NWT Stop #2 – Mississippi River Winning Baits & Techniques

Debernardi Takes the Win, Hjelm Ends Second, Nussbaum Finishes Third

Story Presented by Garmin

 

Springfield, Mo (May 27th, 2025) – This past weekend witnessed considerable excitement on the Mississippi River during the second stop of the 2025 Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s National Walleye Tour presented by Progressive. Following two days of excellent fishing reports and the weighing in of numerous large Wisconsin walleye, Illinois angler JJ Debernardi emerged victorious. Debernardi achieved this success by remaining in Pool 8 and utilizing crankbaits and live bait rigs. Over the course of two days, he brought 34-08 to the scales, securing his victory and earning $101,388 in cash and prizes, which included a 2025 Nitro ZV20 boat package.

Here is a breakdown of the top winning patterns and baits:

1st – JJ Debernardi: 34-08

At the end of the first day, Pro-Angler JJ Debernardi had a five-fish limit of 17-10 and was in third place. On the final day, with another catch weighing 16-14, he totaled 34-08, securing his second title in three years on the NWT.

 

Fishing in Pool 8, JJ targeted rock piles along the main river channel edges to catch fish, noting that the best-quality bites came from these areas. The Illinois NWT Pro-Angler reported catching 15-20 keepers daily and had to carefully select which fish to keep due to Wisconsin’s no-cull rules.

 

 

“Oddly enough, the fish that probably helped me the most on day one I caught and lost it about 1pm. I came back to the same area about an hour later and caught that same fish again, I could see the fresh hook mark in its mouth, so I know for sure that it was the same fish. If I hadn’t caught that fish on Day-1 this would not have happened”.

 

JJ reported that while he did not use his Garmin LiveScope to target and catch fish, it was however crucial for locating rock structures holding fish and making accurate casts with his live-bait rigs tipped with willow cats and Rapala DT-10 crankbaits.

 

 

“We were casting at every single fish we caught this week, not trolling. The key was keeping contact with the bottom. Once you hit the mark, it was almost a guaranteed catch,” JJ said.

 

JJ’s efforts paid off, beating second-place angler Duane Hjelm by nearly a pound. This win puts JJ well into the Top-40 of 2025 Progressive Angler of the Year points before the final two regular season events. He also qualifies for the 2025 NWT Championship on the Bay of Green Bay in September.

 

“This is a very special win and honestly, I did not think it was possible this week. I am very fortunate, and it all comes down to the great support I have. My wife, my kids, my traveling buddies out here, and awesome sponsors Finval, Woodstock Lines, Ketch Products, Walleye Nation Creations, and Half Cocked Customs.

 

 

2nd Place – Duane Hjelm: 33-13

Ranger Boats NWT Pro-Angler Duane Hjelm is well-acquainted with achieving Top-10 finishes in the NWT. Duane is on the quest for another Progressive Angler of the Year title after accomplishing a 11th Place finish at Lake Sharpe and a Top-5 at the Mississippi River.

“This week just worked out well for me,” stated Duane, the Pierre, SD NWT Pro-Angler. “My co-angler and I each caught 40 keepers over both days, making the decision of which fish to retain a crucial factor for me this week.”

Duane observed that the Mississippi River’s health is exceptional. He reported catching multiple fish daily that exceeded the slot size and noted that many of the fish within the slot were over two pounds.

 

 

“I was throwing a ton of different baits throughout the week. Willow cats, hair jigs, the Rapala RS Shad Rap, and the Glass Shad Rap.”

 

Duane reported that he stayed in Pool 8 throughout both days of the tournament, concentrating primarily on a specific area to catch his fish. Given the changing water conditions and temperatures, live bait proved more effective than artificial baits, although some key catches were made using Shad Raps and jigs. He located an area characterized by a substantial sand hump, which served as a deflection to the current. The fish positioned themselves on top of this sand hump, feeding on bait as it was carried by the current and deflected around the sand.

 

 

“Another crucial element to my success this week was relying on my 13 Fishing Myth and Oath series rods, spooled with Suffix 832 15lb line. Obviously, these are two significant sponsors of mine, but without the support of my other sponsors—Ranger Boats, Mercury Marine, Garmin, Zip Wake, and Dakota Lithium—it would be challenging to compete at this level.”

 

After two days of competition, Duane weighed in at a total of 33 pounds and 13 ounces, earning a check worth $19,710. This amount included the $4,000 Ranger Cup bonus, the $500 Garmin Trolling Motor contingency bonus, and an additional $250 for being the highest finisher equipped with a T-H Marine Atlas Jack Plate.

 

 

3rd Place – Dylan Nussbaum: 31-01

Another top finishing angler that focused his tournament on Pool 8 was Nitro Boats NWT Pro-Angler Dylan Nussbaum. Dylan focused on fishing wing dams throughout the tournament and any other type of rock, but he reported that the wing dams were the key to better quality fish.

“I was fishing all artificial baits this week, primarily using DT-10s but also mixed in a rip-n-rap when I needed the extra bits and had to give them a little more subtle approach.”

 

 

The Pennsylvania Pro-Angler said that he only caught seven or eight keepers a day, but the under-slot fish he caught we perfect with the smallest being over two pounds.

“I did not expect the outcome of this tournament, but it all just seemed to work out. This is a great fishery, different from most places I am used to. But overall, it was a great week.”

 

 

Dylan took home a check worth $13,960 which includes a $2,500 Nitro Rewards contingency bonus for owning a 2025 Nitro ZV21.

 

Rest of the Top-10:

4.) Kevin McQuoid               Marathon, FL            30-09            $10,978

5.) Danny Plautz                  Lakewills, WI             30-04            $10,168

6.) John Hoyer                     Keosauquq, IA          29-11 $9,427

7.) Carter Cournoyer           Lake Elmo, MN         28-03          $7,686

8.) Eric McQuoid                  Algoma, WI               27-13              $7,945

9.) Peter Mart                       Utica, MN                  26-08 $6,731

10.) Bill Shimota                   Northfield, Mn           26-07           $5,370

 

Full results can be found here.

 

Outdoor TeamWorks and the NWT would like to thank Explore La Crosse CVB for their hospitality and being a great host to all the anglers and fans this week.

 

The next event of the 2025 NWT season will be in Alpena, MI on Lake Huron, July 10-11th. There are still a number of open NWT Pro-Angler spots available, and anglers still interested in fishing at the event are highly encouraged to register. Pro-Angler entry fees are $2,000 and the winning pro of that event will take home a 2025 Nitro ZV20 boat package plus $15,000 cash-GUARANTEED.

 

 2025 National Walleye Tour Schedule:

●       April 24-25             Pierre, SD                  Lake Sharpe

●       May 22-23              La Crosse, WI            Mississippi River

●       July 10-11             Alpena, MI                 Lake Huron

●       August 7-8             Dunkirk, NY               Lake Erie

●       September 3-5      Marinette, WI             Bay of Green Bay

 

For more information on the National Walleye Tour, including the 2025 tournament schedule, fact sheets, photos, and official tournament results from past events, visit nationalwalleyetour.com. Subscribing to the NWT e-newsletter is the best way to receive up-to-date information, registration announcements, sponsor incentives, and Outdoor TeamWorks news.

XXX

 

About National Walleye Tour

National Walleye Tour (NWT) is part of the Outdoor Team Works family of fishing tournaments. The OTW brand offers a wide range of fishing events from professional tournaments to grassroots fishing derbies. All events are supported by some of the top companies in the nation and include on-site activation and activities, as well as extensive media support. For live updates and information, follow NWT on Facebook and Instagram or visit www.nationalwalleyetour.com to catch up on all the action.