Ponca City, Okla. — July 1, 2020 — Only a few times in the storied history of the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit has the tournament arrived on the shores of Lake Sakakawea. July 10-11, teams will once again explore the massive flowage in search of their 5 largest walleyes to bring to the tournament stage at 4 Bears Casino, New Town, ND, presented by Ranger Boats.

The entire Missouri River system has an abundant walleye population and the Lake Sakakawea reservoir has arguably the largest size structure of the entire waterway. “This is big water” Jack Baker, Tournament Director said of the size of the lake and how the weather will affect plans. “This is water that will test you but will also spoil you when you’re on the right bite. We love going to destination fisheries, and this is as good as if not better than many walleye waters right now.”

As the tournament host, 4 Bears Casino is has made plans for anglers to stay, play and fish while in the area. With all the amenities fishermen look for, tournament participants will have fun on and off the water. Ample launch and dock space as well as rig parking available, anglers can lodge right where the tournament will launch from, cutting down on the cost of fuel.

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 2020 season earning points in at least three qualifiers compete for coveted berths in the 2021 World Walleye Championship, set for October 2021 on the Mississippi River in Lake City, MN. 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.

Daily live weigh-ins will be held at the 4 Bears Marina beginning at 3:30pm both days July 10, 11.  We encourage you to watch the weigh-ins live, online, at masterswalleyecircuit.com or on our Facebook page facebook.com/MastersWalleyeCircuit.

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 36 years. MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2020 schedule includes seven qualifiers in seven 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 Lake Sakakawea tournament is close of business Tuesday, July 7. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for full details.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 19th 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 info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

###

Mobridge, SD — June 29, 2020 — Expectations ran as high as the mercury when the 2020 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit launched out of Mobridge, SD. Presented by Lowrance, the father-son team of Monte and Josh Olson bested the field with an impressive 41-09 total weight after two days of grind-it-out fishing.

Known locally for their tournament prowess, the Olsons found the tournament winning fish much closer to the launch site than most of the rest of the teams. “We were within 10 miles either side of the launch (Indian Creek Recreation Area), we didn’t have to make the long runs.” mentioned Josh Olson. This gave them more time with lines in the water and a chance to locate a consistent heavy bite. “We weren’t on good fish earlier in the week” Josh continued, “but the last few days it got better.”   

Securing 21-04 on day one, the pair found themselves in second place after day one’s weigh-in. This prompted a camera in the boat for a period of time on day two, as this event was being filmed for an upcoming season of Federation Angler TV. Within minuets of the camera crew entering their boat, Monte and Josh found themselves with one of the largest fish either has caught in a tournament in the net. “I couldn’t believe it.” said Josh,” We had thrown back a 23 (inch) and 24 (inch) fish about an hour before and we were starting to think we made a mistake.” No mistake was made as their day two weight of 20-05 was good enough to solidify the win.

Monte and Josh Olson headed home with $11,550 in cash and prizes, including the $9,850 first-place cash payout, $500 AirWave certificate, $200 in 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.

The rest of the top five teams:

2^nd: Cody Stoner & Samuel Domke 36-06, $4,950 cash

3^rd: Justin Cole & Melissa Daughtry 32-08, $3,550 cash, $3,700 option pot cash, $500 Lowrance Bonus

4^th: Steven Senyak & Alek Heier 30-03, $2,700 cash

5^th: Gary & Belinda Maher 29-06, $2,100 cash, $1,000 Ranger Cup Bonus

All together the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit awarded $48,045 in cash and prizes in Mobridge, SD.

497 fish weighed a total of 1,105 lbs. 07 oz. during the event.

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 36 years and is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2020 schedule includes 7 qualifiers in seven states, plus the 2021 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship.

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 19th 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, Berkley, Church Tackle, Soft Steel, Okuma, Power-Pole and T-H Marine. For more information, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

Ponca City, Okla. — June 11, 2020 — The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit and the city of Mobridge, SD look forward to hosting anglers from across the nation on Lake Oahe. Presented by Lowrance, participants will be greeted to town with open arms (and dining rooms) as restrictions continue to ease within the country.

2020 marks a return to Mobridge after nearly a decade away from a long-time tournament staple. “We saw an opportunity to bring the circuit back to Lake Oahe and Mobridge was excited to host us.” Jeff Kelm, tournament emcee, said of the upcoming June 26-27 event. “We are going to involve so many in the city, from folks at the rodeo grounds where the registration, rules and weigh-in will be held, to the local fishing club, Chamber of Commerce office and others.”

This tournament comes on the heels of a number of local cancellations and rescheduling for many other events in the area and Deb Olerud, Executive Director of the Mobridge Chamber of Commerce is excited to finally bring in guests. “Our gas stations, motels, bait shops, and restaurants are ready to welcome and show you some true Midwestern hospitality.” She said via email while preparing for the event. “We appreciate the MWC, its participants, and organizers choosing us to host this year. Thank you for taking the trek to our “Oasis on Oahe”. Thank you for supporting our local businesses. Thank you for showcasing what a great fishery we have.”

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 2020 season earning points in at least three qualifiers compete for coveted berths in the 2021 World Walleye Championship, set for October 2021 on the Mississippi River in Lake City, MN. 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.

Daily live weigh-ins will be held at the Mobridge Sitting Bull Stampede (Rodeo Grounds) beginning at 3:30pm both days June 26, 27.  We encourage you to watch the weigh-ins live, online, at masterswalleyecircuit.com or on our Facebook page facebook.com/MastersWalleyeCircuit.

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 36 years. MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2020 schedule includes seven qualifiers in seven 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 Missouri River tournament is close of business Monday, June 22. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for full details.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 19th 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 info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

###