Hernesman, Colter Win Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Cass Lake Tournament Presented by Lowe Equipment Attachments

  • Filed under MWC News

  • September 17, 2018

Hernesman, Colter Win Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Cass Lake Tournament
Presented by Lowe Equipment Attachments

Cass Lake, Minn.—Sept. 15, 2018— Dave Hernesman and Sean Colter of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, made the big bites count to top the leaderboard at the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s regular season finale on Minnesota’s Cass Lake out of Stony Point Resort, September 14-15, 2018.

“This is awesome,” said Colter. “We’ve fished the Cass Lake MWC since 2012 and been in the top 10 before, but winning feels amazing. It’s going to take awhile to sink in.”

“It’s great,” added Hernesman. “We were locked in a three-way tie for first place on day one and got a monster bag today. We felt pretty good about our chances coming in today, but felt that if someone was going to beat us, more power to them.”

Presented by Lowe Equipment Attachments and headquartered at scenic Stony Point Resort, the two-day event featured 80 two-person teams.

Hernesman and Colter brought in a 5-fish MWC limit weighing 16 pounds, 2 ounces on day one. The weight put them in a tie with two other teams for first place in the daily standings. They upped the ante on day two with an 18-pound, 5-ounce basket for a 34-pound, 7-ounce tournament total.

They reported live-bait rigging large redtails and chubs on steep-breaklines in 32 to 40 feet of water on the main body of Cass Lake. “The way the big fish were biting, when we got a bite, we had to open the bail, turn the boat around and drive toward the fish while reeling to keep from losing them,” Colter noted.

Hernesman and Colter collected $16,858 in cash and prizes for their efforts, including the $11,000 first-place cash payout, $3,658 cash from the option pot, $500 Lowrance Electronics bonus, $500 AirWave certificate, $200 Okuma reel bonus 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.

Rounding out the top five were:
2nd: Travor Diegel, Paul Steffen, 29-12, $5,850 cash plus $1,000 Ranger Cup bonus and $2,758 cash from the option pot


3rd: Troy Rahn, Jeremy Wildeman, 28-00, $3,700 cash
4th: Steve Weickert, Joe Balcer, 27-12, $2,700 cash plus $1,686 from the option pot
5th: Dylan Maki, Colt Anderson, 27-10, $2,200 cash

In all, the Cabela’s MWC awarded $57,845.50 in cash and prizes at the Cass Lake event.

A total of 701 walleyes weighing 1,356 pounds, 8 ounces crossed the scale during the tournament. Big fish was a 7-pound, 3-ounce beauty caught by Steve Stanius and Dan Fitzpatrick. Adding to the fun, the Cabela’s MWC and National Professional Anglers Association presented a Youth & Family Fishing Clinic immediately after the day-one weigh-in, with participating youths receiving rod-and-reel combos courtesy of the NPAA.

North America’s longest-running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments, the Cabela’s MWC has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing since 1984. Operated under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Cabela’s MWC is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2018 tournament schedule included eight qualifiers in seven states, plus the 2019 Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for updates, official rules and registration information.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is concluding its 17th season as title sponsor of the MWC. Official sponsors include: Bass Pro Shops, 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.
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Cass Lake Hosts Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Regular Season Finale Sept. 14-15, Presented by Lowe Equipment Attachments

  • Filed under MWC News

  • September 4, 2018

Cass Lake Hosts Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Regular Season Finale Sept. 14-15

Presented by Lowe Equipment Attachments

Ponca City, Okla.—August 31, 2018—Hard-fishing competitive walleye anglers from across the Midwest and Canada will converge on Minnesota’s famed Cass Lake Chain to compete in the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s 2018 regular season finale Sept. 14-15 out of Stony Point Resort.

Presented by Lowe Equipment Attachments, the two-day, team-format event offers anglers a chance to sample Cass Lake’s incredible walleye fishery while enjoying the thrill of competing for thousands in cash and prizes in a professionally run setting.

“The Cass Lake Chain in September is a favorite destination for MWC anglers for a variety of reasons,” said Tournament Director Jack Baker. “Limit catches are the rule, and big fish are possible on any given cast or trolling pass on a variety of presentations. Cass, Buck, Andrusia, Big Wolf and Kitchi lakes are all in play, as is Pike Bay. Anglers can fish to their strong suits doing everything from trolling spinners to vertical jigging. Plus, the folks at Stony Point and in the surrounding community welcome MWC anglers with open arms.”

