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| Hein, Barth Win Walmart RCL Walleye Tour Event On Devils Lake |
 |  |  | WalleyeFIRST Photo Jerry Hein, 2004 RCL Devils Lake Champion |
SPIRIT LAKE, N.D. (May 29, 2004) - Pro Jerry Hein of Stillwater, Minn., landed $90,000 in cash and prizes, including a Lund boat powered by Yamaha, Saturday after catching five walleyes weighing 23 pounds, 13 ounces while fishing with co-angler Lynn Jurrens of Watertown, S.D., on the final day of the $401,750 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour stop on Devils Lake.
Hein and Jurrens caught their limit using Rapala No. 7 Shad Rap RS crankbaits in chrome and blue to boost Hein from third into the top spot with a two-day, final-round total of 10 walleyes weighing 48 pounds, 1 ounce. The catch gave him a 7-ounce advantage over runner-up Phillip Milliser Jr., who landed 10 walleyes weighing 47 pounds, 10 ounces and earned $25,000.
"I thought we were one upgrade short of the win," said Hein, who finished sixth on Devils Lake last season and sixth at the 2003 RCL Walleye Championship on the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Minn. "We had one 19-incher that I wanted to upgrade to a 22 to 23-inch fish. I knew I needed a good finish to make the championship, so this is a dream come true."
Hein entered Friday's semifinal round of 20 anglers as the No. 7 seed after catching five walleyes weighing 18 pounds, 4 ounces Wednesday with co-angler Thomas Bower of Macedonia, Ohio, and five walleyes weighing 25 pounds, 8 ounces Thursday with co-angler Russell Mann of Gilman, Iowa. Weights were cleared Friday and Hein advanced to the final round of 10 anglers as the No. 3 seed after catching five walleyes weighing 24 pounds, 4 ounces with co-angler Randy Blasky of Fordville, N.D.
Hein and his co-anglers switched tactics daily, fishing leeches Wednesday, night crawlers Thursday and back to leeches Friday. He started Saturday by working leeches along the east side of Grahams Island but moved to the south and switched to crankbaits after boating just one small fish by 9 a.m. Hein and Jurrens then caught three walleyes almost immediately after tying on the crankbaits and casting them to submerged brush and grass.
Rounding out the top five pros are Shannon Kehl of Menoken, N.D. (10 walleyes, 39 pounds, 4 ounces, $20,000); Mark Presta of Racine, Wis. (10 walleyes, 38 pounds, 9 ounces, $15,000); and Jeff Koester of Brookville, Ind. (10 walleyes, 38 pounds, 3 ounces, $12,500).
Hein also earned a $1,000 bonus from Garmin for using only Garmin electronics.
Barth won the Co-angler Division and $15,000 with the heaviest two-day total in either division, 10 walleyes weighing 52 pounds, 9 ounces. He caught five walleyes weighing 29 pounds, 11 ounces Friday while fishing with Bruce Hill of Forest Lake, Minn., to enter the final round as the No. 1 seed with a 4-pound, 15-ounce advantage over his closest competitor. He then added five walleyes weighing 22 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday while fishing with Milliser to open a 5-pound, 3-ounce margin of victory over Jurrens, who caught 10 walleyes weighing 47 pounds, 6 ounces and earned $7,500.
"That 5-pound lead coming into the finals really helped," said Barth, who was fishing his first tournament and postponed closing on a new house Friday in order to compete. "Being a first-timer, I really didn't know what to expect, but I had great draws and great pros to work with."
Like Hein and Jurrens, Barth and Milliser caught fish using No. 7 Shad Rap crankbaits in chrome and blue. The pair opted for a jointed model and tipped the hooks with bits of night crawlers. They also caught fish on leeches.
Barth advanced to the semifinal round as the No. 2 seed with 10 walleyes weighing 48 pounds, 7 ounces that he caught with pros Mark Courts of Harris, Minn., and Dan Majeske of Billings, Mt., on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Mark Gardner of Casper, Wyo. (10 walleyes, 43 pounds, 1 ounce, $6,000); Tim Rutten of Devils Lake, N.D. (10 walleyes, 39 pounds, $5,000) and Janet Flynn of Tea, S.D. (10 walleyes, 38 pounds, 10 ounces, $4,000).
Rain and wind gusting to 20 mph Saturday made fishing difficult as many teams reported waves of 4 to 6 feet. Overall, the final 10 teams caught 44 walleyes, including seven limits. The day's catch totaled 162 pounds, 4 ounces.
