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Copyright 1999-2002 

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Russell reigns supreme in Detroit
Taylor, Mich., (April 6, 2002) - Sunny skies greeted the finalists today at the weigh-in for the first event of the 2002 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit. With hundreds of people in the audience, there was plenty of anticipation among locals to see which pro and co-angler would leave with the first place prize. The faithful Michigan fans were not disappointed as RCL pro Jeff Russell of Grand Haven, Mich. and co-angler Thomas Nordyke of Newport, Mich. made it a clean sweep of first place trophies for the wolverine state.

"I just can't believe this. It just is not sinking in," said Russell. "I knew that Danny Plautz had a big bag of fish. I was a real wreck. I'll tell you what, this is something else. Once I found out he did not have enough weight after I weighed-in I felt good, but then when the last angler weighed-in and it was official that I had won, well I am just really excited."

Russell's reward for finishing in first place was a check for $50,000 and a new Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat rigged with Yamaha motors, Minn Kota trolling motors and Garmin electronics. The total prize package is worth close to $90,000.

Russell stayed in the river for the final day of the tournament.

"I knew some guys were going to make long runs, but I felt confident staying in the river," said Russell. "I had a limit by 8 a.m. Later in the day, I upgraded my catch with an 11 pound 12 ounce fish. We had one 5-pounder that I though I needed to cull, but I guess it didn't matter. I fished by the steel mill in 14-22 feet of water all day."

Russell's presentation was simple. He stuck with vertical jigging using 3/8-1/2 ounce chartreuse and orange jigs tipped with a 3-inch orange twister tail. Added to the jig and twister was an emerald shiner.

"You had to have the emerald shiner on the back of your jig to get the good bites," said Russell. "I bet I went through 10-12 dozen of them per day making sure I picked out the best bait. The emerald shiner is what you want to use on this river."

Finishing in second and taking home a check for $25,000 was 19 year old rookie pro Danny Plautz from Milwaukee, Wis. Plautz took a big gamble and it paid off for him today.

"I was planning on staying in the river and jigging today," said Plautz. "After fishing for about 20 minutes near the "hot ponds" I just had a gut feeling that it wasn't going to happen. So I told my co-angler we are going to fish the lake. I guess I made the right decision and finished with a great check in my first pro tournament. My heart feels like it is ready to pound out of my chest."

Plautz' Lake Erie success hinged on fishing shallower water than most of the other anglers fishing in the same area.

"There were some other anglers in the area of Erie I was fishing," said Plautz. "I was trolling Rip Stick plugs about 75 feet behind planer boards. The key to my success was keeping the lure in the upper 10 feet of the water column. You don't always see these fish on your depth finder, so many anglers fish too deep. Fishing a little shallower in the water column worked well today."

A lucky puck helps Hertensteiner land third place and a $20,000 check.

"Before I left for this tournament my son gave me a hockey puck for luck," said Hertensteiner. "He won the puck for being the MVP in his hockey league. I guess the puck did bring me luck. Let me tell you, sitting on a puck in 30 degree temperatures is really cold."

The standings for the rest of the pro field are fourth place winner Rick Cole of Elwood, Ind., in fifth Todd Riley of Amery, Wis., in sixth Tom Dinneweth of Dearborn Heights, Mich., in seventh Ron Gazvoda of Lakewood, Colo., in eighth Chris Bahl of Sidney, Neb., in ninth Wasyl Mirutenko of Hawthorn Woods, Ill., and in tenth Brian Ney of Baudette, Minn.

Co-angler champion Thomas Nordyke of Newport, Mich. has an immediate use for his first place prize of $15,000.

"I am so excited, I have never won anything like this before. I recently purchased a new Lund boat," said Nordyke. "This $15,000 will help me rig the boat exactly like I want it. I am also thinking about giving a try at the pro side of these tournaments. I might stick with the co-angler side for a while though. The pros are incredibly good anglers and they are very competitive."

Second place co-angler Thomas Harrison summed up the feelings of most co-anglers regarding their fishing partners this week.

"My partner today, Danny Plautz, was one of the nicest men I have ever fished with. All of the pros I had the opportunity to fish with were great. I had the opportunity to fish out of a Ranger, Crestliner and a Lund boat this week. I trolled, jigged and even used the hand-lining method. This was a great experience."

The standings for the rest of the co-angler field are third Ken Poole of Byron, Minn., James Jansen of Roseville, Mich., fifth Denny Eldridge of Stanton, Mich., sixth Dana Delp of Lansing, Mich., seventh John Galaska of Omaha, Neb., eighth Rob Carpenter of Howard, Ohio, ninth George Hanson of Midland, Mich., tenth Ron Schropp of Omaha, Neb.

The next stop on the $2.9 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit is May 1-4 on Lake Sharpe in Pierre, S.D.

Gazvoda Leads Field Into Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit Finals
 
Taylor, Mich., (April 5, 2002) - Ron Gazvoda of Lakewood, Colo., will lead 10 Pro Division anglers into the final round of the $346,000 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit season opener on the Detroit River after landing five walleyes weighing 31 pounds, 14 ounces Friday with co-angler Thomas Nordyke of Newport, Mich.

The duo's impressive catch, which outweighed second place by more than 5 pounds, was the result using minnow tipped jigs near a warm water discharge upstream of the takeoff. If Gazvoda can duplicate his performance Saturday, he stands to win $50,000 cash and a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha. Nordyke is fishing for a top award of $15,000 cash.
"I found a little cut holding nice fish late in the day," said Gazvoda, whose biggest tournament payday to date is $5,000. "It's a little off the beaten path, so it may prove to be a key spot. We fished with the crowd [Friday] and went for a three-hour stretch with only four fish in the boat. When that happens, all sorts of bad things start going through your mind. Then they started hitting again."

