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| Daniels, Thimmig Win WalMarl RCL League Finals |
ESCANABA, Mich. (Sept. 4, 2004) - Boater Keith Daniels of Fond du Lac, Wis., landed two walleyes weighing 19 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League Finals on Bays de Noc by 10 pounds, 5 ounces over runner up Glenn Chenier of Gladstone, Mich. Daniels earned the victory and an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger boat, complete with trailer and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin electronics and EverStart batteries, with a three-day total of seven walleyes weighing 53 pounds, 14 ounces.
Daniels caught two walleyes weighing 16 pounds, 14 ounces while fishing with co-angler Roger Wright of Prior Lake, Minn., Thursday to open the tournament in fourth place. On day two he added three walleyes weighing 17 pounds, 2 ounces to his total while fishing with co-angler Jason Howell of Dimondale, Mich., to move into second place. Then, on Saturday, he and co-angler Scott Thimmig of Chilton, Wis., sealed victory with the third heaviest catch of the entire tournament.
"I couldn't be more excited about this win," said Daniels, who qualified through the Wisconsin Division as the No. 7 seed. "As soon as I saw the schedule this year, I started working to get here. I'm just ecstatic. It hasn't really sunk in yet."
Daniels is well versed on how to catch walleyes on Bays de Noc, as he regularly fishes the area during August and September, but he struggled to figure out how to catch the smaller fished needed to fill out his daily limits this week. Fortunately, he prevailed on the strength of a big-fish bite that produced a steady stream of walleyes over 26 inches. A 15- to 23-inch slot limit restricted teams to two fish over 23 inches per day. All week Daniel and his co-anglers trolled with spinners and crawler harnesses at a depth of 18 feet over 23 to 35 feet of water in the area of Chambers Island.
"The bite was really hot and heavy in the mornings between 7 and 11," Daniels said. "After that we went looking for small fish each day."
Rounding out the top five boaters are Glenn Chenier of Gladstone, Mich. (eight walleyes, 43 pounds, 9 ounces); Robert Winkler of Neenah, Wis. (six walleyes, 39 pounds, 10 ounces); Peter Werner of Kimball, Minn. (six walleyes, 37 pounds, 5 ounces) and Tom Hoinacki of Waupun, Wis. (15 walleyes, 37 pounds).
Thimmig won the Co-angler Division and a Lund boat and trailer Saturday with a three-day total of six walleyes weighing 46 pounds, 6 ounces.
He caught two walleyes weighing 13 pounds, 14 ounces while fishing with boater Perry Dreyer of Elk River, Minn., Thursday to open the tournament in ninth place. On day two he added two walleyes weighing 12 pounds, 10 ounces to his total while fishing with boater Shawn Hettinga of Schofield, Wis., to move into second place.
"This is just unbelievable," said Thimmig, who qualified through the Wisconsin Division as the No. 12 seed. "I told everyone when I left to come up here that I would be coming home with a boat, and they laughed at me. I guess I'll be the one laughing now."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Todd Springer of Luck, Wis. (six walleyes, 38 pounds, 10 ounces); Erik Furseth of Okemos, Mich. (10 walleyes, 34 pounds, 12 ounces); William Wieczorek of Little Falls, Minn. (nine walleyes, 32 pounds, 10 ounces) and Dennis Springer of Luck, Wis. (five walleyes, 32 pounds, 6 ounces).
Boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight. Boaters compete against other boaters and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. Winners are determined by the heaviest three-day catch weight.
Overall, 12 of the 15 boats that advanced to the final round caught 35 walleyes Saturday, including four five-walleye limits. The day's total catch weighed 127 pounds, 6 ounces.
Anglers took off from Escanaba Municipal Marina at 7 a.m. Saturday followed by the final weigh-in held at the Wal-Mart store located at 601 N. Lincoln in Escanaba at 4 p.m.
Evinrude and Ranger Boats hosted a Children's Fishing Clinic Saturday at Escanaba Municipal Marina, giving children the opportunity to visit with several Evinrude and Ranger pros. The pros signed autographs, demonstrated different fishing techniques, and talked about the types of lures and bait they use when fishing the Bays.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League provides grassroots walleye anglers a chance to compete in professionally administered, close-to-home tournaments with lucrative cash awards. FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League as well as the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, the world's most lucrative walleye-fishing circuit. FLW Outdoors also administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the EverStart Series, the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, the new Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, and the new Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series. To enter a tournament, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. |
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| Tiemann, Tillage Lead WalMart RCL Walleye League Finals |
ESCANABA, Mich. (Sept. 3, 2004) - James Tiemann of Marinette, Wis., and co-angler Brandon Boyd of Pierre, S.D., landed three walleyes weighing 18 pounds, 10 ounces Friday to give Tiemann the Boater Division lead heading into the closing day of competition at the $100,000 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League Finals on Bays de Noc with a two-day total of six walleyes weighing 36 pounds, 13 ounces.
Friday's catch also boosted Boyd from 37th place into the final round featuring the top 15 boaters and co-anglers. He advanced in the No. 3 position with a two-day total of six walleyes weighing 24 pounds, 8 ounces.
