Michael Sitko and Erick Schenavar Take Top Spot in Lake Erie’s Western Basin Presented by Mercury Marine

Michael Sitko and Erick Schenavar Take Top Spot in Lake Erie’s Western Basin

Presented by Mercury Marine

Monroe, Michigan – April 23, 2023 – Lake Erie and the Detroit River are well known in the walleye fishing world as two of the top spring-time walleye fishing destinations in the country. 120 anglers traveled to Monroe, Michigan to try their luck and put their skills to the test to fool these big post-spawn walleyes for a shot at bringing home the 1st place trophies. With favorable fishing conditions, two anglers inched ahead of the rest of the field and found what was needed to bring those trophies home. Michael Sitko (Pinckney, MI) and partner, Erick, Schenavar (Newport, MI) took home top honors with a win at the second stop of the 2023 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) in Monroe, MI, presented by Mercury Marine.

After the scales closed on day one of the tournament, it was the 2022 MWC Team of the Year from Wisconsin, Wayne Butz and Joseph Sommers, that was holding the top spot with 30-15 lbs. Only two other teams in the field had cracked that 30 lb. mark on the first day. Not far behind them, almost half of the field sat within striking distance with over 20 lbs. per team brought to the scales.

One of the teams that also topped the 30 lb. mark on day one was Sitko and Schenavar with 30-04 lbs, just 11 ounces shy of the leaders. On day two, there was a little bit of a shift in the standings but Sitko and Schenavar’s trolling game was strong enough on Lake Erie’s western basin and allowed them to stand out amongst the field to bring in an even bigger bag than from the first day, 31-06 lbs, and give them a two-ounce lead over second place and secure the top prize with a two-day total bag weight of 61-10 lbs. Their win of $10,600 included a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s NTC prize package, along with the $3,900 option pot 1st prize, $1,000 Lowrance Bonus, and (2) Okuma Reels worth $200 for a grand total of $15,700.

Here’s a break-down of what the rest of the top 5 teams brought to the scales:

2nd. Jerry and Liza Plourde 61-08, $4,800 cash and $2,500 option pot

3rd. Steve and Dan Bodinger 60-01, $3,300 cash and $1,800 option pot

4th. Adam Hume and Mike Karner 59-02, $2,400 cash

5th. Jeff Cecile and Matt Lefaive 57-15, $1,800 cash

New for the 2023 season, Dakota Lithium Batteries has partnered up with the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC to offer a come-back award for the team that makes the biggest leap from day one to day two in the standings. The team that won this award, which includes a Dakota Lithium battery package to outfit their boat for the next tournament, was Michael Kopock and Alex Demers with a change in places from 39th to 19th.

The total payout for the 2nd event of the 2023 MWC season was $58,732 in cash and prizes. The anglers fishing Erie’s western basin and the Detroit River caught a total of 530 fish for a total two-day weight of 2449-10 lbs. The biggest fish of this event was caught by the 2nd place team of Jerry and Liza Plourde and weighed 9-10 lbs.

A huge THANK YOU goes out to the Monroe County CVB and the Monroe Boat Club for hosting this event. Events like this are made possible and run even smoother when there is an outpouring of support like what was seem from the surrounding community. Thank you to all of the volunteers that made this event a success!

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit is North America’s longest-running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments and as an inductee into the freshwater fishing hall of fame, has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing for the past 39 years and has directly donated hundreds of thousands and helped raise millions of dollars to support walleye & conservation programs nationwide. The MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2023 schedule includes seven qualifiers in six states, plus a berth into the 2024 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 22nd season as the title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include: Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats, and Dakota Lithium. Associate sponsors include: The Walleye Federation, Church Tackle, FishLab, Okuma, Power-Pole and T-H Marine. For more information, email support@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

MWC Visits the Detroit River in Search of Spring Giants Presented by Mercury Marine

MWC Visits the Detroit River in Search of Spring Giants – Presented by Mercury Marine

Ponca City, Okla. – April 5th, 2023 – With the first tournament of the season now past us, the anglers of the Bass Pro Shop’s and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) will soon make their way to Monroe, MI, the next stop of the 2023 campaign.  Of course, anglers are not the only ones making the trek to the west shore of Lake Erie and the Detroit River, thousands of walleyes are on their way as well, headed to generational spawning grounds.  Both the anglers and fish are on a collision course set to take place April 21st and 22nd presented by Mercury Marine.

The Monroe County Convention and Visitors Bureau is excited to welcome everyone for what should be a great event, with local partners like the Monroe Boat Club and Cabela’s in Dundee, MI offering to help make this a memorable experience for all involved. The economic impact felt in Monroe and the surrounding area from visitors coming to take part in one of the best spring walleye bites is staggering. Millions of dollars flow into the communities along the lake and river during the month of April alone from visiting anglers.

