Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Announces 2018 Team Walleye Tournament Schedule

Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Announces 2018 Team Walleye Tournament Schedule

Competitors To Battle For Big Payouts While Enjoying Great Walleye Fishing

On World-Class Destinations At Peak Fishing Times

Ponca City, Okla.—July 22, 2017—Competitive walleye anglers, mark your calendars. The Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s 2018 team walleye tournament schedule is packed with an A-list lineup of longtime circuit favorites and angler-requested venues sure to please anyone who enjoys catching fish while battling for thousands in cash and prizes in a professionally run setting.

The Cabela’s MWC’s 2018 trail includes eight qualifiers in seven states, plus the 2019 Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship. “We worked extensively with MWC anglers to develop a schedule that hits top destinations at peak fishing times,” says MWC president and CEO Robert Cartlidge. “As a result, the 2018 lineup offers anglers the chance to test their skills on a variety of world-class fisheries from the High Plains to the Great Lakes, all when the bite is on.”

The 2018 Cabela’s MWC tournament schedule includes:

March 23-24               Spring Valley, IL

April 13-14                 Detroit River, MI

April 27-28                 Lake Francis Case Platte, SD

May 4-5                      Lake Erie, Lorain OH

June 1-2                      Lake McConaughy, Ogallala, NE

July 13-14                   Lake of the Woods, MN

August 3-4                  Bay of Green Bay Oconto, WI

Sept. 14-15                  Cass Lake, MN

Oct. 3-5, 2019             MWC World Walleye Championship, Lake Winnebago, WI

The Cabela’s MWC offers anglers lucrative payouts that are based on the number of teams entered in each event and paid to the top 20 percent of the field. In addition, the circuit’s big-fish pot, option pot payouts and sponsor bonuses including Ranger Cup, Lowrance Electronics, Okuma and AirWave add thousands more to the total. As a result, winners routinely pocket $10,000 to $15,000 or more in cash and prizes. Plus, the first-place team also wins a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package including paid NTC entry, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

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, which is set for October 3-5, 2019 on Wisconsin’s famous Lake Winnebago System.

Teams fishing at least four 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.

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, regardless of sponsor or club affiliations. Registration for 2018 events will open in January. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for updates, official rules and registration information.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is currently in its 16th season as title sponsor of the MWC. 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, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

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North Dakota’s Devils Lake Hosts Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Regular Season Tournament July 21-22, Presented by Lowrance Electronics

NOTICE ! REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT CLOSES MONDAY EVENING JULY 17TH

Ponca City, Okla.—July 6, 2017—Great walleye fishing and exciting, high-stakes competition will be on tap when the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit returns to North Dakota’s famed Devils Lake for a regular season qualifying tournament presented by Lowrance Electronics July 21-22.

One of the High Plains’ hottest walleye fisheries, Devils Lake has long been a favorite destination for MWC anglers—and for good reason. Two-person teams have more than 200,000 acres of water to work with, and a variety of presentations put walleyes in the livewell.

At the 2016 MWC Devils Lake tournament, North Dakotans Troy Morris and Corey Heiser employed a pair of totally different tactics to top the leaderboard with a winning weight of 44 pounds. On day one, they vertically fished hard-bodied swimming jigs in 28 to 36 feet along a steep main-lake breakline. They switched gears on day two, trolling shad-imitating crankbaits in 23 to 25 feet of water.

Morris and Heiser also credited their Lowrance StructureScan 3D sonar system for helping them find fish fast on the massive body of water. Among the many key details their sonar revealed were schools of juvenile white bass, which hungry walleyes were following, as well as low-riding ’eyes holding tight to rocky areas.

Teams will compete for thousands in cash and prizes. For starters, the Cabela’s MWC’s lucrative payouts are based on the number of teams entered in each event. Plus, the MWC Big Fish Pot, MWC option pot payouts, and sponsor bonuses including Ranger Cup, Lowrance Electronics, Okuma and AirWave add thousands more to the total. The first-place team will also win a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package including paid 2018 NTC entry, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

Such winnings add up quick. For example, Morris and Heiser walked away with nearly $20,000 for their 2016 victory.

