NWT to Offer T-H Marine ATLAS Awards Contingency at 2015 Events

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Program includes cash bonuses for using many popular T-H Marine products

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. (March 26, 2015) – The Cabela’s National Walleye Tour (NWT) will offer even more ways to win in 2015 thanks to T-H Marine’s popular Atlas Awards program. The NWT sponsor and leading manufacturer of boat parts and marine accessories will offer bonuses for using select T-H Marine products at all 2015 NWT events.

For a minimal membership fee, anglers can register for the program directly with T-H Marine and be eligible for cash bonuses as the winner or high-finisher at NWT events and other tournaments across the country.

“We’re fortunate to have the support of sponsors like T-H Marine and their Atlas Awards program is a great example why,” said NWT Tournament Director Anthony Wright. “The added contingency is a huge opportunity for NWT anglers. We’re excited to offer the program.”

The Atlas Awards program includes eight qualifying products and multiple ways to win. For any Atlas Awards member that wins an NWT event, the T-H Marine qualifying products and associated cash bonuses are:

* HOTFOOT – $50
* G-FORCE HANDLE – $50
* TWO-WAY ALARM – $50
* LOC-R-BAR – $50
* TROLL-TAMER – $50
* SHOCK LOCK – $50
* THE OXYGENATOR – $50
* ATLAS™ HYDRAULIC JACK PLATE – $250
* GRAND SLAM BONUS – $250

To be eligible for the Grand Slam Bonus the winning angler must have all eight products installed. However, if the winner of the event is not an Atlas Awards member, the highest-finishing member within the top-10 will be awarded a $100 cash prize if they own the Atlas Hydraulic Jack Plate. More details are available at www.thmarine.com or by calling 256-772-0164.

The National Walleye Tour will begin the 2015 season on May 7 at Lake City, Minnesota, and will include a total of three qualifying events, plus a year-end championship. Official registration for all events is already underway, both online and by phone. The NWT website offers numerous details on the circuit, including official rules, tournament structure, payout and incentives.

All 2015 NWT events feature 100% payback. A fully rigged Ranger Boat, plus cash, is guaranteed for first place at each event – a minimum total value of $61,000. Multiple contingency programs are available for even higher payout. Anglers that fish all three regular-season events, in addition to the top points leaders, will qualify for the three-day, entry-fee championship.

The Cabela’s National Walleye Tour also includes unmatched television and media coverage, allowing a national audience to watch the action unfold from each event throughout the season. Airing on multiple networks, the NWT will be seen on the Pursuit Channel, NBC Sports Network and Fox Sports Net North.

For more details, anglers are encouraged to call 612-424-0708 or visit the website at www.nationalwalleyetour.com. From here, site visitors can register for events, view the TV schedule and learn more about what’s in-store for 2015.

2015 NWT scheduled events:

May 7-8 – Mississippi River (Lake City, Minn.)
June 12-13 – Leech Lake (Walker, Minn.)
July 24-25 – Green Bay (Green Bay, Wis.)

Championship – September 17-19 – Devils Lake (Devils Lake, N.D.)

Insider Report – NWT Escanaba, Mich., Day 2

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Kavajecz crowned king of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Wisconsin pro tallies latest victory with innovative jigging technique

ESCANABA, Mich. – When the bite is strong, anyone can catch walleyes on a system teeming with fish like Bays de Noc. But when the wind dies and the bite gets stingy, it becomes a true test of the world’s best. Throughout the past two decades, Keith Kavajecz has proven time and again he belongs in that elite group of walleye fishermen. In claiming his latest major victory at the third Cabela’s National Walleye Tour qualifier, he demonstrated that innovation is alive and well in the walleye world as he introduced a brand new jigging technique.

Despite a 30-minute fog delay Saturday morning, Kavajecz arrived at his primary area, located just beyond the Cedar River, faster than he did yesterday. His first stop, approximately 35 miles south of Escanaba, was a hump where his co-angler partner whacked a 30-inch walleye on day one.

