B737 FLT CREW REPORTS MASTER CAUTION FOR FUEL FILTER BYPASS AT 100 KNOTS DURING TKOF. FLT CREW ELECTS TO RETURN AFTER DISCUSSION WITH MAINTENANCE.

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ON TKOF ROLL AT APPROX 100 KIAS; MASTER CAUTION ILLUMINATED. CONTINUED TKOF; AFTER TKOF DETERMINED LIGHT TO BE DUE TO #1 ENG FUEL FILTER BYPASS. AT A SAFE ALT WE XFERRED ACFT CTL AND I RAN THE APPROPRIATE IRREGULAR CHKLIST WHILE FO FLEW AND TALKED TO ATC. ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DISPATCH USING ACARS. WAS UNABLE TO TALK TO DISPATCH UNTIL ABOVE FL200. REQUESTED PHONE PATCH TO MAINT. AFTER CONSULTATION WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO ZZZ. CONVERSATION WITH MAINT WAS MARGINAL AT BEST; PATCH WAS EXTREMELY SCRATCHY AND WEAK. WE DECIDED TO LAND OVERWT AS OPPOSED TO BURNING FUEL DOWN AS WE WERE UNABLE TO ASCERTAIN STATUS OF FILTER CLOG; AND IT SEEMED FAR SAFER TO LAND EXPEDITIOUSLY WITH BOTH ENGS RUNNING THAN TO RISK HAVING #1 QUIT AND HAVING TO LAND SINGLE ENG AT MAX LNDG WT. AFTER NOTIFYING FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX OF RETURN TO FIELD; I RESUMED PF DUTIES AND WE COMPLETED ALL APPROPRIATE NORMAL CHKLIST. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH APCH. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH A GENTLE TOUCHDOWN. TAXIED NORMALLY TO THE GATE UNDER OUR OWN PWR. WE FELT THAT THE SITUATION WAS WELL WITHIN OUR TRAINING; AND THE EVENT WAS HANDLED PROPERLY WITH SOP'S AND APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS.