Wisconsin angler leads after first day of National Walleye Tour Championship on Devils Lake
Sep. 6—DEVILS LAKE — Wisconsin walleye pro Matt Schiefelbein led the field Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 6, after the first day of the Bass Pro Shops/Cabela's National Walleye Tour Championship on Devils Lake.
Schiefelbein, of Sobieski, Wisconsin, weighed in five walleyes for 32 pounds, 1 ounce — an average of more than 6 pounds — to lead the field of 41 walleye pros and 41 amateur co-anglers.
Anglers can weigh in five walleyes daily, and amateur co-anglers fish with a different pro each day. Grahams Island State Park is tournament headquarters, and daily weigh-ins continue at 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday, the final day of the tournament.
Rounding out the top five pros after day one, all with five walleyes, were as follows:
* Second: Dustin Minke, Walker, Minnesota, 31 pounds, 3 ounces.
* Third: Corey Heiser, West Fargo, 30 pounds, 15 ounces.
* Fourth: Eric McQuoid, Kewaunee, Wisconsin, 30 pounds, 10 ounces.
* Fifth: John Hoyer, Wayzata, Minnesota, 30 pounds, 6 ounces. Hoyer won the 2019 NWT Championship on Devils Lake.
Top five anglers in the co-angler division were as follows:
* First: Rich Weiss, North Platte, Nebraska, 32 pounds, 1 ounce.
* Second: Brett Kaltenbach, Canistota, South Dakota, 31 pounds, 3 ounces.
* Third: Chris Scouten, Hazelton, North Dakota, 30 pounds, 15 ounces.
* Fourth: Randy Vike, Oregon, Wisconsin, 30 pounds, 10 ounces.
* Fifth: Jonathan Cieslak, Hartland, Wisconsin, 30 pounds, 6 ounces.
With day one in the books, the entire field will again hit the water Thursday. The top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers will then go head-to-head Friday to crown the eventual winner. The winning pro will pocket $30,000 and receive a $70,000 Nitro walleye boat powered by a 225-horse Mercury outboard.
* On the web:
For more information and updates, check out the NWT website at