Tiemann and Boyd caught their walleyes trolling with spinners and crawler harnesses. The pair ran more than 140 miles Friday targeting flats and submerged structure in five different locations.
"I'm a little nervous at this point," said Tiemann, who stands to win an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat, complete with trailer and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin electronics and EverStart batteries if he can hold onto his lead. "I have to do a lot of running, so I hope the wind doesn't pick up. If I can get to my spots, I'm confident I can catch fish."
Rounding out the top five boaters are Keith Daniels of Fond du Lac, Wis. (five walleyes, 34 pounds); Peter Werner of Kimball, Minn. (five walleyes, 30 pounds, 2 ounces); Glenn Chenier of Gladstone, Mich. (five walleyes, 27 pounds, 9 ounces) and Dan Woodward of Garden City, Mich. (10 walleyes, 27 pounds, 3 ounces).
Carter Tillage of Rochester Hills, Mich., grabbed a 3-pound, 13-ounce lead in the Co-angler Division on the strength of a four-walleye catch weighing 13 pounds, 10 ounces Friday with boater Larry Tupper Jr. of Watertown, S.D. On Thursday Tillage caught five walleyes weighing 16 pounds, 11 ounces for a two-day total of nine walleyes weighing 30 pounds, 5 ounces.
"With the slot limit, our strategy was to put a couple of big fish in the boat early then try to fill out a limit," said Tillage, who stands to win a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat and trailer if he can maintain his lead. "Our basic approach was to target fish coming into the bay using crawler harnesses. At this point I'm cautiously confident. I'm glad to have a lead, but it can turn in a minute. Out here, a big fish can go a long way."
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Scott Thimmig of Chilton, Wis. (four walleyes, 26 pounds, 8 ounces); Brandon Boyd of Pierre, S.D. (six walleyes, 24 pounds, 8 ounces); Todd Springer of Luck, Wis. (three walleyes, 22 pounds, 10 ounces) and Jim Ellenbecker of Pierre, S.D. (three walleyes, 22 pounds, 8 ounces).
Boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired each day of competition and fish for a combined boat weight. Boaters compete against other boaters and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. Winners are determined by the heaviest three-day catch weight.
Overall, 56 boats caught 139 walleyes Friday, including 11 five-walleye limits. The day's total catch weighed 561 pounds, 9 ounces.
Anglers will take off from Escanaba Municipal Marina at 7 a.m. Saturday followed by the final weigh-in held at the Wal-Mart store located at 601 N. Lincoln in Escanaba beginning at 4 p.m.
Evinrude and Ranger Boats will also host a Children's Fishing Clinic Saturday at Escanaba Municipal Marina beginning at 10 a.m. Children will have the opportunity to visit with several Evinrude and Ranger pros, who will demonstrate different fishing techniques and talk about what types of lures and bait they use when fishing the Bays. Parents are invited to bring along a camera to take photos of their children with the professional anglers, who will also be signing autographs. On-the-water demos of Ranger boats powered by Evinrude outboards will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent when test-riding a boat. Ranger and Evinrude representatives will be available to answer questions, and participants may also register for door prizes until 2 p.m. All prizes will be awarded at Saturday's 4 p.m. weigh-in.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League provides grassroots walleye anglers a chance to compete in professionally administered, close-to-home tournaments with lucrative cash awards. FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League as well as the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, the world's most lucrative walleye-fishing circuit. FLW Outdoors also administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the EverStart Series, the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, the new Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, and the new Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series. To enter a tournament, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. |
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| Hons, Mans Grab Slim Opening Lead in WalMart RCL Walleye League Finals |
ESCANABA, Mich. (Sept. 2, 2004) - Boater Joe Honer of St. Cloud, Minn., and co-angler John Mans of Menominee, Mich., landed three walleyes weighing 18 pounds, 6 ounces Thursday in scraping together a slim 3-ounce lead on opening day of the $100,000 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League Finals on Bays de Noc. The championship event features the top 25 boaters and co-anglers from four RCL League divisions after a series of three qualifying events in each division.
Honer and Mans caught their walleyes by trolling with in-line spinners and night crawlers. If the pair can maintain their lead through Saturday, Honer will win an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat, complete with trailer and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin electronics and EverStart batteries. Mans stands to win a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat and trailer in the Co-angler Division. Boaters and co-angler are randomly paired, however, so both men will face day-two competition with a new partner.
"It's always nice to be in the lead, but there are a lot of big fish in this water, so things can change in a hurry," said Honer, who qualified for the finals by finishing fifth in the Minnesota Division. "I had a great partner who was real comfortable in the boat today, and that made things easier. It was tough going though. The fish are feeling the pressure, so I'll just have to hold on and see what happens."
Bays de Noc has been known to produce giant walleyes up to 11 pounds, but a 15- to 23-inch slot limit that restricts teams to two fish over 23 inches per day will likely keep tournament weights in check and tightly packed. Honer and Mans' catch included a 22-incher, a 23-incher and one walleye estimated to weigh 10 pounds.
