Winning With Walter

Apr 28

Spring, 2023—Major flooding impacts much of the Upper Mississippi River Valley from late April through early May. Locations from Wabasha, MN down through Guttenberg, IA set all-time records for flooding.

As such, the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) is forced to move their third (of eight) tournament of the year from the Mississippi River to Petenwell Lake, a short two to three hour drive east of the original location.

It was that move that introduced some of the best fishermen in the country to some of the best fishing waters in the country. Including the ultimate winners, who had the Mississippi River in their backyard, but no doubt didn’t mind the last minute move one bit.

Here we are in 2025, and MWC tournament Director Jeff Kelm is looking forward to the third visit to Petenwell Lake, coming up quickly on May 2nd and 3rd.

“The last time we visited Petenwell, it was an emergency move due to the Mississippi flooding. The anglers that fished that weekend came off the water, praising the lake up and down. It was a no-brainer to get it on the schedule as soon as I could.”

Petenwell Lake is a 23,000-acre freshwater reservoir shared by Adams, Juneau, and Wood counties in central Wisconsin. It is the second-largest inland lake in Wisconsin and is a popular destination not just for fishing, but boating, water skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding and every other conceivable lake activity.

But this particular weekend in May, it’s all about the fishing. Walleye fishing, to be specific. Or Walters, Wallys, or W’s as they’re sometimes colloquially called. Tournament participants will vie for more prizes and prize money than you can shake a rod at. Oh, and as always, bragging rights, which some say is the ultimate trophy.

“Petenwell has some of the best walleye fishing anywhere,” said Todd Forcier, long-time local fishing guide and Petenwell savant. “These anglers are in for a real treat. Everybody’s gonna be a winner.”

The tournament, now in its 41st year, is North America’s longest running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments setting the standard for all other competitive walleye fishing tournaments. The 2025 schedule includes six qualifiers in six states, plus berths into the 2026 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s MWC World Walleye Championship on Devils Lake, North Dakota.

Since 1984, the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit has visited the finest walleye fisheries - at peak fishing times - giving the teams the best possible experience during the competition, of course, but also for pre-fishing when they fine tune their patterns and claim what they believe will be their sure-money hot-spots. But it’s also a time for participants, and their families, to arrive early and explore the wonderful host communities, like Rome, and everything they have to offer on terra firma.

Another great benefit of the tournament is the MWC Conservation Fund and Family and Youth Fishing Clinics. The fund has generated more than $400,000 for conservation projects in states where tournaments are held, with funds distributed for such things as fish stocking and care, state walleye clubs, and many other conservation and community projects.

Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s are looking forward to their 24th season as title sponsor of the Masters Walleye Circuit. Other sponsors include: Lowrance Electronics, Mercury Marine, and Ranger Boats. Associate sponsors include: The Walleye Federation, T-H Marine, and Salmo Java Roasters. And special thanks to Lake Arrowhead Golf and Visit Rome for their support.