2026 Tournaments
May 2-3, 2026
Pete McGinty and Cody Enger kicked off their tournament season at the Minnesota Tournament Trail event on Big Stone Lake, May 2nd and 3rd. Competing in the open division, the duo finished in 17th place with a four-fish total of 22.96 lbs. On Day 1, they boated three fish—measuring 25 3/4", 25 1/4", and 22 1/2"—for a weight of 15.64 lbs. A lost fish in the 25" range just 20 feet from the boat proved costly, as it likely would have pushed them into the top 10. On Day 2, they landed a 27 1/2" walleye in the first five minutes but were unable to find another fish the rest of the day. While it wasn't the exact finish they hoped for, they successfully knocked the dust off and are ready for the next event.
May 16, 2026
Pete McGinty and Cody Enger were back on Big Stone Lake for the annual Moose Lodge Walleye Tournament. It was a challenging bite, but one more fish could have moved many teams up several spots in the standings. The duo brought two walleyes to the scale — a 24.5" and a 20.5" — totaling 7.40 pounds and earning a 6th-place finish. They found success pulling Minnkota Tackle spinners tipped with leeches, crawlers, and creek chubs on bottom bouncers, running over the tops of the abundant weed beds.
June 6, 2026
Pete McGinty and Cody Enger finished 11th place in the 46th Annual Lac Qui Parle Lake Walleye Tournament. The day started fast, with the team putting together a five-fish limit by 8:20 a.m. Looking for an upgrade, they spent the rest of the morning hopping between several spots and managed to catch another small over. With all their tags filled, they were done before noon. The pair caught more than 20 walleyes throughout the day and even had to release a couple of 17-18 inch fish that just didn't help the overall weight. Sometimes that's tournament fishing. Congratulations to team members Joe Bungarden and Cole Bungarden on their impressive 3rd-place finish. Next on the schedule is the Bitter Lake Walleye Challenge on June 20. Good luck to all the anglers competing!
46th Annual LQP Lake Walleye Tournament Roster and Results - Google Sheets
June 20, 2026
Tough days on the water make for the best comeback stories! Pete McGinty, Cody Enger, and Chad Strei hit Bitter Lake in Waubay, SD, for the Roberts County Rescue Bitter Lake Walleye Challenge. After a solid pre-fishing session dialing in a 17–19" bite, tournament day threw a major curveball. Their primary spot was stacked with 10 other boats, making the local walleyes incredibly spooky. The trio adapted, ground it out across multiple spots, and made the brave tactical call to throw back 16–17" fish in search of the tournament-winning upgrades. They ultimately brought 4 fish to the scales for 7.80 lbs. Huge congrats to the winners who took the top spot with an impressive 22.56 lbs!
Onto the next one!
June 23, 2026
It was a challenging year for the Lac qui Parle Lake Walleye Fishing League. Low water, high winds, dirty water—you name it, we fished in it. Despite the difficult conditions, another successful season is in the books!
The final results are officially in, closing out a productive season even after a tough Week #7 that saw zero walleyes brought to the scale.
Throughout the season, league anglers caught 117 walleyes weighing a combined 207.66 pounds, for an impressive average of 1.77 pounds per fish. The biggest walleye of the year tipped the scales at a whopping 6.02 pounds.
Congratulations to this year's top finishers:
🥇 1st Place: Dylan Hiepler & Chayse Schuler – 32.03 lbs
🥈 2nd Place: Lucas Hoium & Garrett Hoium – 18.91 lbs
🥉 3rd Place: Pete McGinty & Shannon Larson – 14.72 lbs
4️⃣ 4th Place: Cody Enger & Patrick Miller – 14.16 lbs
5️⃣ 5th Place: Josh Weckwerth & Trent Weckwerth – 13.14 lbs
A huge thank you goes out to Corey Joyce, Steve Benson, and Corey Reiffenberger for the countless hours they dedicated to organizing and running the league. Your hard work makes this event possible and is greatly appreciated by everyone involved.