“There were no fish at first; we weren’t really marking anything and the ones we did see were so inactive, just hugging tight to the bottom,” recalled Kavajecz. “I moved further south and it was more of the same. After two hours of fishing, I had nothing in the livewell.”


Kavajecz decided to return to the first spot and the sonar on his Lowrance HDS-12 Gen2 Touch absolutely lit up.

“I made four casts and I had a 24, a 28, a 26, and a big sheepshead. Since it was so difficult to get my slots yesterday, I decided to leave and target those fish immediately. We hit probably 20 spots and we caught a lot of fish but they were all overs. My partner did catch a 28 1/2 that upgraded the 26.”

Tournament anglers were restricted to Michigan waters and per state regulations, only two walleyes over 23 inches in length could be kept per day as pros and co-anglers fished together in a boat as a team.

Kavajecz then ran up to the Ford River area, a place where he and teammates Gary and Chase Parsons had been catching numerous slots in practice.

“I caught a 22, so that was good. We went a half hour and then I caught another 22. With 10 minutes left I told my partner I need a miracle fish to clinch the win. Out in 30 feet of water I caught a 20-incher to fill my limit. At that point I figured I had around 25 pounds and I knew it would be a lot of tougher on the trollers with the calm weather. That’s just standard Bays de Noc.”

Kavajecz was right as his 53.50 pounds was more than 5 pounds better than the other 99 competitors. Exactly 0 of his 10 walleyes came via trolling this week, the standard Bays de Noc presentation. Instead, they came from casting and ripping a No. 3 Moonshine Lures Shiver Minnow.

“We would cast out into the boat wake and then snap and drop the bait. It’s kind of like a jigging Rapala. But when you pull it, it shoots to the side and then drops straight down like it’s wounded. It attracted the fish, but then gave them an opportunity to eat it. Gary (Parsons) was the one who figured it out. They’ve been catching some jigging this year down in Green Bay, but we knew straight vertical wouldn’t work up here because it’s too clear. We put the pieces together and the rest is history.”

Kavajecz elaborated on his precise jigging motion.

“Part of the key to the cadence was not hitting the bottom. If you let the bait hit the bottom, there’s all kind of stuff down there. You want it close to the bottom, but not on the bottom. We replaced the stock treble hook with a bigger, No. 4 Mustad Triple Grip. That helped keep some moss off the hook. The weight of the bait was also important. The No. 3 is the biggest one they make and it allowed you to catch fish in anywhere from 14 to 30 feet of water.”

Kavajecz had his co-anglers use a green and white bait while he employed purple firetiger. He ran 8-pound Berkley Nanofil (bright chartreuse) as his main line and had a 10-pound Trilene 100 percent fluorocarbon leader (clear).

“I saw 75 percent of the fish I caught with my electronics before I even casted. I would mark them, hit the anchor feature on my Xi5 trolling motor and know the fish were immediately behind me. I would actually fish from the back of the boat.”

For his latest triumph, Kavajecz earned a Ranger 1880 powered with a 175-horsepower Mercury engine and $15,000, a total prize package worth $78,815.

“It’s been awhile since I’ve won a big one. It’s great to be winning again.”

Parsons climbs to second

Charging hard at his good friend and practice partner was the elder Parsons, one of the few pros who improved their catch from day one to day two. After boating 22.92 yesterday, Parsons increased his limit to 25.10 today, which gave him a total weight of 48.02 pounds.

Parsons ran nearly the exact same program as Kavajecz, although they fished mostly different water.

“I didn’t go nearly as far south as Keith,” said the Glidden, Wis., pro. “And I was fishing fairly steep breaks in 22 to 32 feet of water. Keith would fish more singular fish up shallower where I was targeting bigger groups.”

As soon as the 2014 schedule was announced, Parsons began the search for this particular bait.

