GILBERTSVILLE, Ky. – Seasoned professional walleye anglers and aspiring competitive anglers get ready. The $2.9 million 2002 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit will demand decisive maneuvers, analytical reasoning and infinite preparation as boats, equipment and competitors are pushed to their limits during an intense five-event schedule.
“We are excited to present walleye anglers with a great format, tremendous fisheries and the largest payouts in competitive walleye fishing,” said Charlie Evans, FLW Outdoors executive vice president. “Our tournaments appeal to anglers of all skill levels.”
Each of the circuit’s four regular season tournaments features a professional and co-angler draw format that provides a great learning experience plus a chance to win a share of $386,000 in cash and prizes. Each event is limited to 300 anglers (150 boats). Based on full fields, 2002 RCL Walleye Circuit awards top out at nearly $2.8 million cash plus another $160,000 in prize boats from Ranger, Crestliner and Lund.
“Our anglers will receive considerable national media coverage, allowing a newcomer to gain instant credibility and exposure,” Evans said. “There are 77 million outdoor enthusiasts in the nation who can follow all the action on FLWOutdoors.com and in the newly titled FLW Outdoors magazine, which goes to all FLW Outdoors members and will be available in Wal-Mart stores.”
Additionally, the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship will be broadcast to 84 million households on PAX TV as part of the new FLW Outdoors television series that airs Saturdays at 3 p.m. EST, 2 p.m. CST and 3 p.m. PST.
“Our exposure on PAX TV brings a new element of excitement to walleye fishing,” Evans said. “We are excited about the opportunities.”
Each qualifying event features a thrilling four-day elimination style format. On the first two days, anglers are randomly paired and vie for the top accumulated boat weights. On the third day, the top 20 anglers in each division start from zero and compete for the top 10 slots in the final round. Anglers again start from zero for the final day, with the top weight of the day determining the winners.
At the Championship, scheduled for October 2-5 on the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Minn., the same format applies, however, anglers will start from a field of 200 that will be cut to 12 pros and co-anglers for day three and six pros for day four. The championship features an incredible purse of $1.4 million cash with the winning pro receiving up to $400,000.
Pro participation is limited to Ranger, Crestliner and Lund owners. The Co-angler Division is open to all anglers. The top 35 anglers from each qualifying event will be invited to the championship. An additional 60 anglers from other walleye tournament circuits will also be invited to the championship. Tournament details, rules and registration are available online at FLWOutdoors.com or by calling 270-362-4880.
Host sites in 2002 are the Detroit River in Taylor, Mich., April 3-6; Lake Sharp in Pierre, S.D., May 1-4; Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wis., May 29-June 1; Saginaw Bay in Bay City, Mich., June 26-29; and the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Minn., Oct. 2-5.
Sponsors of the 2002 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit are Wal-Mart, Castrol, Conseco, Crestliner, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Garmin, Kellogg’s, Lund, Minn Kota, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Snickers, Stanley, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards. Associate sponsors are Abu Garcia, Berkley, Eagle Claw, Laker, Plano and Solar Bat.