Congratulations to all of this year's anglers, and we'll see you back on the water next season!
2026 Lac Qui Parle Fishing League Standings - Google Sheets
August 21-22, 2026
Master’s Walleye Circuit – Bitter Lake, South Dakota
Pete McGinty and Cody Enger took on a tough 93-boat field at the Master’s Walleye Circuit event on Bitter Lake in South Dakota, competing against some of the best walleye anglers from around the country. The pair finished the two-day event in 32nd place, weighing a total of 10 fish for 25 pounds, 9 ounces.
McGinty and Enger focused their efforts on fish in 15 feet of water or less, utilizing forward-facing sonar to locate individual fish and pitching jigs tipped with crawlers, leeches and creek chubs.
Going into Day 1, the goal was to put together a 14- to 15-pound bag. They got off to a good start by connecting with a 25.5-inch walleye, along with several quality slot fish. The kicker walleye gave them the weight they needed to stay competitive and put together a solid opening-day limit.
Day 2 proved to be more challenging. The team continued to find quality slot fish and was able to put together another five-fish tournament limit, but they could not locate the bigger kicker fish over 20 inches that they needed to make a significant move up the leaderboard.
In the end, McGinty and Enger finished 32nd out of 93 teams with 25 pounds, 9 ounces. They narrowly missed a paycheck, falling just four pounds short of the money.
While the final result left them wanting more, the event provided valuable experience on a tough Bitter Lake bite. Competing against a strong field and putting together 10 fish over two days demonstrates the effectiveness of their shallow-water approach and the importance of finding those key kicker fish when competing at the highest level.
The pair will look to build on the experience and carry what they learned on Bitter Lake into their next event on August 29th, the Pauly Larson Memorial Tournament on Lac qui Parle Lake.
https://masterswalleyecircuit.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-MWC-Bitter-Day-2-FINAL.pdf
August 29, 2026
🏆 CHAMPIONS OF THE 9TH ANNUAL PAULY J. LARSON MEMORIAL FISHING TOURNAMENT! 🏆
What a day on Lac qui Parle Lake!
Pete McGinty and Cody Enger took home 1st place out of an 80-boat field, weighing five walleyes for an impressive 17.51 pounds!
💰 Total Payout: $10,900
• $9,000 — 1st Place
• $1,650 — Option Pot
• $250 — 2nd Biggest Walleye
The day started off slow. Their first fish didn't come until late morning—a 19.75" walleye. Then, around 1:15 p.m., the bite changed in a hurry when Cody and Pete put a 27" walleye in the boat!
Shortly after, they added a 15.25" walleye to the box. After an hour without another bite, they decided it was time to make a move.
That move paid off.
In a short period of time, they put another 15.25" walleye and a 25.5" walleye in the box, completing their five-fish limit at 17.51 pounds. All fish were caught pitching a jig/minnow or jig/crawler combination.
From a slow morning to an incredible afternoon finish, it was a day they won't soon forget!
1st Place — 80 Boats — 17.51 lbs.
A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the Pauly J. Larson Memorial Tournament such a great event and to all the anglers who came out and competed.
Most importantly, it was a special day fishing with a great friend and taking home the championship on Lac qui Parle Lake!
Pete McGinty & Cody Enger — 2026 Champions!
https://www.paulylarsontournament.com/2026-results.html
September 2, 2026
2026 Tournament Season Recap
Pete McGinty & Cody Enger
The 2026 tournament season was a year of learning, adapting, grinding through tough bites—and ultimately, finishing on top.
Pete McGinty and Cody Enger competed in six tournaments throughout the season, fishing waters across Minnesota and South Dakota and facing some of the toughest walleye anglers in the region.
The season started May 2-3 on Big Stone Lake at the Minnesota Tournament Trail event. Competing in the Open Division, McGinty and Enger finished 17th with four fish weighing 22.96 pounds. A lost 25-inch-class walleye near the boat on Day 1 kept them from a potential Top-10 finish, but the tournament provided a solid start to the season.