Pro Tom Dinneweth of Dearborn Heights, Mich., and co-angler Denny Eldredge of Stanton, Mich., advanced to the final round in the No. 2 position with five walleyes weighing 26 pounds, 1 ounce.
Rounding out the top five qualifiers were pro Rick Cole of Elwood, Ind., and co-angler Tom Harrison of Naperville, Ill., with five walleyes weighing 23 pounds, 13 ounces; pro Jeff Russell of Grand Haven, Mich., and co-angler Ron Schropp of Omaha, Neb., with five walleyes weighing 23 pounds, 11 ounces; and pro Danny Plautz of Muskego, Wis., and co-angler George Hanson of Midland, Mich., with five walleyes weighing 19 pounds, 3 ounces.

Overall, 69 walleyes weighing 267 pounds, 11 ounces were caught Friday, including nine limits. All the walleye were released alive.

Competition resumes at 7 a.m. Saturday at Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown, Mich., followed by a 4 p.m. weigh-in at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 7555 Telegraph Road in Taylor. Catch weights will be cleared with the winners determined by the weight of Saturday's catch alone.
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.
The second Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit tournament is May 1-4 on Lake Sharpe in Pierre, S.D., followed by events on Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wis., May 29-June 1 and Saginaw Bay in Bay City, Mich., June 26-29.

After four regular season tournaments, 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 up to $400,000 cash and a top co-angler award of up to $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.

Entry fees for regular season tournaments are $1,250 for pros and $500 for co-anglers. A limited number of co-angler spots are still available in each tournament. To enter, visit FLWOutdoors.com or call 270-362-5259.

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.
Semifinal Round Results - April 5, 2002
Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit: Detroit River, Taylor, Mich.
Pro Division Place Name City, State Caught Lbs. Ozs. Winnings
1 RON  GAZVODA LAKEWOOD, CO 5 31 14 0
2 TOM  DINNEWETH DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MI 5 26 1 0
3 RICK  COLE ELWOOD, IN 5 23 13 0
4 JEFF  RUSSELL GRAND HAVEN, MI 5 23 11 0
5 DANNY  PLAUTZ MUSKEGO, WI 5 19 3 0
6 BRIAN  NEY BAUDETTE, MN 3 17 9 0
7 TODD  RILEY AMERY, WI 5 14 15 0
8 CHRIS  BAHL SIDNEY, NE 2 14 14 0
9 JOHN  HERTENSTEINER VICTORIA, MN 2 13 1 0
10 WASYL  MIRUTENKO HAWTHORN WOODS, IL 5 12 7 0
11 JOHN  KOLINSKI MENASHA, WI 5 11 6 5000.00
12 MARK  MARTIN TWIN LAKE, MI 4 11 5 5000.00
13 TOM  BRUNZ MADISON LAKE, MN 2 11 1 5000.00
14 ERIC  NAIG CYLINDER, IA 5 10 5 5000.00
15 JASON  PRZEKURAT STEVENS POINT, WI 3 7 3 5000.00
16 JEFF  TAEGE RHINELANDER, WI 3 6 7 4000.00
17 TIM  DRASCIC MONONA, WI 2 4 0 4000.00
18 JERRY J RUFFOLO MANITOWOC, WI 1 3 3 4000.00
19 JEFF  MANZ VANDERBILT, MI 1 3 0 4000.00
20
FRANK  ZATOR
MANHATTAN, IL
1 2 5 4000.00

Co Angler Division
 1 THOMAS  NORDYKE NEWPORT, MI 5 31 14 0
2 DENNY  ELDREDGE STANTON, MI 5 26 1 0
3 TOM  HARRISON NAPERVILLE, IL 5 23 13 0
4 RON  SCHROPP OMAHA, NE 5 23 11 0
5 GEORGE  HANSON MIDLAND, MI 5 19 3 0
6 DANA  DELP LANSING, MI 3 17 9 0
7 ROB  CARPENTER HOWARD, OH 5 14 15 0
8 JAMES  JANSEN ROSEVILLE, MI 2 14 14 0
9 JOHN  GALASKA OMAHA, NE 2 13 1 0
10 KEN  POOLE BYRON, MN 5 12 7 0
11 JOHN  WATE HOLLY, MI 5 11 6 1000.00
12 THOMAS  EBI DEARBORN, MI 4 11 5 1000.00
13 JOE  KOTSULL ALLEN PARK, MI 2 11 1 1000.00
14 DAVE  DUGALL HIGHLAND, MI 5 10 5 1000.00
15 MARK  EHRKE COLUMBUS TWP., MI 3 7 3 1000.00
16 DONALD  LEE COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, MI 3 6 7 900.00
17 DARREN  EDLUND MINNEAPOLIS, MN 2 4 0 900.00
18 JOHN R SOLEK INDIANAPOLIS, IN 1 3 3 900.00
19 DAVID  PINKOWSKI WESTLAND, MI 1 3 0 900.00
20 TIM  WILLIAMS OREGON, OH 1 2 5 900.00

Riley leads charge into Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit semifinals

04/04/2002 - Taylor, Mich. .... Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit pro Todd Riley of Amery, Wis., and his day-two partner Rob Carpenter of Howard, Ohio, landed a five-walleye limit weighing 27 pounds, 14 ounces Thursday on the Detroit River to give Riley the lead in his quest to win $50,000 cash plus a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha.

