Courtesy Photo Co-Angler Champion Conner Fox, left, and Pro Angler Champion Isaac Lakich hold their trophies after winning their divisions in the National Walleye Tour held in Alpena.

ALPENA — A host of anglers participated in the National Walleye Tour on Thursday and Friday in Alpena, with Isaac Lakich winning the top prize with a total weight of 60 pounds, 11 ounces.

Lakich, of Richfield, Wisc., won the title, along with $15,000 and a new boat valued between $90,000 and $100,000. This was Lakich’s first National Walleye Tour Pro Division victory.

Alpena was the third stop of the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s 2025 National Walleye Tour presented by Progressive.

Gage Gordon of Belgrade, Mont., placed second overall, with a total weight of 52 pounds, 9 ounces, followed by Peter Schaefer of Linwood, Mich., in third with a total weight of 51 pounds, 14 ounces.

Alpena pro angler Adam Peterson placed 19th, with 10 fish weighing in for a total of 41 pounds, 12 ounces. Alpena pro Eric Kruczynski placed 29th, with nine fish weighing in for a total of 37 pounds, 5 ounces. Alpena pro Romeo Bourdage placed 31st, with 10 fish weighing in for a total of 36 pounds, 9 ounces. Wayne Van Dyke of Spruce placed 77th, with three fish weighing in for a total of 11 pounds, 11 ounces.

Courtesy Photo Romeo Bourdage, left, and Andy Bentz, his co-angler, hold up their fish during the National Walleye Tour in Alpena.

Conner Fox won the co-angler division.

Bourdage said the National Walleye Tour attracts anglers from all over the U.S.

“They’re the best of the best in the country,” said Bourdage, who organized the event as a member of the Thunder Bay Walleye Club. “They do it for a living.”

Mary Beth Stutzman, CEO of the Alpena Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, helped fund the tournament, which brings many anglers and tourists to the Alpena area.

“Our job is to promote the community to audiences that align with what we have to offer,” Stutzman said on Sunday. “Fishing is the Alpena region’s number one recreational tourism draw. So, since I took my position in 2013, I have had a strategy to promote fishing as a way to bring tourism-related economic development to the Alpena region, and one of the best, most efficient ways to do that is to sponsor tournaments that have accompanying media coverage … We specifically Invest in tournaments that have very robust media coverage … so we are getting the word out about the Alpena region fishing to people all over the United States.”

Courtesy Photo Romeo Bourdage, of the Thunder Bay Walleye Club, and Mary Beth Stutzman, CEO of the Alpena Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, pose for a photo at the National Walleye Tour in Alpena.

In addition to bringing visitors to Northeast Michigan, the National Walleye Tour is broadcast across the country, shining a spotlight on Alpena, so Stutzman said it is very important to help bring events like this to the area.

“We invested about $30,000 into this specific tournament project and every aspect of it was photographed and filmed for media while the event was running and afterwards it will be on television,” Stutzman said. “They’re already broadcasting to their own audiences about what their experience was like on Lake Huron. What what kind of bait worked, what didn’t. Their personal experiences and all of these folks have an audience of other sportfisherman that wanna go and they wanna test where these guys or or women have fished, so it really is an extremely efficient way for us to promote the community to our our number one audience of recreational travelers, and they bring new money into the region.”

“It’s not about local coverage,” Bourdage said. “It’s about what is it gonna do nationally for Alpena.”

In a Facebook post, Bourdage gave a shout out to all who helped from the Thunder Bay Walleye Club.

“It takes a team to make an event like this be successful,” Bourdage said. “Thanks to the TBWC for helping and allowing me time to concentrate on fishing. We have a great club with members that are proud of our community.”

Courtesy Photo Anglers head out of the Alpena Harbor during the National Walleye Tour.

He said he has been with the Thunder Bay Walleye Club for nearly 25 years, and he’s been fishing competitively for about 15 years. This was his first National Walleye Tour event.

“This was one of the best run tournaments we’ve had,” Bourdage said.

Bourdage added that Jeff and Tina Konczak put on the banquet for the anglers at The Depot in Alpena, catered by Jon Benson of JJ’s.

Bourdage added that over 100 spectators were watching the event, and many volunteers and sponsors helped make it a success.

Bourdage extended appreciation for the sponsors who made the season and event successful, including Alpena Agency, Clem’s Bait and Tackle, Century 21 Northland Bob Lang, Gator Bait Tackle, The Court Yard Ristorante, Biggby Coffee/B Cubed, McDonald Brother’s Collision, Sports Unlimited, Valley’s Canvas, Player’s Pub & Grub, AAACU, The Boat House, Stanson Floor Covering and Furniture, Carhartt Apparel, Coors Light~Alpena Beverage, Jimmy Johns, Young’s Appliance & Furniture, Lacourse Rods, Amped Outdoors, Skiba Vision Center, and Unicorm Solutions, Dean Arbour Ford, and JJ’s Steak & Pizza House, Preferred Valet, Hier Damily Dentistry, and ECO Leasing with Trailer Tom.

Courtesy Photo Anglers head out of the Alpena Harbor during the National Walleye Tour.

“Mary Beth and her crew from the CVB did a great job organizing volunteers, and making the event run smoothly,” Bourdage said.

For a full list of results, visit outdoorteamworks.com.

Reach News Community Editor Darby Hinkley at 989-358-5691 or dhinkley@TheAlpenaNews.com.

Courtesy Photo Fishing boats are seen near the large U.S. Flag flying over Thunder Bay at the Alpena Harbor.

Courtesy Photo Spectators enjoy the National Walleye Tour in Alpena.