Plautzes Pull Off Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Petenwell Win
Presented by Mercury Marine and BOLT Locks

Arkdale, Wisc.—June 28, 2015—Wisconsin’s Barb and Danny Plautz scored an exciting come-from-behind victory at the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s Petenwell Lake qualifier presented by Mercury Marine June 26-27.

After bringing four walleyes weighing a total of 5 pounds, 1 ounce to the scale on day one, the mother-and-son team was sitting in third place, just 2 pounds, 6 ounces behind leaders Matt Johannes and Dan Vukovich. The Plautzes knew they were within striking distance, but with a tight race due to a tough bite on the 23,000-acre flowage system, they also realized the rest of the 43-team field was still in the hunt as well.

“Everyone had a shot at it on day two, which made things really interesting,” said Danny Plautz, of Lake Mills. He explained that although day one weights were low, Petenwell holds trophy walleyes that could easily push a team’s 5-fish daily limit above the 20-pound barrier.

Adding to the drama, walleye fans turned out in force to cheer on each of the two-person teams. Scores of well-wishers lined the take-off area each morning, while afternoon weigh-ins at Petenwell Park drew more than 400 spectators.

As they had on day one, team Plautz focused their day two attack on a stump-covered, 7½-foot-deep flat surrounded by shallower water, where they trolled size 5 Berkley Flicker Shad crankbaits at speeds of 1.9 to 2 mph. “We found the spot during practice and caught a walleye over 29 inches from it, so we knew the fish were there and stuck with it,” Danny explained.

The Plautzes’ patience and persistence paid off with four more walleyes totaling 6 pounds, 7 ounces. “Our fifth fish, a 19-incher, popped off right behind the boat,” Danny recalled. “We thought we needed it to win, so that was tough.”

But as their luck would have it, the Plautzes’ 11-pound, 8-ounce two-day total was enough to top the leaderboard and claim their second MWC win in 12 years of competing on the trail.

“This is phenomenal—I’m on cloud nine,” Barb Plautz, of St. Germain, Wisconsin, said as the crowd’s cheers finally subsided. “My son is the best fishing partner I could ask for, and the memories we’ve shared on the MWC are priceless. I wish more moms could experience this feeling.”

Part of a hard-fishing family that includes another MWC veteran, Dan Plautz Sr., Barb and Danny have put together a stellar MWC career. They won the Spring Valley qualifier in 2008 and are perennial contenders on a variety of waters. With the Petenwell win and a pair of additional top-10 finishes so far this season, they’re also making a serious run at the prestigious MWC Team of the Year title.

The Plautzes’ Petenwell performance was worth nearly $12,000 including $7,200 in cash plus the $1,000 Ranger Cup contingency. They also pocketed $2,730 in cash from the option pot, and a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package, including paid entry into the 2016 NTC, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

Rounding out the top five were:
2nd: Doug and Michael David, 10-13, $3,600 cash plus $200 Okuma award, $250 BOLT locks Big Bag Bonus, and $200 Zippo Hot Hand Award for big fish of the event, a 2-pound, 7-ounce walleye
3rd: Mike Olson, Pete Geroy, 10-07, $2,500 cash plus $500 Lowrance Electronics bonus
4th: Matt Johannes, Dan Vukovich, 9-15, $2,000 cash
5th: Michael McCardle, Scott Valleskey, 9-12, $1,600 cash plus $1,820 from the option pot

In all, the Cabela’s MWC awarded a payback of $31,040 in cash and prizes.

The Petenwell tournament also provided the stage for the Wisconsin State Walleye Championship.
Randy Harwood, of Oshkosh, and Brad Skupas, of Wautoma, claimed the crown by accumulating 277 points between the MWC’s Sturgeon Bay and Petenwell qualifiers. Besides Badger State bragging rights, they won a $1,000 prize package including custom trophies, custom State Champions rings by Tight Lines Jewelry, a berth in the Cabela’s NTC, decals and a spot on the MWC website’s Wall of Fame.