Riley will lead the top 20 pros competing in the $346,000 tournament into the semifinal round with a two-day, opening round total of 10 walleyes weighing 45 pounds, 2 ounces. Riley and his opening day partner, Tim Williams of Oregon, Ohio, weighed in five walleyes that registered 17 pounds, 4 ounces Wednesday.

"The cold front really slowed them down, but a new wave of females are moving through the river," said Riley, who caught his walleyes on a jig and minnow. "I'm excited to be fishing another day.

" Carpenter will lead the top 20 co-anglers into the semifinal round with a two-day total of 10 walleyes weighing 42 pounds, 6 ounces. He and his day-one partner, Pete Harsh of Sauk Centre, Minn., brought in five walleyes weighing 14 pound, 8 ounces Wednesday. His day-two catch with Riley put him into the lead in his quest to win $15,000 cash.

Rounding out the top five pros are Jeff Russell of Grand Haven, Mich., with a two-day total of six walleyes weighing 41 pounds, 12 ounces; Ron Gazvoda of Lakewood, Colo., with 10 walleyes weighing 41 pounds, 8 ounces; Rick Cole of Elwood, Ind., with 10 walleyes weighing 39 pounds, 4 ounces; and John Hertensteiner of Victoria, Minn., with eight walleyes weighing 38 pounds, 2 ounces.

Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Ron Schropp of Omaha, Neb., with a two-day total of 10 walleyes weighing 41 pounds, 13 ounces; Thomas Nordyke of Newport, Mich., with 10 walleyes weighing 38 pounds, 12 ounces; Tom Harrison of Naperville, Ill., with 10 walleyes weighing 38 pounds, 9 ounces; and John Galaska of Omaha, Neb., with 10 walleyes weighing 38 pounds, 5 ounces.

The Detroit River tournament is the second event of the $2.9 million 2002 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit - the world's most lucrative walleye fishing series. It started Wednesday with 150 pros and 150 co-anglers representing 19 states and Canada. The field will be cut again to the top 10 pros and co-anglers after Friday's semifinal round action. Anglers in both divisions start the semifinal and final rounds from zero and fish for the heaviest one-day catch.

Competition resumes at 7 a.m. Friday at Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown, Mich., followed by a 4 p.m. weigh-in at the at the Wal-Mart Supercenter located at 7555 Telegraph Road in Taylor. The final takeoff starts at 7 a.m. Saturday followed by a 4 p.m. weigh-in at Wal-Mart.

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.

The second Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit tournament is May 1-4 on Lake Sharpe in Pierre, S.D., followed by events on Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wis., May 29-June 1 and Saginaw Bay in Bay City, Mich., June 26-29.

After four regular season tournaments, 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 up to $400,000 cash and a top co-angler award of up to $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.