Pros and co-angler are randomly paired in RCL Tour competition, and cash awards are presented to the top 60 anglers in each division. A total of 348 anglers representing 21 states and Canada participated in the tournament.
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 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. The total purse for the 2004 season is $3.19 million.
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. |
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| Hill, Barth Lead Walmart RCL Walleye Tour Finalists |
|  | | WalleyeFIRST Photo Bruce Hill and Brand Barth took a four-pound lead heading into the final day of competition |
SPIRIT LAKE, N.D. (May 28, 2004) - Bruce Hill of Forest Lake, Minn., and co-angler Brad Barth of Plymouth, Minn., landed the heaviest limit of the $401,750 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour stop on Devils Lake Friday to open a 4-pound, 15-ounce lead over their closest competitors. The lake was not as generous to opening round leaders Nick Johnson of Elmwood, Wis., and co-angler John Blanchard of Crystal, Minn., however, as the pair squeaked into the final round by 1-ounce after leading the first two days of competition.
Hill and Barth caught five walleyes weighing 29 pounds, 11 ounces while working leeches around six key areas of submerged brush along a quarter-mile stretch of trees on the east side of the 150,000-acre lake. Johnson and Blanchard, meanwhile, struggled to land four walleyes weighing 15 pounds, 15 ounces after being struck by engine trouble. The catch was just enough to eliminate No. 5 seeds Tim Reitan of Sabin, Minn., and co-angler Herbert Stanford of Oregon, Wis., who finished 11th with three walleyes weighing 15 pounds, 14 ounces.
"I feel very confident that if I can get my five fish tomorrow, I will win," said Hill, who made his RCL Tour pro debut in 2001 on Devils Lake. "I'm fishing a spot that I found last year and couldn't drive by without fishing it again this year. I've had it to myself all week, and everything is working, so I'm not going to change a thing."
Hill entered Friday's semifinal round as the No. 2 seed after catching five walleyes weighing 23 pounds, 4 ounces Wednesday with co-angler Randy Blasky of Fordville, N.D, and five walleyes weighing 26 pounds, 6 ounces Thursday with co-angler Jeff White of Bismarck, N.D. Barth was the No. 2 seed after catching five walleyes weighing 27 pounds, 5 ounces Wednesday with pro Mark Courts of Harris, Minn., and five walleyes weighing 21 pounds, 2 ounces Thursday with pro Dan Majeske of Billings, Mont.
"Today was the best day of fishing I've had in my life, and it was my third consecutive day to catch over 20 pounds," said Barth, who is fishing his first tournament and postponed closing on a new house Friday in order to compete. "I've had great draws, and the entire experience has been excellent. I'm excited about the finals."
Weights were cleared Friday for the top 20 pros and co-anglers who made the cut out of an original field of 174 pros co-anglers. The 10 remaining pros are casting for a top award of $90,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha, and the 10 remaining co-anglers are chasing a top award of $15,000 cash. The winners in each division will be determined by the heaviest two-day weight.
Rounding out the top five final-round qualifiers are pro Phillip Milliser Jr. of Plymouth, Ind., and co-angler Conrad Johnson of Fargo, N.D. (five walleyes, 24 pounds, 12 ounces); pro Jerry Hein of Stillwater, Minn., and Blasky (five walleyes, 24 pounds, 4 ounces); pro Shannon Kehl of Menoken, N.D., and co-angler Lynn Jurrens of Watertown, S.D. (five walleyes, 23 pounds, 9 ounces); and pro Troy Morris of Bismarck, N.D., and co-angler Mark Gardner of Casper, Wyo. (five walleyes, 22 pounds, 9 ounces).
Overall, the 20 semifinal round teams fishing Friday weighed in 82 walleyes, including 12 five-walleye limits. The day's catch totaled 322 pounds, 15 ounces.
Pros and co-angler are randomly paired, and cash awards are presented to the top 60 anglers in each division. A total of 348 anglers representing 21 states and Canada participated in the tournament.
The final takeoff starts at 7 Saturday morning from Spirit Lake Casino and Resort, which is located at 7889 Highway 20/57 in Spirit Lake. The final weigh-in start at 3 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 210 Highway 2 W. in Devils Lake. The community is encouraged to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-ins.
