PIERRE, S.D. – Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit pro Jim Knaggs of Ogallala, Neb., and his day-two partner Steve Fahey of Fort Pierre, S.D., landed a six-walleye limit weighing 14 pounds, 5 ounces Thursday on Lake Sharpe to give Knaggs the lead in his quest to win $50,000 cash plus a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat powered by Evinrude or Yamaha.
Knaggs will lead the top 20 pros competing in the $346,000 tournament into the semifinal round with a two-day, opening-round total of 12 walleyes weighing 25 pounds, 15 ounces. Knaggs and his day-one partner, Marc Mollet of Jefferson, S.D., weighed in six walleyes that registered 11 pounds, 10 ounces Wednesday.
“This is my first tournament as a pro,” said Knaggs, who caught his fish on minnow-tipped jigs. “I’m excited about my chances. It’s just unreal being in this position.”
Doug Iverson of Pierre, S.D., will lead the top 20 co-anglers into the semifinal round with a two-day total of 12 walleyes weighing 26 pounds, 15 ounces. He and his day-one partner, Jack Neuman of Naperville, Ill., brought in six walleyes weighing 14 pounds, 15 ounces Wednesday. Iverson and his day-two partner, Steve Lamb of Nashville, Tenn., then caught six walleyes weighing 12 pounds Thursday to give Iverson the lead in his quest to win $15,000 cash.
Rounding out the top five pros are Jim Klick of White Bear Lake, Minn., with a two-day total of 12 walleyes weighing 25 pounds, 9 ounces; Dan Dolinski of Alberta, Canada, with 12 walleyes weighing 25 pounds, 8 ounces; Jack Neuman of Naperville, Ill., with 12 walleyes weighing 24 pounds, 15 ounces; and Chris Kindraka of Alberta, Canada, with 12 walleyes weighing 24 pounds, 7 ounces.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are John Henderson of Pierre, S.D., with a two-day total of 12 walleyes weighing 26 pounds, 16 ounces; Duane Hons of Laurel, Mont., with 12 walleyes weighing 25 pounds, 10 ounces; Bob Stalley of Pierre, S.D., with 12 walleyes weighing 25 pounds; and Mark Fling of Hudson, Colo., with 12 walleyes weighing 24 pounds, 14 ounces.
The Lake Sharpe 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 145 pros and 145 co-anglers from more than a dozen 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 Downs Marina in Pierre followed by a 4 p.m. weigh-in at the Pierre Wal-Mart located at 1600 North Harrison Ave. 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 third Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit tournament will be held on Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wis., May 29-June 1 followed by a tournament on 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.