DAY Two ResultS - April 4, 2002
Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit: Detroit River, Taylor, Michigan
Pro Division
PL Name City, State Day 1 Lbs. Day 1 Ozs. Day 2 Lbs. Day 2 Ozs. Tot Lbs. Tot
Ozs. Winnings
1 TODD  RILEY AMERY, WI 17 4 27 14 45 2 0
2 JEFF  RUSSELL GRAND HAVEN,MI 7 9 34 3 41 12 0
3 RON  GAZVODA LAKEWOOD,CO 11 4 30 4 41 8 0
4 RICK  COLE ELWOOD,IN 25 12 13 8 39 4 0
5 JOHN  HERTENSTEINER VICTORIA,MN 21 13 16 5 38 2 0
6 TIM  DRASCIC MONONA,WI 22 9 15 2 37 11 0
7 WASYL  MIRUTENKO HAWTHORN WOODS,IL 26 5 9 9 35 14 0
8 MARK  MARTIN TWIN LAKE,MI 12 2 23 4 35 6 0
9 CHRIS  BAHL SIDNEY,NE 11 4 21 0 32 4 0
10 JEFF  TAEGE RHINELANDER,WI 21 15 9 3 31 2 0
11 JASON  PRZEKURAT STEVENS POINT,WI 10 5 19 9 29 14 0
12 TOM  BRUNZ MADISON LAKE,MN 15 13 13 15 29 12 0
13 DANNY  PLAUTZ MUSKEGO,WI 9 11 20 0 29 11 0
14 BRIAN  NEY BAUDETTE,MN 14 10 14 15 29 9 0
15 TOM  DINNEWETH DEARBORN HEIGHTS,MI 8 13 20 11 29 8 0
16 FRANK  ZATOR MANHATTAN,IL 11 5 18 3 29 8 0
17 JERRY JRUFFOLO MANITOWOC,WI 16 5 12 10 28 15 0
18 ERIC  NAIG CYLINDER,IA 12 0 16 10 28 10 0
19 JOHN  KOLINSKI MENASHA,WI 18 4 10 3 28 7 0
20 JEFF  MANZ VANDERBILT,MI 19 14 8 8 28 6 0
21 JOHN  CAMPBELL WALKER,MN 13 0 15 0 28 0 3000.00
22 JOHN  GILLMAN FREELAND,MI 7 11 20 0 27 11 3000.00
23 PETE  HARSH SAUK CENTRE,MN 14 8 13 2 27 10 3000.00
24 CURTIS  REYNOLDS ROYAL OAK,MI 3 9 23 13 27 6 3000.00
25 GREGORY JYARBROUGH WHITE LAKE,MI 15 8 11 12 27 4 3000.00
26 MARK ABRUMBAUGH ARCANUM,OH 16 12 10 2 26 14 2500.00
27 PHILIP CEIRIKSON AUSTIN ,MN 16 7 9 9 26 0 2500.00
28 SCOTT  ALLAR WELCH,MN 16 0 9 10 25 10 2500.00
29 MIKE  GOFRON ANTIOCH,IL 12 13 12 6 25 3 2500.00
30 BILL  ORTIZ DODGEVILLE,WI 9 4 15 13 25 1 2500.00
31 MARK JCHRISTIANSON WALKER,MN 4 12 20 2 24 14 2000.00
32 DAN  PLAUTZ MUSKEGO,WI 19 1 5 8 24 9 2000.00
33 DAVID  RHODES NEW WILMINGTON,PA 9 5 15 3 24 8 2000.00
34 RYAN  JOHNSON TAYLOR,MI 7 6 17 1 24 7 2000.00
35 TODD  FRANK PULASKI,NY 12 11 11 12 24 7 2000.00
36 PAT  CAVINS GREEN BAY,WI 0 0 24 2 24 2 2000.00
37 JOE  LOCKMAN GRAND RAPIDS,MI 14 1 9 12 23 13 2000.00
38 MARTIN JGLORVIGEN GRAND RAPIDS,MN 12 10 11 2 23 12 2000.00
39 RANDY  VANDERWEIDE WYOMING,MI 19 5 4 5 23 10 2000.00
40 KEITH  ESHBAUGH WASHINGTON,PA 6 10 16 11 23 5 2000.00
41 SCOTT  RHODES TRAVERSE CITY,MI 9 15 13 1 23 0 1500.00
42 SCOTT  GLORVIGEN GRAND RAPIDS,MN 11 9 11 4 22 13 1500.00
43 DUANE  TEN CATE SIOUX FALLS,SD 11 8 11 3 22 11 1500.00
44 RICK  OLSON MINA LAKE,SD 10 6 12 4 22 10 1500.00
45 TIM  MINNEMA MARKESAN,WI 0 0 22 9 22 9 1500.00
46 ROSS  GROTHE APPLE VALLEY,MN 13 6 9 3 22 9 1500.00
47 LARRY  MOTE BURLINGTON,IN 12 10 9 15 22 9 1500.00
48 JOE  MITCHELL CAMBRIDGE,MN 14 10 7 9 22 3 1500.00
49 BRAD  KNOLL MENASHA,WI 5 15 15 14 21 13 1500.00
50 TIM  REITAN SABIN,MN 9 13 12 0 21 13 1500.00
51 STEVE  LOTZ LENA,IL 10 14 10 15 21 13 0
52 CHRIS  GILMAN CHISAGO CITY,MN 13 2 8 8 21 10 0
53 DAVE  SPAID PIERRE,SD 11 11 9 14 21 9 0
54 BRET  BEEBE CROSSLAKE,MN 15 1 6 5 21 6 0
55 TOMMY  SKARLIS WALKER,MN 8 10 12 9 21 3 0
56 CARY  LITERSKI WAUPACA,WI 9 13 11 5 21 2 0
57 CARL  GRUNWALDT GREEN BAY,WI 12 6 8 11 21 1 0
58 JOHN  E NELSON WAHKON,MN 20 13 0 0 20 13 0
59 DAVID  POZEK DEARBORN,MI 14 2 6 11 20 13 0
60 GEORGE  BARACH BARRYTON,MI 4 12 16 0 20 12 0
61 RICHARD  FRANKLIN LOUISBURG,KS 4 3 16 7 20 10 0
62 BOBBY JYANCEY NEWPORT,MI 9 5 11 5 20 10 0
63 PAUL K. KWRIGHT WESTPOINT,IN 13 14 6 6 20 4 0
64 ERIC DOLSON MINNEAPOLIS,MN 7 3 12 14 20 1 0
65 RONNIE HRHODES LORAIN,OH 12 5 7 6 19 11 0
66 ROBERT  CROW PATERSON,WA 11 0 8 8 19 8 0
67 RICHARD  LACOURSE OREGON,OH 11 10 7 13 19 7 0
68 JOE  WHITTEN TOLEDO,OH 13 14 4 15 18 13 0