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 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. The total purse for the 2004 season is $3.19 million, and cash awards are presented to the top 60 anglers in each division at every regular-season tournament. |
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| Johnson, Blanchard Lead Walmart RCL Walleye Tour |
|  | | FLW Outdoors Photo Nick Johnson with a pair of Day 2 Fish |
SPIRIT LAKE, N.D. (May 27, 2004) - Nick Johnson of Elmwood, Wis., and co-angler Ryan Boehm of Bismarck, N.D., landed a five-walleye limit weighing 21 pounds, 14 ounces Thursday to give Johnson the Pro Division lead heading into Friday's semifinal round of the four-day, $401,750 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour stop on Devils Lake with a two-day total of 10 walleyes weighing 50 pounds, 4 ounces. The catch also boosted Boehm from 98th place into 34th in the Co-angler Division with a two-day total of seven walleyes weighing 30 pounds, 15 ounces.
Weights are cleared Friday for the top 20 pros and top 20 co-anglers who made the cut. The top 10 pros will advance to Saturday's final round based on Friday's catch for a shot at $90,000 in cash and prizes, including a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha, and the top 10 co-anglers will fish Saturday for a top award of $15,000 cash. The winners in each division are determined by the heaviest two-day weight.
"We did a lot of jumping around, picking structure apart," said Johnson, who entered Thursday's competition as the No. 1 seed after catching five walleyes weighing 28 pounds, 6 ounces on opening-day with co-angler John Blanchard of Crystal, Minn. "It's fun to be on top, but it's also scary. Everyone else is looking up, hoping to knock you off. I'm shooting for another consistent catch in the mid-20s so that I can hold on."
Johnson and Boehm caught their fish Thursday on leeches while fishing trees and brush in 6 to 9 feet of water. The pair hit seven or eight key spots in four different areas that were less than two miles apart.
Rounding out the top five pros are Bruce Hill of Forest Lake, Minn. (10 walleyes, 49 pounds, 10 ounces); Kevin McQuoid of Isle, Minn. (10 walleyes, 47 pounds, 15 ounces); Phillip Milliser Jr. of Plymouth, Ind. (10 walleyes, 47 pounds, 13 ounces) and Tim Reitan of Sabin, Minn. (nine walleyes, 47 pounds, 11 ounces).
Blanchard held on to the co-angler lead with a two-day total of 10 walleyes weighing 49 pounds, 12 ounces. He and pro Robert Lampman of Desoto, Wis., caught five walleyes weighing 21 pounds, 6 ounces Thursday to compliment Blanchard's five-walleye catch weighing 28 pounds, 6 ounces that he hauled in Wednesday with Johnson.
"We hit one spot until 11:30 and didn't have a single fish," said Blanchard, an RCL League boater in the Minnesota Division who is fishing his third RCL Tour event. "Then we moved to a new location and caught three northerns in five minutes. After that, we caught 10 walleyes in about an hour and a half."
Blanchard and Lampman's hotspot was a nondescript area of submerged brush in about 10 feet of water. "At a glance, you would never think to stop and fish it," Blanchard said. Like Johnson and Boehm, Blanchard and Lampman used slip bobbers and leeches.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Brad Barth of Plymouth, Minn. (10 walleyes, 48 pounds, 7 ounces); David Kerzee of Elida, Ohio (10 walleyes, 43 pounds, 8 ounces); Conrad Johnson of Fargo, N.D. (nine walleyes, 42 pounds, 14 ounces) and Herbert Stanford of Oregon, Wis. (10 walleyes, 42 pounds, 8 ounces).
Overall, 164 boats representing 21 states and Canada weighed in 587 walleyes Thursday, including 75 five-walleye limits. The day's catch totaled 2,042 pounds, 7 ounces.
Anglers take off each morning at 7 from Spirit Lake Casino and Resort, which is located at 7889 Highway 20/57 in Spirit Lake. Friday and Saturday's weigh-ins start at 3 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 210 Highway 2 W. in Devils Lake. 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 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. Cash awards are presented to the top 60 anglers in each division at every regular-season tournament.
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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| Johnson, Blanchard Take Walmart RCL Walleye Tour Lead |
SPIRIT LAKE, N.D. (May 26, 2004) - Nick Johnson of Elmwood, Wis., and co-angler John Blanchard of Crystal, Minn., landed a five-walleye limit weighing 28 pounds, 6 ounces Wednesday to lead the four-day, $401,750 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour stop on Devils Lake. The event is the third of four regular-season tournaments on the $3.19 million tour and features 174 pros chasing a top award of $90,000 and 174 co-anglers fishing for a top award of $15,000.