The Cabela’s MWC’s lucrative payouts, based on the number of teams entered in each event, provide even more inspiration to join the fun. In addition, the MWC big-fish pot, option pot payouts and sponsor bonuses including Ranger Cup, Lowrance Electronics, Okuma, AirWave and T-H Marine Atlas Awards add thousands more to the total. Plus, the first-place team wins a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package including paid NTC entry, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

Such winnings quickly add up. At the MWC’s recent Green Bay tournament, for example, winners Ryan Dempsey and Jake Kaprelian collected nearly $17,000 and the top 20 percent of the field shared more than $62,000 in cash and prizes.

In addition to the regular payout and bonuses, the coveted Cabela’s MWC Team of the Year title will be awarded at the Cass Lake tournament. Teams fishing at least four MWC qualifiers compete for Team of the Year awards, including a $10,000 sponsorship package and thousands more in cash and Cabela’s Cash cards, as well as fully paid entries into a full season of great walleye action.

Max Wilson and Isaac Lakich currently lead the race with 581 points for their best four finishes. But Mark Lemke and Walter Price are hot on their heels with 575 points, and a number of other top teams are also within striking distance.

Teams fishing three or more tournaments also compete for coveted berths in the Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship, which is comprised of the top point-accumulating teams from the previous year’s season and offers payouts based on the previous year’s participation. Teams that qualify in 2018 will fish the 2019 championship, set for October 3-5, 2019 on Wisconsin’s incomparable Lake Winnebago System.

As an added bonus, Cass Lake presenting sponsor Lowe Equipment Attachments offers all Cabela’s MWC anglers a 25 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.

Walleye fans of all ages are invited to catch the excitement and watch the Cass Lake walleyes come in at the daily weigh-ins, which begin at 3:30 p.m. at Stony Point Harbor. If you can’t make it in person, watch the weigh-ins live, online, at masterswalleyecircuit.com.

Adding to the fun, the Cabela’s MWC and National Professional Anglers Association will present a Youth & Family Fishing Clinic immediately after the day-one weigh-in. The first 50 youths will receive rod-and-reel combos courtesy of the NPAA.

North America’s longest-running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments, the Cabela’s MWC has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing since 1984. Operated under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Cabela’s MWC is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life.

The 2018 tournament schedule included eight qualifiers in seven states, plus the upcoming 2018 Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship at Bays de Noc, Michigan. Registration for the Cass Lake MWC tournament is now open, and the deadline to sign up is Monday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for updates, official rules and registration information.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its 17th season as title sponsor of the MWC. Official sponsors include: Bass Pro Shops, 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.

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Dempsey, Kaprelian Win Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Green Bay Tournament, Presented Mercury Marine

Dempsey, Kaprelian Win Cabela’s Masters  Walleye Circuit Green Bay Tournament

Presented Mercury Marine

Oconto, Wisc.—August 4, 2018— A day-two midday flurry propelled Wisconsin’s Ryan Dempsey and Jake Kaprelian to the top of the leaderboard in a big-fish shootout at the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit tournament on Green Bay of Lake Michigan out of Oconto, Wisconsin, August 3-4, 2018.

“It feels really good to with this,” said Dempsey, of Green Bay. “We struggled until 11:30 today, then the bite turned on when we made one last pass before making a move to try for smaller fish just to cash a check. We were done by 1 o’clock.”

“It was a grind both days,” added Kaprelian, of New Berlin. “We were fishing a lukewarm bite a long run from the launch, gambling we’d get the right bites from big fish and be able to capitalize on them. Thankfully, the rewards were worth it.”

Presented by Mercury Marine and headquartered at Breakwater Park, the two-day event featured 84 two-person teams from 12 states.

Dempsey and Kaprelian brought in a 5-fish MWC limit weighing 32 pounds, 9 ounces on day one. The weight put them solidly in fourth place. They added a 38-pound, 14-ounce limit on day two for a 71-pound, 7-ounce tournament total. They reported trolling spinner rigs and crawlers on day one, and catching most of their day-two fish on banana-style crankbaits. Shallow structure rising out of deep water was key both days.

Dempsey and Kaprelian collected $16,822 in cash and prizes for their efforts, including the $11,500 first-place cash payout, $3,822 cash from the option pot, $500 Lowrance Electronics bonus, $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.

Rounding out the top five were:

2nd: Keith and Mike Kavajecz, 68-05, $6,100 cash plus $2,750 cash from the option pot

3rd: Paul de Voss, Rob Lampman, 66-03, $3,900 cash plus the $200 Okuma reel bonus

4th: Jake Becker, Chris Rice, 64-14, $2,850 cash

5th: James Peterson, Greg Josephs, 60-07, $2,350 cash plus $1,750 cash from the option pot

Sixth-place finishers Daniel Woodke and Steve Meyer won $2,000 cash plus the $1,000 Ranger Cup contingency and $1,250 from the option pot. In all, the Cabela’s MWC awarded $62,752 in cash and prizes at the event.

