DEVILS LAKE, N.D. – Pro angler Kevin McQuoid of Isle, Minn., landed $50,000 cash and a Yamaha-powered Ranger boat with GARMIN electronics Saturday on Devils Lake after weighing in five walleyes that registered 19 pounds, 5 ounces. His partner, co-angler Don Rosen of Rosemount, Minn., reeled in $15,000 cash for the catch in the third and final qualifying tournament of the 2001 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit-the world’s most lucrative walleye fishing series.
The pair’s impressive catch was the result of jigging with night crawlers in 7 to 13 feet of water along a rocky shoreline in the northwest corner of Devils Lake. It was the one spot that McQuoid found during eight days of practice that he felt would yield a steady bite, and he was right. The location and tactic produced more than 14 pounds of walleye on three out of four days.
“We set out with a good plan to win it with a 20-inch minimum,” said McQuoid, who plans to use his winnings to help pay for a newly purchased house. “We were pretty lucky today. The fish came in pretty much the right order, and we only threw three back. We had our limit by 11 a.m., so it was a long wait until weigh-in.”
McQuoid and Rosen qualified for the final round of 12 pros and co-anglers in eighth place after landing five walleyes weighing 14 pounds, 15 ounces Friday.
“This was my first RCL, but I’ve been a fisherman all my life,” said Rosen, whose son, Bart, competed in the Pro Division and finished 93rd. “It really feels great. I had a wonderful partner.”
Competition began Wednesday with 248 anglers from 17 states and Canada taking off from Spirit Lake Marina in Spirit Lake, N.D. The field was cut Thursday to the top 60 anglers in each division and trimmed again to the top 12 anglers in each division after Friday’s weigh-in. Weights were cleared for all anglers on Friday and Saturday.
Pro Brian Walter of Minot, N.D. ($30,000) and co-angler Greg Darsow of Billings, Mont. ($10,000) placed second with five walleyes weighing 16 pounds, 14 ounces. Pro Scott Larson of West Fargo, N.D. ($25,000) and co-angler Randy Blasky of Fordville, N.D. ($7,500) placed third with five walleyes weighing 15 pounds. Pro Charles Johnson of Merrifield, Minn. ($20,000) and co-angler Bob Podleski of Prescott, Mich. ($6,000) placed fourth with five walleyes weighing 14 pounds, 10 ounces. Pro Roife Behrend of Brookings, S.D. ($15,000) and co-angler Gary Fitch of Grand Island, Neb. ($5,000) placed fifth with four walleyes weighing 14 pounds, 5 ounces.
Run by Operation Walleye and named after Wal-Mart and boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and Lund, the 2001Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit features three regular season tournaments each with a $390,750 purse and a championship with a $1.4 million purse.
Two hundred pros and 200 co-anglers will compete in the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship for a top award of up to $400,000 in the Pro Division and $150,000 in the Co-Angler Division. The championship will be held on the Fox River and Green Bay in Green Bay, Wis., Oct. 2-6. Green Bay hosted the inaugural Wal-Mart RCL Championship last year when Scott Glorvigen of Grand Rapids, Minn., won $300,000 and instantly joined the sport’s top all-time money winners.
Sponsors of the 2001 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit are Coleman, Conseco, Crestliner, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, GARMIN, Kellogg’s, Lund, Mercury Marine, Minn Kota, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Wal-Mart, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards.