Tyson Keller and Brandt Becker Pull Off a Come From Behind Win on SoDak’s Lake Oahe!

Tyson Keller and Brandt Becker Pull Off a Come From Behind Win on SoDak’s Lake Oahe!

Presented by Lowrance

Gettysburg, South Dakota – August 21, 2022 – The stage was set and some walleyes in South Dakota’s Lake Oahe came out to play for the second to final stop of the 2022 season on Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Master’s Walleye Circuit (MWC) tournament schedule. The anglers during this event took off on Friday morning with many options on the table. Some teams decided to make long runs north on the Missouri River and some decided to make long runs south while others were able to find some fish within eyesight of the Hwy 212 bridge just down river of the take-off location at West Whitlock State Park. Tyson Keller and Brandt Becker, from Pierre, SD, were one of those teams that decided to make a really long run on game day to find their fish. With plenty of time on the water over the last few weeks, Keller and his long-time friend and fishing partner, Brandt Becker, only brought in two fish on day one but they were two Oahe Giants that weighed in at 17-03 pounds and landed them in a tie for fourth place, there were only four-5 fish tournament limit brought to the scales on day 1.

Day two started with it being anyone’s event to win, the right five fish limit could propel more than a third of the field into the lead. There were only 6 five fish limits brought in on day however Keller and Becker had one and it was the largest of the event at 27-01 propelling them into the lead with 44pounds and 4 ounces. A huge win on Lake Oahe at the 6th stop of the 2022 MWC season.

In South Dakota anglers are only allowed to keep one walleye per person over 20 inches per day with a limit of 4 fish per person. The Oahe winners stated “The fish over 20 inches were easier to find that those under it seemed. They were just doing different things and wanted different presentations.” Keller continued. “We had to work around and trust our electronics and gut instincts and grind it out.” It was a mix of vertical jigging, casting, and trolling both hard baits and live bait to get the right fish to eat. All of that hard work and intuition paid off for them. The winners were rewarded with a top prize of almost $23,000 which included $9,700 cash, a $1,000 NTC prize package, $3,850 for the Option Pot, along with a $7,000 Ranger Cup Bonus, $1,000 Lowrance Bonus and (2) Okuma Reels for taking the win at the 6th stop of the 2022 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC on Lake Oahe, presented by Lowrance.

Here’s a look at how the rest of the top 5 teams faired after this weekend:

2nd  Travor Diegel and Paul Steffen 38-06, $4,870 cash and $2,800 option pot

3rd Chris Haines and Ben Brown 34-02, $3,350 cash $2,060 option pot

4th Tom and Scott Albrecht 30-15, $2,500 cash and $1,500 option pot

5th Chad and Lane Thomas 30-11, $2,000 cash and $1,200 option pot

The total payout for the Lake Oahe event was $58,498 that paid out 12 places between 63 teams. The anglers caught a total of 190 walleyes that weighed 676-06 lbs combined. Big fish of the weekend was caught by Casey Williams and Kent Leibhart that weighed 12-04 lbs. The biggest sack of the weekend was caught by the winners, Keller and Becker with a weight of 27-01 lbs.

Everyone who traveled for this tournament was met with excellent accommodations. The city of Gettysburg, SD, including the local businesses and eager to help local residents, along with the staff of West Whitlock State Park were instrumental in getting this event planned and executing those plans. A huge THANK YOU is owed to all of the local businesses and folks that lent a helping hand in making this event possible!

Cass Lake is coming up! Registration is still open for the final event of the 2022 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit on Cass Lake in Minnesota! Cass Lake always draws a large crowd and many anglers from across the walleye world. If you’re interested in joining us, you can sign up at MastersWalleyeCircuit.com! Registration ends on September 12th. We hope you can join us!

NEWS FLASH! The 2023 MWC schedule is also published already and posted online at MastersWalleyCircuit.com now is the time to start making plans to fish with us in 2023 and save those dates!