The two-day event is hosted by the Devils Lake Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, with launches and weigh-ins held at the Sivert Thompson Activities Center in scenic Grahams Island State Park. Weigh-ins begin at 3 p.m. As a bonus to budding tournament fans, 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.

Teams fishing three or more MWC tournaments in 2017 also battle for coveted berths in the 2018 Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship, set for October 2018 on Lake Michigan’s Bays de Noc out of Escanaba, Michigan. Teams fishing at least four 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.

As a bonus, Lowe Equipment Attachments offers all Cabela’s MWC anglers a 25 percent discount off the MSRP on all its auger, trenching and grapple products in 2017 available through Midwest Attachments, LLC. For details, visit masterswalleyecircuit.com/tournaments/contingencies.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Cabela’s MWC is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. Deadline to register for the Devils Lake tournament is Monday, July 17 at 4 p.m. For complete details, visit masterswalleyecircuit.com.

The 2017 schedule includes seven qualifiers in five states on a diverse selection of rivers, inland lakes and Great Lakes fisheries representing North America’s top walleye destinations.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its 16th season as title sponsor of the MWC. 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, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

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LaPine, Vande Kolk Rally To Win Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Winnebago Tournament, Presented by Mercury Marine

LaPine, Vande Kolk Rally To Win Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Winnebago Tournament

Presented by Mercury Marine

Menasha, Wisc.—June 3, 2017—Jake LaPine and Owen Vande Kolk vaulted from 12th place on day one to win the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s Lake Winnebago regular season qualifier presented by Mercury Marine June 2-3.

“It feels great to be able to put it together on day two and win this on our home waters,” said LaPine, of Oshkosh. “It’s awesome,” added Vande Kolk, of Waupun. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

It was the first MWC win for both anglers. LaPine, 30, began fishing the circuit at age 12 with his father, Jim LaPine. “I fished the MWC with him for years and owe him a lot for getting me started in this sport,” the younger LaPine said emotionally moments after accepting the first-place trophy.

Vande Kolk was fishing his first MWC, but was equally elated. “Jake called me up about a week ago and asked me to get in the tournament with him, and it worked out great,” he said.

The pair targeted the Fox River with a trio of tactics during the two-day event, which saw teams battle a tough bite LaPine blamed on a “baitfish explosion” that made competing with natural forage tough. “We pitched jigs tipped with leeches or crawlers onto rocky areas, trolled streamer flies on 3-way rigs in areas where the fish were set up along current seams, and also trolled crankbaits on leadcore,” said LaPine.

On day one, they sacked four fish weighing total of 6 pounds, 7 ounces to land in a tie for 12th place, trailing leaders Dave Ehlke and Duane Haedt by nearly 4 pounds. “Going into day two we told ourselves we needed to get 15 pounds plus,” said LaPine. “We were fortunate to get some good 19 and 20 inchers, and top it off with a 27 incher at the end of the day.” That last walleye, taken on a fly, tipped the scale at 6 pounds, 6 ounces and was the biggest fish weighed in during the tournament.

The winners didn’t change their tactics for day two, but kept moving from spot to spot faster than on day one. “We ended up being in the right place at the right time,” added Vande Kolk.

Their five-fish limit of 17 pounds, 8 ounces gave them a 23-pound, 15-ounce total weight. It was enough to rocket up the leaderboard and charge past Ehlke and Haedt by three pounds.

LaPine and Vande Kolk collected more than $11,000 in cash and prizes, including the $9,100 first-place cash payout, $500 AirWave certificate and $412 from the MWC Big Fish Pot. They also won a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package including paid entry into the 2018 NTC, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

Rounding out the top five were:

2nd: Dave Ehlke and Duane Haedt, 20-15, $5,440 plus $200 Okuma Reel bonus

3rd: Tom and Michael Kamp, 17-03, $3,100 plus $500 Lowrance bonus

4th: Kevin Pawlacyk and Steve Lenz, 16-07, $2,300

5th: Kevin and Eric McQuoid, 16-05, $2,000 plus $1,000 Ranger Cup bonus and $2,037 from the option pot

In all, the Cabela’s MWC awarded $37,585 in cash and prizes.

