RCL Press Release - Bass Tournament HQ - Bass Tournament HQ

FLW OUTDOORS ANNOUNCES NEW WALLEYE LEAGUE FOR WEEKEND ANGLERS

BENTON, Ky. (Dec. 23, 2002) In a move to accommodate the nation’s
growing interest in competitive walleye fishing, FLW Outdoors announced
Monday its all-new Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League for weekend walleye
anglers. Fashioned after the highly successful Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League,
the RCL League meets the demand for one- and two-day, close-to-home
tournaments in an expanding market.
The $350,000 league comprises four divisions Michigan, Minnesota,
South Dakota and Wisconsin with three events per division. Two of the
events are one-day tournaments while the third, a Super Tournament, is
held over two days. The season culminates in the $88,000 Wal-Mart RCL
League Finals, which will be held Sept. 6-7, 2003, on Lake Okoboji near
Spirit Lake, Iowa.
“Professional walleye fishing has never been better, so this is a
great time to introduce tournament-style walleye angling to the masses,”
said Mark Dorn, director of walleye operations for FLW Outdoors. “The
Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League is sure to bring even more exposure to the
growing sport of walleye fishing.”
Like its counterpart, the $3.07 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour,
the RCL League is named after boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and
Lund. While the RCL Tour features the world’s greatest walleye pros,
the RCL League is designed for the everyday angler who would like to try
his hand at competitive fishing. The RCL League features a
boater/co-angler, shared-weight format in which the boater supplies the boat and
competes against other boaters while the co-angler competes against other
co-anglers.
Fishing the RCL League can be lucrative, as the tournament series
offers purses totaling as much as 157 percent of entry fees. The top 15
boaters and co-anglers finish in the money at each regular-season event
with the top boater earning as much as $3,500 cash and the top
co-angler earning as much as $1,500. Super Tournaments feature even bigger cash
prizes with the top boater earning as much as $4,250 cash and the top
co-angler earning as much as $1,875 cash. These payouts include cash
bonuses ranging from $50 to $750 that are available to every Ranger,
Crestliner and Lund boat owner who places in a tournament.
The boater winner of the Wal-Mart RCL League Finals will take home a
Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha outboard
motors and a trailer. The co-angler winner in the RCL Finals will win a
boat and trailer. Cash bonuses ranging from $50 to $1,000 are also
available to every Ranger, Crestliner and Lund boat owner who places.
The top five boaters and co-anglers in the year-end points standings
in each division qualify for the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye
Championship, scheduled for Oct. 1-4 on the Mississippi River near Red
Wing, Minn. Angler standings are determined by points awarded during the
regular season, and every angler who receives weight credit earns points.
Two hundred points are awarded to the winner of each qualifying event,
199 points are awarded for second, etc. Stakes are raised during Super
Tournaments, as the winner earns 300 points, 298 points are awarded for
second, etc.
Entry fees for qualifying tournaments are $150 for boaters and $75
for co-anglers. Super Tournament entry fees are $200 for boaters and
$100 for co-anglers. For Ranger, Crestliner or Lund owners, entries will
be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. CST Jan. 27. All other entries will be
accepted beginning at 8 a.m. CST Feb. 3.
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.
To find out the complete 2003 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League schedule
or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or visit
http://www.FLWOutdoors.com.

2003 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League Schedule

Michigan