Mississippi River Gold Struck by Kolb and Geitgey

Mississippi River Gold Struck by Kolb and Geitgey

Presented By: Lowrance

Red Wing, MN – May 11, 2026 – The Masters Walleye Circuit finally made a return this 2026 season to the Mighty Mississippi River. With volatile water levels, and a spawn that happens at the same time, timing a spring event in Red Wing, MN can be challenging as seen in the 2024 season when the event had to be moved. The weather this time around was much more cooperative, although anglers said it was far from ideal. Water levels were dropping very fast during pre-fishing and throughout the event, with temperatures touching freezing in the beginning of the week, to 75 and sunny by day 1. Anglers put in a ton of work chasing fish, attempting to adapt to the changing conditions as quickly as the fish were moving with them. Multiple teams had figured out how to stay consistent and find fish, but only one team came to the stage on day 1 with 24lbs and 6oz. David Kolb and Scott Geitgey had over a 2-pound lead going into day 2.

Even with multiple game plans in place, strategized by Kolb/Geitgey alongside the teams of Randy/RJ Harwood and Tyler Maney/Thor Wick, on both pools 3 and 4 that had been producing fish throughout pre-fishing, on day 2 Kolb and Geitgey had to cycle through their bag of tricks. Whether it was crankbaits, blade baits, willow cats, or nightcrawlers, they were determined to find winning walleye. Targeting 9’-14’ of water and looking for areas that held current even with the receding water, they cycled between their “over” spots and their “under” spots and reported they were happy to see some decent unexpected big fish from their “under” spot.

Sitting on the hotseat during the weigh-in on day 2 was Jason and Hunter Lorenson, weighing a competitive 19lbs and 6oz the previous day, and proving consistency pays off with 17lbs and 7oz on day 2 for a total of 36-13. Nerves were high as Kolb and Geitgey brought their 5 fish to the stage with both teams watching the scale, as the weight of 12lbs and 7oz was all that was needed to win, and they had caught the perfect weight of walleyes to do so. Kolb and Geitgey had put up the same exact weight of 36lbs and 13oz but won on the third tie breaker of “biggest single days catch” with their unmatched day 1 bag of 24lbs and 6oz.With the second event of the year completed, teams will be starting to do the math on points and setting their goals accordingly to qualify for the World Walleye Championship on Devil’s Lake, ND. Kolb and Geitgey will have a solid base, with a 5th place finish at the first qualifier in March on the Illinois River, and now a 1st place win on the Mississippi River.

After passing a routine polygraph examination, the winners of the 2026 Mississippi River Masters Walleye Circuit Qualifier earned a champions trophy and a paid berth into the 2027 National Team Championship. David Kolb and Scott Geitgey took home $11,060 in Cash, $5,100 in Option Pot Cash, a Lowrance Recon Trolling Motor, the Lowrance Exclusive Bonus of $750, the NTC prize package valued at $1000 consisting of custom NTC jerseys, custom NTC plaques, and a cash travel stipend, for a total of $21,209.99 in cash and prizes!

The lot of the top five teams put up impressive weights to earn their respective rewards:

2nd: Jason Lorenson & Hunter Lorenson, 36-13, $5,800 Cash, $3,024 Option Pot Cash

3rd: Tony Flatten & Kendall Flatten, 35-12, $3,900 Cash, $2,100 Option Pot Cash

4th: Jason Kicherer & Chris Akey, 34-11, $2,750 Cash, $1650 Option Pot Cash

5th: Jarrad Fluekiger & Joe Newcomb, 32-01, $2,220 Cash, $1,400 Option Pot Cash

Overall, 81 two-man teams consisting of 162 anglers competed in this event representing 11 different states, catching 487 fish for a total of 1419 pounds of Mighty Mississippi River Walleye and Sauger.

Before this MWC event began, Steve Persinger and Chad Busho won an AirSafe Hitch valued at over $2,000 on registration night, compliments of 4windssales.com. Also at registration, the Premier Team drawing of a duffle bag package was awarded to Tim Juba and Tom Sieburg

The Big Fish Award on Day 1 was won by Jarrad Fluekiger and Joe Newcomb with Mississippi River giant weighing 10lbs 6oz putting them in a prime 4th place position they battled to hold onto day 2 with a 5th place finish. Day 2 Big Fish Award for day 2 went to Jordan Fluekiger and Maddy Berg with a very healthy 9lb 4oz walleye, showcasing that the Fluekigers can certainly find the big fish. The cash pot for big fish was $3,480, meaning each day the big fish winners took home $1,740. Additionally, the team of Justin Sivek and Jason Betzler won the Lowrance Trolling Motor Bonus of $500 for using a Ghost or Recon trolling motor.

