Alexandria brothers beat out past champs to win KC Walleye Classic
· Yahoo Sports
Jun. 15—BEMIDJI — Just two weeks ago in Brainerd, Ben and Andrew Hittle won the Minnesota Fishing Challenge walleye tournament on Gull Lake, the first tournament they competed in together this season.
Their second tournament of the season was the Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic on Saturday on Lake Bemidji and Lake Irving. And once again, the brothers were on top.
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Competing against 100 two-person teams, the brothers took first place in the 26th KC Walleye Classic, with their walleyes weighing in at 24.88 pounds collectively. Their largest walleye was 8.17 pounds.
The duo beat out past champions Kamin Pierce and Darren Roth, who won in 2024, and Ryan and Kennedy Klein, who won last year.
The brothers have loved fishing together and competing as a team in the Walleye Classic for the past three years. Their goal was to just get into the top 10 and to be on stage at the awards ceremony in the Sanford Center.
"It feels actually really, really amazing, but at the same time I feel like I can breathe now," Ben said. "The top 10 is over, and the hype is there, it's real."
"It was our goal from day one," Andrew added. "We signed up three years ago to be on stage and to win it. Actually, it's a dream to be in the top 10, let alone winning with some of the best sticks in Minnesota. It feels great."
They didn't have a great start in the morning, coming up empty-handed at their first spot of the day. They decided to go with Plan B, fighting through the waves on the windier side of the lake. They finally found bites in more shallow waters, from 4 to 7 feet, using shiners and Berkley Lab Series plastics on jigs.
The brothers are now a perfect 2-for-2 in tournaments this year. They enter into tournaments all across northern Minnesota, but the Walleye Classic has always stood out as one of the best. To win it all means something different for them.
"It's so well put together," Andrew said of the event. "This one is by far the top-tier tournament in the state of Minnesota. This is the holy grail of fishing tournaments in Minnesota. They do it so well here."
Older brother Ben, 42, first heard about the Walleye Classic five years ago, entering the tournament with one of his friends from his hometown of Alexandria. When his friend couldn't make it in 2024, he called his younger brother Andrew, 33, to take his place.
"Seeing him win all the time pushed me (to join him)," Andrew said. "To feel the rush of winning a big tournament is a kid's dream; I love it. It's my passion."
They fished together all the time with their father growing up in Alexandria, so their partnership was seamless.
"I strive off of what he does, and he strives off what I do," Ben said of Andrew. "Our energy's (similar), and we just keep going."
Ben and Andrew's plan was to pre-fish Lake Bemidji for three days to try and get the feel of where the fish are biting. But Ben has had troubles with not one, but two of his fishing boats this spring. The one they used on Saturday had to be repaired just days before the tournament.
When their boat got back up and running, the brothers tested many spots on both Lake Bemidji and Irving during their pre-fish.
"You want to set a tone," Ben explained. "You almost want to leave the fish alone ... because if you catch them and you beat on them, you can't get them game day. So you've got to be confident in what you've got, but still be able to catch the fish. It's like a chess game."
After the pre-fish, the brothers' confidence was through the roof heading into Saturday. Even when their first spot was a "bust," their backup spots ended up being fruitful.
After the boat parade, the top 10 teams gathered on stage at the Sanford Center to reveal their total weights. Both Ben and Andrew could feel the nerves; relief soon came over them when they were announced as the winners. They ended up winning $15,000, first-place plaques and wrestling-like championship belts for their efforts.
The pair plans to compete in three more such events before the season is out. So, is there a chance they could go 5-for-5?
"That would be tough," Ben said with a smile. "Knowing where we're going next, it's going to be pretty tough."
Still, their win at the Walleye Classic will rank as one of the highlights of their time fishing together.
"It's a great fishery all around," Andrew said. "There's walleye everywhere. I've never seen so many walleyes. You're getting bites and the next thing you know, there's walleyes everywhere. It's a phenomenal fishery."