Ortonville, MN—April 28, 2019 — On a week that many anglers hadn’t seen their first walleye until Friday, Nate Gilkey (Mayer, MN) and Shawn Flemming (Monicello, MN), called upon a memory to find some big bites when they needed it most. Presented by Lowrance, Nate and Shawn took home top honors at the BPS/Cabela’s Big Stone Lake event after only handing in 6 fish over the course of the 2-day event.

The “Toughest walleye anglers on planet earth” launched at 7am both Friday and Saturday from City Park in Ortonville, MN. Facing water temps in the mid-40s, much of the 51-boat field looked northward for the warmest water available. The winners originally were on that game plan as well, but one small change launched them into Big Stone Lake history.

“We came south and fished a spot we had caught walleye in years past.” Big Stone champion Shawn Flemming commented. “It took less than a half hour and we had the two big fish on Friday”. Those two fish put Nate and Shawn in the lead with 15lbs and they never left that spot. “We went back to that spot on Saturday and right away we got our two overs (fish over 20”) and even got two other smaller fish.” Shawn continued.

Shawn and Nate discussed while fishing, their goal was to literally etch their names in history. On the shore of Big Stone Lake in Ortonville is a granite monument with the Masters Walleye Circuit insignia carved into it, along with winner’s names going back to 1992.

Gilkey and Flemming leave, with $13,808.50 in cash and prizes, including the $8,750 first-place cash payout, $3,128.50 cash from the option pot, $500 AirWave certificate, $330 for 3^rd place Big Fish both Friday and Saturday and a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package including paid entry into the Cabela’s NTC, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

The rest of the top five teams:

2^nd: John Gildersleeve, Kyle Manteuffel 29-02, $4,320 cash and $200 Okuma Reels bonus

3^rd: Tom Albrecht, Dave Albrecht 23-01, $2,300 cash, $2,340 option-pot cash, $1,000 Ranger Cup bonus and $500 Lowrance bonus

4^th: Jason Kellen, John Oakes, 22-11, $2,000cash and $1,560 from the option-pot

5^th: Curt Hall, John Thelen, 22-01, $1,800 cash plus $780 from the option pot

All together the BPS/Cabela’s MWC awarded $39,528.50 in cash and prizes at the Detroit River

260 fish weighed a total of 626lbs- 09ozs during the event. Jay Ross and Cory Brock took the top “Big Fish” honors over the weekend with an 8-04 walleye. National Professional Angler Association members Stephen and Brenda Picht presented the NPAA’s Youth and Family Fishing Clinic for a very large crowd, Friday afternoon, immediately following the weigh-in and gave away 50 fishing rods to attendees.

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 35 years and is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2019 schedule includes eight qualifiers in six states, plus the 2020 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 18th 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, MotorGuide, Okuma, Power-Pole and T-H Marine. For more information, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

Jim Schiefelbein (left) and Chad Knottek (right) take home the championship trophy from the Detroit River.

Trenton, MI—April 14, 2019 — With wind and water conditions less than ideal, Jim Schiefelbein, Marseilles, IL and Chad Knottek, Ottawa, IL weighed 22-08 after day-one and got just what they needed, 15-11, on day-two, for the win with 38lbs 3ozs. Presented by Ranger Boats, this year’s Detroit River event pitted anglers against one another in a River Only format, a first for the Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s  MWC.

75 of the “Toughest walleye teams on planet earth” took off from Elizabeth park both Friday and Saturday mornings to face a fast moving and dirty Detroit River. Making matters worse was the 30-40 mph South winds taking aim at anglers and their boat control capabilities.

Detroit River champion, Chad Knottek said “We loaded the truck with anything we could bring, there is no room left in the back of Jim’s truck. But, we are primarily jig fishermen and that’s what we stuck with.” Jim was still in shock after all the awards were done and most anglers had gone. “I still can’t believe it,” Jim mentioned. “We have been close before, but we did not think we had the weight needed to win today when we pulled up to the dock.”

“We caught a lot of big fish earlier in the week, which made us nervous.” Jim continued. “We knew that the variable in all of this would be the dirty water, but that sun came out today and we felt it could end up going either way, really good or a grind, there is so many big fish here.”

