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| Giachetto, Ebi Win WalMart RCL Walleye Tour Season Opener |
SPRING VALLEY, Ill. (April 3, 2004) - Pro Tom Giachetto of Ladd, Ill., landed $90,000 in cash and prizes, including a Lund boat powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, Saturday after a difficult week of fishing on the Illinois River in the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour season opener.
Giachetto caught five sauger weighing 11 pounds, 12 ounces while fishing with co-angler Dave Dugall of Highland, Mich., on the final day of the four-day tournament to claim victory with a two-day total of 10 sauger weighing 26 pounds, 12 ounces.
"It seemed like you had to go through a number of fish to get a few quality bites," said Giachetto, who was fishing in only his second RCL Tour event. "When the bite slowed down and we only caught 14 fish, compared to the 20 to 25 we caught Friday, I didn't think I had enough to win. I was hoping for a top five finish."
Giachetto advanced to the semifinal round of 20 anglers with a two-day, opening-round total of six sauger weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces. He then moved into the final round of 10 anglers as the No. 1 seed after catching five sauger weighing 15 pounds Friday with co-angler Carolyn Brandon of Greenville, Ohio.
After abandoning a game plan that produced a solitary keeper on opening day, Giachetto caught solid limits the last three days of competition trolling three-way rigs upstream at a snail's pace. The rigs employed 5/8-ounce jigs and floating jigs tipped with minnows and twister tails. The majority of his fish were caught in 13 feet of water.
Rounding out the top five pros are Mark Courts of Harris, Minn. (10 sauger, 26 pounds, 8 ounces, $25,000); Rick LaCourse of Port Clinton, Ohio (10 sauger, 25 pounds, 2 ounces, $20,000); Aaron McQuoid (10 sauger, 23 pounds, 25 ounces, $15,000) and Gerrick McComsey of Fort Pierre, S.D. (10 sauger, 22 pounds, 14 ounces, $12,500).
Co-angler Tom Ebi of Dearborn, Mich., who fished with pro Todd Riley of Amery, Wis., Saturday, reeled in victory and $15,000 with a two-day total of 10 sauger weighing 12 pounds, 6 ounces. He qualified for the semifinal round with a two-day total of five sauger weighing 11 pounds, 2 ounces then advanced to the final round as the a No. 2 seed after catching five sauger weighing 12 pounds, 15 ounces Friday with McQuoid.
"I am totally surprised by this," said Ebi, who was fishing his fifth RCL Tour event. "I thought I might end up third, fourth or fifth, but not win. This has been a great week."
Like Giachetto, Ebi and his partner were trolling upstream using three-way rigs in 13 feet of water.
"We worked very specific targets," Ebi said. "The fish were located on the downstream side of eddies, so we just circled back and forth through the hot spots until we got a bite."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Troy Nelson of Lombard, Ill. (10 sauger, 25 pounds, $7,500); Dugall (10 sauger, 24 pounds, 9 ounces, $6,000); Tony Jaworski of Chicago (10 sauger, 24 pounds, 9 ounces, $5,000) and Glen Prochnow of Hartford, Wis. (10 sauger, 24 pounds, $4,000). The tie between Dugall and Jaworski was broken by opening-round standings.
Three hundred and forty anglers representing 19 states and Canada participated in the tournament, which ranks as the state's most lucrative walleye tournament to date with $401,750 in cash and prizes awarded to the top 60 anglers in each division.
In RCL Tour competition, pros and co-anglers fish for a combined boat weight and are randomly paired each day. Anglers will compete in four regular-season tournaments in the hope of earning a return trip to Illinois to fish the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship on the Mississippi River in Moline Sept. 29-Oct. 2 for a shot at as much as $400,000 cash in the Pro Division and as much as $150,000 cash in the co-angler division.
The second stop on the RCL Walleye Tour is the Lake Erie tournament presented by Yamaha in Port Clinton, Ohio., April 28-May 1. RCL Tour anglers will visit Devils Lake in Spirit Lake, N.D., May 26-29 and Lake Oahe in Pierre, S.D., June 16-19.
The RCL Tour is administered by FLW Outdoors and named after boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and Lund. FLW Outdoors, the world's leading marketer of competitive fishing, is named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood. Other FLW Outdoors-sanctioned tournament trails include the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League for weekend anglers; the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world's most lucrative bass-tournament series; the EverStart Series, designed as a pathway to the FLW Tour; the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League for weekend anglers; and the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail.
