MWC Heads to Cass Lake for Season Finale and Team of the Year Showdown

MWC Heads to Cass Lake for Season Finale and Team of the Year Showdown

Presented by: Mercury

Ponca City, Oklahoma – August 28, 2026 – The Masters Walleye Circuit will be rounding out its regular season once again with an angler favorite of Cass Lake, out of Stony Point Resort in Cass Lake, MN on September 18-19. The Team of the Year points race is heated, with James Campbell Jr. and Randy Vike leading with a 14-point lead over the competition. They will fish right to the end to hold their place and hopefully walk away with the “Livin the Dream” package awarded to Team of the Year.

With teams both travelling and local, it is always a battle at Cass Lake. The 15,000+ acres of fishable water combined with the timing of Mid-September allows for anglers to search for fish in many different areas and use a large array of tactics, making it anybody’s ballgame. Cass Lake does have a slot limit in place – allowing 1 fish over 20” per angler, per day – with the rest being between 15”-20”. This often forms the outcome of the event, with teams needing a perfect understanding that their “unders” will have be as good as they get, just under that 20” mark.

Excitement runs high at Cass Lake each year the MWC returns with anglers and families looking back on the season and celebrating, while also looking forward to a break from the traveling. Often discussion will drift to the following year’s schedule, in this case the 2027 schedule, which will be announced before the event. Keep your eyes open for that press release, coming soon.

Tournament days will start each day with a 7:30 am (Central Time) take-off given safe light conditions, and live weigh-ins beginning at 3:30 pm (Central Time) on Friday and Saturday, September 18-19, 2026, both of which will be held at Stony Point Resort in Cass Lake, MN. 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, September 14th, 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.

Sweet Victory on Bitter Lake For Wilson and Korth

Sweet Victory on Bitter Lake For Wilson and Korth

Presented By: Nitro Boats

Wesbter, SD – August 24, 2026 – Bitter Lake showed out well for the 5th qualifier of the 2026 season of the Masters Walleye Circuit. With great weather and prime timing, teams caught fish every which way, and many brought limits to the scale. Being a no-cull state and fishing on a lake with a slot of one fish over 20” per angler, it took well thought out decision-making to have the biggest bag and secure a win.

Day 1 take-off came with nearly zero wind, and temps in the upper 50’s. With nearly 18,000 acres of fishable water, teams had a multitude of areas to choose from. Peter and Jared Mart took a lead on day 1 with an 8lb 1oz giant Bitter Lake Walleye to anchor their 21lb 10oz bag. In 18th place going into day 2 was Max Wilson with his sub, Rob Korth. They had a weight of 17lbs 14oz after boxing a mediocre over early in the day which limited them. Their goal for day 2 was simply to go out and catch a consistent bag to stay in check range and pick up some good Team of the Year points.

The stars seemed to align on day 2 for Wilson and Korth, making a relatively short run to fish the main basin for their overs. Their big fish of the day at 8lbs 5oz came early on a jig and plastic, taking a huge weight off their shoulders and allowing them to focus on finding the perfect unders for their bag. They switched to targeting weeds in under 15’ of water with reaction style baits and secured a bag that would weigh 21lbs and 11oz by 10:45 in the morning for a total of 39lbs and 9oz to win the event by a mere 2 ounces.

Max Wilson is no stranger to cashing checks in the Walleye World, now hoisting his 5th Trophy for the Masters Walleye Circuit and looking to add to his 3 previous Team of the Year Wins. Winning the 5th qualifier of the 2026 Masters Walleye Circuit on Bitter Lake with a total of 39lbs and 9oz, Max Wilson and Rob Korth earned a champions trophy and a paid berth into the 2027 National Team Championship. Wilson and Korth took home $12,300 in Cash, $3,900 in Option Pot Cash, the NTC prize package valued at $1000 consisting of custom NTC jerseys, custom NTC plaques, and a cash travel stipend, and the Big Fish Award on day 2 consisting of $1,860 in Cash, for a total of $19,060.

The remainder of the top 5 teams took home impressive prizes as well:

2nd: Jason Swartz & Cody Bruns, 39-07 $6,080 Cash, $2,648 Option Pot Cash

               & Lowrance Exclusive Bonus of $750

3rd: Steven Kincaid & Sean Kincaid, 38-01, $4,080 Cash

4th: Jack Lee & Gavin Hibbert, 37-13, $3,100 Cash

5th: James Campbell Jr. & Randy Vike, 36-08, $2,580 Cash

Overall, 91 two-man teams consisting of 182 anglers competed in this event representing 11 different states caught 787 fish for a total of 1944 pounds and 5 ounces of Bitter Lake Walleye.

In total, the top 18 teams went home with cash and prizes. Before this MWC event in Webster, SD began, on registration night the Premier Team drawing of a duffle bag package was awarded to Frank John Weeda and Corbin Hime out of Minnesota. As an added benefit, Lowrance adds two contingencies for anglers that come in the form of the Lowrance Exclusive Bonus of $750 and the Lowrance Trolling Motor Bonus of $500 for running a Ghost or Recon on your boat.

The Big Fish Award on Day 1 was won by Peter and Jared Mart with their healthy 8lb 1oz giant walleye that anchored their 21lb 10oz bag and set them up with a hefty lead on day 1. Big Fish Award for day 2 went to the winners, Max Wilson and Rob Korth at 8lb 5oz. 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. Also developing quickly now that the 5th qualifier has been completed, is the Team of The Year points race. The premier team of James Campbell Jr. and Randy Vike still have a healthy lead, although they intend to defend that to the end as the final regular season event on Cass Lake out of Stony Point Resort is within sight.

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.

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 Friday and Saturday, 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.