As part of the 2026 MWC season, anglers can compete for a coveted spot in the 2026 World Walleye Championship held in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. The 2026 WWC will be a one-time Dual Event with qualifying teams from 2025 and 2026, with a combined pot and, new to 2026 – a Brand-New Nitro ZV20 Powered By Mercury as the top prize. Teams can participate in as many events as they wish, with points earned in at least three qualifiers necessary for an invitation to the World Walleye Championship. MWC’s “Living the Dream” team, using points from four qualifiers throughout the regular season, will earn a sponsorship package valued up to $10,000 which includes a spot to compete in the National Team Championship and up to four, paid-in-full, MWC events.

Each MWC event has a lucrative payout which is based on the number of teams entered into that event. Overall payout is awarded to 20% of the field, providing more inspiration to sign up and join the fun. In addition to a hefty check, the first-place team also earns a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s National Team Championship (NTC) prize package including: paid entry, a travel stipend, team jerseys, and plaques. Additionally, the big-fish pot, option-pot and sponsor bonuses will add thousands more for distribution among the field.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) is North America’s longest running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments since 1984 and as an inductee into the freshwater fishing hall of fame. MWC has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing for 42 years. The 2026 schedule includes six qualifiers in five states, plus berths into the 2026 MWC World Walleye Championship presented by Nitro boats in Devils Lake, North Dakota.  Stay tuned for more 2026 announcements at:

www.MastersWalleyeCircuit.com.

Masters Walleye Circuit Official Level Sponsors: Mercury Marine, Lowrance Electronics, and Nitro Boats. Associate Sponsors: TH Marine, Airsafe Hitch Products, National Professional Anglers Association, and The Walleye Federation.

For more information, contact support@masterswalleyecircuit.com or call (580) 765-9031.

MWC Live Coverage

2026 Masters Walleye Circuit – Mississippi River, Red Wing, MN

LIVE coverage of 2026 Masters Walleye Circuit at Mississippi River, Red Wing, MN May 8-9 at 3:00pm CT.

LIVE Leaderboard will begin updating once the weigh-in begins at each event click the BLUE link below!

LIVE Leaderboard

LIVE video will be done where a suitable internet connection can be secured lakeside and will be shown below. Live streaming video will go live a couple of minutes before the published weigh-in time for that event if we have a connection.
Check out our Live Facebook feed coverage. CLICK HERE

Masters Walleye Circuit Heads to Red Wing, MN to Fish the Mighty Mississippi

Masters Walleye Circuit Heads to Red Wing, MN to Fish the Mighty Mississippi

Presented by: Lowrance

Ponca City, Oklahoma – April 3rd, 2026 – The 2026 Masters Walleye Circuit Season prepares for its second stop of the season in Red Wing, MN. The Mighty Mississippi is a daunting river system to fish in the spring, with its constant water level changes, having to battle dirty water conditions and attempting to lock down a strategy for tournament days. Hidden in the vast system of lakes and numerous river channels is a heavy bag of walleye, sauger, and saugeye waiting for a team to capitalize on the opportunity to take home a trophy in exchange for their knowledge, effort, and time devoted to learning when, where, and why these fish eat.

Having been a fair amount of time since the MWC competed on the Mississippi River, anglers are excited to be able to fish both days as it was scheduled this time to better avoid the flooding often seen in the Spring. Not to be understated, the Mississippi River is a great equalizer for many tactics no matter the Lowrance graphs you have, giving all a great chance at winning or cashing a check. On top of Lowrance’s Exclusive Bonus of $750 and the Trolling Motor Bonus for running a Ghost or Recon trolling motor of $500, there has also been a Lowrance Recon trolling motor added to the prize pool of this upcoming event in Red Wing, MN.

