Dempsey And Adler Win Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Green Bay Tournament

Presented by Ranger Boats

For Immediate Release –

Oconto, Wisc.—June 21, 2014—Wisconsin’s Ryan Dempsey and Adam Adler jigged up nine walleyes weighing an impressive 60 pounds, 9 ounces to win the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s Green Bay regular-season qualifying tournament out of Oconto, Wisconsin, June 20-21.

“It feels really good to win, there’s definitely some pride involved,” said Adler, of Oconto Falls. Indeed, the victory was sweet redemption after he and Dempsey, of Oneida, took second at the Cabela’s National Team Championship on Green Bay in late May after leading the event the first two days. In fact, it was a role-reversal at the Cabela’s MWC Green Bay qualifier. Dempsey and Adler left the dock on day two in second place, then climbed to first when day one leaders Randy Gaines and Mike Rhoades brought just one fish to the scale the final day.

“There was a lot less pressure going out in second place this morning,” Dempsey grinned after scoring the win. He explained that he and Adler cast jigs, bladebaits and lipless rattlebaits in depths of 4 to 23 feet of water, experimenting with a variety of cadences from snap-jigging to dragging. A ¾-ounce leadhead tipped with a 4½-inch, paddle-tailed Berkley PowerBait was a top producer.

Dempsey and Adler claimed the $10,500 first-place cash prize, plus $1,000 Ranger Cup contingency, $500 Berkley Baits Award, and the $500 Lowrance HDS Gen2 Touch and Elite 7 contingency.

They also claimed a $1,000 Cabela’s National Team Championship Prize Package including paid NTC entry, travel stipend, team jerseys and plaques.

In second place, Michigan’s Wayne Van Dyke, of Spruce, and Erich Carlson, of Presque Isle, weighed in seven fish for 47 pounds, 12 ounces, worth $5,300 in cash.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

3rd: Randy Gaines and Mike Rhoades, 41-02, $3,500 plus the $250 Zippo Hot Hands Big Fish Award for catching big fish of the tournament, an 11-pound, 8-ounce walleye

4th: Johnnie Candle and Dennis Skurulsky, 32-05, $2,650

5th: Steve VandeMark and Rob Ruckman, 28-00, $2,050

6th: Tom Hoinacki and Keith Daniels, 25-10, $1,900

7th: Paul Gutowski and Michael Gutowski, 24-05, $1,700

8th: Scott Ludwig and Jeff Otis, 23-01, $1,600

9th: Troy Morris and Corey Heiser, 22-11, $1,500 plus the $200 Optima True Blue contingency

10th: Kevin Blanck and Ken Marklein, 22-09, $1,400

In other contingency winnings, Chad Burns and Nick Wenninger won the Rockstar Comeback Award for jumping from 44th on day one to 17th place, worth a $500 Rockstar Mud Flap Package. In all, the Cabela’s MWC awarded $47,000 in cash and prizes.

Weigh-ins were held at Breakwater Park in Oconto. Green Bay yielded 195 walleyes weighing a total of 747 pounds, 6 ounces in the catch-and-release event. The Cabela’s MWC, National Professional Anglers Association, Pure Fishing and Zippo Outdoor Brands presented a Youth & Family Fishing Clinic immediately after the first day’s weigh-in. Participating youths 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 2014 trail includes 10 stops spread across seven states in the Walleye Belt. Teams showcase their skills—and sponsor products—at world-class venues such as the Illinois, Detroit and Mississippi rivers, Green Bay, Big Stone Lake, Kinzua Reservoir, Cass Lake and Lake Erie.

Along with great payouts at each event, teams fishing three or more tournaments battle for coveted berths in the 2015 Cabela’s MWC Championship, set for October 2015 on Lake Erie out of Huron, Ohio. Teams fishing at least three qualifiers also compete for Team of the Year awards, including a $25,000 “Living the Dream” sponsorship package, which includes fully paid entries to the Cabela’s National Walleye Trail as a pro and co-angler, use of a 600 series Ranger boat, travel stipends and more.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its 12th season as title sponsor of the MWC. Official sponsors include: Berkley Gulp!, Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, MotorGuide, Ranger Boats, The Walleye Federation and Zippo Outdoor Brands. Associate sponsors include: Berkley Trilene, Church Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, Optima Batteries, Rockstar Hitch Mounted Mud Flaps, T-H Marine and Sea Grant.