Wal-Mart and many of America's most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997.
For more information about the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. |
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| Giachetto, Brandon Lead Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour Finalists |
SPRING VALLEY, Ill. (April 2, 2004) - After two days of difficult fishing, the Illinois River finally started to lived up to its reputation as a world-class sauger fishery Friday by giving up 13 five-fish limits to the top 20 pros and co-anglers remaining in the $3.19 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour season opener. The leaders of this crucial semifinal round bout, pro Tom Giachetto of Ladd, Ill., and co-angler Carolyn Brandon of Greenville, Ohio, caught a limit weighing 15 pounds using three-way rigs and live bait to top the 10 pros and co-anglers advancing to Saturday's final round.
Giachetto has produced solid limits the last two days of competition despite high, muddy water that forced him to abandon his original game plan. Anglers who survived the preliminary cuts are fishing for $90,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha, in the Pro Division and $15,000 cash in the Co-angler Division. The winners are determined by the heaviest two-day weight.
"It was a wonderful day," said Giachetto, who is fishing his second RCL Tour event. "We had our limit by 9 a.m. and upgraded all day. We probably caught 20 to 25 fish throughout the day."
Giachetto entered Friday's semifinal round as the No. 5 seed after landing one sauger weighing 2 pounds, 10 ounces Wednesday with co-angler Jeff Ryan of Lake View, Iowa, and five sauger weighing 13 pounds, 5 ounces Thursday with co-angler Roger Strand of Mankato, Minn., for a total of six sauger weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces.
Brandon, who is fishing her fourth RCL Tour season, entered the semifinal round as the No. 5 co-angler after landing three sauger weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces Wednesday with pro Patrick Byle of Hartford, Wis., and three sauger weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces Thursday with pro Larry Mote of Burlington, Ind., for a total of six sauger weighing 15 pounds, 12 ounces.
Rounding out the top five final-round qualifiers are pro Aaron McQuoid of Isle Minn., and co-angler Thomas Ebi of Dearborn, Mich. (five sauger, 12 pounds, 15 ounces); pro Rick LaCourse of Port Clinton, Ohio, and co-angler Dave Dugall of Highland, Mich. (five sauger, 12 pounds, 13 ounces); pro Brian Ernat of Seatonville, Ill., and co-angler Troy Nelson of Lombard, Ill. (five sauger, 12 pounds, 11 ounces); and pro Steve Lotz of Lena, Ill., and co-angler Daniel Smola of Wonder Lake, Ill. (five sauger, 12 pounds, 7 ounces).
Takeoff starts at 7 a.m. Saturday at Spring Valley Boat Club in Spring Valley, and the final weigh-in starts at 3 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 1650 38th St. in Peru. Three hundred and forty anglers representing 19 states and Canada are participating in the tournament, which awards $401,750 in cash and prizes to the top 60 anglers in each division. Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day.
Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour anglers compete in four regular-season tournaments in their quest to qualify for the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship on the Mississippi River in Moline, Ill., Sept. 29-Oct. 2 where the world's top pros will fish for as much as $400,000 cash and co-anglers will chase as much as $150,000 cash. With a total purse of $3.19 million for the season, the RCL Tour is the world's most lucrative walleye-tournament series.
The RCL Tour is administered by FLW Outdoors and named after boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and Lund. FLW Outdoors, the world's leading marketer of competitive fishing, is named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood. Other FLW Outdoors-sanctioned tournament trails include the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League for weekend anglers; the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world's most lucrative bass-tournament series; the EverStart Series, designed as a pathway to the FLW Tour; the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League for weekend anglers; and the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail.
Wal-Mart and many of America's most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997.
For more information about the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. |
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| Lotz Leads Wal Mart RCL 2004 Season Opener on Illinois River |
SPRING VALLEY, Ill. (April 1, 2004) - It may have been April Fools' Day, but fishing the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour season opener on the Illinois River was serious business Thursday for 340 anglers from 19 states and Canada who are trying their best to trick just a few sauger into biting despite high, debris-filled water. At stake in the state's most lucrative walleye tournament to date is $401,750 in cash and prizes and valuable points toward a return trip to Illinois to fish the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship on the Mississippi River in Moline Sept. 29-Oct. 2.