69 DWAINE  WHITE OREGON,IL 9 15 8 13 18 12 0
70 CHAD  HALL ALGONA,IA 13 8 4 14 18 6 0
71 DAVID RKRAFT BISMARK,ND 6 11 11 11 18 6 0
72 BILL  LEONARD ESTHERVILLE,IA 9 7 8 15 18 6 0
73 RONALD  MASON ESTHERVILLE,IA 8 13 9 6 18 3 0
74 PERRY  GOOD EAGAN,MN 11 14 5 13 17 11 0
75 AARON DMCQUOID ISLE,MN 2 12 14 14 17 10 0
76 RICK  WALTER CASPER,WY 10 9 6 14 17 7 0
77 BRUCE  SAMSON MINNETRISTA,MN 9 13 7 9 17 6 0
78 THOMAS GVANDERWEIDE JENISON,MI 9 0 7 13 16 13 0
79 DENNIS  LANTZY WARREN,MI 10 0 6 11 16 11 0
80 BRUCE  DESHANO SAND POINT,MI 10 11 5 13 16 8 0
81 DAN  STIER PIERRE,SD 0 0 16 6 16 6 0
82 LARRY  PETERS TRENTON,MI 7 5 9 1 16 6 0
83 GREG  SCHENECKER WATERTOWN,SD 8 12 7 9 16 5 0
84 ROGER  MEYER WATERTOWN,SD 5 12 10 8 16 4 0
85 MARK  PRESTA RACINE,WI 2 10 13 7 16 1 0
86 ANDY  ZIMMERMAN NEW FRANKEN,WI 6 15 8 15 15 14 0
87 JEFF  KOESTER BROOKVILLE,IN 7 14 8 0 15 14 0
88 JULIA  DAVIS PORT CLINTON,OH 9 4 6 9 15 13 0
89 RICK  TRABERT TIFFIN,IA 13 11 1 14 15 9 0
90 NICK  HOMAYED DEARBORN HEIGHTS,MI 0 0 15 4 15 4 0
91 DAVE  TRUETT LOWELL,IN 13 4 1 14 15 2 0
92 CHUCK  EMERY ALTADENA,CA 3 7 10 15 14 6 0
93 KEN  SCHOENECKER WEST BEND,WI 7 4 6 15 14 3 0
94 JOHN  PRATT ROBERTS,MT 12 11 1 7 14 2 0
95 ROBERT  PIETTE WYANDOTTE,MI 14 0 0 0 14 0 0
96 TOM  BRUNO PIERRE,SD 7 1 6 8 13 9 0
97 CECIL  NEWMAN RIVER ROUGE,MI 3 15 9 7 13 6 0
98 JOHN  JANOUSEK BRAINERD,MN 8 12 4 10 13 6 0
99 NORB  WALLOCK CONOVER,WI 9 10 3 11 13 5 0
100 GARY  ROACH MERRIFIELD,MN 11 7 1 13 13 4 0
101 ANDREW FKUFFER FAIR HAVEN,MI 8 4 4 15 13 3 0
102 DAVE  HANSON BEMIDJI,MN 11 5 1 11 13 0 0
103 KEVIN  MCQUOID ISLE,MN 5 9 7 3 12 12 0
104 JIM RWAHL LE CLAIRE,IA 7 5 5 4 12 9 0
105 ERIC  PETROSKY ROYAL OAK,MI 12 7 0 0 12 7 0
106 SHELDON  MEIDINGER BISMARCK,ND 10 7 1 13 12 4 0
107 DAVID  KUFFER SHELBY TOWNSHIP,MI 3 15 8 5 12 4 0
108 DAVE  SCROPPO TRAVERSE CITY,MI 2 14 9 2 12 0 0
109 RICK  THAMES AVELLA,PA 5 9 6 6 11 15 0
110 DAN  SWANSON FORT COLLINS,CO 3 7 8 7 11 14 0
111 CURTIS  FIELDS GOLDEN,CO 0 0 11 12 11 12 0
112 MIKE  MCCLELLAND PIERRE,SD 2 4 9 7 11 11 0
113 MARK  COURTS HARRIS,MN 2 11 8 15 11 10 0
114 MARK  MAHAFFEY CLEAR LAKE,IA 5 0 6 5 11 5 0
115 LEON  HOULE ROSEVILLE,MN 2 9 8 9 11 2 0
116 MARK  MERAVY SHOREWOOD,IL 6 1 4 13 10 14 0
117 STEVE  LAMB NASHVILLE,TN 5 11 4 14 10 9 0
118 VICTOR  STOLCERS DELAVAN,WI 6 14 3 7 10 5 0
119 PATRICK JBYLE COLGATE,WI 9 12 0 0 9 12 0
120 BOB EDOMEK HAWTHORN WOODS,IL 0 0 9 5 9 5 0
121 JEFFREY  BERG MOUND,MN 0 0 9 3 9 3 0
122 IRVIN  KRAUS POWELL,WY 2 9 6 10 9 3 0
123 BILL  COATS RIPON,WI 8 13 0 0 8 13 0
124 GARY ADARLING FORT COLLINS,CO 2 12 6 0 8 12 0
125 TERRY  WILSON POWELL,WY 0 0 8 7 8 7 0
126 RON  SEELHOFF BURLINGTON,CO 2 9 5 12 8 5 0
127 ROGER  BERKLAND EMMETSBURG,IA 0 0 8 1 8 1 0
128 ROBERT  LINKEWITZ NEW BALTIMORE,MI 2 5 5 10 7 15 0
129 DONALD GSMITH SHELBY,MI 6 4 1 10 7 14 0
130 LARRY  NEAU UNION GROVE,WI 3 6 4 7 7 13 0
131 JACK  NEUMAN NAPERVILLE,IL 0 0 7 4 7 4 0
131 DENNIS EPOLLESCH MARKESAN,WI 4 15 2 5 7 4 0
131 RANDY  TYLER HOMETOWN,IL 4 15 2 5 7 4 0
134 SCOTT  HAUGE MAHTOMEDI,MN 0 0 6 3 6 3 0
135 RUSSELL  MCDONALD DRYDEN,ON 3 15 2 0 5 15 0
136 SHANNON  KEHL MENOKEN,ND 3 11 2 2 5 13 0
137 GUS  WHITE SAINT HELEN,MI 2 8 3 5 5 13 0
138 JOE  MCCARTIN LAND O LAKES,WI 0 0 5 7 5 7 0
139 MARK  BRODERICK EAST BETHEL,MN 5 6 0 0 5 6 0
140 PAUL  MELEEN ISLE,MN 5 2 0 0 5 2 0
141 TODD  ROBINSON HUBBARD,OH 0 0 4 14 4 14 0
142 TIM  HERINK PLAINFIELD,IL 0 0 4 9 4 9 0
143 LARRY  DAWSON MINNEAPOLIS,MN 0 0 3 11 3 11 0
144 NATE  PROVOST GULLIVER,MI 0 0 3 10 3 10 0
145 RANDY  TRIPKE MALONE,WI 0 0 3 6 3 6 0
146 ROBERT  HEAFORD MASON CITY,IA 2 12 0 0 2 12 0
147 RICH  MEALY WESTERVILLE,OH 1 13 0 0 1 13 0

