

Ted and Jammie put two good days together to weigh in 29.38 pounds, beating the nearest competitor by a slim .78 pound margin. 

Takasaki and Koepp trolled 1 oz. white/chartreuse Booyah Blade spinnerbaits (typically used for Bass) over submerged trees on an area called Peoria Flats with TUF Line leadcore and TUF Line XP leaders. They were able to spread their lures away from the boat successfully using the new St. Croix 12 foot and 5 foot EyeCon trolling rods.

The key to this win, according to Takasaki, was boat control.

Ted used his used Mercury 9.9hp Pro Kicker in conjunction with a bow-mounted Minn Kota Terrova trolling motor to control his boat speed.  The team’s trolling speed was between 1.8 to 2mph, and in order to score, they had to keep the boat on the 17 foot contour line.  Any shallower and the lures would get hung up; any deeper and they were out of the productive trees. 

Ted’s Lund 208 is extremely responsive to any slight turn from the Terrova, allowing them to stay on the critical 17 foot contour. They were able to “see” fish in the tree tops on Ted’s Humminbird giving them the confidence to stay in the area.

The win was worth $21,400.00 in cash,  two SD Governor’s Cup Champion rings worth $3000 each, and an entry into the upcoming South Dakota Walleye Classic. See this link for the rest of the standings.