Ranger pro Steve Lotz of Lena, Ill., and co-angler Wally Neumann of Morris, Ill., landed a five-fish limit weighing 12 pounds, 6 ounces Thursday to give Lotz a two-day total of 10 sauger weighing 25 pounds, 4 ounces and the lead heading into Friday's semifinal round of 20 pros and 20 co-anglers. Neumann is currently in 11th place in the Co-angler Division after blanking on opening day.
Weights are cleared Friday and only the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers will advance to Saturday's final round for a shot at $90,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha, in the Pro Division and $15,000 cash in the Co-angler Division. The winners are determined by the heaviest two-day weight.
"It was definitely an improved bite for everyone today," said Lotz, who entered Thursday's competition as the No. 1 seed after catching five sauger weighing 12 pounds, 14 ounces on opening-day with co-angler Tony Jaworski of Chicago. "That's the scary part. Several guys are charging hard, so it's going to be a tough couple of days."
Lotz caught his fish working a three-way rig around current breaks. His setup included a 1-ounce jig tipped with a minnow.
"We fished a different area today and had a limit by 9:30, but we only caught eight fish all day," Lotz said. "Tomorrow I'm heading back to my prime area and hitting them hard. The bite is definitely going to be better over the next two days."
Despite improving conditions, the Illinois River, which is widely regarded as a world-class sauger fishery, was stingy for a second straight day, as just 92 of 170 boats weighed 211 fish totaling 536 pounds, 13 ounces. On Wednesday, 56 boats brought a total of 91 fish weighing 231 pounds, 5 ounces to the scale. All of the fish were weighed in alive Thursday.
Rounding out the top five pros are Mark Courts of Harris, Minn. (eight sauger, 19 pounds, 12 ounces); Brian Ernat of Seatonville, Ill. (six sauger, 18 pounds, 11 ounces); John Campbell of Marco Island, Fla. (eight sauger, 16 pounds, 6 ounces) and Tom Giachetto of Ladd, Ill. (six sauger, 15 pounds, 15 ounces).
RCL Tour rookie Daniel Smola of Wonder Lake, Ill., holds the co-angler lead with a two-day total of six sauger weighing 19 pounds, 13 ounces. He and pro Rick LaCourse of Port Clinton, Ohio, caught five fish weighing 15 pounds, 11 ounces Thursday to compliment the single sauger weighing 3 pounds, 8 ounces that Smola caught Wednesday with pro David Kolb of Riverview, Mich.
"This is my first major tournament, and it's just exceptional," said Smola, who was among a handful of pros who handlined Thursday. "This is more than I could have asked for. I just can't stop smiling."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Glen Prochnow of Hartford, Wis. (five sauger, 16 pounds, 14 ounces); Troy Nelson of Lombard, Ill. (seven sauger, 16 pounds, 5 ounces); Scott Koenigsfeld (eight sauger, 16 pounds) and Carolyn Brandon of Greenville, Ohio (six sauger, 15 pounds, 12 ounces).
Daily takeoffs on the Illinois River start at 7 a.m. at Spring Valley Boat Club in Spring Valley. Friday and Saturday's weigh-ins start at 3 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 1650 38th St. in Peru. The community is encouraged to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-ins.
Pros and co-anglers fish for a combined boat weight and are randomly paired each day. Anglers compete in four regular-season tournaments in their quest to qualify for the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship where the world's top pros will fish for as much as $400,000 cash and co-anglers will chase as much as $150,000 cash.
The RCL Tour is administered by FLW Outdoors and named after boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and Lund. FLW Outdoors, the world's leading marketer of competitive fishing, is named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood. Other FLW Outdoors-sanctioned tournament trails include the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League for weekend anglers; the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world's most lucrative bass-tournament series; the EverStart Series, designed as a pathway to the FLW Tour; the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League for weekend anglers; and the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail.
Wal-Mart and many of America's most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997.
For more information about the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
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| WAL-MART RCL WALLEYE TOUR OPENER UNDER WAY |
SPRING VALLEY, Ill. (March 31, 2004) - High, muddy water on the Illinois River is conspiring against anglers fishing the $3.19 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour season opener, holding the field of 170 boats to just two five-fish limits Wednesday. Only 56 boats brought sauger to the scale, a sharp contrast to last year's tournament when 158 of 165 boats weighed fish on opening day.
