BISMARCK, N.D. – Pro Tommy Skarlis of Waukon, Iowa, and co-angler David Anderson of Sauk Rapids Minn., caught five walleyes weighing 15 pounds, 13 ounces Friday to give Skarlis the lead going into the final day of the sport’s most lucrative event – the Walmart FLW Walleye Tour Championship – on the Missouri River in Bismarck. The impressive catch also earned Anderson the title of co-angler champion and $15,000.
“This is what you live for and what dreams are made of,” said Skarlis, who has a 1-pound, 10-ounce lead over his closet competitor. “Though I wish the tournament was over, it isn’t. I have to go back tonight and mentally prepare for tomorrow. I have to do the same thing tomorrow as I did today. I have to go out there and try and have fun and fish like there is no tomorrow.”
Skarlis said that he has confidence in his area and that the fish keep loading up in this area but he is concerned with locals and tourists. “Most of the locals moved spots when they figured out that we were in the tournament which really helped. I don’t know if there is enough fish in that spot for everyone.”
Skarlis said what he can disclose about his baits are that he is putting Berkley Gulp! on them and the fish love it.
“Tomorrow, I might change it up a little bit and go to a Gulp! Crawler or a Gulp! Minnow,” Skarlis added. “I am ready to rock’n’roll and ready for a good day of fishing.”
Rounding out the top five pros are Yamaha pro Ross Grothe of Northfield, Minn. (five walleyes, 14-03); Robert Blosser of Poynette, Wis. (five walleyes, 14-01); Todd Frank of Pulaski, N.Y. (five walleyes, 12-15); and Evinrude pro Chris Gilman of Chisago City, Minn. (five walleyes, 12-02).
In the Co-angler Division, Anderson chalked up an impressive win in just his first complete season on tour.
“I feel unbelievable,” he said. “This has been an outstanding year. I finished third at Cass Lake and won here. It’s just unreal. You dream of something like this happening and when it actually happens it is surreal.”
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Del Ringling of Valley, Neb. (five walleyes, 14-03, $13,500); Nate Brunz of Madison Lake, Minn. (five walleyes, 14-01, $6,500 ); Patrick Bertelsen of Jackson, Minn. (five walleyes, 12-15, $3,500); and Scott Woodward of Glendive, Mont. (five walleyes, 12-02, $5,000).
MacLean Bottoms, Riffle Range, will host takeoff Saturday at 7:30 a.m. Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Bismarck Civic Center, located at 315 S. 5th Street., beginning at 4:30 p.m. The community is invited to attend takeoff and weigh-in as well as the Family Fun Zone, which opens at noon Saturday. Saturday is free fishing rod and reel day at the Fun Zone, where the first 200 children 14 and under receive a free fishing rod and reel courtesy of 103.3 US Country.
The winning pro at the FLW Walleye Tour Championship is guaranteed a cash award of $100,000. If the winner is a qualifying Ranger or G3 boat owner, he will earn a $25,000 bonus, and if the boat is equipped with a qualifying Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, he will receive another $25,000 bonus for a total cash award of $150,000.
The winning co-angler is guaranteed $10,000 cash and is eligible for a $5,000 bonus from Ranger or G3 if he is a registered owner. The winning co-angler will also receive a $5,000 bonus from Evinrude or Yamaha if his boat is equipped with a qualifying Evinrude or Yamaha outboard.
Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight. Pros compete against other pros, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. The full field competes for two days and then is cut to the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers for day three. Anglers in both divisions start from zero on day three, and co-angler competition concludes with the winner determined by the day’s heaviest catch. Pros carry their weights over to day four, and the winner is determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.
Tournament anglers aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing™, FLW Outdoors® offered anyone the opportunity to enter for their chance to land the catch of a lifetime with the opportunity to win $7.3 million in cash and prizes. Players could become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, which provided them with exclusive insider information that could have guided them to a $100,000 victory at every Walmart FLW Tour® stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage gave them an edge over the competition and increased their shot for the $1 million cash grand prize awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Visit FantasyFishing.com today to find out more information and to register for next season.
Coverage of the FLW Walleye Tour Championship on the Missouri River will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States on Nov. 30 as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast in Canada on WFN (World Fishing Network) and to more than 429 million households in the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East through a distribution agreement with Matchroom Sport, making it the most widely distributed fishing program in the world. The program airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time in most markets. Check local listings for times in your area.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits. FLW Outdoors also took fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.
For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.