BAY CITY, Mich. – Pro John Pratt of Roberts, Mont., and his opening-day partner Steve Templeton of Clear Lake, Iowa, landed a five-walleye limit weighing 34 pounds, 14 ounces Wednesday on Saginaw Bay to lead the $2.9 million 2002 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit’s final regular-season tournament.
If Pratt can maintain his lead throughout the four-day tournament, he will collect more than $90,000 in cash and prizes including a fully rigged Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha. Templeton is fishing for a top co-angler award of $15,000 cash. Each man is fishing against 135 of the nation’s best walleye anglers in his respective division.
“I feel pretty good,” said Pratt, whose biggest tournament payday to date is $3,000. “This is my first time to be ahead of all the top dogs out here. Now I just have to hold my own for the next three days.”
Pratt and Templeton caught their limit of walleyes, which included an 11-pounder, trolling with spinners and crawler harnesses. The first three fish were caught 40 miles from the launch ramp at Hoyles Marina in Linwood, Mich., but fearing rough water from passing storms, the duo headed back to the docks early. Fortunately they arrived back at the marina with time to spare and caught a 7-pounder and a 2-pounder to round out their limit.
“There is no better way to finish the day,” Templeton said. “I’ve been on the bubble finishing 13th on Devils Lake last season and missing the cut by less than a pound in Detroit this year, but this is my first lead.”
Pro Ted Merdan of Maple Grove, Minn., and co-angler Gabe Miskovich of Pengilly, Minn., finished opening day in second place with five walleyes weighing 34 pounds, 7 ounces. Rounding out the top five were pro Chris Gilman of Chisago City, Minn., and co-angler Thomas Nordyke of Newport, Mich., with five walleyes weighing 33 pounds, 14 ounces; pro Todd Frank of Polaski, N.Y., and co-angler Greg Darsow of Billings, Mont., with five walleyes weighing 33 pounds, 11 ounces; and pro Todd Riley of Amery, Wis., and co-angler Dan Wolfe of Kaukauna, Wis., with five walleyes weighing 33 pounds, 10 ounces.
Competition resumes at 7 a.m. Thursday at Hoyles Marina when competitors from more than a dozen states and Canada take off for the final day of opening-round competition. Following Thursday’s 3 p.m. weigh-in at the marina, the field will be cut to the top 20 pros and top 20 co-anglers. These anglers will advance to the one-day semifinal round Friday, where they will compete for a spot in the final round. Only the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers will advance to Saturday’s final round. Catch weights are carried over during the opening round, but anglers start the semifinal and final rounds from zero. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins start at 3:30 p.m. at the Bay City Wal-Mart located at 3921 Wilder Road.
Directed by FLW Outdoors and named after Wal-Mart and boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and Lund, the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit is the world’s most lucrative walleye-fishing series. The circuit features four regular-season tournaments, each with a $346,000 cash purse, and a championship with a $1.4 million cash purse. Cash payments are presented through 50th place.
Following this tournament, 200 pros and 200 co-anglers from the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit and other sanctioned tournament organizations and events will compete in the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship for a top pro award of as much as $400,000 cash and a top co-angler award of as much as $150,000 cash. The championship will be held on the Mississippi River near Red Wing, Minn., Oct. 2-5. Green Bay hosted the Wal-Mart RCL Championship last season when Dean Arnoldussen of Kaukauna, Wis., won $400,000 and instantly joined the sport’s top all-time money winners.
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, Newell Rubbermaid, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Snickers, Stanley, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards. Associate sponsors are Abu Garcia, Berkley, Eagle Claw, Laker, Plano and Solar Bat.