The 20th annual Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic (KCWC), a competitive, live-release walleye-fishing tournament held Saturday, June 12, 2021 on Lake Bemidji and Lake Irving, is reporting official results.

This year, 120 two-person teams competed for more than $60,000 in cash and prizes for this 20th anniversary celebration. First prize winners Kelly and Rylee Curb took home the $20,000 Championship and the Legacy prize as our top ranked father and son team. The Curbs submitted the tournament limit of five fish for a total weight of 20.00 pounds.

Cash prizes were awarded to the top 15 teams, with a variety of custom rods and other prizes for select spots in the remaining field. The “Big Fish” prize went to the team of Rick and Justin Whittington for a 7.18 pound fish. A full listing of all tournament anglers and their official results is attached below with a complete press release.

Congratulations to John Halcrow, winner of the 2021 Lund 1600 Fury SS with 25 hp Mercury and Shoreland'r trailer, courtesy of Ray's Sport and Marine, Lund, Mercury and Shoreland'r, as well as the winners of 19 cash prizes! The full winner list is attached below.

Thank you to all of those who purchased raffle tickets for this year's Walleye Classic, as well as the beneficiaries and sponsors that helped make it successful!

5/25/2021

The June 12, 2021 Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic, presented by Acme Tools/Milwaukee Tools/Honda Power Equipment, is approaching fast! We are excited to provide this update to our anglers, sponsors, and the community as they prepare for the 20th Anniversary tournament in this rapidly-changing environment.

Due to COVID-19 safety concerns and state guidance, some aspects of the tournament are being modified, such as moving the weigh-in to an online, catch/photo/release format. We chose Tourney Angler as our smart phone app. Many of our anglers have used this app in tournaments over the last year; we encourage all anglers to practice using this app until they are comfortable with it. We are also going to provide fantastic opportunities for anglers’ families, friends and the community to follow the tournament live online at the KCWC Facebook page, @KnightsofColumbusWalleyeClassic. Look for live updates at 7:00AM, 10:00AM, 2:00PM, and the awards ceremony at 4:30PM.

Thanks to recent lifting of restrictions on outdoor and indoor gatherings, we are adjusting our tournament plan in significant ways. At this time, we are moving the Friday afternoon Rules Meeting to the Eagles Club, as has been tradition. We also expect that there will be an opportunity to view portions of the tournament at the waterfront. More information will be provided as we work with the appropriate authorities for approval of our pandemic plans.

Please continue to monitor this website and our Facebook page for additional updates as the tournament approaches. Registered anglers will be receiving their Rules Meeting reminder in the mail in just over a week. Please also remember to support the tournament by buying raffle tickets at Northwoods Bait, Lueken’s, Ace on the Lake, and Ray’s Marine, or at the Rules Meeting or waterfront during the tournament. If you have questions, please contact Tournament Director John Marcum at bowhunterjohnm@gmail.com.

Registration for any remaining spots in the 2021 KC Walleye Classic will be available for the public at 8am on March 8th. Returning anglers have already secured their spots for the 20th anniversary tournament, featuring a special field of 120 teams vying for the top prize of $20,000! 

Click the link at right to review the tournament rules and register today. Not many spots remain! Should the tournament fill up, anglers are encouraged to sign up at the link for a place on this year's wait list. Any issues with registration, please contact tourney registrar Claude Sand at claudesand1950@gmail.com.

The Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic recently distributed $44,352 to 11 different local charitable organizations, all of whom are active participants in tournament activities and raffle ticket sales. Thank you to our many sponsors, raffle ticket sellers and volunteers who make this generous  community support possible!

For 2021, the Classic is excited to welcome John Marcum, incoming Tournament Director. Previous director Joe Czapiewski is shifting his focus to sponsorship development after serving five years in the director role.

See the fun video below for full details!

Winners of the 2020 Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic, presented by Acme Tools/Milwaukee Tools/Honda Power Equipment, have been selected! Congratulations to Steven Johnson of Bemidji for winning the 2020 Lund 1600 Fury SS with 25 hp Mercury motor and Shoreland'r trailer, sponsored by Ray's Sport and Marine! 

The full list of winners is attached below. A sincere thank you to everyone who purchased tickets this year, as well as the many beneficiary organizations and sponsors that helped sell them!

Watch the drawing as it happened on Facebook Live from June 13, at the Bemidji Tourist Information Center. Thank you to Mikey Love from Ray's Sport and Marine for helping with the drawing!

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1156694318044497

The Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic Committee announces the cancellation of the 2020 Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic fishing tournament, originally scheduled to be held June 13.

Tournament organizers are already making plans to celebrate the 20th Anniversary Walleye Classic, presented by Acme Tools/Milwaukee Tools/Honda Power Equipment, on June 12, 2021 at the Lake Bemidji Waterfront.