"We caught the big fish on our second pass," said Mans, who fishes Bays de Noc approximately four times per week but qualified for the finals by finishing 15th in the South Dakota Division. "It was our first fish of the day, and it helped put us at ease. It has been tough, so we figured that fish alone would put us in the top 15, then we caught the other two and felt real good about our chances."
Mans missed qualifying through the Wisconsin Division by one place, finishing the season in 26th.
Trailing Honer and Mans by just 3 ounces are boater James Tiemann of Marinette, Wis., and co-angler Daniel Spielbauer of South Milwaukee, Wis., with three walleyes weighing 18 pounds, 3 ounces.
Rounding out the top five teams are Peter Werner of Kimball, Minn., and co-angler Larry Bawdon of Highmore, S.D. (three walleyes, 17 pounds, 5 ounces); Keith Daniels of Fond du Lac, Wis., and co-angler Roger Wright of Prior Lake, Minn. (two walleyes, 16 pounds, 14 ounces); and Dan Woodward of Garden City, Mich., and co-angler Carter Tillage of Rochester Hills, Mich. (five walleyes, 16 pounds, 11 ounces).
Overall, 60 boats caught 124 walleyes Thursday, including six five-walleye limits. The day's total catch weighed 457 pounds, 1 ounce.
Anglers take off from Escanaba Municipal Marina at 7 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Friday's weigh-in will also be held at the marina beginning at 3 p.m., and the final weigh-in Saturday will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 601 N. Lincoln in Escanaba beginning at 4 p.m.
Evinrude and Ranger Boats will also host a Children's Fishing Clinic Saturday at Escanaba Municipal Marina beginning at 10 a.m. Children will have the opportunity to visit with several Evinrude and Ranger pros, who will demonstrate different fishing techniques and talk about what types of lures and bait they use when fishing the Bays. Parents are invited to bring along a camera to take photos of their children with the professional anglers, who will also be signing autographs. On-the-water demos of Ranger boats powered by Evinrude outboards will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent when test-riding a boat. Ranger and Evinrude representatives will be available to answer questions, and participants may also register for door prizes until 2 p.m. All prizes will be awarded at Saturday's 4 p.m. weigh-in.
In RCL League competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired and fish for a combined boat weight, with boaters competing against other boaters and co-anglers competing against other co-anglers. The full field will compete Friday then be cut to the top 15 boaters and co-anglers for Saturday's final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest three-day catch weight.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League provides grassroots walleye anglers a chance to compete in professionally administered, close-to-home tournaments with lucrative cash awards. FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League as well as the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, the world's most lucrative walleye-fishing circuit. FLW Outdoors also administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the EverStart Series, the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, the new Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, and the new Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series. To enter a tournament, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. |
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| Bays de Noc to Host RCL League Postseason Competition |
ESCANABA, Mich. (Aug. 24, 2004) - The 2004 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League season will come to a close Sept. 2-4 on Bays de Noc in Escanaba with the $100,000 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League Finals. The postseason tournament features 200 qualifying walleye anglers, with 100 Boater Division competitors in the hunt for the top prize of an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat, complete with trailer and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin electronics and EverStart batteries. One hundred co-anglers will also fish for a top prize of an RCL boat and trailer.
Competitors will take off from Escanaba Municipal Marina at 7 a.m. each competition day. Thursday and Friday's weigh-ins will also be held there beginning at 3 p.m., and the final weigh-in Saturday will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 601 N. Lincoln in Escanaba beginning at 4 p.m. The community is encouraged to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-ins.
Boaters and co-anglers qualified for the finals by ranking in the top 25 in year-end points standings in one of four RCL League divisions - Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota or Wisconsin. In RCL League competition, boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired and fish for a combined boat weight, with boaters competing against other boaters and co-anglers competing against other co-anglers.
The full field in the no-entry-fee championship will compete Thursday and Friday to determine the top 15 boaters and co-anglers who will advance to Saturday's final round. Winners are determined by the heaviest three-day catch weight.
Each RCL League division featured two one-day events and one two-day Super Tournament presented by Evinrude during the regular season. Evinrude, along with Ranger Boats, will sponsor a Children's Fishing Clinic Sept. 4 in conjunction with the RCL League Finals. The clinic will take place at Escanaba Municipal Marina and will begin at 10 a.m.
Children will have the opportunity to visit with several Evinrude and Ranger pros, who will demonstrate different fishing techniques and talk about what types of lures and bait they use when fishing the Bays. Parents are encouraged to bring along a camera to take photos of their children with the professional anglers, and autographs will be available also. On-the-water demos of Ranger boats powered by Evinrude outboards will also be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Children under the age of 16 are required to be accompanied by a parent when test-riding a boat. Representatives from both companies will be available to answer questions, and participants may also register for door prizes until 2 p.m., when the demonstrations will conclude. All prizes will be awarded at the final-round weigh-in of the RCL League Finals.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League was created to provide the grassroots walleye angler a chance to compete in professionally administered, close-to-home tournaments with lucrative cash awards. FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League as well as the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, the world's most lucrative walleye-fishing circuit. FLW Outdoors also administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the EverStart Series, the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail. To enter a tournament, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.
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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