Northfield Minnesota’s Jack Baker has served as the MWC Tournament Director since February of 2017 and was well on his way to the 2021 season opener at Spring Valley, Ill when an opportunity from his past as a golf pro surfaced. Unknown to many MWC anglers, Jack Baker was a professional in the golf industry for years and as it happened the golf facility in Bemidji Minnesota found itself in need of just such a professional and reached out to Jack with a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“It was a tough decision to make.” Jack lamented. “I thoroughly enjoy both sports and while I will miss seeing all the anglers and friends that I have made on the MWC circuit, the opportunity and timing to move to Bemidji were right for myself and my family. It all came together very fast and it quickly became clear that Spring Valley would be my last event. But, in the end, I knew MWC was in good hands so it was the right move to make.”

“Jack came to us in 2017 with experience as a tournament director in the ice fishing world to take on MWC. He stepped up and filled the role and earned the angler’s respect. I can’t ask for more than that from our tournament directors”, stated Robert Cartlidge, President at the Federation National Office. “We are thankful for Jack’s dedication to the sport and his service to MWC. While we will certainly miss him, we wish him all the best in his new position.”

The Masters Walleye Circuit just kicked off the ’21 tournament season with the largest season opener field it has had in a number of years and 2021 registrations look to keep that momentum going. So, MWC has tapped someone who will provide a smooth transition and who the anglers already know and trust. That person will be Jeff Kelm the MWC Emcee and tournament manager for the last four years. Kelm will fill out the 2021 season starting with the April 16-17 event presented by Lowe Equipment at Port Clinton.

  “Jeff is as solid as they come and knows what it takes to run MWC already, he does a great job for us now and will in the future.” Cartlidge stated. “Jeff has also competed at the very highest levels in the ice fishing world earning multiple spots on Team USA representing the US in international competitions across the globe. This means as a former top-level competitor himself he “gets it” from an angler perspective too which is an asset.”

“I have been blessed to get to do some incredible things in my life and this opportunity to lead the MWC will sit at the top of that list.” Kelm Stated. “I have loved the circuit from the second I arrived at Spring Valley in 2017 and I look forward to taking it far into the future. I thank Jack for his leadership and mentoring in the last four seasons and wish him all the best. Now it’s time to get to work alongside the Toughest Anglers on Planet Earth!”

Kelm will lead MWC and continue to emcee events as the National office is already at work filling out a team and tournament staff positions to support him. He can be reached via email at jeff@federationangler.com and on the tournament hotline at 580.716.4291

Ponca City, Okla. — March 22, 2021 — After the field of 92 teams at the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s (MWC) first event came to terms with a forecasted water level rise, they set out to find the most consistent bite they could, should the forecast come to fruition. Fortunately for Grand Ridge and Tonica Illinois’ residents Tyler Johnson and Cade Ploch, the eventual small change in water levels didn’t affect the one bite they had going for them all week long.     

“This was the only bite we could count on. We had to go there and stay in that ½ mile stretch.” mentioned Tyler Johnson after the big win, in which the duo pocketed over $15,550 in cash and prizes, including $200 Okuma reels and a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package, including paid entry into the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s NTC, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

Teammate Cade Ploch told the crowd, while on stage clutching a trophy, that the team trolled crank baits real slow and found fish to be finicky both days of the tournament. Tyler and Cade found a way to squeak by the team that had the heaviest bag on the first day of the event by weighing in 13-00 on the first day and 12-07 on day two for a total of 25-07.

Michael and Joe Perez, having weighed 18-15 on day one of the two-day tournament, only needed their day-two catch of five fish to weigh 6-08 to win the title on Saturday, but came just one ounce shy when the scales locked in giving the team a total weight of 25-06. Those in attendance could feel the tension as the fish were placed on the scales and witnessed the heartbreak as the call was made. Graciously, Michael and Joe congratulated the winners for their efforts. For their second place finish the Perez’s earned $6,050 in second-place winnings as well as cashing the first-place option pot bonus of an additional $4,296, for a total haul of $10,346

Rounding out the top-five remaining teams:

3rd: Dan Johnson & Larry Rhoads 24-11, $4,000 cash and 2^nd place option pot bonus worth $3,100, plus the $1,000 Lowrance bonus, walked away with $8,100.00

4th:  Ryan Feldott & Brandon Samolitis 23-13, $3,100 cash

5th: Steven & Jeremy Skupien 23-06, $2,600 cash and 3^rd place option pot bonus of $2,000

8^th place of Mark Lemke and Walter Price won $1,000 with the new Ranger Cup bonus.