Entry fees are $650 per tournament, of which more than 100 percent is returned to anglers at the qualifiers, World Championship and Team of the Year races. Registration closes at 10 a.m. on Monday prior to each tournament. 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 Green Bay at Oconto June 20-22

Presented by Ranger Boats

For Immediate Release –

Ponca City, Okla.—June 10, 2014—World-class Great Lakes walleye fishing and high-stakes team tournament competition collide when the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit returns to Green Bay of Lake Michigan out of Oconto, Wisconsin, June 20-22 for a regular-season qualifying tournament.

The event offers two full days of competition on Green Bay’s incredible walleye fishery, with one day reserved in case of bad weather. The circuit’s time-tested team format lets anglers choose their favorite fishing partner to share the excitement. Two-person teams will be allowed to weigh five walleyes per day, and the team with the heaviest two-day total weight will be crowned the tournament champions.

While the event is open to all teams regardless of club or sponsor affiliation, be advised that registration closes on Monday, June 16.

Along with a chance to sample the bay’s legendary walleye fishing and test their skills against top teams from across the Walleye Belt, competitors will vie for thousands of dollars in cash and prizes. Cabela’s MWC payouts are based on the number of teams entered in each event. Plus, the MWC Big Fish Pot, along with sponsor bonuses including Ranger Cup, Berkley Baits, Lowrance Electronics, Optima True Blue and the Zippo Hot Hands Big Fish Award add thousands more to the total.

The public is invited to watch the action unfold at the weigh-ins, which begin at 4 p.m. daily at Breakwater Park in Oconto. Also in town for the weekend is a special city wide “Nature Fest” event hosted by the city of Oconto, there will be lot of nature related things to see and do in the area for the anglers and their families while they are in town and while the anglers are out on the water.  The Cabela’s MWC, National Professional Anglers Association, Pure Fishing and Zippo Outdoor Brands will present a Youth & Family Fishing Clinic immediately after the first day’s weigh-in. The first 50 youths will receive rods 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 2014 trail includes 10 stops spread across seven states in the Walleye Belt. Teams showcase their skills—and sponsor products—at world-class venues such as the Illinois, Detroit and Mississippi rivers, Green Bay, Big Stone Lake, Kinzua Reservoir, Cass Lake and Lake Erie.

Along with great payouts at each event, teams fishing three or more tournaments battle for coveted berths in the 2015 Cabela’s MWC Championship, set for October 2015 on Lake Erie out of Huron, Ohio. Teams fishing at least three qualifiers also compete for Team of the Year awards, including a $25,000 “Living the Dream” sponsorship package, which includes fully paid entries to the Cabela’s National Walleye Trail as a pro and co-angler, use of a 600 series Ranger boat, travel stipends and more.

Cabela’s, the World’s Foremost Outfitter for hunting, fishing and outdoor gear, is in its 12th season as title sponsor of the MWC. Official sponsors include: Berkley Gulp!, Lowe Equipment Attachments, Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, MotorGuide, Ranger Boats, The Walleye Federation and Zippo Outdoor Brands. Associate sponsors include: Berkley Trilene, Church Tackle, Lindy Legendary Fishing Tackle, Optima Batteries, Rockstar Hitch Mounted Mud Flaps, T-H Marine and Sea Grant.

Entry fees are $650 per tournament, of which more than 100 percent is returned to anglers at the qualifiers, World Championship and Team of the Year races. Registration closes at 10 a.m. on Monday prior to each tournament. For more information, visit masterswalleyecircuit.com, email info@masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

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Neubauer, Tourangeau Score Comeback Win, 30,000 Cash and TWO New Ranger Boats with Evinrude Outboards At the 2014 Cabela’s National Team Championship

Green Bay, Wisc.—May 31, 2014—Michigan’s Ross Neubauer and Jamie Tourangeau overcame a 9-pound, 10-ounce final day deficit to score a dramatic comeback victory at the 2014 Cabela’s National Team Championship.

“This is unbelievable,” Tourangeau, of Escanaba, said while clutching the coveted Cabela’s NTC trophy seconds after claiming the crown in front of a cheering crowd gathered in the shadows of Green Bay’s legendary Lambeau Field. “We were so far behind, we thought we were fishing for second place.”

