Tiemann, Tillage lead Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League Finals with one day remaining

ESCANABA, Mich. – James Tiemann of Marinette, Wis., and co-angler Brandon Boyd of Pierre, S.D., landed three walleyes weighing 18 pounds, 10 ounces Friday to give Tiemann the Boater Division lead heading into the closing day of competition at the $100,000 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League Finals on Bays de Noc with a two-day total of six walleyes weighing 36 pounds, 13 ounces.

Friday’s catch also boosted Boyd from 37th place into the final round featuring the top 15 boaters and co-anglers. He advanced in the No. 3 position with a two-day total of six walleyes weighing 24 pounds, 8 ounces.

Tiemann and Boyd caught their walleyes trolling with spinners and crawler harnesses. The pair ran more than 140 miles Friday targeting flats and submerged structure in five different locations.

“I’m a little nervous at this point,” said Tiemann, who stands to win an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat, complete with trailer and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin electronics and EverStart batteries if he can hold onto his lead. “I have to do a lot of running, so I hope the wind doesn’t pick up. If I can get to my spots, I’m confident I can catch fish.”

Rounding out the top five boaters are Keith Daniels of Fond du Lac, Wis. (five walleyes, 34 pounds); Peter Werner of Kimball, Minn. (five walleyes, 30 pounds, 2 ounces); Glenn Chenier of Gladstone, Mich. (five walleyes, 27 pounds, 9 ounces) and Dan Woodward of Garden City, Mich. (10 walleyes, 27 pounds, 3 ounces).

Carter Tillage of Rochester Hills, Mich., grabbed a 3-pound, 13-ounce lead in the Co-angler Division on the strength of a four-walleye catch weighing 13 pounds, 10 ounces Friday with boater Larry Tupper Jr. of Watertown, S.D. On Thursday Tillage caught five walleyes weighing 16 pounds, 11 ounces for a two-day total of nine walleyes weighing 30 pounds, 5 ounces.

“With the slot limit, our strategy was to put a couple of big fish in the boat early then try to fill out a limit,” said Tillage, who stands to win a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat and trailer if he can maintain his lead. “Our basic approach was to target fish coming into the bay using crawler harnesses. At this point I’m cautiously confident. I’m glad to have a lead, but it can turn in a minute. Out here, a big fish can go a long way.”

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Scott Thimmig of Chilton, Wis. (four walleyes, 26 pounds, 8 ounces); Brandon Boyd of Pierre, S.D. (six walleyes, 24 pounds, 8 ounces); Todd Springer of Luck, Wis. (three walleyes, 22 pounds, 10 ounces) and Jim Ellenbecker of Pierre, S.D. (three walleyes, 22 pounds, 8 ounces).

Boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired each day of competition and fish for a combined boat weight. Boaters compete against other boaters and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. Winners are determined by the heaviest three-day catch weight.

Overall, 56 boats caught 139 walleyes Friday, including 11 five-walleye limits. The day’s total catch weighed 561 pounds, 9 ounces.

Anglers will take off from Escanaba Municipal Marina at 7 a.m. Saturday followed by the final weigh-in held at the Wal-Mart store located at 601 N. Lincoln in Escanaba beginning at 4 p.m.

Evinrude and Ranger Boats will also host a Children’s Fishing Clinic Saturday at Escanaba Municipal Marina beginning at 10 a.m. Children will have the opportunity to visit with several Evinrude and Ranger pros, who will demonstrate different fishing techniques and talk about what types of lures and bait they use when fishing the Bays. Parents are invited to bring along a camera to take photos of their children with the professional anglers, who will also be signing autographs. On-the-water demos of Ranger boats powered by Evinrude outboards will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent when test-riding a boat. Ranger and Evinrude representatives will be available to answer questions, and participants may also register for door prizes until 2 p.m. All prizes will be awarded at Saturday’s 4 p.m. weigh-in.

The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League provides grassroots walleye anglers a chance to compete in professionally administered, close-to-home tournaments with lucrative cash awards. FLW Outdoors administers the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League as well as the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, the world’s most lucrative walleye-fishing circuit. FLW Outdoors also administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the EverStart Series, the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League, the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, the new Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour, and the new Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series. To enter a tournament, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000.

Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its 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.

FLW Outdoors is named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood. The RCL Walleye League is named after boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and Lund.