Bitter Lake Welcomes The Master’s Walleye Circuit for it’s 5th Qualifier of 2026 Season

Bitter Lake Welcomes The Master’s Walleye Circuit for it’s 5th Qualifier of 2026 Season

Presented by: Nitro Boats

Ponca City, Oklahoma – August 10, 2026 – After a great event in Sault Ste Marie, MI, the Masters Walleye Circuit aims it sights at a lake with drastically different scenery both above and below the waterline. Heading to Bitter Lake in Webster, SD, teams will be adapting techniques to fish the 18,000-acre lake that consists mostly of very fertile flooded farmland. On August 21-22, teams will be bringing their best 5 fish each day to the stage to try and earn the coveted Champion’s Trophy.

This will once again be a no-cull event, with a slot limit of 5 fish over 15”, with each angler being able to bring 1 fish over 20” in their bag. Strategies will be tested, as there are rarely easy decisions on tournament day. No culling/high grading means that some teams will wait to box a 20” + fish until they are certain it is the right one, and others will be happy to weigh the first they catch. We won’t know how it all shakes out, until the end of weigh-in on day 2.

Tournament days will start each day with a 7:00 am (Central Time) take-off at Bitter Lake Access (East), given safe light conditions, and live weigh-ins beginning at 3:30 pm (Central Time) on Thursday and Friday, August 21-22, 2026, which will be held at 476 US-12 E Webster, SD just next to Boomers Outback Motel. Spectators are encouraged to join in person as the weigh-in is free and open to the public, or follow the action live online at masterswalleyecircuit.com or on the official Facebook page, facebook.com/MastersWalleyeCircuit.

Registration for this tournament on Bitter Lake closes on Monday, August 17th, 2026. Teams that are interested in signing up should visit:

www.masterswalleyecircuit.com/registration

or call

Federation National Office at (580) 765-9031.

Updated points for the WWC are posted on the website and can be found HERE. These will be updated the week following each of the remaining events. For teams competing for the Team of The Year “Living the Dream” title and the rewards that come with it, points can be found HERE.

As part of the 2026 MWC season, anglers can compete for a coveted spot in the 2026 World Walleye Championship held in Devil’s Lake North Dakota. The 2026 WWC will be a one-time Dual Event with qualifying teams from 2025 and 2026, with a combined pot and, new to 2026 – a Brand-New Nitro ZV20 Powered By Mercury as the top prize. Teams can participate in as many events as they wish, with points earned in at least three qualifiers necessary for an invitation to the World Walleye Championship. MWC’s “Living the Dream” team, using points from four qualifiers throughout the regular season, will earn a sponsorship package valued up to $10,000 which includes a spot to compete in the National Team Championship and up to four, paid-in-full, MWC events.

Each MWC event has a lucrative payout which is based on the number of teams entered into that event. Overall payout is 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 will add thousands more for distribution among the field.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) is North America’s longest running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments since 1984 and as an inductee into the freshwater fishing hall of fame. MWC has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing for 42 years. The 2026 schedule includes six qualifiers in five states, plus berths into the 2026 MWC World Walleye Championship presented by Nitro boats in Devils Lake, North Dakota.  Stay tuned for more 2026 announcements at:

www.MastersWalleyeCircuit.com.

Masters Walleye Circuit Official Level Sponsors: Mercury Marine, Lowrance Electronics, and Nitro Boats. Associate Sponsors: TH Marine, Airsafe Hitch Products, National Professional Anglers Association, and The Walleye Federation.

For more information, contact support@masterswalleyecircuit.com or call (580) 765-9031

Arbes and Tomasek Sweep the Soo!

Arbes and Tomasek Sweep the Soo!

Presented By: Lowrance

Sault Ste Marie, MI – July 27, 2026 – The Masters Walleye Circuit finished its 4th qualifier of the year in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan on the St. Mary’s River. This was a unique event this season, with the 79 teams in the MWC being in a dual event run alongside the National Team Championship with 157 boats. With many square miles of beautiful Canadian-American border waters, anglers certainly had their work cut out for them when it came to locating fish. July in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula brought much cooler weather than expected, and it gave teams one clear thing to focus on. Water temp was the name of the game over the course of the event. If you found the warm water, you found the fish, but it was certainly no guarantee they would eat.

Day 1 take-off came with some brisk 50° while hearing the United States National Anthem followed by the Canadian Anthem, as anglers from all over prepared to make their run through the river, past 1000’ freighters and an international ferry. Some anglers stayed in the rivers, while others made some runs down to the lakes and islands. Brad Arbes Jr and Austin Tomasek made the 50-mile boat ride down to the Drummond Island complex. They were targeting rock piles shallow enough to hold some of the heat from the sun in 8 to 15 feet of water. The fish in the area had been heavily pressured all week, with Brad saying nearly 75% of daylight hours there were boats on those rock piles. Long casts with a jig and a crawler and forward-facing sonar brought them back to the scales with the biggest bag of the event at 31 pounds and 12 ounces.