Schiefelbein and Knottek leave, with $15,850 in cash and prizes, including the $10,500 first-place cash payout, $3,850 cash from the option pot, $500 AirWave certificate and a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package including paid entry into the Cabela’s NTC, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

The rest of the top five teams:

2^nd: Corey Blair, Kevin Hanson 37-11, $5,300 cash plus $2,800 from the option pot and $200 Okuma Reels bonus

3^rd: Taylor Smith, Dakota Obrzut, 37-01, $3,750 cash

4^th: Curtis Oliver, Jim Swenson, 36-05, $2,650 cash and $2,060 from the option pot and $500 Lowrance bonus

5^th: Daniel Byers, Rob Hoover, 36-02, $2,100 cash plus $1,500 from the option pot

All together the BPS/Cabela’s MWC awarded $60,179 in cash and prizes at the Detroit River

Butch Rabetski (left) and Jim Passo (right) landed the largest fish at the Detroit River, a 9-07 hog!

625 fish weighed a total of 1774lbs- 12ozs during the event. Jim Passo and Butch Rabetski took the top “Big Fish” honors over the weekend with a 9-07 walleye. National Professional Angler Association member Rick Kretchmer presented the NPAA’s Youth and Family Fishing Clinic Friday afternoon, immediately following the weigh-in and gave away fishing rods to attendees.

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 35 years and is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2019 schedule includes eight qualifiers in six states, plus the 2020 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 18th 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, MotorGuide, Okuma, Power-Pole and  T-H Marine. For more information, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

Big Fish – Small Changes Await Anglers at the Detroit River for the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit

Presented by Ranger Boats

Ponca City, Okla.—March 26, 2019 —The 2019 stop at the Detroit River, launching from Elizabeth Park in Trenton, MI, will provide the MWC anglers with another quality opportunity for big, pre-spawn bites and they won’t have to leave the river to do so.

Dan (Left) and Steve (right) Bodinger , 2018 Detroit River Champions.

Presented by Ranger Boats, the “Toughest Walleye Anglers on Planet Earth” will see a small change to the boundary locations for this event. The BPS/Cabela’s MWC fishermen will be kept in the river for the duration of the event. This change is, in large part, due in response from anglers polled over the course of previous MWC seasons.

Long-time MWC angler and 3-time Detroit River champion Steve Bodinger is excited for the change. “Yeah, I like it, Dan and I won all three of our events from the river, one trolling, one jigging and one doing a mix of both. The river gives everyone the chance to fish just about any way they want, live rigging, trolling or jigging. You can catch in so many places and in so many ways, it really can give you lots of confidence in your plan, confidence is key.”

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.

Teams earning points in at least three qualifiers each season compete for coveted berths in a World Walleye Championship. Qualified teams from 2019 will fish the 2020 World Walleye Championship, set for October 2020 on the mighty Mississippi River in the Quad Cities. 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.

As a bonus benefit to all MWC anglers as well as all TWF members nationwide, Official Sponsor Lowe Equipment Attachments offers a 20 percent discount off the MSRP on all its auger, trenching and grapple products available through Midwest Attachments, LLC. For information on that program, visit masterswalleyecircuit.com/tournaments/contingencies.

And finally, this event will serve as our “Last Chance” qualifying events for the 2019 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s NTC at Sault Ste Marie, MI. in May 30-June 1, 2019. The top 10 teams at the Detroit River not already qualified can earn a spot in the 2019 NTC!

Daily live weigh-ins at Elizabeth Park, Trenton, MI are free and open to the public beginning at 3:00pm both days April 12, 13.  If you can’t make it in person you can watch the weigh-ins live, online, at masterswalleyecircuit.com or on our Facebook page.

For the area youth, there is something for you immediately after the day-one weigh-in on Friday, we offer a Youth & Family Fishing Clinic in conjunction with the National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA). The first 50 youth will receive a free rod-and-reel combo!

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 35 years and is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2019 schedule includes eight qualifiers in six states, plus the 2020 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship. Registration is now open for all events, and the registration deadline for the Detroit River tournament is close of business Monday,  April 8. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for full details.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 18th season as title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include: Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s. Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats and The Walleye Federation. Associate sponsors include: AirWave Pedestals, Church Tackle, MotorGuide, Okuma, Power-Pole and  T-H Marine. For more information, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.