Co-AnglerDivision
PL Name City, State Day 1 Lbs. Day 1 Ozs. Day 2 Lbs. Day 2 Ozs. Tot Lbs. Tot
Ozs. Winnings
1 ROB  CARPENTER HOWARD,OH 14 8 27 14 42 6 0
2 RON  SCHROPP OMAHA,NE 21 13 20 0 41 13 0
3 THOMAS  NORDYKE NEWPORT,MI 14 10 24 2 38 12 0
4 TOM  HARRISON NAPERVILLE,IL 22 9 16 0 38 9 0
5 JOHN  GALASKA OMAHA,NE 25 12 12 9 38 5 0
6 DARREN  EDLUND MINNEAPOLIS,MN 16 12 21 0 37 12 0
7 KEN  POOLE BYRON,MN 5 9 30 4 35 13 0
8 THOMAS  EBI DEARBORN,MI 12 0 23 4 35 4 0
9 JAMES  JANSEN ROSEVILLE,MI 0 0 34 3 34 3 0
10 DONALD  LEE COMMERCE,MI 21 15 12 4 34 3 0
11 MARK  EHRKE COLUMBUS TWP.,MI 13 2 20 0 33 2 0
12 JOE  KOTSULL ALLEN PARK,MI 26 5 6 6 32 11 0
13 GEORGE  HANSON MIDLAND,MI 12 6 20 2 32 8 0
14 DANA  DELP LANSING,MI 19 1 13 7 32 8 0
15 DENNY  ELDREDGE STANTON,MI 19 5 13 1 32 6 0
16 TIM  WILLIAMS OREGON,OH 17 4 13 2 30 6 0
17 JOHN RSOLEK INDIANAPOLIS,IN 8 13 20 11 29 8 0
18 DAVE  DUGALL HIGHLAND,MI 12 2 16 10 28 12 0
19 JOHN  WATE HOLLY,MI 15 13 12 14 28 11 0
20 DAVID  PINKOWSKI WESTLAND,MI 13 8 14 14 28 6 0
21 STEVE  TEMPLETON CLEAR LAKE,IA 20 13 6 5 27 2 800.00
22 ROB  MARZ EASTPOINTE,MI 19 14 6 15 26 13 800.00
23 RICK  MCLAUGHLIN GLENROCK,WY 14 10 12 0 26 10 800.00
24 JAMES  KRAFT EAU CLAIRE,WI 13 11 12 10 26 5 800.00
25 CHERI  SCHULTA HAZELHURST,WI 9 0 17 1 26 1 800.00
26 DENNIS  OSBORN WARREN,MI 10 14 15 3 26 1 700.00
27 CHARLES  FITZPATRICK RICHLAND CENTER,WI 9 11 16 5 26 0 700.00
28 MARC  HUDSON FREMONT,OH 9 4 16 11 25 15 700.00
29 BOB  PODLESKI PRESCOTT,MI 10 0 15 13 25 13 700.00
30 JASON  FOX Stanton,MN 9 7 15 14 25 5 700.00
31 RON  SMITH HUDSON,WI 14 1 11 2 25 3 600.00
32 BILL  PERRY STANTON,MI 14 2 10 15 25 1 600.00
33 KARL  ELSNER JR CORTLAND,NY 2 4 22 9 24 13 600.00
34 RODNEY  NUTT GREENVILLE,MI 9 13 14 15 24 12 600.00
35 ROGER  SIDERS ALLEN PARK,MI 18 4 6 0 24 4 600.00
36 MATT  SMITH GREEN BAY,WI 13 6 10 8 23 14 600.00
37 ERNIE  VARTY BISMARCK,ND 0 0 23 13 23 13 600.00
38 J PHILLIP  DUKES MARATHON,IA 5 9 18 3 23 12 600.00
39 MARTY  LEECH HOLLAND,MI 13 14 9 9 23 7 600.00
40 DAVID WGILBERT DECORAH,IA 12 10 9 12 22 6 600.00
41 WILLIAM  JAKEL WESTLAND,MI 8 10 13 8 22 2 525.00
42 DAVID DORR ROSEVILLE,MI 13 0 9 2 22 2 525.00
43 CRAIG  POOCK OMAHA,NE 12 10 9 3 21 13 525.00
44 ADAM  HAMMONS WESTLAND,MI 12 11 8 15 21 10 525.00
45 CHAD  WISKOW MENASHA,WI 9 15 11 11 21 10 525.00
46 DOUGLAS  CZIRR OSWEGO,NY 14 0 7 9 21 9 525.00
47 TOM  CRAWLEY MOSINEE,WI 4 15 16 7 21 6 525.00
48 DEBORAH  GALINAC CARLETON,MI 11 4 10 2 21 6 525.00
49 JAY  AHONEN ORTONVILLE,MI 7 3 13 15 21 2 525.00
50 JASON  LIND BILLINGS HEIGHTS,MT 16 0 4 15 20 15 525.00
51 TODD  ROBBINS ROMULUS,MI 11 11 9 1 20 12 0
52 TOM  TENERELLI GRAND BLANC,MI 8 13 11 12 20 9 0
53 DANIEL  URAM TRENTON,MI 9 5 10 15 20 4 0
54 MATT  PATRICK PORTLAND,MI 4 12 15 2 19 14 0
55 MICHAEL  ALDRIDGE RIVERVIEW,MI 12 5 7 9 19 14 0
56 RICHARD  SCHONFELD LINCOLN PARK,MI 11 14 8 0 19 14 0
57 GREG  DARSOW BILLINGS,MT 13 14 5 12 19 10 0
58 ROY  NEWMAN RIVER ROUGE,MI 0 0 19 9 19 9 0
59 MIKE  MINK TAYLOR,MI 10 6 9 3 19 9 0
60 JON  ODYKIRK CLARE,MI 15 1 4 7 19 8 0
61 JOHN  MILLS SOUTHGATE,MI 3 15 15 4 19 3 0
62 JERRY  EMERY WALKER,MN 16 7 2 5 18 12 0
63 STUART ADUKEK BAGLEY,MN 6 4 12 6 18 10 0
64 LARRY  LAMBERT LAKESIDE MARBLEHEAD,OH 11 10 6 14 18 8 0
65 KEN  BOOTH WIXOM,MI 11 4 7 3 18 7 0
66 BOB  HASKELL OWEGO,NY 10 9 7 13 18 6 0
67 TODD  FENNER REDFIELD,SD 10 5 8 1 18 6 0
68 DENNIS  DOLAN JR GARDEN CITY,MI 7 1 11 3 18 4 0
69 DAVID  WAGNER CIRCLE PINES,MN 16 5 1 14 18 3 0
70 MIKE  BENTZ BROOKVILLE,IN 8 13 9 6 18 3 0
71 JACK  MACY SOUTH WHITLEY,IN 11 8 6 8 18 0 0
