Ellingson and Strutz Lock Up A Win On Bitter Lake, Webster, SD
Presented By: Dakota Lithium
Webster, South Dakota – August 13, 2024 – The seasoned anglers fishing the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit, Presented by Dakota Lithium, put in the work to catch fish on South Dakota’s Bitter Lake, hosted in Webster. Many of the anglers had a great pre-fishing game plan put together but ended up in a battle against mother nature when an unseasonably early August cold front pushed in the day prior to the event. Winning team, Austin Ellingson (Dell Rapids, SD) and Justin Strutz (Sioux Falls, SD), figured out a pattern in the wake of a twelve degree drop in water temps. Sitting in 3rd place on day one with 13lbs and 5oz, they knew a win was with-in their reach if they could upgrade a few of their fish on day 2. Catching 75 to 100 walleyes per day, they knew they had to weigh the right fish after letting a fish go day 1 that would’ve helped their weight. With the weather warming and the wind settling on day 2, they weighed 17lbs and 13oz, showcasing that they made all the rights decisions, and beating their own day 1 weight by over 4 lbs. Weighing 31lbs and 2oz, they took home the Champion’s trophies with a 2lb and 13oz lead over second place.
Being South Dakota locals, they are familiar with the Waubay Lakes area. They headed west from the launch, only going roughly 2 miles to get to the fish they had found. Being the only ones in the area, they found unpressured fish that were still willing to eat throughout the cold front. However, they did have to use tactics that don’t meet typical summer bite patterns. Ellingson and Strutz said “We caught almost all of our fish vertical jigging slowly to keep our presentation correct.” When asked to elaborate, “A combination of live bait and jigging raps triggered bigger fish to eat, it was just a matter of sorting through the incredible population of younger year classes of walleyes.”
In this Masters Walleye Circuit win, they have become Bitter Lake Champions, and also secured a spot in the 2025 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s National Team Championship (NTC) on Lake Francis Case in Pickstown, SD. Austin and Justin took home the $11,500, powered by Dakota Lithium, the NTC prize package, valued at $1,000, including paid entry, custom NTC jerseys, custom NTC qualifier plaques and cash travel stipend, and paired all that with the Okuma Reels bonus for a grand total of nearly $13,000 in cash and prizes.
The remaining of the top five fished hard and took home the following awards:
2nd: Tom Sieburg II & David Landsteiner, 28-05, $6,200 cash
3rd: Devon Carlson & Austin Earley, 27-06, $4,000 cash
4th: Mike Gustafson & Brett Mortenson, 26-07, $2,850 cash and Ranger Cup Bonus
5th: Ross Hertensteiner & John Hertensteiner, 26-02, $2,350 cash
168 anglers representing 10 different states caught 438 fish weighing a healthy 1101lbs total. The Big fish of the event was caught by Gregor Eigsti and Mike Maloney, and weighed a whopping 8lbs and 15oz. Jacob Pohlmann and Jordan Slusser had the largest one-day bag at 21lbs and 3oz, clearing the second largest by nearly 4 lbs. In doing so they secured the Dakota Lithium Comeback Award to receive (3) Dakota Lithium batteries and chargers valued at over $4,200 for their jump from 62nd place to 15th place on day 2. Winners of the $1,000 Lowrance bonus were Thomas Larson and Jarrod Frederick, weighing 25lbs and 13oz for a 6th place finish.
Each MWC event has a lucrative payout which is based on the number of teams entered in that event. New for 2024 is a GUARANTEED minimum $10,000 first place prize powered by Dakota Lithium at every event. Overall payout is still awarded to 20% of the field, providing more inspiration to sign up and join the fun. In addition to a hefty check, the first-place team also earns a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s National Team Championship (NTC) prize package including: paid entry, a travel stipend, team jerseys, and plaques. Additionally, the big-fish pot, option-pot and sponsor bonuses from Ranger Cup, Lowrance, Dakota Lithium, and Okuma will add thousands more for distribution among the field.
Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit is North America’s longest running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments and as an inductee into the freshwater fishing hall of fame, has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing for the past 40 years. The MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2024 schedule includes seven qualifiers in six states, plus berths into the 2025 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship in Alexandria, MN.
Registration is now open for the final event of the season, Cass Lake, MN. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for full details, and the 2025 season schedule.
Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s are in their 23rd season as title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include: Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Lew’s Fishing, Dakota Lithium, and Ranger Boats. Associate sponsors include: The Walleye Federation, Church Tackle, FishLab, Okuma, and T-H Marine. For more information, email support@masterswalleyecircuit.com or call (580) 765-9031.