They returned to Big Stone Lake on May 16 for the Moose Lodge Walleye Tournament, where they battled a difficult bite and brought two walleyes weighing 7.40 pounds to the scales. Their sixth-place finish demonstrated just how important every fish can be in a tough tournament.
On June 6, the team competed in the 46th Annual Lac qui Parle Lake Walleye Tournament. They jumped on the fish early, putting together a five-fish limit by 8:20 a.m. Despite spending the rest of the morning searching for upgrades, they finished 11th. The team caught more than 20 walleyes during the day, but many of the fish simply didn't improve their tournament weight.
The next stop was Bitter Lake in Waubay, South Dakota, for the Roberts County Rescue Bitter Lake Walleye Challenge on June 20. After finding a strong 17-19-inch bite during prefishing, tournament day presented a completely different challenge. With their primary area crowded with other boats, McGinty, Enger and Chad Strei adapted and searched multiple locations. They made the difficult decision to release several 16-17-inch fish in hopes of finding the bigger fish needed to contend. They finished with four fish weighing 7.80 pounds.
After a summer break, McGinty and Enger returned to Bitter Lake on August 21-22 for the Master's Walleye Circuit event. Competing against a 93-boat field featuring some of the best walleye anglers from around the country, they finished an impressive 32nd, weighing 10 fish for 25 pounds, 9 ounces.
Their shallow-water strategy produced quality fish throughout the event. They focused on water 15 feet or less, using forward-facing sonar and pitching jigs tipped with crawlers, leeches and creek chubs. A 25.5-inch walleye helped anchor their Day 1 limit, but Day 2 proved more difficult as they searched unsuccessfully for the kicker fish needed to make a major move. They finished just four pounds out of the money.
Then came August 29—and what a way to finish the season.
McGinty and Enger competed in the 9th Annual Pauly J. Larson Memorial Fishing Tournament on Lac qui Parle Lake, going head-to-head with 80 boats. After a slow morning, their first fish—a 19.75-inch walleye—finally came late in the morning.
Around 1:15 p.m., everything changed.
The team put a 27-inch walleye in the boat, followed shortly by a 15.25-inch fish. After an hour without another bite, they made a move—and that decision changed everything.
In a short period of time, they added another 15.25-inch walleye and a 25.5-inch walleye, completing their five-fish limit with 17.51 pounds.
When the scales closed, Pete McGinty and Cody Enger were sitting on top.
🏆 1ST PLACE — 80 BOATS — 17.51 POUNDS 🏆
The championship earned the team a $10,900 total payout, including $9,000 for first place, $1,650 from the option pot and $250 for the second-biggest walleye.
Every fish in their winning bag came pitching a jig/minnow or jig/crawler combination.
2026 Season at a Glance
6 Tournament Events
2 States — Minnesota & South Dakota
93 Boats — Master's Walleye Circuit
80 Boats — Pauly J. Larson Memorial
1 Tournament Championship
1 Top-10 Finish
Multiple Top-20 Finishes
$10,900 Championship Payout
2026 Pauly J. Larson Memorial Champions
The season wasn't always easy. There were tough bites, lost fish, crowded spots, difficult decisions and tournaments where one more kicker fish could have completely changed the standings.
But that's tournament fishing.
The ability to adjust, stay patient and keep grinding ultimately paid off in a big way.
From knocking the dust off on Big Stone Lake in May to hoisting the championship on Lac qui Parle Lake in August, the 2026 season was one to remember.
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who supported us throughout the season, our sponsors, Miller Services/Tri-County Insurance and Mitlyng Electric, HVAC, Plumbing & Refrigeration, to the tournament organizers and volunteers who make these events possible, and to all the anglers who shared the water and competition along the way.
Most importantly, it was a season filled with great memories, good friends, long days on the water and a championship finish on Lac qui Parle Lake.