72 GREG  ROEHRS BEAVERTON,MI 2 14 15 0 17 14 0
73 MARK  HULL YOUNGSTOWN,OH 8 4 9 10 17 14 0
74 DON  BERANEK JUNCTION CITY,WI 11 5 6 6 17 11 0
75 DALE TSANDERA HOUGHTON LAKE,MI 15 8 2 2 17 10 0
76 GREG  CHIRRICK BILLINGS HEIGHTS,MT 7 5 9 14 17 3 0
77 FRANK  COKER BEAVERTON,MI 9 13 7 6 17 3 0
78 ED  PARKS JR WEBBERVILLE,MI 0 0 16 6 16 6 0
79 JOSEPH TJILK BAY CITY,WI 5 2 11 4 16 6 0
80 DICK  BRAUN SUNFISH LAKE,MN 7 11 8 8 16 3 0
81 DEREK  FERESTAD BEMIDJI,MN 9 4 6 11 15 15 0
82 RONALD  CLEWETT WOODHAVEN,MI 11 0 4 14 15 14 0
83 JACKIE  PERRY MILACA,MN 9 10 6 3 15 13 0
84 JAN  MITCHEL MONROE,IN 7 4 8 8 15 12 0
85 JOSEPH  KUNZ ALLEN PARK,MI 6 11 8 13 15 8 0
86 MICHAEL  FLOETER LINDEN,MI 3 11 11 12 15 7 0
87 PATRICK  JAKEL WESTLAND ,MI 3 15 11 5 15 4 0
88 JOHN WOLEXA SAINT JOSEPH,MI 10 7 4 13 15 4 0
89 MARK  RAMGE OSHKOSH,WI 7 6 7 13 15 3 0
90 ANDREW  PATTON GREENWOOD,IN 13 4 1 11 14 15 0
91 MICHAEL LCREWS ENGLEWOOD,OH 5 12 9 3 14 15 0
92 ARLEN  WENDT COON RAPIDS,MN 5 15 8 15 14 14 0
93 DAVID  MEITZ EASTPOINTE,MI 12 11 1 13 14 8 0
94 RONALD  FLATT BROWNSTOWN,MI 4 15 9 9 14 8 0
95 DOUG  PALMER MAPLEWOOD,MN 12 13 1 10 14 7 0
96 KEITH  STRAUSS SYRACUSE,IN 2 11 11 12 14 7 0
97 DOUG  HARTLE CALGARY,AB 8 12 5 10 14 6 0
98 BRIAN  KRZESAK WARREN,MI 9 15 4 5 14 4 0
99 LARRY  TRUMAN HARRISVILLE,MI 5 11 8 8 14 3 0
100 TOM  JIRIK AMERY,WI 10 11 3 7 14 2 0
101 DAVID  MULASKI ROANOKE,TX 7 14 5 13 13 11 0
102 JOHN  FISCHER PRINCETON,MN 4 12 8 11 13 7 0
103 BRUCE  WINGEN THORNTON,CO 3 15 9 5 13 4 0
104 RICHARD  HOLLENBACH CINCINNATI,OH 11 5 1 14 13 3 0
105 DON  RANSOM SAULT SAINTE MARIE,MI 6 10 6 9 13 3 0
106 ROBERT  LIDTKE STERLING HEIGHTS,MI 1 13 11 5 13 2 0
107 MICHAEL  CALAMANTE VERMILION,OH 2 12 10 3 12 15 0
108 GREG  ABBOTT CANTON,SD 11 7 1 7 12 14 0
109 DENNIS  POWERS ST. CLAIR SHORES,MI 6 14 5 13 12 11 0
110 JAMES  LYONS EAST CHINA,MI 12 7 0 0 12 7 0
111 JOHN  CHAPO GRASS LAKE,MI 6 15 5 7 12 6 0
112 RAYMOND AOATMAN CANTON,MI 3 9 8 7 12 0 0
113 MARK ALAN  DAVID ADA,MI 11 9 0 0 11 9 0
114 SCOTT  NAROG WALKER,MN 9 5 2 0 11 5 0
115 LEONARD  LASTINE DEARBORN,MI 2 12 8 9 11 5 0
116 TONY  JAWORSKI CHICAGO,IL 7 5 3 5 10 10 0
117 JEROME  CHWIERUT GLENVIEW,IL 3 7 6 11 10 2 0
118 MARK  FASBENDER CANTON TOWNSHIP,MI 0 0 9 15 9 15 0
119 BRETT  DUKEK SHEVLIN,MN 9 13 0 0 9 13 0
120 ALAN  SZOKE GROSSE ILE,MI 9 12 0 0 9 12 0
121 BOB  BAUGHMAN ALPENA,MI 3 6 6 5 9 11 0
122 MIKE  ROBERTSON POTSDAM,OH 0 0 9 7 9 7 0
122 RONALD CNEWMISTER GENOA,OH 0 0 9 7 9 7 0
124 DONALD  WASSICK N.BRANCH,MI 0 0 8 15 8 15 0
125 THOMAS  MEYER WATERTOWN,SD 8 12 0 0 8 12 0
126 ROBERT  KING GROSSE ILE,MI 0 0 8 7 8 7 0
127 MIKE  SULLIVAN SAVAGE,MN 0 0 8 5 8 5 0
128 AUDREY  ROBB DRYDEN,ON 2 10 5 8 8 2 0
129 STEVEN  HICKS EDEN PRAIRIE,MN 3 7 4 9 8 0 0
130 JONATHAN  ROHDE KILDEER,IL 6 1 1 13 7 14 0
131 PAUL  FALLAW MCHENRY,IL 2 8 5 4 7 12 0
132 JAMES  PLAUTZ MUSKEGO,WI 2 12 4 14 7 10 0
133 MIKE  MCCLURG WEBSTER,SD 7 9 0 0 7 9 0
133 KREG  KNOLL KAUKAUNA,WI 0 0 7 9 7 9 0
135 RICHARD  STEELE RIPON,WI 2 9 4 15 7 8 0
136 HAROLD  MOHR MANCHESTER,IA 0 0 7 4 7 4 0
137 DON  WILLIAMS LOVELAND,CO 2 5 4 10 6 15 0
138 MARLIN  KROONA JR CHAMPLIN,MN 0 0 6 10 6 10 0
139 THOMAS  GARTNER MOUNT PROSPECT,IL 4 3 2 5 6 8 0
140 SCOTT  HAUSAUER APPLETON,WI 2 9 3 11 6 4 0
141 HENRY  KISSELBURG YPSILANTI,MI 5 6 0 0 5 6 0
142 MIKE  DONAHOE STEWARTVILLE,MN 5 0 0 0 5 0 0
143 JIM  SCHULTA HAZELHURST,WI 0 0 4 14 4 14 0
144 WILLIAM  DERBY MUSKEGON,MI 0 0 3 11 3 11 0
145 LEROY  HOWARD DETROIT LAKES,MN 0 0 3 10 3 10 0
146 CHARLES  HASTY TOLEDO,OH 0 0 3 6 3 6 0
147 IKE  RHODES HARROGATE,TN 2 9 0 0 2 9 0

