Mueller and Becker Hammer Big ‘Bago Walleyes
Presented By: Mercury
Oshkosh, WI – June 08, 2026 – Lake Winnebago had a great showing for the Masters Walleye Circuit’s 3rd qualifier of 2026. Impressive bags of walleyes came to the scale both days with the teams able to crack the code. That is no easy feat on the Winnebago chain, with multiple expansive lakes and stretches of river for fish to be in different stages of early summer patterns. Only one team could come out on top and had to put together two incredible days of fishing to do so.
Day 1 lead off with some light rain at take-off, but stabilized quickly into a warm day with a light breeze which made for great “walleye chop” out on the lakes. Brett Walser and Matthew Metke fully committed to bringing in the best fish they could, taking a day 1 lead with 22 pounds and 15 ounces. On their tail with 19 pounds and 8 ounces, was Tyler Mueller and Jake Becker, but with severe warned thunderstorms rolling through the night before day 2, anything could happen.
Day 2 came in with even more summer heat and much less wind for near-perfect weather, although that creates tough conditions for walleye anglers. It didn’t slow down Mueller and Becker one bit. They stuck to their game plan and made the 12-mile run on the main lake to continue fishing the top edges of rock humps and reefs. Pitching jigs and crawlers at fish they were seeing one the side imaging and forward facing sonar, they had plenty to sort through – catching over 20 fish each day.
Wisconsin is a “no-cull” state, which often makes tough decisions for tournament anglers when deciding which fish are big enough to weigh. “No-cull” meaning when they put a fish in the livewell, that decision sticks to their daily limit until the day is over. They are not allowed to replace that fish with a bigger fish. That was no problem for Mueller and Becker when their first two fish on the second day were both 5 pounders. They continued to put on a great showing for the camera, adding more great fish until their bag weighed a phenomenal 24 pounds and 11 ounces, enough to win the event by almost a 6 pound margin!
Winning the 3rd qualifier of the 2026 Lake Winnebago Masters Walleye Circuit Qualifier Tyler Mueller and Jake Becker earned a champions trophy and a paid berth into the 2027 National Team Championship. Tyler Mueller and Jake Becker took home $11,700 in Cash, $3,901 in Option Pot Cash, the NTC prize package valued at $1000 consisting of custom NTC jerseys, custom NTC plaques, and a cash travel stipend, for a total of $16,601 in cash and prizes!
The remaining top five teams also had a good showing and earned impressive rewards:
2nd: Sam Slabe & Camden Gelhar, 38-15, $6,250 Cash, $2,850 Option Pot Cash
3rd: Brett Walser & Matthew Metke, 34-05, $4,050 Cash, $1,900 Option Pot Cash
4th: Max Wilson & Rob Korth, 31-06, $2,880 Cash, $1,900 Option Pot Cash
5th: Jon Boedeker & Bradley Vetter, 29-14, $2,370 Cash, $1,100 Option Pot Cash
In total, the top 18 teams went home with cash and prizes. Honorable mention with 28-06 goes to the 8th place team of Mike and Tara Schuelke for winning the Lowrance Exclusive Bonus of $750 alongside their $1,750, as well as the 18th place team of David Kolb and Scott Geitgey taking home the $500 Lowrance Trolling Motor Bonus with their bag of 25-02.
Overall, 86 two-man teams consisting of 172 anglers competed in this event representing 9 different states, catching 685 fish for a total of 1575 pounds and 6 ounces of Lake Winnebago Walleye.
Before this MWC event began, Chad Mortenson was selected as the winner of an AirSafe Hitch valued at over $2,000 on registration night, compliments of 4windssales.com. Also at registration, the Premier Team drawing of a duffle bag package was awarded to David Kolb and Scott Geitgey.
The Big Fish Award on Day 1 was won by Jon Boedeker and Bradley Vetter with a very respectable 6lb 10oz walleye putting them in a prime 7th place position that they pushed through for a 5th place finish overall. Day 2 Big Fish Award for day 2 went to Thomas Pocian and Jay Totten with a 5lb 9oz walleye. 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. The Premier Team of Scott Geitgey and David Kolb have a hold on the lead, with James Campbell Jr and Randy Vike hot on their tail, trailing by only 3 points. With the season only halfway through and many teams yet to have fished their 3rd qualifying event, there is plenty of time for changes in the standings while teams battle to stay in the top 40.
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.
