BIG FISH here we come! MWC St Clair Shores/Detroit River is up Next
Apr 11th, 2015 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Apr 11th, 2015 at 12:00 AM
Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit ReturnsTo Detroit River out of Saint Clair Shores
April 17-18, Presented by Ranger Boats
Ponca City, Okla.-March 30, 2015-
Hefty payouts and world-class walleye fishing will be on tap when the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit returns to the Detroit River for a regular-season qualifying tournament presented by Ranger Boats on April 17-18.
Launching from St. Clair Shores, the event offers two-person teams a trifecta of top-shelf walleye waters including Lake St. Clair, Detroit River and Western Lake Erie. Part of an expanded lineup of A-list destinations for the MWC’s 2015 season, the event also is timed to offer competitors great fishing. “It coincides with the spring spawning run of countless huge Lake Erie walleyes, giving our anglers some of the best chances anywhere in the world at catching trophy walleyes,” says Cabela’s MWC Senior Tournament Director Dan Palmer.
At the 2014 MWC Detroit River tournament, victors Tony Kobriger and Dan Zwick shattered the Circuit’s longstanding two-day basket record with a 10-fish limit weighing 87 pounds, 3 ounces, and the tournament’s big fish was a 13-pound, 4-ounce behemoth caught by Jerry Fox, Jr. and Kenneth Fox. Given the current weather, the feedback from the local area anglers, coupled with the timing and location of this year’s event at Saint Clair Shores, all current MWC records could very well be in jeopardy.
Besides a shot at giant walleyes, 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 2014, the creation of an option pot adds even more chances to cash in. At the recent Illinois River qualifier, for example, tournament champions Mark Meravy and Terry Carr added $4,000 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.
New for the Cabela’s MWC Detroit River event the 2014, inspections and weigh-ins will be held at the Chapton Harbor 9 Mile Ramp in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. Take-off is 7 a.m. and weigh-ins begin at 3 p.m. 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 are free and open to the public. 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 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. Deadline to register for the Detroit River tournament is Monday, April 13. In all, 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 entering 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, and T-H Marine. For more information, visit masterswalleyecircuit.com, or call (580) 765-9031.