FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUCKNER, WIECZOREK WIN WAL-MART RCL WALLEYE LEAGUE EVENT ON LAKE MILLE LACS
ISLE, Minn. (June 30, 2003) – Boater Chris Tuckner of Hastings and co-angler William Wieczorek of Little Falls combined for a total of two fish weighing 15 pounds, 6 ounces to claim victory at the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League tournament held Saturday on Lake Mille Lacs near Isle. Tuckner claimed $3,440 plus a $500 bonus for the win, with Wieczorek taking home $1,433 from the Minnesota Division event.
Tuckner and Wieczorek caught their walleyes trolling with planer boards. They were following tullibee schools, marking suspended fish and using Garmin electronics to catch their fish with No. 9 Shad Raps and Reef Runner crankbaits. Tuckner claimed a $1,000 bonus from Garmin for using a fixed-mount Garmin Fishfinder or combination GPS/sounder.
Finishing second were Ted Merdan of Maple Grove ($1,720 plus $400 bonus) and Susan Hugill of Pine City ($860 plus $200 bonus) with one walleye that weighed 9 pounds. Steve Butchart of Duluth ($1,433) and Nicole Bassing of Braham ($717) caught one walleye weighing 8 pounds, 13 ounces to finish third. Perry Dreyer of Elk River ($1,147 plus $250 bonus) and Brian Schneider of Oakdale ($573) claimed fourth place with two walleyes that weighed 8 pounds, 10 ounces. Joe Carlson of North Branch ($860) and Jason Ness of Mounds View ($430) tied with Rodney York of Centerville ($860 plus $200 bonus) and Paul Follmer of Andover ($430) for fifth. Both pairs caught one walleye weighing 7 pounds, 9 ounces.
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 final regular-season event, a two-day Super Tournament, will be held 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.
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