Tournament days will start each day with a 7:00 am (CST) take-off, given safe light conditions, and live weigh-ins at 3:00 pm (CST) on May 8-9, 2026, both of which will be held at Treasure Island Marina in Welch, MN. Spectators are encouraged to join in person as the weigh-in is free and open to the public, or follow the action live online at masterswalleyecircuit.com or on the official Facebook page, facebook.com/MastersWalleyeCircuit.

Registration for this tournament on the Mississippi River out of Red Wing, Minnesota closes on Monday, May 4, 2026. Teams that are interested in signing up should visit:

www.masterswalleyecircuit.com/registration

or call

Federation National Office at (580) 765-9031.

As part of the 2026 MWC season, anglers can compete for a coveted spot in the 2026 World Walleye Championship held in Devil’s Lake North Dakota. The 2026 WWC will be a one-time Dual Event with qualifying teams from 2025 and 2026, with a combined pot and, new to 2026 – a Brand-New Nitro ZV20 Powered By Mercury as the top prize. Teams can participate in as many events as they wish, with points earned in at least three qualifiers necessary for an invitation to the World Walleye Championship. MWC’s “Living the Dream” team, using points from four qualifiers throughout the regular season, will earn a sponsorship package valued up to $10,000 which includes a spot to compete in the National Team Championship and up to four, paid-in-full, MWC events.

Each MWC event has a lucrative payout which is based on the number of teams entered into that event. Overall payout is awarded to 20% of the field, providing more inspiration to sign up and join the fun. In addition to a hefty check, the first-place team also earns a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s National Team Championship (NTC) prize package including: paid entry, a travel stipend, team jerseys, and plaques. Additionally, the big-fish pot, option-pot and sponsor bonuses will add thousands more for distribution among the field.

Under the umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) is North America’s longest running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments since 1984 and as an inductee into the freshwater fishing hall of fame. MWC has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing for 42 years. The 2026 schedule includes six qualifiers in five states, plus berths into the 2026 MWC World Walleye Championship presented by Nitro boats in Devils Lake, North Dakota.  Stay tuned for more 2026 announcements at:

www.MastersWalleyeCircuit.com.

Masters Walleye Circuit Official Level Sponsors: Mercury Marine, Lowrance Electronics, and Nitro Boats. Associate Sponsors: TH Marine, Airsafe Hitch Products, National Professional Anglers Association, and The Walleye Federation.

For more information, contact support@masterswalleyecircuit.com or call (580) 765-9031.

Bodingers Start the 2026 Season on Fire at Illinois River

Bodingers Start the 2026 Season on Fire at Illinois River

Presented By: Mercury

Ponca City, Oklahoma – March 23, 2025 – The Masters Walleye Circuit launched its 2026 season with a return to Spring Valley, Illinois to fish the bountiful Illinois River. The weather was some of the best seen in recent years, with lows in the 40s and highs in the 70s. Anglers still had to work hard for their bites, with a recent swell in water levels that was slow to taper off causing very muddy, low visibility conditions. The saugers were numerous from the Illinois River, but as often seen it took a few elusive walleye to secure the win. Steve and Dan Bodinger found them on Day 1, kicking it off with 17lbs and 1oz to secure an early lead over the entire 95 boat field.

Having a terrible pre-fish without a single bite, they sure turned it around. They only caught 5 fish on Day 1, but they were all the right bites. The anchor of their bag was a very healthy 7-12 oz walleye that secured them the big fish prize on Day 1, as well as bolstering a 4lb 8oz lead over the second-place team of Roy Vivian and Brad Munda who had a 5 fish limit of 12lbs 9oz.

Sticking to their Day 1 success, they continued Day 2 pulling Dubuque Rigs in 9-12’ of water running their Nitro Boat over the same half mile stretch of river hoping to find more of the same fish. J.J. Debernardi and Tyler Debernardi weighed on Day 2 and held first place for the majority of the weigh-in with 20-03, just a mere 3lbs and 2oz over Steve and Dan Bodinger’s Day 1 weight. Being last to weigh in with their mark to beat and just two fish in the bag, tensions were high for everybody watching. They crushed the mark bringing in yet another healthy walleye weighing 6lbs and 9oz for a Day 2 weight of 9-09, and a tournament total of 26lbs and 10oz.