A total of 692 walleyes weighing 3,146 pounds, 2 ounces crossed the scale during the tournament. Big fish was an 11-pound, 6-ounce trophy caught by Jason Merkley and Dustin Kjelden. Adding to the fun, the Cabela’s MWC and National Professional Anglers Association presented a Youth & Family Fishing Clinic immediately after the day-one weigh-in, with participating youths receiving rod-and-reel combos courtesy of the NPAA.

North America’s longest-running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments, the Cabela’s MWC has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing since 1984. Operated under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Cabela’s MWC is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2018 tournament schedule includes eight qualifiers in seven states, plus the 2019 Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for updates, official rules and registration information.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is enjoying its 17th season as title sponsor of the MWC. Official sponsors include: Bass Pro Shops, 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.

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Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Visits Legendary Green Bay At Oconto August 3-4 Presented Mercury Marine

Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Visits Legendary Green Bay At Oconto August 3-4

Presented Mercury Marine

Ponca City, Okla.—July 19, 2018— Exciting big-water walleye fishing, the thrill of tournament competition, and thousands of dollars in cash and prizes await anglers when the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit visits Green Bay of Lake Michigan out of Oconto, Wisconsin, August 3-4, 2018.

Presented by Mercury Marine, the two-day, team-format event will launch from Breakwater Park. Cabela’s MWC Tournament Director Jack Baker expects the MWC field to enjoy fast action for walleyes of all sizes.

“Green Bay is a favorite destination for MWC anglers, and for good reason,” he explains. “You can catch fish on a wide variety of presentations, and there’s plenty of elbow room to spread out and sample this phenomenal Great Lakes fishery. In May of 2017, Chris Bartsch and Larry Le Sage jigged their way to a hard-fought victory with a 41-pound, 13-ounce total. And in July of 2016, Buck Gehm and Louie Apitz pulled spinner rigs over shallow weeds to rack up 46 pounds, 2 ounces for the win.”

Baker notes that strong year-classes from 2013 to 2017 provide an exceptional number of walleyes from 22 inches up to the trophy proportions Green Bay is famous for producing.

The Cabela’s MWC’s lucrative payouts, based on the number of teams entered in each event, provide even more inspiration to join the fun. In addition, the MWC big-fish pot, option pot payouts and sponsor bonuses including Ranger Cup, Lowrance Electronics, Okuma, AirWave and T-H Marine Atlas Awards add thousands more to the total. Plus, the first-place team wins a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package including paid NTC entry, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

Such winnings quickly add up. At the MWC’s 2018 Lake Francis Case tournament, for example, winners Doug Lovro and Todd Henle collected $18,658 and the top 20 percent of the field shared more than $58,800 in cash and prizes.

Teams fishing three or more tournaments also compete for coveted berths in the championship, which is comprised of the top point-accumulating teams from the previous year’s season and offers payouts based on the previous year’s participation. Teams that qualify in 2018 will fish the 2019 championship, set for October 3-5, 2019 on Wisconsin’s incomparable Lake Winnebago System.

Teams fishing at least MWC four qualifiers also compete for Team of the Year awards, including a $10,000 sponsorship package and thousands more in cash and Cabela’s Cash cards, as well as fully paid entries into a full season of great walleye action.

As an added bonus, Official Sponsor Lowe Equipment Attachments offers all Cabela’s MWC anglers a 25 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.

Walleye fans of all ages are invited to catch the excitement and watch the trophy walleyes come in at the daily weigh-ins, which begin at 3 p.m. at Breakwater Park in Oconto. If you can’t make it in person, watch the weigh-ins live, online, at masterswalleyecircuit.com.

Adding to the excitement, the Cabela’s MWC and National Professional Anglers Association will present a Youth & Family Fishing Clinic immediately after the day-one weigh-in. The first 50 youths will receive rod-and-reel combos courtesy of the NPAA.

. North America’s longest-running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments, the Cabela’s MWC has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing since 1984. Operated under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Cabela’s MWC is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2018 tournament schedule includes eight qualifiers in seven states, plus the 2019 Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship. Registration for 2018 events is now open, and the deadline for registering for the Green Bay tournament is Monday, July 30 at 4 p.m. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for updates, official rules and registration information.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its 17th season as title sponsor of the MWC. Official sponsors include: Bass Pro Shops, 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.

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