Day 1 of the 2018 World Walleye Championship at Escanaba is done now and it was a day of “heavyweights.”

There is only one way to get a spot into the Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship, you have to qualify to get here, you have to earn it. Which means everyone here is a veteran and everyone here has proven that they can win at any time. It is a heavyweight battle.

It started this morning with “heavyweight” winds in the 20 mph category. it is often said that MWC anglers are the “Toughest Anglers on Plant Earth”  as such the anglers were up to the task today and the top weights proved it.

Leading Day 1 and setting a very high bar is veteran team of Curtis Oliver, SD and Doug Gallant, MO without a doubt they are MWC circuit heavyweights always near the top they have put themselves into position to win this event on the very first day, at the very least they are going to make all the other team chase them with a heavyweight day 1 catch of 24-06!

Sitting six pounds back in second place is a couple of heavy hitters from Ohio  in Larry Rhodes and Dan Johnson who weigh a limit for 18.06 pounds today.  Where there are big fish in big waters these guys can catch them  and are a threat.

Still 2 day of competition to go so anything can happen with this field of anglers any one of them can catch them and anyone of them can win.

For full day 1 results check out the results page HERE

Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit 2018 World Walleye Championship Set For Bays de Noc, Michigan, Oct. 4-6 Presented by Cabela’s

Ponca City, Okla.—Sept. 25, 2018—North America’s top two-person walleye fishing teams will square off on Lake Michigan’s legendary Bays de Noc out of Escanaba, Michigan, Oct. 4-6 in the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s 2018 World Walleye Championship.

Presented by Cabela’s and hosted by the Bays de Noc Convention and Visitors Bureau, the three-day event features the top teams from the 2017 MWC season, which spanned five states and included seven qualifiers on world-class walleye waters including the Illinois, Detroit and St. Marys rivers, Green Bay, Big Stone Lake, Lake Winnebago and Devils Lake.

Each spot in the field is by invitation-only and highly coveted among tournament anglers across the Walleye Belt. Along with a chance to claim the celebrated title “World Walleye Champions,” the event offers more than $100,000 in cash and prizes. Sponsor contingencies including Ranger Cup, Lowrance Electronics, Okuma, AirWave and T-H Marine Atlas Awards add thousands more to the total.

The winnings add up quickly. In 2017, the top 41 two-person teams from the circuit’s 2016 regular season competed for a total payout topping $110,000 in cash and prizes. When the dust settled, Iowans Jeff Lahr and Tommy Skarlis collected $14,700 including $12,000 in cash, the $1,000 Ranger Cup contingency, $500 AirWave Pedestal bonus, plus a pair of custom trophies and coveted gold Cabela’s MWC champions’ rings.

“Bays de Noc in October is a dream destination for walleye anglers, with trophy fish possible on a variety of presentations,” said Tournament Director Jack Baker. “Throw in the intense competition for high-stakes payouts and a community that loves walleye fishing and welcomes MWC anglers with open arms, and you have all the elements for a fun and exciting battle for the world championship title.”

Escanaba Harbor will host launches and weigh-ins. Teams will take off at 8 a.m. or first safe light. Weigh-ins begin at 4 p.m. The public is invited to come out and cheer their favorite teams off in the morning, then return to watch the drama unfold each afternoon.

Walleye fans unable to attend the weigh-ins can catch the action online via live streaming video coverage and an updated leaderboard, both at masterswalleyecircuit.com. On-the-water and weigh-in action will also be filmed for national television airing on Federation Angler TV. For details and episode schedules, visit federationangler.com.

As a bonus for budding walleye anglers, the Cabela’s MWC and National Professional Anglers Association will present a Youth & Family Fishing Clinic immediately following Friday’s 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.

Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for updates, official rules and registration information.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is wrapping up 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

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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