Ranger pro Steve Lotz of Lena, Ill., and his opening-day teammate, Tony Jaworski of Chicago, lead the tournament with five saugers weighing 12 pounds, 14 ounces that they caught targeting current breaks with live bait. The men hold a 1-pound lead over pro Gerrick McComsey of Fort Pierre, S.D, and co-angler Dean Holden of Red Wing, Minn., who caught four saugers weighing 11 pounds, 14 ounces. Six pounds, 5 ounces separate the top five teams.
"It's a real tough bite, but since the river crested, things should improve every day," said Lotz, who is fishing his seventh RCL Tour event. "I feel pretty good about my chances. I need to catch a couple more and hopefully end up with 15 or 16 pounds total to make the cut."
The river, swollen by heavy rains and littered with debris, crested early Wednesday morning and should start falling according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This could produce much better fishing as the tournament continues through Saturday.
"I feel very confident that I'll catch a few more fish and make the cut," said Jaworski, who has earned a pair of seventh-place finishes in the 13 RCL Tour events he has fished since 2001. "That's my main goal. After the cut everyone will start from zero, and we'll go from there."
Rounding out the top five teams are Pete Harsh of Sauk Centre, Minn., and co-angler Scott Koenigsfeld of Three Rivers, Mich. (five saugers, 9 pounds, 15 ounces); John Campbell of Marco Island, Fla., and co-angler Don Kaufman of Casper, Wyo. (four saugers, 8 pounds, 8 ounces); and Patrick Byle of Hartford, Wis., and co-angler Carolyn Brandon of Greenville, Ohio (three saugers, 8 pounds, 2 ounces).
A total of just 91 fish weighing 231 pounds, 5 ounces were caught Wednesday, and 93 percent of the fish were weighed in alive.
Pros and co-anglers fish for a combined boat weight and are randomly paired each day. The RCL Tour is the world's most lucrative professional walleye-fishing series, awarding the winning pro at each event $90,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha. The winning co-angler collects $15,000 cash at each tournament. At the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship on the Mississippi River in Moline, Ill., Sept. 29 Oct. 2, pros will fish for as much as $400,000 cash and co-anglers will chase as much as $150,000.
Daily takeoffs on the Illinois River start at 7 a.m. at Spring Valley Boat Club in Spring Valley. Thursday's weigh-in starts at 3 p.m. at the boat club, and Friday and Saturday's weigh-ins start at 3 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 1650 38th St. in Peru. The community is encouraged to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-ins.
Anglers from 19 states and Canada are competing in the lucrative tournament, which will award $401,750 in cash and prizes to the top 60 anglers. The top 20 pros and top 20 co-anglers advance to the one-day semifinal round Friday based on their two-day opening-round catch. Weights are cleared Friday, and only the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers advance to Saturday's final round where the winners are determined by the heaviest two-day weight.
The RCL Tour is administered by FLW Outdoors and named after boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and Lund. FLW Outdoors, the world's leading marketer of competitive fishing, is named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood. Other FLW Outdoors-sanctioned tournament trails include the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League for weekend anglers; the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world's most lucrative bass-tournament series; the EverStart Series, designed as a pathway to the FLW Tour; the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League for weekend anglers; and the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail.
Wal-Mart and many of America's most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997.
For more information about the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
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| RCL Anglers Fight for Position in the World Walleye Rankings |
And so it begins
With the return of the Wal-Mart, RCL Tour to Spring Valley and the Illinois River, the 2004 tournament season will be well underway. While not the first event to call on the Illinois River this season, the RCL event is the first tournament that will have an impact on the World Walleye Rankings.
With less than ideal weather and water conditions and Saugers that did not want to cooperate, the 2003 RCL opener was a truly challenging event, testing the mettle of all anglers involved. A myriad of techniques were used to entice the fish to bite, and successful tactics changed hourly.
John Kolinski, the 2003 Spring Valley, RCL tournament Champion currently occupies the 18th position in the World Walleye Rankings (WWR). Rick Zachowski, who claimed the 2nd position in the 2003 event, while in the WWR top 200, occupies the 144th slot. The third position on 2003 went to another veteran angler, Eric Olson, who occupies the 99th position of the WWR. The angler who secured the 4th place spot in the 2003 Illinois River RCL, Scott Allar currently sits in 3rd place in the WWR ranking system.
All 4 of these experienced anglers finished up the 2003 season in the top 10 of the RCL overall rankings. That is quite a feat in and of itself. Furthermore, these four anglers are also in the top 200 of the World Walleye Rankings at this point in time.
