MOLINE, Ill. – The Quad Cities will host the world’s most lucrative walleye tournament Sept. 29-Oct. 2, as the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship hits the Mississippi River. The tournament will feature more than 200 pros and more than 200 co-anglers who qualified for the event via the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League and several other organizations. If contingency guidelines are met, the winning pro could take home as much as $400,000 cash, and the winning co-angler could earn as much as $150,000 cash.
RCL Tour pro Tom Giachetto of Ladd, Ill., says fishing conditions will directly correlate with river conditions. “How the fish are going to be caught and the quality of the sacks weighed are going to depend a lot on the river flow,” Giachetto said. “If the water is normal or low, there are going to be some big weights, and it could take a 3-pound average to make the first cut. If the water is up, weights are going to drop off dramatically.”
According to Giachetto, trollers will be tough to beat in low-water conditions, but they will have a hard way to go if the water is high. With the spawn complete, Giachetto said the walleyes are going to be scattered, and the most productive patterns will include keying on underwater rocks and ledges in 14 to 15 feet of water.
Sunset Park in Rock Island will host daily 7 a.m. takeoffs throughout the event except for Friday, when takeoff is at 8 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday’s weigh-ins, Sept. 29 and 30, will also be held at the park beginning at 3 p.m. Weigh-ins Friday and Saturday, Oct. 1 and 2, will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 3930 44th Ave. in Moline beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday. The community is invited to attend takeoffs and weigh-ins as well as the Family Fun Zone, which opens at 3 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday outside the weigh-in tent in the Wal-Mart parking lot. The Family Fun Zone features interactive displays, product samples and games for the entire family.
Alleman High School students will present the National Anthem each morning of the event during takeoff festivities, with 16 instrumentalists directed by Mrs. Soko performing Wednesday and vocalist Kristie Anderson performing Thursday. Mrs. Soko’s 16 instrumentalists will return Friday, and Katie Anderson will perform Saturday.
Ranger Boats and Evinrude Outboards are teaming up to present On the Water Demo Day on Saturday, Oct. 2. The festivities begin at Sunset Park with a children’s fishing clinic from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. On-the-water demonstrations will start at 11 a.m. and conclude at 2 p.m.
The winning pro at the RCL Championship is guaranteed a cash award of $150,000. If the winner is a registered owner of a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat, he will earn a $150,000 bonus, and if his boat is equipped with an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, he will receive another $100,000 for a total cash award of $400,000.
The winning co-angler is guaranteed $75,000 cash and is eligible for a $45,000 bonus from Ranger, Crestliner or Lund if he is a registered owner. The winning co-angler will also receive a $30,000 bonus if his boat is equipped with an Evinrude or Yamaha for a total cash award of $150,000.
The full field will compete on days one and two for one of 12 semifinal-round spots in their respective division. Weights are cleared for the semifinal round, and anglers compete for one day to determine the top six pros who will compete in the final round. The co-angler winner is determined after day-three competition. Final-round pros start at zero and compete for one day for position and prize money.
With a $3.19 million purse, the RCL Tour is the world’s most lucrative walleye-tournament series.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship is administered by FLW Outdoors, the world’s leading marketer of competitive fishing. FLW Outdoors-sanctioned tournament trails include the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League, the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the EverStart Series, the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail, the Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour and the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the title sponsor of FLW Outdoors events 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.
For more information about the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship hosted by the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau, browse this Web site or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about the Quad Cities, visit QuadCities.com.