A total of 129 walleyes weighing 169 pounds, 6 ounces came to the scale during the event. As a testament to the challenging bite MWCers encountered on Petenwell this weekend, just six five-fish daily limits were recorded, and no “overs” (trophy walleyes more than 28 inches long) crossed the stage.

Along with the thrill of witnessing such intense competition among the country’s top competitive walleye anglers, youngsters in the crowd were treated to a Youth & Family Fishing Clinic after the day one weigh-in, presented by the Cabela’s MWC, National Professional Anglers Association, Pure Fishing and Zippo Outdoor Brands. Youths got the chance to meet MWC anglers and received 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 2015 schedule spans nine states and includes 11 regular-season qualifiers plus the 2015 World Walleye Championship.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its 14th season as title sponsor of the MWC. Official sponsors include: Berkley Gulp!, Abu Garcia, Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats, The Walleye Federation and Zippo Outdoor Brands. Associate sponsors include: Yellow Bird Fishing Products, Okuma, T-H Marine, Tight Lines Jewelry and Bolt Locks. For more information, visit masterswalleyecircuit.com, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.
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Bradford, Penn.—June 20, 2015—Pennsylvania’s Ryan Rieger and Joe Papalia sacked a two-day, 10-fish limit weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces to win the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s Kinzua Reservoir qualifying tournament presented by Zippo Outdoors June 19-20.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” Rieger, of Belle Vernon, said of his first MWC victory. The win was worth over $13,000 to the pair including, $7,400 in cash along with the $1,000 Ranger Cup contingency and $200 Okuma bonus. He and Papalia, of Warren, also pocketed $2,520 in cash from the option pot, and a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package, including paid entry into the 2016 NTC, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

Because all 2015 Cabela’s MWC tournaments are designated as “State Championship Qualifying Events,” Rieger and Papalia also earned the title of Pennsylvania State Walleye Champions. Besides Keystone bragging rights, they claimed a $1,000 prize package including custom trophies, custom State Champions rings by Tight Lines Jewelry, a berth in the Cabela’s NTC, decals and a spot on the MWC website’s Wall of Fame.

Rieger and Papalia primarily pulled slow death-style nightcrawler rigs along the tops and edges of offshore humps in 10 to 23 feet of water on day one for a 7-pound, 1-ounce total. They added Berkley Flicker Shads to the program on day two and put 8 pounds, 5 ounces in the basket.

“This is the greatest thing ever,” grinned Papalia after the weigh-in. “It was a grind because inconsistent weather made the bite challenging, but all of our efforts paid off.”

Rounding out the top five were:
2nd: Mike Maholic, Scott Hotelling, 13-09, $3,800 cash
3rd: Dewayne Cawley, Steve Colley, 13-03 $2,500 cash plus $1,680 from the option pot
4th: Dan Johnson, Larry Rhoads, 11-11, $2,000 cash
5th: Glenn and Matthew Boser, 11-11, $1,600 cash

Big-fish honors and the $200 Zippo Hot Hand Award went to Terry Zampogna and Toney Avenali for a 6-pound, 7-ounce walleye. In 7th place, Jesse and Dylan Nussbaum collected the $500 Lowrance Electronics contingency. In all, the Cabela’s MWC awarded a payback of $33,540 in cash and prizes.

Weigh-ins were held at the Richard E. & Ruth McDowell Sport & Fitness Center Arena. The 47-team field brought a total of 210 walleyes weighing 300 pounds, 14 ounces to the scales during the event, including 18 five-fish daily limits. The Cabela’s MWC, National Professional Anglers Association, Pure Fishing and Zippo Outdoor Brands 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 2015 schedule spans nine states and includes 11 regular-season qualifiers plus the 2015 World Walleye Championship.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its 14th season as title sponsor of the MWC. Official sponsors include: Berkley Gulp!, Abu Garcia, Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats, The Walleye Federation and Zippo Outdoor Brands. Associate sponsors include: Yellow Bird Fishing Products, Okuma, T-H Marine and Tight Lines Jewelry. For more information, visit masterswalleyecircuit.com, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.
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Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Returns To Kinzua Reservoir June 19-20
Presented by Zippo Outdoors

Ponca City, Okla.—May 28, 2015—The Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit returns to scenic Kinzua Reservoir out of Bradford, Pennsylvania, for a regular-season qualifying tournament presented by Zippo Outdoors June 19-20.

