Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Visits Lake Erie At Huron, Ohio, For Regular-Season Finale Sept. 26-28, Last chance to sign up!
Category: npaa
Sep 22nd, 2014 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Sep 22nd, 2014 at 12:00 AM
Ponca City, Okla.-Sept. 8, 2014-A big-water battle of epic proportions will take place Sept. 26-28 when top teams from across the country converge on Huron, Ohio, for the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit’s 2014 regular-season finale on legendary Lake Erie.
The event is open to two-person teams regardless of club or sponsor affiliation, and entries are accepted through 10 a.m. on Monday, September 22
. The tournament is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, with Sunday reserved in case bad weather forces the cancellation of one of the first two days. Teams will be allowed to weigh five fish per day, and the duo with the heaviest two-day total weight will be crowned tournament champions.
Based on the Circuit’s past visits to Lake Erie, competitors are in for world-class walleye action. At the 2013 Cabela’s MWC qualifier on Erie, the father-and-son team of Nicholas and Gary Zart, of Brunswick, Ohio, claimed top honors with a 10-fish limit weighing a whopping 84 pounds, 13 ounces. Their top tactic was pulling 6-inch Berkley Gulp! Nightcrawlers and live ‘crawlers near bottom in 48 feet of water, and they collected more than $13,000 in first-place cash and prizes. At the same event, fellow Ohioans Mark Brumbaugh, of Arcanum, and Michael Robertson, of Laura, broke the Circuit’s all-time single-day basket record with five walleyes weighing 52 pounds, 11 ounces.
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 the weigh-ins, which begin at 4 p.m. daily at the Huron Boat Basin. 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 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 included 10 stops spread across seven states. Teams showcased their skills-and sponsor products-at world-class venues such as the Illinois, Detroit and Mississippi rivers, Green Bay, Big Stone Lake, Kinzua Reservoir, and wind down the regular season on the fertile waters of 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.