Johnson and Blanchard caught their fish on leeches while fishing trees in 6 to 9 feet of water to open a slim 14-ounce lead over their closest competitors, pro Tim Reitan of Sabin, Minn., and co-angler James Muntean of Maplewood, Minn., who caught a limit weighing 27 pounds, 8 ounces.
Recent unseasonably cool temperatures in the low- to mid-60s and water temperatures in the low-50s conspired to make fishing conditions difficult despite sunny skies and a gently breeze Wednesday. Anglers agree, however, that there is no shortage of 4- to 5-pound walleyes in the sprawling 150,000-acre lake. The trick is getting them to bite.
"We had one fish that probably weighed 8 pounds and another that probably weighed 7 pounds," said Blanchard, an RCL League boater in the Minnesota Division who is fishing his third RCL Tour event. "We hit four different spots and caught fish at all but one. There were four or five boats around us casting crankbaits at pretty much every stop, too, but the leeches seemed to produce better."
If conditions continue to warm and winds stays calm, Blanchard predicts the leech bite will continue to improve. Windy conditions, however, could favor the crankbait bite.
Rounding out the top five teams are Mark Courts of Harris, Minn., and co-angler Brad Barth of Plymouth, Minn. (five walleyes, 27 pounds, 5 ounces); Shannon Kehl of Menoken, N.D., and co-angler Bradly Kjar of Fargo, N.D. (five walleyes, 24 pounds, 1 ounce); and Irvin Kraus of Powell, Wyo., and co-angler Jeffrey Edwards of North Oaks, Minn. (five walleyes, 23 pounds, 13 ounces).
Overall, 160 boats representing 21 states and Canada weighed in 558 walleyes, including 61 five-walleye limits. The day's catch totaled 1,879 pounds, 2 ounces.
Anglers take off each morning at 7 from Spirit Lake Casino and Resort, which is located at 7889 Highway 20/57 in Spirit Lake. Thursday's weigh-in starts at 3 p.m. at the resort. Friday and Saturday's weigh-ins start at 3 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 210 Highway 2 W. in Devils Lake. 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. 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. Cash awards are presented to the top 60 anglers in each division.
Named after boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and Lund, the RCL Tour is the world's most lucrative professional walleye-fishing series. This is the second of four regular-season stops en route to the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship on the Mississippi River in Moline, Ill., Sept. 29 - Oct. 2 where pros will fish for as much as $400,000 cash and co-anglers will chase as much as $150,000.
The RCL Tour is administered by FLW Outdoors, the world's leading marketer of competitive fishing. 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. FLW Outdoors is named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood.
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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| Devils Lake to Host $401,750 WalMart RCL Walleye Tour Event |
SPIRIT LAKE, N.D. (May 12, 2004) - The $3.19 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour will stage its third regular-season event on Devils Lake May 26-29, a tournament that will pay out $401,750 in cash and prizes. The event is the next-to-last stop on the 2004 RCL Tour and will feature as many as 320 pros and co-anglers competing for a top pro award worth as much as $90,000 and a top co-angler award worth $15,000 cash.
RCL Tour pro Bruce Samson of Minnetrista, Minn., known to many as the "Devils Lake Master," expects Devils Lake to surrender its usual heavy stringers that have earned it a reputation as one of the most productive walleye fisheries in the upper Midwest. "It's a fabulous lake that's full of fish up to 12 pounds," Samson said. "It wouldn't surprise me if it takes 24 pounds per day to make it though the cuts and just as much to win. Five-fish, 25-pound sacks are pretty common." Samson said there will be multiple patterns working when the RCL Tour rolls into town, but he predicts the majority of the heavier sacks will come on medium-diving firetiger crankbaits snaked through timber, brush and weedbeds in shallow water.
Spirit Lake Casino and Resort, located at 7889 Highway 20/57 in Spirit Lake, will host daily takeoffs at 7 each morning. Wednesday and Thursday's weigh-ins will also be held there beginning at 3 p.m., and Friday and Saturday's weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 210 Highway 2 W. in Devils Lake 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 Saturday, 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 qualify for the 2004 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship on the Mississippi River in Moline, Ill., Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 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 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. |
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