The World Walleye Ranking system is a dynamic snapshot of an angler's past performance over the previous 2 years. Each angler fishing the required events in either the Professional Walleye Trail or the RCL are plugged into the WWR model and scored based upon numerous criteria. Tournament finishes are also plotted over time, and the resulting graphs offer a very unique look at how the anglers have ranked over a two year period. Being a dynamic system, the WWR standings are ever changing.
Upon the completion of the 2004 RCL opener, the rankings will change dramatically, and with many veteran and skilled river anglers competing in the 2004 RCL opener, this will be an interesting event to watch. |
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| $3.19 Million Dollar Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour to Begin Season on Illinois River |
SPRING VALLEY, Ill. (March 17, 2004) - The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour returns in 2004 for its fourth full season, and the Illinois River near Spring Valley will host the season opener March 31-April 3 for the second consecutive year. The 2004 RCL Tour is bigger and better than ever before with a $3.19 million total purse, including the season-ending $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship on the Mississippi River near Moline Sept. 29-Oct. 2. To kick-start the regular season, however, as many as 320 pros and co-anglers will take on the Illinois River for their share of a potential $401,750 purse, based on a full field.
According to Ranger pro Tom Keenan, the $300,000 winner of the 2003 RCL Championship, water level will likely be the determining factor as to how the Illinois River tournament is played out. Ideally, we'll see a normal flow," Keenan said. That means we'll have some current and the fish will be bunched up on gravel bars and other structure in about 7 to 10 feet of water. What I'd hate to see is the river at low level or flood stage. Either of those scenarios could add up to some tough fishing." Productive lures for the Illinois River event will likely include hair jigs, fuzzy grubs and twister tails jigged vertically, and trolling with Shad Rap crankbaits should also tempt the prespawn walleyes.
The Spring Valley Boat Club in Spring Valley will host takeoff each morning at 7. Wednesday and Thursday's weigh-ins will also be held there beginning at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday's weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 1650 38th St. in Peru beginning at 3 p.m. The community is encouraged to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-ins.
The winning pro will earn $50,000 cash plus a fully rigged Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha for a top award worth $90,000. The winning co-angler will receive $15,000 cash. One hundred and sixty boaters and 160 co-anglers comprise a full field. Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight. Pros compete against other pros, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers.
The full field competes during the two-day opening round for one of 20 semifinal-round slots based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared for day three, and the top 10 pros and co-anglers following Friday's competition advance to the final round. Final-round anglers continue, with the winner determined by the heaviest two-day weight.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points awarded to the winner, 199 to second, 198 for third, and so on. These points determine angler standings. The top 120 pros and 120 co-anglers based on year-end points standings advance to the 2004 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship, where a pro can earn as much as $400,000 cash for a win. Another 20 boaters and 20 co-anglers from the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League and 60 pros and 60 co-anglers who compete in RCL-sanctioned events will comprise a championship field of 200 pros and 200 co-anglers.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship is the most lucrative event in professional walleye angling, with guaranteed cash awards through 100th place. Including sponsor bonuses, cash awards are available through 200th place. A guaranteed cash award of $150,000 plus potential sponsor bonuses totaling $250,000 will go to the RCL Championship winner for a total pro award of $400,000. The champion co-angler will win a guaranteed cash award of $75,000 plus potential sponsor bonuses totaling $75,000 for a co-angler award of $150,000.
The RCL Tour will next visit Lake Erie near Port Clinton, Ohio, April 28-May 1 for an event presented by Yamaha. Devils Lake near Spirit Lake, N.D., will host the third regular-season event May 26-29, and the regular season will come to a close June 16-19 on Lake Oahe near Pierre, S.D.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour is administered by FLW Outdoors. Other FLW Outdoors-sanctioned tournament trails include the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League for weekend anglers; the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world's most lucrative bass-tournament series; the EverStart Series, designed as a pathway to the FLW Tour; the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League for weekend anglers; and the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail.
