JIM RETTIG Big Sandy
Walleye fishing enthusiasts from throughout the northwest will be in Havre on Jan. 12-13 for the 2007 Walleyes Unlimited of Montana State Convention and banquet, with activities split between the Holiday Village Shopping Center and the Havre Vets Club. Festivities get under way at the Holiday Village next Friday when a half dozen boat dealers from Billings, Malta, Glasgow, Helena and Havre will arrive to show off well over a dozen of the newest, best equipped boats on today’s market. The Holiday Village will serve as tournament headquarters with a special both established where raffle tickets for a new Lowrance Colored Depth Finder and the Fresno Chapter’s new “Special Limited Edition” Polaris fourwheel drive ATV can be purchased, state convention banquet tickets can be bought, and other information can be obtained. The first official business of the weekend will take place at 5 p. m. Friday when the Walleyes Unlimited of Montana executive board of directors goes into session at the Havre Vets Club with a meeting of the Montana Walleye Circuit Tournament directors to follow about 6:30 p. m. Anyone with ideas or suggestions on how to improve the WU Montana Walleye Circuit is invited to attend the 6:30 p.m. meeting and help the circuit directors and the six individual tournament directors establish policies for the 2007 tournament year. Jan. 13’s activities will get under way at 7:30 a.m. with the state board of directors’ breakfast at the Gallery Lounge, followed by the state board of directors’ meeting, which is open to the public, in the Community Room at the Holiday Village. The morning’s meeting will include the election of new officers along with a discussion of the group’s new Web site at www.montanawalleyesunlimited. com, proposed legislation for the upcoming session; state finances; upcoming banquets; tournaments, etc.; and other state related functions. Valuable prizes will be on the line in a special Scavenger Hunt and Luncheon for the ladies, which will take place from 10 a. m. to 2 p.m. The night’s “Real Walleye” and beef will bring this year’s state convention to a close. Tickets for the “Real Walleye” all-you-can-eat affair are $25 per person. The banquet Will feature the presentation of new members of the Walleyes Unlimited of Montana Hall of Fame, the introduction of newly elected officers, the awarding of cash and prizes to the 2007 Montana Anglers of the Year, along with a host of door prizes, drawings, raffles, etc. The banquet, which opens with a no-host cocktail hour at 5 p. m., will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are available now at the Mountaineer in Big Sandy and at Havre Rental in Havre. Next Friday and Saturday they will be available at the Holiday Village Walleyes Unlimited booth in Havre, or at the door of the Havre Vets Club Jan. 13 if still available. Only 350 tickets are available, so anyone interested in a great weekend and an even greater meal of walleye and beef is urged to get tickets immediately to avoid being shut out. Both Friday and Saturday activities will conclude with a dance at the Havre Vets Club featuring the music of one of Montana’s top bands, Sax Cadillac. Big Sandy boasts a pair of Montana Walleyes Unlimited state officials in State Secretary Nora Grubb and Jim Rettig, former state president who serves as Region 2 director and Fish Tales Magazine publisher, and along with his wife, Linda, serves as state directors of the Montana Walleye Circuit. All events of the 2007 State Convention are open to the public except the Executive Board Meeting Friday evening, and anyone wanting additional information on the upcoming convention is urged to call Jim or Linda Rettig at 378-2176, Pat Lamphier at 265-2128 or cell 265-0913 or Hugh Crowell at Havre Rental Hi-Line Polaris at 265-5905 or 265- 8841.