The MWC strives to hit the best waters at the best times and this event could be timed perfectly to see some huge weights and full baskets make it to the scales. An estimated 10 million walleyes will make their way from the depths of Lake Erie and all funnel into the Detroit River for their annual spring spawning migration.

Some previous MWC events in this area have taken nearly 90lbs for a combined two-day bag to win and in fact, in 2015 first place had over 90 with second place only ounces away. With a record number of walleyes in Lake Erie, is it possible that a team is able to break that record this year? With all of those fish, the odds are definitely in the competitor’s favor.

The public is welcome to experience this event in-person at the Monroe Boat Club April 21st and 22nd.  Send-off is at 7:00 a.m. with weigh-in to begin at 3:00pm both Friday and Saturday.  Our live stream will begin at 3:00pm each day on masterswalleyecircuit.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/MastersWalleyeCircuit.

Each MWC event has a lucrative payout which is based on the number of teams entered into that event, and is awarded to 20% of the field, providing more inspiration to sign up and join the fun. In addition to a hefty check, the first-place team also earns a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s National Team Championship (NTC) prize package including: paid entry, a travel stipend, team jerseys, and plaques. Additionally, the big-fish pot, option-pot and sponsor bonuses from Ranger Cup, Lowrance, Dakota Lithium, Okuma, and T-H Marine Atlas Awards add thousands more for distribution among the field.

Anglers competing during the 2023 MWC season will be competing for a spot in the 2024 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s World Walleye Championship in Alpena, Michigan on Lake Huron. MWC Teams may fish as many events as they wish during a season. Teams must earn points in at least three qualifiers to have a chance at earning an invitation to the World Walleye Championship in the final “best of 3” final standing each year.

Those earning points in at least four qualifiers compete for “Team of the Year” honors, including a $10,000 sponsorship package and thousands more in cash and prizes to the top 10 teams in the final “best of 4” final standing each year.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit is North America’s longest-running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments and as an inductee into the freshwater fishing hall of fame, has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing for the past 39 years. The MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. Registration deadline for the Monroe, MI event is Monday April, 17th. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for full details.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s –Are in their 22th season as title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include: Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, Ranger Boats and Dakota Lithium. Associate sponsors include: The Walleye Federation, Church Tackle, FishLab, Okuma, Power-Pole and T-H Marine. For more information, email support@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

 

Karrick and Cappelli Live Up to the Title of “Toughest Anglers on Planet Earth” in Spring Valley! Presented by Ranger Boats

Karrick and Cappelli Live Up to the Title of “Toughest Anglers on Planet Earth” in Spring Valley!

Presented by Ranger Boats

Spring Valley, Ill – March 19, 2023 – The first tournament of the 2023 schedule that kicked off the 40th consecutive season for the Masters Walleye Circuit is in the books. Like in years past, the Illinois River did not disappoint. Despite the winter-like weather, anglers were able to catch some impressive saugers and even a few walleyes to bring across the stage to start the off the race for who will become the Team of the Year for 2023. Tony Karrick from Elgin, IL, and Sam Cappelli from Poland, OH were able to edge ahead of the rest of field and bring home the 1st place trophy at this, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) event, in Spring Valley, Illinois, presented by Ranger Boats.

Karrick and Cappelli deciphered just what those bigger saugers and walleyes wanted to eat during game time. They, along with 102 other teams were dealt with some tough fishing conditions during the tournament. The anglers competing in the first event of 2023 experienced everything from bitter cold to brutal winds and even a little snow with a few rays of sunshine in between. This field of anglers earned their title of “The Toughest Anglers on Planet Earth.” The winning team stated that they knew where the “right” fish were. It was only a matter of getting them to react to their offerings. “We worked through about four different areas. We pulled small shallow running Bandit crank baits with Blood Run lead-core to get these fish to go. Each day, we were able to land between 20 and 30 fish with only running four total lines. There were a lot of smaller fish but, we knew this is what they wanted to eat and we just kept working until the bigger fish ate.” said Tony and Sam. The team ended with a combined weight of 21-05 lbs. that put them into first place early-on during the day-two weigh-ins. They were able to hold that spot until the end to secure a well-earned 1st place trophy.

Along with those well-earned 1st place trophies, Karrick and Cappelli secured a total $24,000 that included a $1,000 NTC prize package, $1,000 Lowrance Bonus, an $8,000 Ranger Cup Bonus, and two (2) Okuma reels worth $100 each.

Here’s a look at how the rest of the top 5 teams did on the Illinois River:

2nd Adam Hume and Mike Karner 21-01 lbs. $6,560 cash

3rd Don Olson and Randy Carroll 20-15 lbs. $4,320 cash

4th Chris and Dawson Ploch 20-12 lbs. $3,380 cash

5th Wayne Butz and Joseph Sommers 19-14 lbs. $2,950 cash, $5,000 option pot

The total payout for this event at this Spring Valley was $86,614 paid between 20 places out of 103 teams. This annual event in middle-America brought walleye anglers and sauger slayers from 15 states and even a team from Windsor, Ontario. Anglers John Oflynn and Eric Maggio from Illinois caught big fish of the weekend weighing in at 4-07 lbs. The largest sack of the weekend was caught by Premier Team, Adam Hume and Mike Karner from Michigan that weighed 12-07 lbs. The competitors caught a total of 670 fish over the course of two days that weighed a total of 1,123-06 lbs.

