SPRING VALLEY BOUND! Cabela’s MWC Season Kicks Off March 23-24

Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Kicks Off 2018 Tournament Season At Spring Valley, Illinois, March 23-24, 2018

Presented by Lowe Equipment Attachments

 

Ponca City, Okla.—March 6, 2018—Walleye anglers from all walks of life are invited to join the fun and compete for lucrative cash prizes when the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit kicks off its 2018 tournament season on the Illinois River at Spring Valley, Illinois.

Set for March 23-24 out of the Spring Valley Boat Club and presented by Lowe Equipment Attachments, the two-day, team-format event is a traditional rite of spring for anglers from across the Midwest, who converge on the river to enjoy its world-class fishing while battling for their share of the MWC’s generous payout.

Circuit veteran Tommy Skarlis—who fished his first MWC Spring Valley season opener back in 1993—helps explain the event’s allure. “I love this tournament for a number of reasons,” he says. “It’s a chance to enjoy the best sauger bite you’ve ever experienced, and the river’s ever-changing playing field makes it exciting for anglers and fans alike, because everyone’s in it until the last minute. Plus, it’s like a big family reunion, reconnecting with old friends and welcoming first-timers to the MWC.”

The Illinois River is widely considered one of the continent’s top sauger fisheries and produces sag-bellied walleyes as well. Such exceptional multi-species potential is often reflected in the final standings. In 2017, for example, Iowans Marty Berns and Maury Schmerbach rallied to win the MWC Spring Valley tournament with a 33-pound, 15-ounce total weight anchored by an 8-pound, 9-ounce walleye that ended up being big fish of the event. They also had another kicker that pushed the scale to 7½ pounds.

Walleyes, saugers and saugeyes 14 inches and over will all be fair game for anglers competing in the tournament. Teams will be allowed to bring their best five fish to the scale each day, and the team with the highest two-day total weight will be crowned the Illinois river champions. “If you can put a limit of saugers in the livewell each day and pick up a bonus walleye or two, you have a great shot at the top ten,” Skarlis promises. “Just be sure to save your honey hole for day two so you can finish strong.”

Besides enjoying great walleye fishing and the thrill of competition, teams vie for hefty payouts, which are based on the number of teams entered in each event and paid to the top 20 percent of the field. In addition, the 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. Winners routinely pocket $10,000 to $15,000 or more in cash and prizes. Plus, the top team also wins a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package including paid NTC entry, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

As an extra incentive for teams to show up and fish hard, the final 10 invitations to fish the 2018 Cabela’s NTC May 16-19 at the Quad Cities out of Moline, Illinois, will be awarded to the top 10 teams at Spring Valley who are not already qualified for the 2018 NTC.

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.

“Spring Valley is a great place to earn points toward a run at the MWC World Walleye Championship,” says Skarlis. Having won that event last fall with tournament partner Jeff Lahr, Skarlis is well aware how walleye anglers can fish their way from the Illinois River to a world title.

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, 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.

Adding to the excitement, weigh-ins typically draw a large crowd of walleye fans. Select MWC events are also filmed for national airing on Federation Angler TV. 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 Spring Valley tournament is Monday, March 19 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 entering 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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Lowe Manufacturing Renews Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Sponsorship

 

Ponca City, Okla.—Oct.16, 2017—Lowe Manufacturing Company, maker of a complete line of high-performance auger, trenching and grapple attachment products, has renewed its promotional partnership with the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit and will return as an Official Sponsor for a sixth consecutive season.

“We find there is no other fishing or outdoor organization that better fits the geographic spread and demographics of our customer base than does the MWC,” said company president Richard Lowe. “In the entire region between the mountains of Pennsylvania to the Rockies, MWC has a presence. Many MWC anglers are involved in the construction, agricultural, mining, forestry and utility industries, and they are often the owners or principal decision makers within their organizations.”

“Lowe Manufacturing has gone above and beyond in their support of the MWC over the last half dozen years,” said MWC sales and marketing VP Kelly Gohman. “Not only has the company provided financial support to the circuit in the form of a sponsorship, they have also offered angler discounts on their products, contingency prizes, and attended a number of tournaments as well. We’ve really appreciated their support in the past and are our glad to see it continue in 2018.”