A three-day event held May 29-31, 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.

During the first two days of competition, the full field of 237 teams from 20 states and provinces across North America battled on the walleye-rich waters of Green Bay and the Fox River. Each team was allowed to bring their best five fish to the scale each day. Competition was fierce, as only the top 25 teams advanced to the final round on day three.

Neubauer and Tourangeau, who qualified through the Great Lakes Sport Fishermen club out of Escanaba, sacked a respectable 31 pounds, 3 ounces on day one and 29 pounds, 9 ounces on day two to enter the final round in second place with 60 pounds, 12 ounces. They trailed Wisconsin’s Adam Adler, of Oconto Falls, and Ryan Dempsey, of Oneida, who had a commanding lead with 70 pounds, 6 ounces.

“We stuck to our game plan,” said Neubauer, of Iron Mountain, explaining that he and Tourangeau trolled gold-colored crankbaits behind planer boards to target walleyes suspended around 15 feet down over deeper water off a sand point between Peshtigo and Sturgeon Bay.

Weighing in ahead of the leaders, Neubauer and Tourangeau brought a 28-pound, 13-ounce five-fish limit to the scale for an 89-pound, 9-ounce total weight. As Adler and Dempsey took the stage with a limit of their own, the walleye world collectively held its breath. Adler and Dempsey needed 19 pounds, 3 ounces for the win. And considering they had brought in baskets weighing more than 30 pounds apiece to the scale on both days one and two—and led the field the entire tournament—the odds of victory were definitely in their favor.

But this day would be different. Adler and Dempsey’s final weight tallied 18 pounds, 13 ounces for an 89-pound, 3-ounce total—leaving them just six ounces short of claiming the championship. “Today we played it safe and it cost us,” said Dempsey.

Neubauer and Tourangeau were stunned. Besides ultimate bragging rights in the walleye world, they claimed the $30,000 first-place cash prize, along with a $60,000 Evinrude E-Tec powered 620 Ranger boat. They also won a second Ranger and E-Tec combo through the Ranger Cup contingency program, pushing their total winnings over $150,000.

In all, 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 was awarded for big-fish and big-basket honors. On day one the Chevrolet Big Basket Award went to Adler and Dempsey for their 39-pound, 8-ounce bag. They also pocketed the Evinrude Big Fish Award for the 9-pound, 3-ounce trophy that anchored the impressive weight. On day two, the Ranger Boats Big Basket Award went to Wisconsin’s Kevin Adams, of Shawano, and Pat Schuette, of Manitowoc, for their 31-pound, 1-ounce catch. Day two Pepsi Big Fish honors went to Wisconsin’s Phillip Weigel, of West Salem, and Adam Woodhouse, of Stoddard, for the 10-pound, 3-ounce beauty that ended up big fish of the event.

A total of 1,969 fish weighing 7,221 pounds, 2 ounces crossed the stage during the three-day Cabela’s NTC event, of which the vast majority were released alive back into the Green Bay system.

Adding to the excitement, the event was streamed live on the internet and filmed for national television, to air the first week of August on “Americana Outdoors” on NBC Sports and the Pursuit Channel. Exact dates and airtimes will be announced at walleyefederation.com.

The event offered a number of family-friendly activities. A Kid’s Fishing Clinic was followed the day one weigh-in; youngsters met NTC competitors and received free rod-and-reel combos courtesy of Cabela’s and The Walleye Federation. On Saturday, Ranger Boats and Evinrude motors presented a TESTRIDE event at Metro Boat Launch, offering the chance to test-drive four new, fully-rigged, Evinrude E-Tec powered Ranger boats.

Weigh-ins were also just a short cast from Cabela’s brand-new 100,000-square-foot destination retail center at 1499 Lombardi Avenue in the Village of Ashwaubenon. With a Wisconsin Sportsman’s Hall of Fame showcasing trophy animal mounts and other memorabilia honoring the state’s outdoor heritage, plus aquariums and an incredible selection of outdoor gear, it provided the perfect place to spend time between take-offs and weigh-ins.

Cabela’s NTC sponsors include Chevrolet, Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Geico, MotorGuide and Pepsi. The Walleye Federation, based in Ponca City, Oklahoma, manages and produces the event, including the qualifying process. For details, visit walleyefederation.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

For Final Results CLICK HERE

For pictures of the event CLICK HERE