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.