“I liked the action right away and on my first cast I got one. I was fishing with two other guys at the time and within 10 minutes, we had two more. I spent the rest of the day going hump to hump and it kept working. The next day the rest of the group came up and we just spread out and looked for high spots or breaks.”

The difficult part was finding spots while making sure no other competitors saw them using the secret bait.

“To see us casting would have tipped everybody off. We caught a lot of big fish and coming in we felt pretty confident. The disappointing thing was the wind on day one, which turned the trolling bite on. Today was just the opposite.”

Parsons said “The Next Bite” group plans on returning to the area in the near future to film a TV show.

“This tournament shows the importance of tournament angling to the industry. The guy that owns Moonshine Lures is going to have his life change overnight. This is going to change Great Lakes structure fishing forever. The people that say there is no innovation in walleye fishing are dead wrong. You can never stop innovating and never stop learning in this sport.

“We had a ball this week. For me to come back from 24th to second, I couldn’t be any happier.”

Parker soars to third

Like Parsons, Derek Parker sat in relative obscurity after day one with 22.41 pounds. He too improved his catch on the final day – weighing a limit worth 24.10 pounds to finish the tournament with 46.51 pounds. His kicker today was in the 10-pound range, one of the bigger walleyes of the event.

“Bays de Noc is such a wind-driven fishery,” said the Skandia, Mich., angler. “I started the tournament in an area I didn’t even practice in, just because of the conditions.”

Parker began each day trolling spinners, then would switch to crankbaits in the afternoon.

“Yesterday anybody could have caught fish with that wind. I had 22 1/2 pounds and I wasn’t real happy with it. I just couldn’t get big fish. Today I knew the bite was going to be tough. So I stuck mainly to one spot, grinded it out and just made them bite.”

Parker opted for copper blades and red beads. Despite seeing fish on the bottom, he ran his baits approximately 3 feet under the surface today.

“They would come up over humps in 16 to 21 feet. And once they came up, they would commit. So I would fish really high in the water column even though they were positioned with their bellies on the bottom.”

With two hours left today, Parker was sitting on three fish. He switched to targeting weed walleyes up in 8 feet of water, which proved to be the ticket to filling his limit.

“I’m happy that among the trollers, I got first place. My hat is off to Keith and Gary; those guys are unbelievable. But what made the difference for me is that I just knew to stick it out. I only caught those five fish.”

Parker wanted to acknowledge Kim Papineau, known in the area as “Chief.”

“The Chief is my mentor. He’s been retired from walleye fishing because of some health problems. But his guidance and confidence in me really helped me achieve this.”

Dempsey finishes fourth

With only two days of practice, Green Bay guide Ryan Dempsey finished the week fourth with a cumulative weight of 46.23 pounds. After catching 23.49 on day one, Dempsey stayed consistent and managed 22.74 today despite catching fewer fish.

“I was fishing the west shore, running down south about 40 miles,” said Dempsey. “Then I would come back and spot hop certain humps on the way up. It was tough today. I bet caught 12 or 13 yesterday and only a half dozen today. But we got our limit.”

Dempsey said the deepest water he fished was 18 feet and the shallowest was 8 feet.

“The best humps are usually the ones that aren’t on the map, Today the deeper humps worked. We were trolling slowly – about 1 mph or as close as you could get to it. We used spinners and night crawlers both days, and gold colors were best.

“We just grinded it out. The only thing different I was doing was fishing certain spots, not really community water. We made much smaller passes, where most of the field was fishing bigger pieces.”

Loch fifth

Veteran troller Don Loch of Iron Mountain, Mich., rounded out the top five with a total weight of 46.22 pounds. On day one, Loch caught a 25.13-pound stringer and today he brought in 21.09 pounds.

Each day Loch brought in four walleyes, one short of the five-fish limit. He too fished the Cedar River area and employed spinners and night crawlers.