Wal-Mart and many of America's most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For more information about the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour and the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League are named after boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and Lund. FLW Outdoors is named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood. |
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| Vandersteen, Fluekiger Lead $1.4 Million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship |
RED WING, Minn. (Oct. 1, 2003) - A day of brilliant sunshine provided a stark contrast to chilly temperatures on the Mississippi River near Red Wing Wednesday as 440 anglers kicked off the four-day, $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship. Two hundred and twenty pros are angling for a top prize worth as much as $400,000 cash, the richest payout in walleye-tournament history, and Douglas Vandersteen of Lundar, Manitoba, and his co-angler partner Jarrad Fluekiger of Alma, Wis., lead the charge with a four-walleye catch weighing 22 pounds, 6 ounces. Two hundred and twenty co-anglers are in the hunt for a top co-angler award of $150,000 cash.
Many championship contenders found the mighty Mississippi to be mighty miserly Wednesday, with only 26 boats landing five-walleye limits. Vandersteen and Fluekiger, however, lead the field by a 3-pound, 5-ounce margin thanks to solid pre-fishing by Vandersteen.
"I found decent fish in Pool Four about a week and a half ago, but I spent last week in Pool Three and figured out how some things were working," said Vandersteen, who caught most of his walleyes Wednesday using Shad Raps. "But we laid it all on the line and went to Pool Four today, and it came through."
Fluekiger, no stranger to the leaderboard after finishing ninth in last year's championship, put himself in position to claim a second consecutive RCL Walleye Championship top-10 finish. "I had a blast," he said. "This feels great, and I hope I can stay here."
2003 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour Angler of the Year Jason Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., sits in 150th place after Wednesday's competition with one walleye weighing 1 pound, 9 ounces. Dr. Bruce Samson, $300,000 winner of the 2002 championship that was also held on the Mississippi River, weighed three walleyes weighing 5 pounds, 9 ounces to claim the 60th position. However, RCL Tour veterans Scott Allar of Welch; Rick Walter of Casper, Wyo.; and Pete Harsh of Sauk Centre each remain solidly in contention with top-25 rankings after opening day.
Rounding out the top four are pro Steve Lamb of Nashville, Tenn., and co-angler Chad Carroll of Machesney Park, Ill. (four walleyes, 19 pounds, 1 ounce); pro Robert Bodin of Red Wing and co-angler Derek Ferestad of Overland, Kan. (five walleyes, 15 pounds, 12 ounces); and pro Randy Carroll of Oswego, Ill., and co-angler Rob Jiminez of Missoula, Mont. (five walleyes, 13 pounds, 12 ounces). Three teams caught 12 pounds, 13 ounces to form a three-way tie for fifth: Allar and his co-angler partner Karl Elsner Jr. of West Monroe, N.Y.; John Hertensteiner of Victoria and his co-angler partner Philip Bear of West Des Moines, Iowa; and Jack Neuman of Naperville, Ill., and co-angler Glenn Rosenfeldt of Sabin.
Anglers take off each morning at 7 a.m. from Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Tower. Thursday's weigh-in will also be held at Treasure Island beginning at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday's weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 1752 Frontage Road in Hastings beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday. The community is encouraged to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-ins. The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour Family Fun Zone featuring boat and truck displays, sponsor giveaways and children's games will open at the Hastings Wal-Mart at 3 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday. Admission is free.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship field is comprised of anglers who qualified for the event via the $3.07 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour or other sanctioned tournament organizations. Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight. Pros supply the boat and tackle and control boat movement.
The full field will compete again Thursday, after which the top 12 pros and 12 co-anglers advance to Friday's semifinal round based on their two-day accumulated weight. Weights are cleared for the semifinal round, and pros compete for one of six final-round slots. Co-angler competition concludes Friday based on their one-day weight.
The winning pro is guaranteed $150,000 cash. Qualified Ranger, Crestliner and Lund owners are eligible for a $150,000 bonus, and if the winner's boat is equipped with an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, he will receive another $100,000 for a top pro award of $400,000 cash. The winning co-angler is guaranteed $75,000 cash, and if he is a registered owner of a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat, he will receive a $45,000 bonus. If his boat is equipped with an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, he will receive another $30,000 for a top co-angler award of $150,000.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship is administered by FLW Outdoors and named after boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and Lund. FLW Outdoors, the world's leading marketer of competitive fishing, is named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood. Other FLW Outdoors tournament trails include the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League for weekend anglers; the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world's most lucrative bass-tournament series; the EverStart Series, designed as a pathway to the FLW Tour; the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League for weekend anglers; and the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail.
Wal-Mart and many of America's most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services they offer, please visit FLWOutdoors.com. |
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