The public still has the opportunity to support the tournament's charitable beneficiaries this year by purchasing KCWC raffle tickets, sponsored by Ray's Sport and Marine. 

See the attached document for details.

The KCWC Committee met this week to review information and consider our options for the June 13, 2020 Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic.

Right now the planning environment is very complex and changing quickly. The committee was able to identify several potential scenarios and is busy developing contingency plans for our main goal, which is to go ahead with the tournament if we can do so within public health protocols. No decision has been made on how to proceed and we plan to keep our options open until a later date.

We are thankful for the continued support of our anglers, sponsors and beneficiary organization volunteers across the community and region. Our dream for the 20th Walleye Classic is to provide a tournament that is special and memorable. We still hope to do that - even if in ways we couldn't have imagined! Please stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

Oh, and be sure to get your raffle tickets at Lueken's North, Northwoods Bait and Tackle, or from your favorite Bemidji Youth League Baseball player, BHS fishing team angler, or Knights of Columbus member!

Registration for the 2020 Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic will open for the general public at 8:00 am this Sunday, March 8th, 2020. Two-person fishing teams can register on a first-come, first-served basis on the tournament website kcwalleyeclassic.com.

A list of rules, including fees and registration requirements, can be found on the website. Once registration is full, anglers can opt to join a waiting list in the event of any team cancelations.

This year’s tournament field has been expanded by 20 teams to a total of 120 in celebration of the tournament’s 20th anniversary. Anglers will be competing for a once-in-a-lifetime top prize of $20,000. This is the largest prize in the history of the tournament, as well as the largest field of anglers. Combined with activities for the entire community to enjoy, this one-day tournament is the premier celebration of summer fishing in northern Minnesota.

See the attached release for additional information.

The Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic, presented by Acme Tools/Milwaukee Tools/Honda Power Equipment, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with a top prize of $20,000! One hundred twenty 2-person teams will compete for the largest prize in the history of the tournament. This year's tournament is June 13th, 2020. Registration for returning teams begins on February 1, and will open to the public on March 8th at 8AM. 

Check the attached press release for more details!

The Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic, presented by Acme Tools/Milwaukee Tools/Honda Power Equipment, distributed $62,706 in proceeds from the 2019 tournament to ten community charities. Over 60 people attended the December ceremony. Over a 19 year tournament history, the Kraus Anderson/Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic has distributed a total of $820,250 to great community causes!

One of the best parts of the KC Walleye Classic is the opportunity for the entire community to get in on the fun! This year we held a raffle for a Lund boat, Mercury motor and Shoreland'r trailer, courtesy Ray's Sport and Marine, as well as several cash prizes sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. A separate drawing was also held for a fantastic Ontario fishing trip to Duck Bay Lodge! This year we also gave away a youth prize package as a part of the kids activity area, sponsored by All Pro Dads. Here's the list of winners!

Raffle:

• Boat - Chris Mills, Stephen, MN
• $1,000 - Barb Mountain, Bemidji, MN
• $500 - Hunter Meyers, Bemidji, MN
• $250 - Tim Kassa, Bemidji, MN
• $250 - Christian Knutson, Bemidji, MN
• $250 - Lynda Drietz, Anoka, MN
• $100 - Mike Albrecht, Bemidji, MN
• $100 - Shelley Ausk, Cass Lake, MN
• $100 - Brian Mustonen, Bemidji, MN
• $100 - Jennifer Monehant, Bemidji, MN
• $100, Richard James, Laporte, MN

Trip to Duck Bay Lodge - Kelly Juelson, Blackduck, MN

Youth Prize Package - Leah Peterson, Witchita, KS

The 2018 Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic, presented by Acme Tools/Milwaukee Tools/Honda Power Equipment, distributed $63,016 to eleven different charitable beneficiaries, an increase of over $16,000 over the previous year. 

See the attached release for more information.

The Knights of Columbus Walleye Classic will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary on June 12, 2021, at the Lake Bemidji Waterfront! Thank you for your patience as we hold off on the 2020 tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic - we'll be back when public health conditions warrant!

Steven and Kathy Johnson take a look at their new Lund fishing boat, courtesy or Ray's Sport and Marine. Pictured with them are KCWC Tournament Director Joe Czapiewski, Ray's manager Mikey Love, and KCWC Raffle Chair Terry Belanger.

Sundquist and Holley, who also won the KCWC in 2004, claimed the championship with 13.86 pounds. Duane and Travis Peterson took second and the Legacy prize with 13.38 pounds. Big Fish prize went to Kurt Knott and Marty McSharry with a 5.81 pound fish!

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