Lewis, Rohloff Win Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Little Sturgeon Bay Qualifier
Presented by Abu Garcia
Sturgeon Bay, Wisc.—May 9, 2015—Wisconsin’s Cameron Lewis and Scott Rohloff brought a two-day, 10-fish limit to the scale weighing a whopping 77 pounds, 11 ounces to win the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s Sturgeon Bay qualifying tournament presented by Abu Garcia May 8-9.
Lewis, of West Bend, and Rohloff, of Watertown, brought in a behemoth basket weighing 42 pounds to top the leaderboard on day one. After wind conditions changed on day two they scrambled to add 35-11 to their tally to claim the prestigious victory and $9,200 cash first-place prize. They also collected $3,500 in cash from the option pot, and a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package, including paid entry into the 2016 NTC, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.
“This is redemption,” said Lewis. “I’ve felt a little cursed at other tournaments but this time the monkey was off my back.”
“It feels amazing,” added Rohloff. “I fished two other MWC events before and didn’t have such good luck.”
Their winning tactic consisted of snap-jigging custom bladebaits in anywhere from 20 to 34 feet of water along transitions from rock to sand bottom on the east shore of Green Bay.
“The fish were deeper on day one, and moved shallower to find warmer water today,” Rohloff reported. “They moved on us, and we didn’t find them until the last hour of the day.”
“We had a strong north wind and fought waves up to four feet today, which made for challenging jigging conditions,” added Lewis.
In second, Jerrad Kalmerton and Brett Koenig weighed a 10-fish, 75-pound, 11-ounce limit worth $4,600 in cash, plus $2,650 from the option pot and the $200 Okuma bonus.
Rounding out the top six were:
3rd: Scott Aydelotte and Troy Loeckle, 73-00, $3,100 cash plus $1,600 from the option pot
4th: Randall Gaines and Mike Rhoades, 69-03, $2,350 cash plus $950 from the option pot
5th: Jason Wanty and David Parker, 64-10, $1,900 cash plus $500 Lowrance Electronics bonus
6th: Adam Adler and Ryan Dempsey, 64-04, $1,500 cash plus $750 option pot and $1,000 Ranger Cup award
Big-fish honors went to Buck Gehm and Louie Apitz in 22nd place for their 10-pound, 5-ounce walleye, which earned them the $200 Zippo Hot Hand Award plus $100 from Wave Point Marina. In all, the Cabela’s MWC awarded a total payback of $37,350 in cash and prizes.
All 2015 Cabela’s MWC tournaments are designated as “State Championship Qualifying Events.” In states hosting two events, teams must fish both tournaments to be in the running. Lewis and Rohloff now lead the points race for the Wisconsin title, which will be decided at the Lake Petenwell event in June. Besides bragging rights, state champions claim a $1,000 prize package including custom marble plaques, decals, a spot on the MWC website’s Wall of Fame and a bid to the Cabela’s NTC.
Weigh-ins were held at Wave Point Marina, Stevenson Pier at Little Sturgeon Bay. A total of 447 walleyes weighing 2,334 pounds crossed the stage during the event, including 71 five-fish daily limits. The Cabela’s MWC, National Professional Anglers Association, Pure Fishing and Zippo Outdoor Brands presented a Youth & Family Fishing Clinic immediately after the day-one weigh-in, with participating youths receiving rod-and-reel combos courtesy of the NPAA.
Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Cabela’s MWC is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2015 schedule spans nine states and includes 11 regular-season qualifiers plus the 2015 World Walleye Championship.
Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its 14th season as title sponsor of the MWC. Official sponsors include: Berkley Gulp!, Abu Garcia, Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats, The Walleye Federation and Zippo Outdoor Brands. Associate sponsors include: Yellow Bird Fishing Products, Okuma, T-H Marine and Tight Lines Jewelry. For more information, visit masterswalleyecircuit.com, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.
###
