Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour Season
Opener Moved to Illinois River
BENTON, Ky. – The 2003 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour season opener,
originally slated for the Detroit River in Trenton, Mich., April
2-5, has been moved to the Illinois River in Spring Valley, Ill.
The date remains unchanged.
Tournament officials
decided to change the venue based on significant ice cover on Lake
St. Clair and Lake Huron that would result in unsafe conditions on
practice days and during competition on the Detroit River.
"As ice breaks up on the
lakes, a significant portion of it flows down the Detroit River,"
said Mark Dorn, director of walleye operations for FLW Outdoors.
"This ice flow would make navigating the river hazardous at best."
Dorn went on to say that
the decision to move the tournament was made with the safety of
the 330 RCL Tour competitors in mind.
No action is required for
anglers previously registered to fish the Detroit River. Their
entry fees will automatically apply to the Illinois River
tournament. Registered anglers who are unable to attend the
relocated tournament may transfer their entry fee to another RCL
Tour event (based on available space), transfer into a Wal-Mart
RCL Walleye League tournament, or request a full refund by calling
FLW Outdoors at (270) 252-1000.
Weigh-ins during the first
two days of the four-day tournament will be held at Spring Valley
Boat Club in Spring Valley, Ill., starting at 3 p.m. each day. The
semifinal- and final-round weigh-ins April 4-5 will be held at the
Wal-Mart located at 1650 38th Street in Peru, Ill., at 3 p.m. each
day. Takeoff will be at 7 o'clock each morning at Spring Valley
Boat Club.
Official housing for the
Illinois River tournament is available at the Econo Lodge on Route
251 in Peru, Ill.
FLW Outdoors is the
world's leading marketer of competitive fishing. In 2003, the RCL
Walleye Tour offers anglers a $3.07 million overall purse plus a
$181,000 Angler-of-the-Year program that offers cash awards to the
top 30 points winners. Each qualifying tournament features cash
awards through 50th place and a $386,000 total purse with $90,000
in cash and prizes, including a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat
powered by Evinrude or Yamaha, awarded to the winning pro and
$15,000 cash awarded to the winning co-angler.
The $1.4 million Wal-Mart
RCL Walleye Championship features guaranteed cash awards through
100th place. Including sponsor bonuses, cash awards are available
through 200th place at the championship. A guaranteed cash award
of $150,000 plus potential sponsor bonuses totaling $250,000 will
go the RCL Championship winner for a total pro award of $400,000.
The champion co-angler will win a guaranteed cash award of $75,000
plus potential sponsor bonuses totaling $75,000 for a co-angler
award of $150,000. One hundred and forty pros and 140 co-anglers -
the top 35 from each RCL qualifying event - qualify for the
championship. The remaining 60 spots in either division will be
filled by anglers who compete in RCL-sanctioned events for a total
of 200 championship contenders in each division.
Featuring a boater and
co-angler format, the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour appeals to anglers
of all skill levels. Pros and co-anglers fish for a combined boat
weight and are randomly paired each day. At the conclusion of a
two-day opening round, the field is cut to the top 20 pros and top
20 co-anglers who fish the one-day semifinal round. Only the top
10 pros and top 10 co-anglers advance to the one-day final round.
Each boat is allowed a six-walleye limit on each day of
competition.
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 since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors sponsors
and for more information about the premier products and services
they offer, please visit
www.FLWOutdoors.com .
For more information about
the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, visit
www.FLWOutdoors.com
or call (270) 252-1000. For housing reservations at the Econo
Lodge, call (815) 224-2500.