Slightly warmer weather rolled in on day 2, and anglers were bringing decent bags to the scale. Arbes and Tomasek had over a two-pound lead, and were the last to weigh in. The 2nd place spot going into day two’s weigh-in lead was held by Lincoln and Karl Martin, who sat on top nearly the entire weigh in at 55 pounds and 14 ounces. When that finally bag came to the scale with Arbes and Tomasek, they reclaimed their two pound lead and added to it, to win by 3 pounds and 6 ounces with a two day total of 59 pounds and 4 ounces.

Winning the 4th qualifier of the 2026 Masters Walleye Circuit on the St. Mary’s River with a total of 59lbs and 4oz, Brad Arbes Jr and Austin Tomasek earned a champions trophy and a paid berth into the 2027 National Team Championship. Brad Arbes and Austin Tomasek took home $10,900 in Cash, $5,000 in Option Pot Cash, a Lowrance Recon Trolling Motor valued at $3,299.99, the NTC prize package valued at $1000 consisting of custom NTC jerseys, custom NTC plaques, and a cash travel stipend, the Big Fish Award on day 1 consisting of $1,860 in Cash, as well as the potential to receive the $8,000 Ranger Cup bonus if properly qualified, for a total of $30,059.99.

In the top 5 with impressive bags and their awards and prizes were:

2nd: Lincoln Martin & Karl Martin, 55-14, $5,800 Cash, $2,750 Option Pot Cash

3rd: John Fallaw & Gerard Urbanozo, 53-07, $3,900 Cash

4th: Jacob Nemeth & Zachary Nemeth, 51-00, $2,800 Cash, $2,000 Option Pot Cash

5th: Robert Nitti & Hunter Nitti, 50-14, $2,250 Cash, $1,600 Option Pot Cash

Overall, 79 two-man teams consisting of 158 anglers competed in this event representing 11 different states which span as far east as New York and all the west to Wyoming, alongside 7 teams with anglers having traveled from Ontario, Canada to catch 534 fish for a total of 2148 pounds and 4 ounces of border water walleye.

In total, the top 15 teams went home with cash and prizes. Before this MWC event on the St. Mary’s River began, on registration night the Premier Team drawing of a duffle bag package was awarded to Gary and Ryan Slagle out of Burlington, WI. Lowrance included a Recon Trolling Motor valued at $3,299.99, as well as the Lowrance Exclusive Bonus of $750 and the Lowrance Trolling Motor Bonus for running a Ghost or Recon on your boat.

The Big Fish Award on Day 1 was won by Brad Arbes and Austin Tomasek with their 8lb 9oz giant walleye that anchored their 31lb 12oz bag and set them up with a hefty early. Big Fish Award for day 2 was a split payout, with teams battling it out to get to the top. Two teams, consisting of Alex Poliquin & Joel Drolet and Lincoln and Karl Martin, weighed walleyes at 7lb 12oz and tied for first place big fish day 2. The cash pot for big fish was $3,720, meaning each day the big fish winners took home $1,860.

Current World Walleye Championship qualifying points are now live on the website here and will be updated after each event for teams to keep track of the goal of reaching Devil’s Lake, North Dakota this coming October. Crossing into the second half of the 2026 season with this 4th qualifier in Sault Ste Marie, MI, Team of the Year points have now been calculated and are live on the website as well. The Premier Team of Scott Geitgey and David Kolb remain at the top of the list for the WWC, just 3 points ahead of Team of the Year leaders, James Campbell JR and Randy Vike. The Premier Team of Campbell and Vike have an impressive 24-point lead in the Team of the Year race and will be trying to hold on through the last 2 events of the year that are coming up quickly.

As part of the 2026 MWC season, anglers can compete for a coveted spot in the 2026 World Walleye Championship held in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. The 2026 WWC will be a one-time Dual Event with qualifying teams from 2025 and 2026, with a combined pot and, new to 2026 – a Brand-New Nitro ZV20 Powered By Mercury as the top prize. Teams can participate in as many events as they wish, with points earned in at least three qualifiers necessary for an invitation to the World Walleye Championship. MWC’s “Living the Dream” team, using points from four qualifiers throughout the regular season, will earn a sponsorship package valued up to $10,000 which includes a spot to compete in the National Team Championship and up to four, paid-in-full, MWC events.

Each MWC event has a lucrative payout which is based on the number of teams entered into that event. Overall payout is 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 will add thousands more for distribution among the field.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) is North America’s longest running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments since 1984 and as an inductee into the freshwater fishing hall of fame. MWC has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing for 42 years. The 2026 schedule includes six qualifiers in five states, plus berths into the 2026 MWC World Walleye Championship presented by Nitro boats in Devils Lake, North Dakota.  Stay tuned for more 2026 announcements at:

www.MastersWalleyeCircuit.com.

Masters Walleye Circuit Official Level Sponsors: Mercury Marine, Lowrance Electronics, and Nitro Boats. Associate Sponsors: TH Marine, Airsafe Hitch Products, National Professional Anglers Association, and The Walleye Federation.