Launching from Willow Bay Boat Ramp, the event offers two-person teams a variety of fishing options on the river-run impoundment, which is home to Pennsylvania’s state record walleye—a 17-pound, 9-ounce behemoth. “A variety of presentations from jigging the trees to pulling crankbaits or spinner rigs should all take fish,” says Circuit veteran, Kinzua insider and Zippo Outdoors pro-staffer Doug Yohe.

Indeed, a number of different approaches held water at last season’s Kinzua MWC tournament. In the end, Pennsylvania’s Chuck Sabatose and Frank Mausser racked up an impressive 20-pound two-day total to claim top honors by trolling Berkley Flicker Shads on leadcore line at speeds of 1.7 to 2.2 mph over rock piles and stump patches in depths of 16 to 36 feet.

Besides a shot at great fishing and the thrill of competition, the Cabela’s MWC offers lucrative payouts. In 2014 the Circuit rewarded anglers with a total payback of more than 127 percent. Payouts are based on the number of teams entered in each event. Plus, the MWC Big Fish Pot and sponsor bonuses from Ranger, Lowrance, Abu Garcia, Zippo Outdoor Brands and Okuma add thousands more to the total.

As an added incentive, the first-place team will win a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package including paid NTC entry, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques. And new for 2015, the creation of an option pot adds even more chances to cash in. At the recent Big Stone Lake qualifier, for example, tournament champions Dan Sunne and Jim Hartman added $2,800 in option pot cash to their total winnings.

Adding to the excitement, all Cabela’s MWC tournaments are designated as “State Championship Qualifying Events.” Teams from the state where the event is held are eligible, along with teams from a state not hosting an MWC event in 2015 (provided at least 10 teams from their state are competing in the event). Besides bragging rights, state champions will earn a $1,000 prize package including custom trophies, decals, a berth in the Cabela’s NTC, and a spot on the MWC website’s Wall of Fame.

Two-person teams will be allowed to weigh five walleyes measuring 15 inches and over each day, and the team with the heaviest two-day total weight will be crowned the winners. Weigh-ins, which are free and open to the public, will be held at the Richard E. & Ruth McDowell Sport & Fitness Center Arena beginning at 3 p.m. daily. As a bonus to budding tournament fans, the Cabela’s MWC, National Professional Anglers Association, Pure Fishing and Zippo Outdoor Brands 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.

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 Kinzua Reservoir tournament is Monday, June 15th.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its 14th season as title sponsor of the MWC. Official sponsors include: Berkley Gulp!, Abu Garcia, Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats, The Walleye Federation and Zippo Outdoor Brands. Associate sponsors include: Yellow Bird Fishing Products, Okuma, T-H Marine and Tight Lines Jewelry. For more information, visit masterswalleyecircuit.com, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.
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Klepacki, Miller Win 14th Annual Cabela’s National Team Championship

Junction City, Kansas—May 30, 2015—Illinois’ Ed Klepacki and Jim Miller put together a three-day total weight of 43 pounds, 9 ounces to top the 185-team field battling on Kansas’ Milford Lake in the 2015 Cabela’s National Team Championship.

“This is incredible—it’s the greatest feeling in the world!” said Klepacki, of Wonder Lake. “It’s unbelievable,” added Miller, of Angle Side, seconds after claiming the crown in an exciting finish that saw them weigh in last and slip past the hard charging second-place finishers, Nebraskans Scott Willis, of Shelton, and Ben Seim, of Kearney, who brought in 42 pounds, 7 ounces.

For their efforts, Klepacki and Miller collected $30,000 in cash plus a $68,000 Evinrude E-Tec powered 620 Ranger boat.

A three-day event held May 28-30, the Cabela’s NTC is widely regarded as the pinnacle of grassroots walleye tournaments. It is comprised of two-person teams that qualified through competition in local tournaments organized by walleye clubs sanctioned by The Walleye Federation.

