FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAKE ERIE TO HOST $386,000 WAL-MART RCL WALLEYE TOUR EVENT
PORT CLINTON, Ohio (May 19, 2003) – The $3.07 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour will visit Lake Erie near Port Clinton May 28-31 for a four-day, $386,000 event. The tournament, presented by Yamaha, will feature as many as 330 anglers representing 20 states and Canada who will compete for a top pro award of $90,000 in cash and prizes and a top co-angler award of $15,000 cash.
According to RCL Tour pro Jeff Taege of Rhinelander, Wis., eastern-bound walleyes could force anglers to travel as far as Cleveland or even New York to find their catch. Depending on weather conditions, water in the massive lake will be clear, milky or stained, with bait colors naturally dependent on the water clarity. However, Taege recommends three specific baits that might bring home the trophy during the RCL Tour event: the Normark Husky Jerk, the Normark Down Deep Husky Jerk and the Storm Deep Junior Thunderstick. Clear water will call for natural colors like shiner, perch and shad while bright colors like chartreuse and fire tiger work best in milky water. If the water is stained, Taege recommends loud colors with loud rattles and scent attractants.
Catawba Island State Park in Port Clinton will host daily takeoffs at 7 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday’s weigh-ins will be held at Water Works Park in Port Clinton beginning at 3 p.m., and Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 4070 E. Harbor Road in Port Clinton beginning at 3 p.m.
The tournament features Pro Division anglers and Co-angler Division anglers, with pros and co-anglers fishing for a combined boat weight. Anglers are randomly paired each day. The winning pro collects $50,000 cash plus a new Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha. Payouts are awarded through 50th place in both divisions.
At the conclusion of a two-day opening round, the field is cut to the top 20 pros and top 20 co-anglers who start from zero and fish the one-day semifinal round. Only the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers advance to the one-day final round where weights are cleared again. Each boat is allowed a six-walleye limit on each day of competition.
The top 35 pros and top 35 co-anglers from each of four qualifying events earn entry into the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship. Another 60 spots in the championship are filled by anglers who compete in RCL-sanctioned events for a total of 200 championship contenders in each division. 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 go to the RCL Championship winner for a total pro award of $400,000. The champion co-angler wins 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 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 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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