The staff and anglers of the MWC want to thank the Spring Valley Boat Club for once again hosting this event. Everyone loves coming here to kick-off their tournament season and for some, wetting a line for the first time of the season on open water. We look forward to many more years of this great partnership and allowing the MWC to continue its tradition of opening its tournament season on the Illinois River.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit is North America’s longest-running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments and as an inductee into the freshwater fishing hall of fame, has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing for the past 39 years and has directly donated hundreds of thousands and helped raise millions of dollars to support walleye & conservation programs nationwide. The MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2023 schedule includes seven qualifiers in six states, plus a berth into the 2024 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s – The World’s Foremost Outfitters, are in their 22nd season as title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include: Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, and Ranger Boats. Associate sponsors include: The Walleye Federation, Church Tackle, FishLab, Okuma, Power-Pole and T-H Marine. For more information, email support@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

2023 Illinois River – Keeping Tradition Alive to Start – MWC 40th Season Presented by Ranger Boats

  • Filed under MWC News

  • February 28, 2023

2023 Illinois River – Keeping Tradition Alive to Start – MWC 40th Season

Presented by Ranger Boats

Ponca City, Okla, — Feb. 27, 2023 – In keeping with a long-standing tradition, the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) will once again visit the Illinois River in Spring Valley, Illinois to kick-off the circuit’s 40th season!

This event is a welcomed change of pace for walleye anglers coming from all over the country where the vast majority of them, just a few weeks prior to this tournament, were freezing on a frozen lake looking down an eight-inch hole dreaming about the walleyes and saugers they were going to be bringing across the stage in Spring Valley at the first major walleye tournament of 2023 in the country. “I look forward to the MWC Illinois River event every spring. Familiar faces, a familiar venue, and a plethora of both local anglers and seasoned pros all coming together to partake in the first major event in professional team walleye fishing of the year. This is the perfect starting place for anglers to knock the dust off of those long rods and put some fish in the boat!” Said Jeff Kelm, Tournament Director for the MWC.

Savvy anglers know that the Illinois River is one of the best sauger fisheries in the country, with a possibility of catching the new state record on any cast or drop. This wouldn’t be possible without the hard work put in by the state. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources will once again be teaming up with the MWC and the anglers to collect DNA samples and eggs in order to bolster the state’s successful sauger stocking program. Over the years, the MWC and its anglers have provided well over 5,000 fish to help continue the program and keep the Illinois River on the map as one of the nation’s top sauger fishing destinations.

Take-off will take place at 7:30am (CDT) each day. Daily live weigh-ins will be held at the Spring Valley Boat Club beginning at 3:30pm (CDT) both days on March 17th and 18th. Everyone is welcome to watch and join in on the fun and excitement either in person, live online at masterswalleyecircuit.com or on our Facebook page, facebook.com/MastersWalleyeCircuit.

Anglers competing during the 2023 MWC season will be competing for a spot in the 2024 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s World Walleye Championship in Alpena, Michigan on Lake Huron.

MWC Teams may fish as many events as they wish during a season. Teams must earn points in at least three qualifiers to have a chance at earning an invitation to the World Walleye Championship in the final “best of 3” final standing each year.

Those earning points in at least four qualifiers compete for “Team of the Year” honors, including a $10,000 sponsorship package and thousands more in cash and prizes to the top 10 teams in the final “best of 4” final standing each year.

Each MWC event has a lucrative payout which is based on the number of teams entered into that event, and is awarded to 20% of the field, providing more inspiration to sign up and join the fun. In addition to a hefty check, the first-place team also earns a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s National Team Championship (NTC) prize package including: paid entry, a travel stipend, team jerseys, and plaques. Additionally, the big-fish pot, option-pot and sponsor bonuses from Ranger Cup, Lowrance, Okuma, and T-H Marine Atlas Awards will add thousands more for distribution among the field.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit is North America’s longest-running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments and as an inductee into the freshwater fishing hall of fame, has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing for the past 39 years. The MWC is open to walleye anglers from all walks of life. The 2023 schedule includes seven qualifiers in six states, plus berths into the 2024 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship. Registration is now open for all events. Visit masterswalleyecircuit.com for full details.

Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s –Are in their 22th season as title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Official sponsors include: Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, and Ranger Boats. Associate sponsors include: The Walleye Federation, Church Tackle, FishLab, Okuma, Power-Pole and T-H Marine. For more information, email support@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.