When interviewed after the award ceremony while emotions were high, Steve said  “A special thanks to our partners Steve and Hunter, to the Spring Valley Boat Club every year, and to all of our sponsors that make fishing these events each year possible.”

Earning a champions trophy in this 2026 Illinois River Masters Walleye Circuit Qualifier also comes with a paid berth into the 2027 National Team Championship. Steve and Dan Bodinger took home $12,700 in Cash, $5,600 in Option Pot Cash, $4,680 in Big Fish Cash, the NTC prize package valued at $1000 consisting of custom NTC jerseys, custom NTC plaques, and a cash travel stipend, for a total of $23,980 in cash and prizes! Additionally, the Bodingers used their Mercury Powered, Nitro Boat in the MWC Illinois River Event both competition days to secure their win and therefore will earn an $8,000 Nitro Bonus if eligible through the Nitro Rewards program.

The Top Five Teams worked hard for their fish and earned their own respective prizes:

2nd: J.J. Debernardi & Tyler Debernardi, 20-03, $6,300 Cash, $3,050 Option Pot Cash

3rd: Slawomir Wiater & Tomasz Gorgon, 18-13, $4,050 Cash, $2,230 Option Pot Cash

4th: Ed Martin & Dave Gorisek, 16-13, $3,150 Cash

5th: David Kolb & Scott Geitgey, 24-05, $2,550 Cash, $1,820 Option Pot Cash

               And the Lowrance Exclusive Bonus of $750

Overall, 95 two-man teams consisting of 190 anglers competed in this event representing 9 different states, catching 432 fish for a total of 734 pounds of healthy Illinois river sauger, saugeye, and walleye.

Before this MWC event began, Danny and Barb Plautz won an AirSafe Hitch at registration, compliments of 4windssales.com. Also at registration, the Premier Team drawing of a duffle bag package was awarded to Harold Daniels and Neal Jordan.

The Big Fish Award on Day 1 and 2 of the Illinois River was won by Steve and Dan Bodinger with two walleye that weighed 7lbs 12oz for the first day and 6lbs 9oz for the second day. Big fish prize each day was $2,340, and they swept both of those prizes for a total of $4,680. Honorable mention goes to Frank John Weeda and Corbin Hime with their weight of 10lbs 12oz in 29th place for being the highest placing finisher with a Lowrance Trolling Motor, to earn Lowrance’s Ghost or Recon Trolling Motor Bonus of $500.

As part of the 2026 MWC season, anglers can compete for a coveted spot in the 2026 World Walleye Championship held in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. The 2026 WWC will be a one-time Dual Event with qualifying teams from 2025 and 2026, with a combined pot and, new to 2026 – a Brand-New Nitro ZV20 Powered By Mercury as the top prize. Teams can participate in as many events as they wish, with points earned in at least three qualifiers necessary for an invitation to the World Walleye Championship. MWC’s “Living the Dream” team, using points from four qualifiers throughout the regular season, will earn a sponsorship package valued up to $10,000 which includes a spot to compete in the National Team Championship and up to four, paid-in-full, MWC events.

Each MWC event has a lucrative payout which is based on the number of teams entered into that event. Overall payout is awarded to 20% of the field, providing more inspiration to sign up and join the fun. In addition to a hefty check, the first-place team also earns a $1,000 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s National Team Championship (NTC) prize package including: paid entry, a travel stipend, team jerseys, and plaques. Additionally, the big-fish pot, option-pot and sponsor bonuses will add thousands more for distribution among the field.

Under the Umbrella of The Walleye Federation (TWF), the Masters Walleye Circuit (MWC) is North America’s longest running and undisputed leader in team walleye tournaments since 1984 and as an inductee into the freshwater fishing hall of fame. MWC has set the standard for competitive walleye fishing for 42 years. The 2026 schedule includes six qualifiers in five states, plus berths into the 2026 MWC World Walleye Championship presented by Nitro boats in Devils Lake, North Dakota.  Stay tuned for more 2026 announcements at:

www.MastersWalleyeCircuit.com.

Masters Walleye Circuit Official Level Sponsors: Mercury Marine, Lowrance Electronics, and Nitro Boats. Associate Sponsors: TH Marine, Airsafe Hitch Products, National Professional Anglers Association, and The Walleye Federation.

For more information, contact support@masterswalleyecircuit.com or call (580) 765-9031.