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 pros at the 2014 Cabela’s National Walleye Tour event on Bays de Noc:

6th: Jason Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., eight fish, 45.91
7th: Glenn Chenier of Gladstone, Mich., 10 fish, 45.78
8th: Ross Grothe of Northfield, Minn., eight fish, 43.78
9th: Tom Kemos of Oconomowoc, Wis., nine fish, 43.44
10th: John Gillman of Freeland, Mich., nine fish, 42.27

Barski brings home co-angler title

Marty Barksi has fished his share of professional tournaments, spanning both the walleye and bass worlds. While he’s achieved considerable success, he’s never won an event. That changed this week after two successful days on Bays de Noc.


“I fished with Jim Carroll from North Dakota the first day and we were pulling crankbaits down around the Cedar River,” recalled Barski, the Crystal Lake, Ill., native. “It was a really good day for numbers of fish, but the conditions were rough in terms of wind and waves.

“Today I fished with Don Loch and he also ran down to the Cedar River area but we were pulling spinners with night crawlers. We caught two nice fish right away on a double and then kind of struggled. That 30-minute fog delay really hurt us. If we would have been there earlier I think we would have caught a few more.”

With only four fish in the livewell, Barski didn’t think he had a chance at winning. But on the other hand, he didn’t see many fish caught around him. After weighing in early, he began to get optimistic as he saw more and more anglers come in with light bags.

“I had my fingers crossed, but it was such a long wait being in the first flight.”

Barski’s official two-day weight for nine walleyes was 46.16 pounds. He earned $6,000 for his victory.

“You really have to have the stars align to win as a co-angler. I was lucky to be able to pull two good pros. It’s exciting to win; it’s a dream come true. I’d like to thank Chris Burns, a practice partner of mine and my wife for letting me come out and fish.”

The fourth and final event of the 2014 Cabela’s National Walleye Tour season is the year-end championship, which takes place Sept. 18-20 on Wisconsin’s Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh.

Kavajecz, Barski Win Cabela’s National Walleye Tour Event at Escanaba, Michigan

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MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. (September 3, 2014) – Pro-angler Keith Kavajecz, of Kaukauna, Wisconsin, brought in a two-day total of 53.50 pounds of walleye to win the pro-angler category of the Bays de Noc event for the Cabela’s National Walleye Tour (NWT) at Escanaba, Michigan, on Aug. 29-30.

With the victory, Kavajecz took home a new Ranger 1880 Angler boat powered by a 175hp Mercury outboard, valued at $46,000, and $15,000 in cash. Kavajecz took advantage of contingency prize opportunities and added $1,815 in Anglers Advantage cash and another $1,000 with the Mercury bonus.

High winds and three-foot waves limited travel and casting presentations on day one of the third Cabela’s National Walleye Tour qualifier. Kavajecz, a veteran tournament pro, found the right recipe amid less than ideal conditions.

“We started the day by making a very long run south, two hours almost,” said Kavajecz. “The first fish we caught was a 28-incher. Then we caught a 24 and then we pulled a 30-incher. So at 10 a.m., after only an hour of fishing, we had our two overs.”

Kavajecz then scratched out three slot fish, all coming from different areas. On the day, he and his co-angler partner, Bob Luellen, caught roughly a dozen overs and just the three unders. Their official weight for five fish was 27.80 pounds.

Day two brought calmer waters and the chance to outperform the trolling anglers using a new casting presentation. Kavajecz’ first stop was a hump where his co-angler partner whacked a 30-inch walleye on day one, approximately 35 miles south of Escanaba.

“I made four casts and I had a 24, a 28, a 26, and a big sheepshead,” said Kavajecz. “Since it was so difficult to get my slots yesterday, I decided to leave and target those fish immediately. We hit probably 20 spots and we caught a lot of fish, but they were all overs. My partner did catch a 28 1/2 that upgraded the 26.”

Tournament anglers were restricted to Michigan waters and per state regulations, only two walleyes over 23 inches in length could be kept per day as pros and co-anglers fished together in a boat as a team.