$2.9 million 2002 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit to open on Detroit River
Tournament features Michigan's largest walleye purse

TAYLOR, Mich. - Mar. 21, 2002 - The $2.9 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit will kick off its 2002 season April 3-6 on the Detroit River with 300 top pros and co-anglers competing for a share of $346,000 cash.

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. Each of the circuit's four regular season tournaments features a cash purse of $346,000 with $50,000 cash and a fully rigged Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha going to the winning pro. The top co-angler earns $15,000 cash. Pros and co-anglers fish for a combined five-walleye limit and receive cash payments to 50th place.

One hundred and fifty Ranger, Crestliner and Lund boat owners comprise the Pro Division while 150 co-angler berths are open to the public. Anglers in both divisions fish in three elimination rounds. After the two-day opening round, the field is cut to the top 20 pros and top 20 co-anglers who advance to the one-day semifinal round. The top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers after the semifinal round advance to the finals. Catch weights carry over for the first two days, but anglers start the semifinal and final rounds from zero.

Weigh-ins during the first two days of the four-day tournament will be held at Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown, Mich., starting at 3 p.m. each day. The semifinal and final round weigh-ins April 5-6 will be held at the Taylor Wal-Mart located at 7555 Telegraph Road at 4 p.m. each day. Takeoff will be at 7 o'clock each morning at Lake Erie Metropark.

Ranger pro Mark Brumbaugh, Crestliner pro Rick Olson and Lund pro Scott Glorvigen are a few of the walleye fishing superstars who will be competing in the season opener.

The second Wal-Mart RCL Walleye tournament is May 1-4 on Lake Sharpe in Pierre, S.D., followed by events on Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wis., May 29-June 1 and Saginaw Bay in Bay City, Mich., June 26-29.

After four regular season tournaments, 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 up to $400,000 cash and a top co-angler award of up to $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.

Entry fees for regular season tournaments are $1,250 for pros and $500 for co-anglers. A limited number of co-angler spots are still available in each tournament.

"We are excited about visiting the Detroit River," said Mark Dorn, director of walleye operations. "We anticipate a record catch of huge walleyes from this world-class fishery. Interest in walleye fishing has never been higher."