Pro walleye angler Sammy Cappelli credits thorough preparation and understanding of marine electronics for the latest championship trophy he has brought home to Poland.

Cappelli, who many know as “The Bull,” recently won the prestigious Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit “Team of the Year” with partner Tony Karrick of Elgin, Ill.

Cappelli and Karrick outscored more than 100 other teams on the national walleye trail, starting with a stirring victory in the frigid season opener in April in Illinois. They added a second-place finish in Green Bay, Wisc., a 10th on Lake Erie out of Monroe, Mich., and 13th on Erie out of Lorain.

Cappelli also is a former winner of the Cabela’s National Team Championship tournament — a title he says still stands as his biggest accomplishment.

He and Karrick clinched the top team title in the two-day Cabela’s walleye tournament on Cass Lake in Minnesota two weeks ago. They edged the team of Adam Hume and Mike Karner of Michigan.

“It came down to the last event, which I knew would be a tougher bite with the high pressure system up there,” Cappelli said. “I told Tony ‘let’s just go and fish and have fun.’ We knew we weren’t on the fish to win the event itself, so we fished to hold on to our points lead.”

Cappelli and Karrick survived a bit of drama on day two of the Minnesota finale as they weighed in early and had to wait on contenders Hume and Karner to bring their walleyes to the scales.

“It turned out they didn’t match their first-day weight and finished 29th,” Cappelli said. “They needed to place 17th to beat us.”

Karrick and Cappelli teamed up earlier this year after The Bull’s regular teammate, Anthony Naples, decided to skip the Cabela’s season because of his daughter’s pending wedding.

With the team title theirs, Cappelli and Karrick will hook up in May 2024 to fish the Cabela’s National Team Championship on Lake Erie.

Cappelli said Karrick is an excellent teammate due to his willingness to be open-minded and learn.

“Tony learned how all of my stuff is labeled and set up perfectly for each day’s fishing,” he said.

His tip for working together?

“It’s difficult when you have two captains,” Cappelli said. “You need to be patient, spend time on water and learn how to fish together. Preparation is key. You need to understand eachother’s strong points and how to bring it together.”

He has solid advice for weekend anglers looking to improve their walleye fishing success.

“The number one thing is to learn the new electronics, (like) forward facing sonar,” Cappelli said. “At Cass Lake, it normally takes 14 pounds a day to do well, but teams were bringing in 41 pounds by aiming their forward facing sonar at the underwater saddles. They could see specific fish on their screens and cast and catch them.”

He also recommends anglers check out the local walleye events to learn how competitors are catching fish.

“Look up the Ohio Walleye Federation schedule and show up at their weigh-ins and ask questions,” Cappelli said. “Those guys are great. They will tell you exactly what they are doing and you’ll learn fast.”

Jack Wollitz’s book, “The Common Angler,” is a collection of stories that explain why anglers are passionate about fishing. Send a note to jackbbaass@gmail.com.