The Bays De Noc Great Lakes Sportsfisherman held the first of 4 walleye series NTC qualifier events on May 30, 2015. The event took place out of the historic town of Nahma in Delta County on Big Bay, which is part of Lake Michigan waters. The day was blustery with high North winds. This didn’t stop 16 teams from taking the water and it didn’t stop the walleyes from biting. Teams weighed a 3 fish basket only allowing two over 23 inches and one slot.

Team Cassidy/Corbett took honors with a 19.4 pound basket for 1st place. The second place team of Plourde/Jack weighed 17.4 pounds. Third place went to Hanisko/Porath with a 16.9 pound basket. 4th place team Tourangeau/Krueger weighed 15.15 pounds. The top four places received a cash check. Here is the results of the remainder of the field:

Alimenti/Martin 15.5 pounds

Fries/Upton 15.2 pounds

Wilson/Wery 14.2 pounds

Kallio/Gartland 13.3 pounds

Way/Forvilly 8.5 pounds

Kallio/Eastman  4.11 pounds

Houghton/Houghton 3.12 pounds

Kositzky/Tellefson  3.10 pounds

Sliva/sliva  3.9 pounds

Anderson/Anderson 3.1 pounds

Stone/Webber 0

Neubauer/Rouse 0

The second Bay De Noc Walleye Club event; the Bays Classic will take place on August 8th, out of Escanaba. This event will host a NTC side pot. Any interested teams can contact the tournament director Jerry Plourde at 906-420-0022 for additional information.

Ponca City, Okla.—July 9, 2015—A high-stakes, big-water walleye battle of epic proportions will break out when the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit returns to the world-class waters of Little Bay de Noc out of Escanaba, Michigan, for a regular-season qualifier July 31-August 1.

Launching from scenic Gladstone Harbor, the event offers two-person teams two full days of competition on both Big and Little Bays de Noc, along with the adjoining Michigan waters of Lake Michigan. Collectively, the fisheries offer incredible walleye opportunities. In fact, the destination is so stellar, it was just selected to host the 2016 Cabela’s National Team Championship—which draws hundreds of grassroots walleye anglers from across North America.

Judging by past tournament results, the upcoming Cabela’s MWC qualifier should yield great fishing and more than a few behemoth baskets. For example, when the Circuit visited Escanaba in 2011 for a regular-season event combined with the Cabela’s NTC, it took more than 30 pounds per day to claim the crown. Circuit vets Korey Sprengel and Derek Navis eventually claimed top honors with a 64.41-pound, 10-fish limit. Thanks to the Circuit’s lucrative payback program, Sprengel and Navis earned more than $20,000 for their MWC victory in cash and sponsor contingencies.

Payouts are based on the number of teams entered in each event. In 2014 the Circuit rewarded anglers with a total payback of more than 127 percent, and that trend continues this season. 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 Petenwell Lake qualifier, for example, tournament champions Barb and Danny Plautz added $2,730 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, custom State Champions rings by Tight Lines Jewelry, decals, a berth in the Cabela’s NTC, and a spot on the MWC website’s Wall of Fame. In states hosting two events, teams must fish both tournaments to be in the running, which means Michigan teams must have fished the Detroit River qualifier along with the Bays de Noc event for a shot at the state title.

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 Gladstone Harbor 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 Bays de Noc tournament is Monday, July 27th.

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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Ponca City, Okla.—July 8, 2015—Great news for walleye fans from coast to coast. The Cabela’s National Team Championship will return to the walleye-rich waters of Lake Michigan’s Big and Little Bays de Noc out of Escanaba and Gladstone, Michigan, for 2016.

Widely regarded as the walleye world’s premier grassroots championship, the Cabela’s NTC is comprised of teams that qualified through competition in local tournaments organized by walleye clubs sanctioned by The Walleye Federation (TWF).

The 2016 event will mark the 15th edition of the prestigious championship, which annually draws hundreds of avid walleye anglers from across the U.S. and Canada. At press time a May date was tentatively being considered, but complete details will be released shortly.

Long a favorite destination of serious walleye fans, the Bays de Noc fishery is known for world-class action. In 2011, the last time the Cabela’s NTC visited the Upper Peninsula paradise, more than 250 two-person teams from Arizona to New Jersey and everywhere in between competed in the event.

Derek Navis and Korey Sprengel claimed top honors by bringing in a 10-fish, two-day limit weighing a whopping 64.41 pounds. With the 2016 event set to run three days, the total will no doubt climb even higher.

Along with great fishing and exciting competition, the Cabela’s NTC offers the chance to win some of the walleye world’s most lucrative prizes. At the 2011 championship on Bays de Noc, Navis and Sprengel won $30,000 in cash plus a Ranger 619 boat rigged with an Evinrude E-tec for their efforts, along with a second identical Evinrude-powered Ranger for being the top-placing Ranger Cup team in the NTC. All told, their winnings topped $160,000 and the 2016 Cabela’s NTC champions could enjoy an equally impressive payday.

“Cabela’s, The World Foremost Outfitter, shows its unprecedented support of walleye anglers across North America each year by hosting this one-of-a-kind event for them,” says Dan Palmer of The Walleye Federation. “The Cabela’s NTC pays out more than $100,000 in cash to the top 50 teams, over $10,000 in Cabela’s gift cards to the remainder of the field, special awards for big fish and big basket each day—plus the Ranger prize boats! In addition, the top 25 teams earn the title of ‘Cabela’s All-Americans’ and receive commemorative rings marking their achievements.”

As a bonus to Cabela’s NTC competitors and their families, the local community is decidedly fishing-friendly, and has a long tradition of rolling out the red carpet for visiting walleye hunters. “We’re extremely honored to be selected for this prestigious event and can’t wait to welcome the anglers back,” said Vickie Micheau of the Delta County Chamber of Commerce.

Micheau said the chamber will work collectively with the official site host—the Bays de Noc Convention and Visitors Bureau—along with the cities of Gladstone and Escanaba, local businesses and community organizations such as the Great Lakes Sportfisherman Club to ensure everyone involved in the event enjoys a great Delta County welcome.

She added that similar to 2011, the Upper Peninsula State Fairgrounds will serve as the epicenter for the event, including weigh-ins. “We’ll also provide a special meal for anglers at the rules meeting that showcases the great cuisine available at our local restaurants,” she said.

“Cabela’s is thrilled for the 2016 Cabela’s NTC to return to Bays de Noc. The waters provide wonderful opportunities for walleye anglers and the surrounding communities are outstanding hosts,” said Andrea Crass, Director of Communication and Partnerships for Cabela’s. “The event was a great success when it was hosted at Bays de Noc in 2011 and this year’s competition promises to be even better.”

The entire field will compete the first two days. Each team will be allowed to bring their best five fish to the scale each day. Competition will be fierce, as only the top 25 teams advance to the final round on day three. Adding to the excitement, the event will be streamed live online and also filmed for national television.

On the family front, a Kid’s Fishing Clinic will be held immediately following the day one weigh-in. Youngsters will get to meet NTC competitors and the first 100 kids will receive free rod-and-reel combos courtesy of Cabela’s and The Walleye Federation.

2015 Cabela’s NTC sponsors included Cabela’s, Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Geico, Power-Pole, Pepsi and TWF. The Walleye Federation, based in Ponca City, Oklahoma, manages the qualifying process and co-produces the event alongside the Cabela’s Corporate Brand Partnership Team. For details on qualifying for the Cabela’s NTC, visit walleyefederation.com, or call (580) 765-9031.