06/18/2026
🏆 MERCURY NATIONAL WALLEYE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS 🏆
259 boats. Two days. One bad battery that almost cost us everything. What a weekend.
Prefishing started Thursday on some w**d beds that had produced for us in years past. After a few stops, it was clear that wasn't the winning pattern. We shifted to shallow rock and found success almost immediately. Friday we ran rock across the lake and noticed the fish farther south were carrying better weight.
Tournament morning threw adversity at us right away — a bad house battery left the boat without a full charge. That battery runs our LiveScope, the single biggest tool we have on the water, so starting the day with it limping was a real gut punch. Not exactly the start we were hoping for.
A quick 15-minute run to Spot A told us the fish had moved. A 30-minute run to Spots B and C said the same thing.
That's when we made the call to abandon the shallow rock pattern and go back into search mode. Knowing how these fish traditionally move, we slid off the edge of the rocks to where they transitioned into mud.
At 11:30, we finally put our first fish in the box, and a second followed shortly after. By 1:00 PM we still hadn't added to it — time to move.
We decided to check a small spot we'd found in practice: a hard-bottom patch surrounded by mud. That decision changed our tournament.
In just over an hour, we boated three more walleyes to fill our limit. The problem? Only about 10 pounds in the livewell.
With 45 minutes left, we kept hunting for a kicker. Ten minutes later, Garmin LiveScope lit up a big mark suspended halfway down the column. We pitched a jig and crawler right on its head, and after a short game of cat and mouse, it committed.
A 25-inch walleye hit the net.
As we reached to pull the trolling motor, the screen went black — the house battery had finally given out, taking LiveScope with it. Our biggest tool on the water, dead. But it held on just long enough to put that kicker in the boat. Talk about perfect timing.
Day 1 ended at 13 pounds, 14 ounces — good enough for 3rd place.
After a late-night battery swap and a solid game plan, we grabbed some much-needed rest before heading out to battle the waves on Day 2.
We started right where we left off, and the action came fast. Two 3-pounders in the first hour, then a smaller 17-incher. Feeling good about our position to make a run at the win, we released it and stayed committed to finding bigger fish.
Fighting rough conditions in the Yar-Craft, we stayed glued to the same 500' x 500' area and added two more 3-pounders by 11:00 AM.
Then, in typical Lake Winnebago fashion, the bite shut off completely.
One fish short of our limit with just over an hour to go, we started second-guessing that released 17-incher.
Then, with 30 minutes left, it happened.
Another 3-pounder.
Limit secured.
We rode back to weigh-in feeling good but knowing a lot of talented anglers still had to cross the scale. Shortly after we got back to the dock, the Day 2 weight came in: 15 pounds.
That put our two-day total at 28 pounds, 14 ounces — and moved us into 1st place.
Knowing how tough this system is to put two consistent days together, we knew we had a shot. But the wait was brutal.
Finally, the last boat weighed in.
We did it.
🥇 1st Place
🏆 Mercury National Walleye Tournament Champions
🎣 28 lbs 14 oz
🚤 259-boat field
A huge thank you to The Walleye Federation, Mercury Marine, and the City of Fond du Lac for putting on an incredible event.
And thank you to everyone who supports Wisco_Slabs along the way.