Based in Viola, Wisconsin, Lowe Manufacturing has followed the same simple philosophy since 1971: “Design and build specific products that offer the best performance, durability, and overall value in the attachment industry.” The company creates hydraulic-driven attachments for a wide variety of machinery including skid-steer loaders, compact track loaders, compact utility tractors, mini-loaders, backhoes and cranes. Every model is precisely designed to maximize the size, specific flows, and pressures, producing greater performance and the maximizing value from their customers’ machinery investments. For more information, visit loweman.com.

The Cabela’s MWC was founded in 1984. It is the oldest team walleye tournament circuit in North America, and has a rich history of intense competition on top destinations, plus youth programs and a lasting legacy of conservation that includes more than $300,000 in donations to fisheries projects in states where its tournaments are held.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Cabela’s MWC is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. The Cabela’s MWC’s 2018 schedule has already been announced and features eight qualifiers in seven states. The lineup includes the Illinois River, Detroit River, Lake Erie at Lorain, Ohio, Lake McConaughy, Lake Francis Case, Lake of the Woods, Green Bay and Cass Lake. For dates and complete details, visit masterswalleyecircuit.com.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is wrapping up its 16th season as title sponsor of the MWC and is eagerly awaiting the 2018 season. Official sponsors include: Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats and The Walleye Federation. Associate sponsors include: AirWave Pedestals, Bagley Baits, Church Tackle, G-Juice, MotorGuide and Okuma.

For more information on the Cabela’s MWC, including sponsorship opportunities, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

Cabela’s Renews Support of Masters Walleye Circuit

Cabela’s Renews Federation Angler Support

 

 

 

 

 

Ponca City, Okla.—Sept. 18, 2017—Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter of hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, has renewed its support for North America’s largest network of grassroots tournament fishing organizations by extending its Federation Angler sponsorship for the 2018 tournament season.

“We are happy to continue our support of Federation Angler, and are looking forward to another great year in 2018,” said Jennifer Murphy, Cabela’s brand partnership program manager. “Federation Angler is a dedicated group of knowledgeable and passionate anglers. That dedication shows in the quality events they plan and execute, and all the great work they do to promote fishing and conservation.”

“We are extremely proud to continue our Cabela’s partnership,” added Kelly Gohman, Federation Angler VP of sales and marketing. “Cabela’s has been a great supporter of Federation Angler’s competitive fishing, youth outreach and conservation efforts. Plus, their industry-leading products are a perfect fit for our hard-fishing members and the thousands of fans following them across our media platforms.”

Cabela’s, headquartered in Sidney, Nebraska, is the world’s largest direct marketer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor merchandise. Since the company’s founding in 1961, Cabela’s has grown to become one of the most well-known outdoor recreation brands in the world, and has long been recognized as the World’s Foremost Outfitter.

Through Cabela’s expansive network of retail stores and its well-established direct-order business, it offers a wide and distinctive selection of high-quality outdoor products at competitive prices while providing superior customer service. Cabela’s also issues the Cabela’s CLUB Visa credit card, which serves as its primary customer loyalty rewards program.

Based in Ponca City, Oklahoma, Federation Angler represents the largest collection of fishing, youth and conservation organizations under one roof in America today, including two National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame entities and some of the oldest and largest tournament organizations in existence.

The Federation Angler network includes The Bass Federation, Student Angler Federation High School Fishing, The Walleye Federation, Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit, Cabela’s North American Bass Circuit and National Bass Anglers Association. For complete details, visit federation.com or call (580) 765-9031.

Lahr, Skarlis Win Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit 2017 World Walleye Championship

  • Filed under MWC News

  • September 16, 2017

Cass Lake, Minn.—Sept. 16, 2017—Iowa’s Tommy Skarlis and Jeff Lahr overcame a day-two deficit, fierce competition and tough-bite conditions to win the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s 2017 World Walleye Championship on Minnesota’s Cass Lake Chain.

“This is why I got into competitive walleye fishing on the MWC 27 years ago,” said Skarlis, of Waukon. “And I was finally able to achieve it. Besides the birth of my children, marrying my wife and finding Christ, this is one of the greatest days of my life.”