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 38 years and has directly donated hundreds of thousands and helped raise millions of dollars to support walleye & conservation programs nationwide. The MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2022 schedule included seven qualifiers in six states, plus a berth into the 2023 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 21st season as title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include: Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats. Associate sponsors include: The Walleye Federation, Church Tackle, FishLab, Okuma, Power-Pole and T-H Marine. For more information, email support@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

 

2022 MWC Heads out to the Wild West Waters of Lake Oahe for Big SoDak Walleyes! Presented by Lowrance

2022 MWC Heads out to the Wild West Waters of Lake Oahe for Big SoDak Walleyes!

Presented by Lowrance

Ponca City, Okla. – August 1, 2022 – The anglers and staff of the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit have had a little time to take a breath since the last MWC event over on Lake Huron back in June. Now we’re well rested and ready for the ride way out west to the famed waters of Lake Oahe near Gettysburg, SD.

Anglers will have an area of roughly 370,000 acres to find the biggest walleyes this system has to offer. Lake Oahe is a walleye factory that never seems to disappoint! During the afternoon on both August 19th and 20th, anglers will bring the top 5 walleyes each day to the scales on West Whitlock RD. The weigh in for each day will start at 3:00 p.m. for this event, presented by Lowrance.

Lake Oahe has a special set of regulations that anglers must follow when deciding which fish, they want to bring to the scales. Each participant may only have one walleye over 20 inches in their possession each day. That means, of the five coming across the stage each day, anglers will have to find the heaviest fish possible under 20 inches to plump up that bag. Last year’s winners brought over 39 lbs. of walleyes to the stage and were still two fish short of a two-day limit. We’ll have to wait and see if someone will crack that 40 lb. or better mark this year!

Daily live weigh-ins will be held at West Whitlock in Gettysburg, SD beginning at 3:00 on August 19th and 20th. We welcome everyone to watch the weigh-ins live, online, at masters walleyecircuit.com or on our Facebook page facebook.com/MastersWalleyeCircuit.com.

Each MWC event has a lucrative payout which is based on the number of teams entered into that event, and 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 from Ranger Cup, Lowrance, Okuma, and T-H Marine Atlas Awards 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 38 years. The MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2022 schedule includes seven qualifiers in six states, plus berths into the 2023 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship. Registration is now open for all events, and the registration deadline for the Lake Oahe tournament is close of business Monday, August 15th. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for full details.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 21st season as title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include: Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats. Associate sponsors include: The Walleye Federation, Church Tackle, FishLab, Okuma, Power-Pole and T-H Marine. For more information, email support@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

Trombley and Schaefer Hold on to Day 1 Lead to Get the Win at Lake Huron – Presented by Ranger Boats

Trombley and Schaefer Hold on to Day 1 Lead to Get the Win at Lake Huron

Presented by Ranger Boats

Oscoda, MI – June 23, 2022 – With a game plan set, Jacob Trombley (Gladwin, MI) and Peter Schaefer (Linwood, MI) set out on day-1 of the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) event on one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. There was no doubt after the results of the first day that this team had something figured out that would leave every other team scratching their heads and going back to the drawing board for the second day of the tournament. After a great bag that weighed 28-08 lbs. from day one that put them in the lead by over 7 lbs., these anglers turned around and brought in another solid bag that would give them a two-day total weight of 53-03 lbs., and seal the deal awarding them nearly $12,500 from the MWC and sponsors for their hard work!

Trombley and Schaefer are no strangers to Lake Huron and the great lakes region. The duo are also regular competitors of the Michigan Walleye Tour (MWT), which is under The Walleye Federation (TWF), and also won their event which was held alongside the MWC tournament in Oscoda, MI. For winning both events, these gentlemen took home upwards of $30,000 in cash and prizes for two days of outstanding fishing!

For Jacob and Peter, the money they won included a spot in the 2023 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s National Team Championship (NTC) in Marinette, WI on the Bay of Green Bay. The NTC bonus given to first place MWC anglers includes a paid entry, custom NTC jerseys, custom NTC qualifier plaques and a travel stipend worth $1,000 and $200 in Okuma reels!

