Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship to crown co-angler winner today
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Day three of the world’s richest walleye tournament began with nose-dripping cold temperatures this morning on the Fox River, but leading pro qualifier Mark Keenan was all hot under the collar about putting on a big performance today.
“Last year on Friday I caught a 17-inch fish early on and I let it go. If I would have kept it, I would have made the cut,” the Appleton, Wis., native said. As it turned out, Keenan finished Friday in eighth place at the inaugural RCL championship in 2000.
This time around, he’s not taking any chances. Because of the Wisconsin “no-culling” rule, all competitors must decide immediately upon catching a walleye whether they want to keep it – and that means strategy is at a premium in the final two rounds.
“I’m going to keep the first five fish I catch,” Keenan said. “That’s the preliminary plan. I think not everybody’s going to catch a (five-fish) limit because you’re only competing against 12 people.”
Twelve tournament boats, each manned by a pro in the front and a co-angler in the back, took off for semifinal-round action today. Co-angler Division competition ends today, where the winner will earn up to $150,000. Following Friday’s action, the top six pros will advance to Saturday’s final round and compete for a first-place cash prize of up to $400,000. The total tournament purse is $1.4 million.
Weigh-in begins today at 5 p.m. at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 2440 West Mason Street. A Family Fun Zone complete with children’s games, interactive product displays and giveaways will be set up at Wal-Mart starting at 4 p.m. Friday.
Vital statistics
Sunrise: 6:55 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 41 degrees
Expected high temperature: 54 degrees
Wind: From the northwest at 8 mph
Relative humidity: 79 percent
Day’s outlook: Partly cloudy
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