For more information, contact support@masterswalleyecircuit.com or call (580) 765-9031.

MWC Live Coverage

2026 Masters Walleye Circuit – St Marys River, Sault Ste. Marie, MI

LIVE coverage of 2026 Masters Walleye Circuit at the St Marys River, Sault Ste. Marie, MI July 23-24 at 3:15pm ET.

LIVE Leaderboard will begin updating once the weigh-in begins at each event click the BLUE link below!

LIVE Leaderboard

LIVE video will be done where a suitable internet connection can be secured lakeside and will be shown below. Live streaming video will go live a couple of minutes before the published weigh-in time for that event if we have a connection.
Check out our Live Facebook feed coverage. CLICK HERE

Second Half of Season takes Masters Walleye Circuit to Sault Ste Marie on the St. Mary’s River

Second Half of Season takes Masters Walleye Circuit to Sault Ste Marie on the St. Mary’s River

Presented by: Lowrance

Ponca City, Oklahoma – June 29, 2026 – As the half-way mark of summer passes, the second half of the 2026 Masters Walleye Circuit Season will put anglers on border waters of the U.S. and Canada on the St. Mary’s River in Sault Ste Marie, MI. Sitting alongside the historically significant shipping canals, the St. Mary’s River still is frequently used to move cargo through the chain of the Great Lakes. On Thursday and Friday, July 23-34, it will used in a different, but not uncommon fashion, and will be a central location to bring anglers together – whether local, or from hundreds of miles in any direction – to see which team can prove their skill as the best to catch 5 walleyes.

As the date approaches fast for this 4th qualifier of the 2026 season, it is important to note that the rules meeting for the event in Sault Ste Marie takes place Wednesday afternoon, the 22nd, at 5:15 pm Eastern Time, with the tournament days being Thursday and Friday, the 23rd and 24th. This is a unique event, being paired with the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s National Team Championship (NTC) for a dual event. Anglers that are qualified and registered for the NTC can also sign up for the MWC event and have their weight each day counted towards both events. The NTC competition day take-offs and weigh-ins will take place simultaneously, the only difference being the NTC has a third day of competition on Saturday, July 25, after cutting the field down to the All American 25.

Lowrance is once again boosting opportunities for anglers fishing the Masters Walleye Circuit, with their; $500 Lowrance Trolling Motor Bonus for running a Ghost or Recon Trolling Motor, $750 Lowrance Exclusive Bonus for running only Lowrance Electronics in your boat, and an added Lowrance Recon Trolling Motor to the prize pool!

Tournament days will start each day with a 7:00 am (Eastern Time) take-off, given safe light conditions, and live weigh-ins beginning at 3:15 pm (Eastern Time) on Thursday and Friday, July 23-24, 2026, both of which will be held at William Gregory Boat Ramp, in Sault Ste Marie, MI. Spectators are encouraged to join in person as the weigh-in is free and open to the public, or follow the action live online at masterswalleyecircuit.com or on the official Facebook page, facebook.com/MastersWalleyeCircuit.

Registration for this tournament on the St. Mary’s River closes on Monday, July 20, 2026. Teams that are interested in signing up should visit:

www.masterswalleyecircuit.com/registration

or call

Federation National Office at (580) 765-9031.

Now that we are halfway through the 2026 season, points for the WWC are posted on the website and can be found HERE. These will be updated the week following each of the remaining events. For teams competing for the Team of The Year “Living the Dream” title and the rewards that come with it, the 4th event of the season is coming quickly and after it is completed, the TOY points will be posted and updated following each event as well.

As part of the 2026 MWC season, anglers can compete for a coveted spot in the 2026 World Walleye Championship held in Devil’s Lake North Dakota. The 2026 WWC will be a one-time Dual Event with qualifying teams from 2025 and 2026, with a combined pot and, new to 2026 – a Brand-New Nitro ZV20 Powered By Mercury as the top prize. Teams can participate in as many events as they wish, with points earned in at least three qualifiers necessary for an invitation to the World Walleye Championship. MWC’s “Living the Dream” team, using points from four qualifiers throughout the regular season, will earn a sponsorship package valued up to $10,000 which includes a spot to compete in the National Team Championship and up to four, paid-in-full, MWC events.

Each MWC event has a lucrative payout which is based on the number of teams entered into that event. Overall payout is 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 will add thousands more for distribution among the field.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) is North America’s longest running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments since 1984 and as an inductee into the freshwater fishing hall of fame. MWC has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing for 42 years. The 2026 schedule includes six qualifiers in five states, plus berths into the 2026 MWC World Walleye Championship presented by Nitro boats in Devils Lake, North Dakota.  Stay tuned for more 2026 announcements at:

www.MastersWalleyeCircuit.com.

Masters Walleye Circuit Official Level Sponsors: Mercury Marine, Lowrance Electronics, and Nitro Boats. Associate Sponsors: TH Marine, Airsafe Hitch Products, National Professional Anglers Association, and The Walleye Federation.

For more information, contact support@masterswalleyecircuit.com or call (580) 765-9031.