“It all worked out the way it was supposed to,” added Lahr, of Dubuque. “Our go-to presentations produced the fish we needed both days—including the big kicker fish that put us over the top today, which we caught at 2 o’clock this afternoon.”

Presented by Cabela’s, the MWC Championship ran Sept. 14-16 out of scenic and fishing-friendly Stony Point Resort, and featured the top 41 two-person teams from the circuit’s 2016 regular season. The anglers battled for a total payout topping $110,000 in cash and prizes.

Tournament officials were forced to cancel day one’s fishing due to extremely heavy fog that persisted through the half-day cutoff point for shortened fishing days. But the action quickly heated up when the field was let out at 7 a.m. on day two.

Carl Holten and Mickey Stuefen, also of Iowa, sacked a 5-fish limit weighing 17 pounds, 1 ounce to take the day-two lead, while Lahr and Skarlis were hot on their heels in second place with 5 fish for 16 pounds, 8 ounces.

The two Hawkeye teams traded places on the leaderboard the final day. Holten and Stuefen brought a 9-pound, 9-ounce limit to the MWC scale for 26 pounds, 10 ounces, while Lahr and Skarlis’ limit tipped the scale at 11 pounds, 11 ounces for the winning weight of 28 pounds, 3 ounces.

“We’ve been close to winning a championship before, and led on day two a couple of times, so it was actually great not leading it yesterday because it took some of the pressure off,” said Lahr.

He and Skarlis reported casting lead swimming jigs on day two and part of day three, but said they switched to drifting live-bait rigs with redtail chubs and home-made ¾- to 1-ounce sinkers when jigs failed to produce the size walleyes they wanted in the livewell. Both days they fished depths of up to 32 feet in Cass Lake sweet spots like Allen’s Bay and Wishbone Bar.

Lahr and Skarlis collected $14,700 in winnings, including $12,000 in cash, the $1,000 Ranger Cup contingency and $500 AirWave Pedestal bonus, plus a pair of custom trophies and Cabela’s MWC champions’ rings.

Mickey Stuefen and Carl Holten with part of their day three catch.

Rounding out the top five were:

2nd: Carl Holten and Mickey Stuefen, 26-10, $6,000 cash plus $500 Lowrance bonus and $200 Okuma Reel bonus

3rd: Travor Diegel, Paul Steffen, 25-08, $3,000 cash

4th: Spencer and Ron Deutz, 25-03, $$2,500 cash

5th: Dan Geiken, Brad Berens, 23-02, $2,000 cash

All teams shared in the remainder of the payout, cashing $1,500 checks all the way out to 41st place. In all, the Cabela’s MWC awarded $113,361 in cash and prizes.

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

 

Third-place finishers Paul Steffen and Travor Diegel in action on day three.

A total of 391 walleyes weighing 703 pounds, 1 ounce were brought to the scale during the championship. Ninety-seven percent of those fish were returned to the Cass Lake Chain in the Circuit’s time-tested and research-proven catch-and-release format.

Stony Point Resort hosted takeoffs and weigh-ins, which drew enthusiastic crowds despite damp conditions at times. The action was also broadcast live online via streaming video coverage and an updated leaderboard, both at masterswalleyecircuit.com. On-the-water and weigh-in footage was also filmed for national television airing on Federation Angler TV, which appears on the Pursuit Channel. For Federation Angler TV schedules, visit federationangler.com.

To encourage the next generation of walleye anglers, the Cabela’s MWC and National Professional Anglers Association presented a Youth & Family Fishing Clinic immediately following the weigh-in. Youths received fishing, safety and conservation advice from MWC anglers, along with free rod-and-reel combos courtesy of the NPAA.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Cabela’s MWC is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. The Cabela’s MWC’s 2018 schedule has already been announced and features eight qualifiers in seven states. The lineup includes the Illinois River, Detroit River, Lake Erie at Lorain, Ohio, Lake McConaughy, Lake Francis Case, Lake of the Woods, Green Bay and Cass Lake. For dates and complete details, visit masterswalleyecircuit.com.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is wrapping up its 16th season as title sponsor of the MWC and is eagerly awaiting the 2018 season. Official sponsors include: Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats and The Walleye Federation. Associate sponsors include: AirWave Pedestals, Bagley Baits, Church Tackle, G-Juice, MotorGuide and Okuma. For information, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.