Berkley Pro Austin Tomasek wasted no time making a statement to start the 2026 season, winning the National Walleye Tour opener on Lake Erie with a two-day total of 86 pounds, 9 ounces. The victory earned him $15,000 in cash, a new Ranger 620FS PRO powered by a 250 XL Pro XS FourStroke Mercury, and a $500 Garmin contingency bonus.
Fishing out of Monroe, Michigan, on one of the nation's premier walleye fisheries, Tomasek separated himself from the field with consistency and an ability to stay on quality fish. He set the tone early, bringing 44-10 to the scales on Day One, then backed it up with 41-15 on Day Two to secure a commanding victory. His 86-9 total gave him a decisive edge over second place at 78-10.
But the win didn't come easily. He had to adjust on the fly both days of competition. "I knew this event was going to be about making good decisions and following the fish. I figured to win, I'd need to be the guy who could locate big prespawn fish," Tomasek said. "In practice, I found groups of walleye in dirty water areas, and the bigger fish were setting up where I just had to stay with them as conditions changed."
After dialing in his plan and catching 42 to 46 pounds each day of practice, Tomasek saw his primary area clean up overnight, forcing a late Day One adjustment to relocate the dirtier water and the prespawn walleyes he was targeting. With just a couple of hours remaining, he found a key stretch of dirty water and quickly capitalized, building his entire Day One weight in a two-hour window. On Day Two, he returned to the area, but again had to track subtle changes in water clarity that had repositioned his fish. By staying on the move and adjusting as he went, he relocated them nearly a quarter-mile from where they had been the day before.
Tomasek relied heavily on the new Berkley Lab Series Minnow in Wakasagi, paired with a 3/4-ounce tungsten jig throughout the tournament. He fished it on a 7-foot, 4-inch medium-heavy, moderate-fast Fenwick World Class Walleye spinning rod with an Abu Garcia Revo Rocket spinning reel, spooled with 10-pound Berkley X9 Braid tied to a 15-pound Berkley GinClear fluorocarbon leader. With a very limited inventory of the Lab Series Minnows, he opted to save them for the competition.
"I had a limited supply of the Berkley Lab Series Minnows and wanted to save the select few I did have for the event," Tomasek said.. "So during practice, I used other baits to save that specific shape and Wakasagi color for tournament days. It made a noticeable difference in targeting bigger fish, and I'm glad I held onto those packs until it mattered most."
Tomasek has built a strong track record across Michigan, finding consistent success in walleye tournaments throughout his career, but what he accomplished on Lake Erie marked a different level. Claiming his first National Walleye Tour title in dominant fashion was a defining moment. Doing it in front of a large group of family and friends who were there to watch made it even more meaningful.
"I've won at the local level around Michigan, but this is my first national tour win, and it still doesn't feel real quite yet," Tomasek said. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, but to have that kind of support there on the final day, after a hard-fought tournament on big water, with family and friends watching it all unfold, that's something I'll never forget."
"This win with Austin is a great example of what the Lab Series lineup is capable of as a true multispecies bait, beyond just bass fishing," said Marc Kempter, Vice President of Marketing for Berkley. "He leaned on his experience to adapt to changing water conditions to make the right adjustments on the fly and capitalize in those key windows when it mattered most."
With the win, Tomasek now turns his attention to the next NWT stop as the tour heads west to Lake Oahe in South Dakota, on May 20–21.
To learn more about Berkley Lab Series, please click here.
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