The 765 fish weighed a total of 1406 lbs. 04 oz. during the event. In one of the longest running conservation partnerships in all of walleye fishing each year MWC partners with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at Spring Valley in a large conservation project. Illinois DNR takes all the sauger caught by MWC anglers back to the state’s fish hatchery to be spawned under ideal, controlled conditions to further the brilliantly successful Illinois River sauger stocking program.

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 37 years. MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2021 schedule includes seven qualifiers in six states, plus the 2021 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship. Registration is now open for all events, and the registration deadline for the Illinois River tournament is close of business Monday, March 15th. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for full details.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 20th season as title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include: Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats and The Walleye Federation. Associate sponsors include: Church Tackle, Berkley Fishing, Okuma, Power-Pole, Soft Steel and T-H Marine. For more information, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

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 2022 World Walleye Championship Announced, Registration Set to Open for 2021 Masters Walleye Circuit Season,  Presented by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s

Ponca City, Okla. – December 23, 2020 – Anticipation is running high as anglers, sponsors and staff alike look forward to turning the calendar over to 2021 and kicking off the 38^th season of the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC). Registration for the 2021 season opens January 4^th.

Participants may register for individual tournaments online at 12 noon (CST) beginning Monday January 4^th at masterswalleyecircuit.com or by calling the MWC offices at (580)765-9031. “Premier Team” status and the benefits that goes with it which are defined in the rules, such as Premier team swag, use of a substitute, delayed billing and more is all secured by registering for at least (3) events at once prior to fishing your first event of the year. It’s our way of saying “Thank You” for their commitment.

Planning events of this magnitude takes several months, up to years, to plan. While we strive to announce our schedule early each year to help anglers plan, sometimes conflicts still arise and it’s never a best-case scenario when set tournament must be moved, but such is the case with the 2021 Big Stone Lake qualifier, originally set for the final days of May. The city of Ortonville and the Big Stone Chamber of Commerce worked alongside the MWC to set the new event dates of April 23-24, 2021.

Anglers competing in the 2021 MWC qualifiers will want to know what waters they will be attempting to qualify to fish on for the 2022 World Walleye Championship. We are pleased to announce that the walleye rich waters of the bay of Green Bay out of Oconto, WI. will host that event. Oconto County and the City of Oconto are excited to welcome anglers to their shoreline Sept 29-Oct 1, 2022.

With that, the 2021 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Season looks like this:

March 19-20, 2021 – Illinois River, Spring Valley, IL

                                    April 16-17, 2021 – Lake Erie, Port Clinton, OH

                                    April 23-24, 2021 – Big Stone Lake, Ortonville, MN

                                    May 21-22, 2021 – Lake Winnebago, Oshkosh, WI

                                    June 25-26, 2021 – Lake Oahe, Mobridge, SD

                                    August 13-14, 2021 – St Marys River, Sault Ste Marie, MI                          

                                    September 17-18, 2021 – Cass Lake, Cass Lake, MN

                                    Sept 30-Oct 2, 2021 – World Walleye Championship – Lake City, MN

Sept 29-Oct 1, 2022 – World Walleye Championship – Oconto, WI

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, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques. Additionally, the big-fish pot, option pot and sponsor bonuses from Ranger Cup, Lowrance, Okuma, AirWave and T-H Marine Atlas Awards add thousands more for distribution among the field.

Qualified teams from the 2021 season earning points in at least three qualifiers compete for coveted berths in the 2022 World Walleye Championship, set for late September 2022 on the Bay of Green Bay in Oconto, WI. Those earning points in at least four qualifiers compete for “Team of the Year” honors, including a $10,000 sponsorship package and thousands more in cash and prizes to the top 10 teams in the final “best of 4” final standing each year.

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 37 years. MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2021 schedule includes seven qualifiers in six states, plus the 2022 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 20th season as title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include: Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats and The Walleye Federation. Associate sponsors include: AirWave Pedestals, Church Tackle, Berkley Fishing, Okuma, Power-Pole, Soft Steel and T-H Marine. For more information, email support@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

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