Kavajecz then ran up to the Ford River area, a place where he and practice partners Gary Parsons and Chase Parsons had been catching numerous slots in practice.

From there, Kavajecz was able to fill out his limit and his two-day total of 53.50 pounds was more than five pounds better than the other 99 competitors. Foregoing the standard Bays de Noc presentation of trolling, the angler caught his limit casting and ripping a No. 3 Moonshine Lures Shiver Minnow.

Charging hard at his good friend and practice partner was Gary Parsons, one of the few pros who improved their catch from day one to day two. After boating 22.92 pounds on day one, Parsons brought in 25.10 pounds on day two, which gave him a total weight of 48.02 pounds.

Parsons ran nearly the exact same program as Kavajecz although they fished mostly different water.

“I didn’t go nearly as far south as Keith,” said the pro from Glidden, Wisconsin. “And I was fishing fairly steep breaks in 22 to 32 feet of water. Keith would fish more singular fish up shallower where I was targeting bigger groups.”

Parsons won a total of $17,677 for his efforts.

Derek Parker, of Skandia, Michigan, scored big on day two with 24.10 pounds to catapult him to third place. The only trolling angler to place in the top three, Parker sat on only three fish with two hours of fishing left on day two. He switched to targeting weed walleyes up in eight feet of water, which proved to be the ticket to filling his limit.

“I’m happy that among the trollers, I got first place,” said Parker. “My hat is off to Keith and Gary; those guys are unbelievable. But what made the difference for me is that I just knew to stick it out. I only caught those five fish.”

Ryan Dempsey (fourth), Don Loch (fifth), Jason Przekurat (sixth), Glenn Chenier (seventh), Ross Grothe (eighth), Tom Kemos (ninth) and John Gillman (tenth) round out the top 10 pro-anglers.

Marty Barski, of Crystal Lake, Illinois, brought in a two-day total of 46.16 pounds to win the $6,000 first-place co-angler prize. The angler fished with pro-angler Jim Carroll on day one, pulling crankbaits down around the Cedar River area.

Barski found himself paired with pro-angler Don Loch on day two. The team fished the Cedar River area with night crawlers and spinners.

With only four fish in the livewell, Barski didn’t think he had a chance at winning. After weighing in early, he began to get optimistic as he saw more and more anglers come in with light bags.

“I had my fingers crossed, but it was such a long wait being in the first flight,” Barski said.

Pat Schmidt (second), Karl Sprengel (third), Sid Ernest (fourth), Randy Sterr (fifth), Justin Villard (sixth), Ancil Reynolds (seventh), Michael Bertrand (eighth), Steve Beasley (ninth) and Tom Samp (tenth) round out the top ten for co-anglers.

The next stop for the Cabela’s National Walleye Tour is the NWT Championship on Lake Winnebago at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on Sept. 18-20. The Lucas Oil Angler of the Year award is up for grabs. With the top-ten points leaders only separated by 46 points, many anglers will have the opportunity to win the coveted title, along with Lucas Oil rings and paid entry fees for the 2015 NWT tournament season.

Anglers that have fished all three regular season events, in addition to the top points leaders, will qualify for the three-day, entry-fee championship. Two fully rigged Ranger boats are guaranteed for the championship event. The first-place finisher in the pro division will take home a new Ranger 619FS Fisherman, plus $15,000 cash for a total prize value of $79,000. In addition, the second-place pro receives a new Ranger 1880 Angler valued at $44,000. Both figures have the opportunity to go even higher with sponsor contingency. Likewise, the winner of the Co-Angler category will take home $6,000 cash, with the opportunity to nearly double with contingency money thanks to NWT sponsors.

For more details, anglers are encouraged to call 612-424-0708 or check out the new website at www.nationalwalleyetour.com. From here, site visitors can learn more about the NWT, view the TV schedule and learn more about what’s in store for 2014.

