FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DUBE, SPRINGER WIN WAL-MART RCL WALLEYE LEAGUE EVENT ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
RED WING, Minn. (May 12, 2003) – Boater Chuck Dube of Brooklyn Park and co-angler Todd Springer of Luck, Wis., combined for a total of five fish weighing 21 pounds, 7 ounces to claim victory at the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League tournament held Saturday on the Mississippi River near Red Wing. Dube claimed $2,720 plus a $500 bonus for the win, with Springer taking home $1,133 plus a $250 bonus from the Minnesota Division event.
Dube and Springer caught their winning walleyes in the Buffalo Slough area using Shad Raps and Nils Masters.
Finishing second were Nick Johnson of Elmwood, Wis., ($1,360 plus $400 bonus) and Chris Froelich of Monticello ($680) with five walleyes weighing 19 pounds, 9 ounces. Jeffrey Berg of Minnetrista ($1,133 plus $300 bonus) and John Blanchard of Crystal ($567 plus $150 bonus) caught five walleyes weighing 17 pounds, 9 ounces to finish third. Jim Trow of Ames, Iowa, ($907 plus $250 bonus) and Mark Van Nest of Pequot Lakes ($453) claimed fourth place with five walleyes that weighed 15 pounds, 10 ounces. Finishing fifth were Ryan Wright of Ellsworth, Wis., ($725 plus $200 bonus) and Michael Mankowski Jr. of Shoreview ($363) thanks to a five-walleye catch that weighed 15 pounds.
Bonuses are awarded to boaters who are the registered owner of a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat and fish out of that boat during the tournament. Co-anglers earn bonuses if they are a registered owner of a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund.
The Minnesota Division’s next stop will be June 28 on Lake Mille Lacs followed by the final regular-season event, a two-day Super Tournament, July 26-27 on Leech Lake. Boaters and co-anglers who finish in the top 25 in final points standings in each RCL Walleye League division will advance to the $88,000 RCL League Finals Sept. 6-7 on Lake Okoboji in Spirit Lake, Iowa. The winning boater at the finals will receive an Evinrude-or Yamaha-powered Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat. Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, and so on, except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 298 to second, and so on.
Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League boaters and co-anglers fish together for a combined boat weight, with boaters competing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing against other co-anglers. The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League meets the needs of America’s fishing masses by providing professionally administered, close-to-home, affordable events with lucrative cash purses.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League 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 Tour, the world’s most lucrative walleye-fishing series; the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world’s most lucrative bass-fishing 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. For more information about the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League or to enter a tournament, call (270) 252-1000 or visit FLWOutdoors.com.
###