Let’s have a look at the rest of the top-five teams and what they’ve won:

2nd: Stephen Velte and Ted Stehney 47-08, $4,000 cash and $2,327 option pot cash

3rd: Eric Kruczynski and Amanda Lenard 45-12, $2,400 cash and $1,450 option pot cash and $1,000 Lowrance bonus

4th: Jason Trapp and Kyle Everitt 44-04, $2,000 cash

5th: Jerry Fox Jr. and Steve Vandermark 41-13, $1,600 cash and $950 option pot cash

Combined the anglers caught a total of 324 walleyes weighing a total of 1216-00 lbs. The biggest fish of 9-05 lbs. and the biggest one-day total of 35-13 lbs. was caught by the 3rd place team, Eric Kruczynski and Amanda Lenard.

The staff and sponsors of the MWC would like to thank the cities, local businesses, and volunteers of Oscoda and AuSable, Michigan for rolling out the red carpet for this event. From coordinating the launch on both days of the event, providing coffee and donuts to the anglers in the morning before launch, and providing an awesome venue and banquet for the registration and rules meeting on Thursday night. These folks left no stone unturned, making it one of the favorite stops for the anglers and staff that work this event. Thank you!

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 38 years. The MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2022 schedule includes seven qualifiers in six states, plus the 2022 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for full details.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 22st season as title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include: Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, and Ranger Boats. Associate sponsors include: The Walleye Federation, Church Tackle, FishLab, Okuma, Power-Pole, and T-H Marine. For more information, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

 

2022 MWC To Visit the Third Largest Freshwater Lake in the World, Lake Huron, Oscoda, MI. June 17-18 Presented by Ranger Boats

2022 MWC To Visit the Third Largest Freshwater Lake in the World, Lake Huron, Oscoda, MI.  June 17-18

 Presented by Ranger Boats

Ponca City, Okla. – June 9, 2022 – The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) is set to travel to Lake Huron, for the 5th qualifying stop on the 2022 circuit. Presented by Ranger Boats, anglers will be in search of some walleyes of equally large proportions to the waters they live in. This event will be run in conjunction with the Michigan Walleye Tour as well, combining two events into one for teams to cash-in on some big winnings.

The event will launch right in the middle of some of the most fertile walleye waters in the nation at Oscoda, Michigan’s AuSable Harbor. According to a 2019 population study, there are an estimated 5.5 million walleyes in Saginaw Bay alone. According to the Michigan DNR and a study done by Michigan State University, the booming population of walleyes in Lake Huron is partly due to the declining numbers of alewives, an invasive, predatory species that thrived in the great lakes and preyed on walleye fry. With Saginaw Bay to the south and Thunder Bay, in Alpena, to the north, the event presents anglers from all over the country opportunity to experience incredible great lakes walleye fishing. Of course, the question remains, will this event be won north of, south of or right near Oscoda? We will find out June 17-18 as competitors bring their best five walleyes across the MWC stage.

The host communities of Oscoda and Ausable, MI have been preparing for the MWC’s arrival for some time. After being chosen to host in the covid-augmented season of 2020, the community rallied behind the idea of embracing tournament fishing and has plans to continue hosting events in the future. Upon arriving, anglers will surely see the multitude of signs and marquees welcoming their presence as their impact on the area is welcomed up and down the lakeshore.

Daily live weigh-ins are free and open to the public beginning at 3:00 p.m. EDT both days at the AuSable Harbor of Refuge in Oscoda, MI.  The weigh-ins will also be broadcast live online, at masterswalleyecircuit.com or on facebook.com/MasterWalleyeCircuit.

Each MWC event has a lucrative payout which is based on the number of teams entered into that event, and 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 from Ranger Cup, Lowrance, Okuma, and T-H Marine Atlas Awards 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 38 years. The MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2022 schedule includes seven qualifiers in six states, plus berths into the 2023 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship. Registration is now open for all events, and the registration deadline for the Lake Huron tournament is close of business Monday, June13th. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for full details.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 21st season as title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include: Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats. Associate sponsors include: The Walleye Federation, Church Tackle, FishLab, Okuma, Power-Pole and T-H Marine. For more information, email support@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.