2014 Remaining Scheduled Events

Championship – Sept. 18-20 – Oshkosh, Wis. – Lake Winnebago

Wisconsin’s Lake Winnebago to host Cabela’s National Walleye Tour Championship

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Top walleye anglers converge in Oshkosh Sept. 18-20

OSHKOSH, Wis. – The Cabela’s National Walleye Tour concludes its second successful season with the year-end championship Sept. 18-20 on Lake Winnebago, one of the most popular walleye fisheries in the United States. Hosted by the Oshkosh Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Best Western Premier Waterfront and Convention Center, the three-day tournament features the top 40 pros and top 40 co-anglers from the regular season. At stake in the nationally-televised event is the largest payout in professional walleye fishing, including fully rigged Ranger boats for the first- and second-place pros.

“There is no tournament venue that is more dynamic than Lake Winnebago,” said Lucas Oil Angler of the Year leader Nick Schertz. “In that sense, it’s the perfect venue for a championship. It’s always changing, whether it’s forage or weed growth and this year has been really different in terms of weather.”

Schertz said September is typically one of the tougher months to walleye fish on Winnebago, mainly because the system is inundated with bait.

“I grew up in Oshkosh and fished a lot of tournaments on Winnebago. Usually the water is warm this time of year so the walleyes aren’t real aggressive. And they can eat whenever they want. But this year there were no real warm stretches of weather and the water temperature never broke 80. That puts the Upper Lakes, where most of the early tournaments are won, back on the table. If the bait is there and the water temperature is OK, those fish have no reason to leave.”

In addition to the Upper Lakes (Butte des Morts, Winneconne, and Poygan), Schertz believes the Wolf River is a viable option, especially if the rain continues to fall and the current subsequently continues to flow.

“The stronger the current is, the stronger the river bite is. And the main lake itself usually has some wind-blown rock bites in September.”

Anglers targeting bigger rock reefs can troll crankbaits, while those fishing smaller, more isolated rock will likely utilize slip bobbers and jigs.

Fellow Wisconsin pro Joe Okada sits in third place in the points race and while he doesn’t possess the Winnebago experience Schertz does, he still likes the venue.

“This will not be an open water free for all,” said Okada. “If you can find that one area or that one presentation that’s working you can really separate yourself. There are a lot of options and with a smaller field of boats if you find something you can have it completely to yourself the entire tournament.”

Schertz expects that 10 to 12 pounds per day will put an angler in contention for the win.

“It’s really hard to predict, but I’ve seen a lot of bites in September where all you needed to do to hang around was get a five-fish limit. There are still a few big fish caught and a 6- or 7-pound walleye this time of year is a game changer. I’m going to try and grind out a limit and then hope for one big fish. I’m definitely not going to try to win it on the first day.”

Okada is excited to begin a championship event with no preconceived notions.

“I honestly have no idea how this will play out. And to be honest, that’s rare and really exciting. It will be a challenge and there’s nothing wrong with challenging anglers of this caliber. I’m looking forward to going in with an open mind. I do tend to do better in those tournaments because you just go out there and fish the conditions.”

Schertz will attempt to strike a balance between utilizing his vast experience and heeding the current conditions.

“It helps to know a lot of areas, but I really have to give everything a fair shake. I’m glad the championship is there because it’s home, but Winnebago is never an easy tournament. The winning fish could come so many different ways, I really don’t want to force it.”

Anglers will take off from Menominee Park in Oshkosh at 7 a.m. Central time each day. Weigh-ins will also take place each day at Menominee Park, beginning at 3 p.m. The full field fishes each of the first two days and is cut to the top 10 for the third and final day with the winner being determined by the heaviest cumulative weight.

The National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA) will also host a “Future Angler” program for children after Saturday’s weigh-in, at approximately 4:15 p.m., featuring an educational seminar and training for youth from top-notch NPAA members. The youth-orientated event will include a free rod/reel combo or “Future Pro” t-shirt for the first 100 children who attend the educational program. There will also be Range/Evinrude and Triton/Mercury test rides on Saturday. All activities are free and open to the public.