A total of 240 walleyes weighing 400 pounds, 10 ounces crossed the scale during the catch-and-release event. 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.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Cabela’s MWC is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2017 schedule includes seven qualifiers in five states on a diverse selection of rivers, inland lakes and Great Lakes fisheries representing North America’s top walleye destinations.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its 16th season as title sponsor of the MWC. 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, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

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Bartsch, Le Sage Lead Wire-To-Wire To Win Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Green Bay Tournament, Presented by Lowe Equipment Attachments

Bartsch, Le Sage Lead Wire-To-Wire To Win Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Green Bay Tournament

 Presented by Lowe Equipment Attachments

 

Green Bay, Wisc.—May 20, 2017—Chris Bartsch and Larry Le Sage, both of Green Bay, jigged their way to a hard-fought victory at the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s Green Bay regular season qualifier presented by Lowe Equipment Attachments May 19-20 out of Green Bay Metro Park.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Bartsch, who is Le Sage’s nephew. “We’ve placed second and third in local tournaments around here before, so to win a big one like an MWC is fantastic.”

“This is huge for us,” added Le Sage. “The conditions and bite were tough, but Chris is an awesome fisherman and we managed to get all our ducks in a row.”


The event was Le Sage’s first MWC, and he appreciated the warm welcome he and Bartsch received from other competitors. “It was really fun,” he said. “We met a lot of nice people, including the reigning MWC champions Randall Gaines and Mike Rhoades.”

Green Bay and its legendary walleye population were a bit less hospitable, however. Heavy seas on day one forced MWC officials to limit competitors to the Fox River. Conditions improved enough on day two for the boundaries to be expanded into the bay, but the fishing was still challenging.

Bartsch and Le Sage fished ¼- to 3/8-ounce jigs tipped with soft plastics both days. Bartsch favored a ringworm, while Le Sage stuck with a bass-style beavertail design. Both anglers sweetened the pot with a minnow or nightcrawler for added attraction. They focused on depths of seven feet or less in the river, and targeted a small but complex piece of structure not far offshore in the bay on most of day two.

They brought three walleyes weighing a total of 13 pounds, 7 ounces to the MWC scale on day one. “It was less than we hoped for, but surprisingly enough to put us in the lead,” said Bartsch. They followed up with a 5-fish MWC limit weighing 28 pounds, 6 ounces on day two for a 41-pound, 13-ounce total.

Bartsch and Le Sage collected $12,880 in cash and prizes, including the $10,300 first-place cash payout, $500 AirWave certificate, $200 Okuma Reel bonus and $880 from the MWC Big Fish Pot. They also won a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package including paid entry into the 2018 NTC, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

Rounding out the top five were:

2nd: Bill Vine and Chase Kretsch, 36-02, $5,200 plus $400 from the big fish pot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3rd: Troy Morris and Corey Heiser, 35-10, $3,500 plus $3,574.50 cash from the option pot, $1,000 Ranger Cup award and $500 Lowrance bonus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4th: Mike Olson and John Spiegel, 31-04, $2,600 plus $2,600 from the option pot and $800 from the big fish pot

5th: Steve Vandemark and Jerry Fox, Jr., 29-05, $2,200 plus $1,500 from the option pot

In all, the Cabela’s MWC awarded $55,362.50 in cash and prizes. 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 in 2017 available through Midwest Attachments, LLC. For information on that program, visit masterswalleyecircuit.com/tournaments/contingencies.

A total of 578 walleyes weighing 1,259 pounds, 15 ounces crossed the scale and were released back into the Green Bay system during the event. 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.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Cabela’s MWC is open to avid walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2017 schedule includes seven qualifiers in five states on a diverse selection of rivers, inland lakes and Great Lakes fisheries representing North America’s top walleye destinations.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its 16th season as title sponsor of the MWC. 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, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

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