The full field competed on the first two days. Each team was allowed to bring their best five fish to the scale each day. Competition was intense, as only the top 25 teams would advance to the final round on day three.

Klepacki and Miller rode a crankbait trolling pattern to victory lane, but they didn’t start out in pole position. On day one, they brought three fish weighing a total of 11 pounds, 10 ounces to the scale to land in a respectable 11th place. Though they trailed day one leaders Bill Kunze and Greg Belgum, both of Kearney, Nebraska, by more than 12 pounds, they remained optimistic and determined to finish strong.

“We were trolling an old railroad bed, keying mainly on an 8- to 12-foot ledge,” Miller reported. “Our top baits were 2¾-inch Berkley Flicker Shads in Cabela’s exclusive colors of Reverse Cougar and Chartreuse Growler,” added Klepacki. While long-lining their baits behind the boat, the pair experimented with trolling speeds from 1.2 to 3 mph. Klepacki noted that slower speeds produced their biggest fish.

On day two, they tallied a monster 5-fish basket weighing 24 pounds, 2 ounces to rocket up the leaderboard, while Kunze and Belgum faltered with just one fish for 3 pounds, 3 ounces. “Everything fell into place,” said Miller.

But there would be no coasting to victory, as a punishing weather system put their fish in a funk headed into day three. “It was tough,” Miller added. Indeed, they put just two keepers in the livewell, and were doubtful their catch would be enough to take the crown.

“I honestly didn’t think we had enough to win it,” Klepacki confided. But when the scale settled a final time in front of a roaring crowd gathered at Milford Lake Marina, he and Miller’s 7-pound, 13-ounce day three weight pushed them over the top.

In second place, Willis and Seim pocketed $12,500 in cash. They also brought home a brand-new Evinrude E-Tec powered 620 Ranger boat valued at $68,000 for finishing first in the Ranger Cup contingency program.

Rounding out the top five were:

3rd: Lorin Skipper and Justin Skipper, 33-15, $10,000 cash
4th: Bill Kunze and Greg Belgum, 29-15, $8,000 cash
5th: Jason Lemke and Scott Knouf, 29-12, $7,000 cash

Along with the two Evinrude E-Tec powered Ranger 620 boats valued at $136,000, the Cabela’s NTC paid out $121,000 in cash to the top 50 teams, and $14,600 in Cabela’s gift cards to the remainder of the field. In addition, the top 25 teams earned the title of “Cabela’s All-Americans” and received commemorative rings marking their achievement.

Another $1,000 in Cabela’s gift cards were awarded for big fish and big basket honors. On day one, the $250 GEICO Big Basket Award went to Bill Kunze and Greg Belgum for their 23-pound, 15-ounce catch. Shane Sparby and Evan Schatz earned the day one $250 Evinrude Big Fish Award for their 7.14-pound walleye. On day two, Klepacki and Miller won the $250 Ranger Boats Big Basket Award for their 24-pound, 2-ounce limit, while Paul Horwath and Bill Chesslo collected the $250 Pepsi Big Fish Award for a 7.13-pound walleye.

A total of 432 walleyes weighing 1,319 pounds, 6 ounces crossed the scale during the catch-and-release format championship. Adding to the excitement, the event was streamed live on the internet at cabelas.com/ntc and was also filmed for national television, to air in early August on “Americana Outdoors” on NBC Sports, the Pursuit Channel and other regional networks. Exact dates and airtimes will be announced at walleyefederation.com.

A Kid’s Fishing Clinic was held immediately following the day one weigh-in; youngsters got to meet NTC competitors and received free rod-and-reel combos courtesy of Cabela’s and The Walleye Federation.

The 2015 Milford Lake event marked the 14th edition of the Cabela’s NTC. Sponsors included Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Geico, Power-Pole and Pepsi. The Walleye Federation, based in Ponca City, Oklahoma, managed and produced the event, including the qualifying process. For details on this year’s festivities or the 2016 championship, visit walleyefederation.com, or call (580) 765-9031