CABELA’S MWC FINALE-LEECH LAKE MINNESOTA SEPT. 18 & 19
TOURNEY TO DECIDE TEAMS OF THE YEAR & CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD
Minnetonka, MN-The Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) will wrap
up its regular season September 18 & 19 on Minnesota’s Leech Lake where more
than 150 teams from nine states and Canada have already entered the
tournament. They will compete for an estimated $72,000 in prize money
(based on 150 teams). The Lindy Legendary Tackle titled event will be
headquartered at City Park in Walker, MN.
The Walker Rotary Club will host the tournament and assist the MWC staff
with tournament operations. Two flights of boats will leave the Walker City
Park launch site at 7:15 and 7:30 a.m. daily. Teams are allowed five fish
15 inches or longer per day. The public is invited to attend the weigh-ins,
which begin at 3:00 p.m.
Tournament coverage and related articles will also appear in the North
American Fisherman magazine, the official publication of the MWC. All MWC
tournaments serve as qualifying events to the 2005 Cabela’s National Team
Walleye Championship. Each team donates $15 to the MWC Conservation Fund
which is used for fishery related projects in tournament areas. Over
$12,000 has been raised for local fishery enhancement programs during the
2004 season.
Leech Lake, MN tournament openings still exist. Further circuit information
including entry forms or website registration can be obtained at
http://www.masterswalleyecircuit.com, or by calling the MWC toll-free at
877-893-7947.
According to Kristine Houtman, Director of Events & Sponsorships for the
MWC, “There’s a lot riding on the outcome of this tournament. It’s our
central division closer, so we’ll be crowning the division team of the year,
as well as the circuit’s overall team of the year, which is derived through
our Challenge competition. The 2005 MWC World Walleye Championship field
will also be decided.”
Teams are awarded points according to their finish at each tournament.
William Babe, Jr. and Joseph Babe of Silver Lake, WI currently lead the
central division team of the year race with 402 points. The top five
point-accumulating teams will share the division team of the year purse,
which is based on the total number of teams fishing a division. Currently,
318 teams are competing for $9,540 in central division team of the year
prize money.
In addition to the central division team of the year race, a team completing
a division is eligible to take the $20,000 MWC Challenge by fishing a fourth
tournament outside of their respective division. Challenge winners will be
awarded $13,000 and the overall MWC Team of the Year title. Second to fifth
place Challenge finishers will each receive $1,750. Wisconsinites, Rob
Manthei (St. Germain) and Rick Zachowski (Milwaukee) head the Challenge
competition going into the Leech Lake contest. The top 20 percent of the
Challenge field, along with the top ten percent from each division, will
qualify for the no entry fee 2005 MWC World Walleye Championship with a
payout of over $100,000.