Kuffer, Lott win Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League event on Lake St. Clair

Boater Dave Kuffer (pictured) of Shelby Township, Mich., and co-angler John Lott of Southgate, Mich., combined for a total of five fish weighing 21 pounds, 11 ounces to claim victory at the RCL Walleye League tournament held June 7 on Lake St. Clair near Fair Haven, Mich.

June 7, 2003 • MLF • Archives

FAIR HAVEN, Mich. – Boater Dave Kuffer of Shelby Township and co-angler John Lott of Southgate combined for a total of five fish weighing 21 pounds, 11 ounces to claim victory at the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League tournament held Saturday on Lake St. Clair near Fair Haven. Kuffer claimed $1,680 plus a $500 bonus for the win, with Lott taking home $700 plus a $250 bonus from the Michigan Division event.

Kuffer and Lott caught their walleyes trolling flat areas and fishing downstream with silver spinner baits and crawler harnesses. They fished the St. Clair River area in sunny, calm weather conditions.

Finishing second were Bruce DeShano of Sand Point ($840 plus $400 bonus) and John Nagy of Battle Creek ($420) with five walleyes weighing 20 pounds, 13 ounces. David Kolb of Riverview ($700 plus $300 bonus) and Keith Krych of St. Clair Shores ($350) caught five walleyes weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces to finish third. Will Kneer of Chesterfield ($560 plus $250 bonus) and David Wagensomer of Harper Woods ($280 plus $125 bonus) claimed fourth place with five walleyes that weighed 19 pounds, 9 ounces. Finishing fifth were Gus White of St. Helen ($448 plus $200 bonus) and Brian Manasterski of St. Clair Shores ($224) thanks to a five-walleye catch that weighed 19 pounds, 6 ounces.

Bonuses are awarded to boaters who are the registered owner of a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat and fish out of that boat during the tournament. Co-anglers earn bonuses if they are a registered owner of a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund.

The Michigan Division’s final regular-season event, a two-day Super Tournament, will be held Aug. 2-3 on Saginaw Bay. Boaters and co-anglers who finish in the top 25 in final points standings in each RCL Walleye League division will advance to the $88,000 RCL League Finals Sept. 6-7 on Lake Okoboji in Spirit Lake, Iowa. The winning boater at the finals will receive an Evinrude-or Yamaha-powered Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat. Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, and so on, except for Super Tournaments, which award 300 points to the winner, 298 to second, and so on.

Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League boaters and co-anglers fish together for a combined boat weight, with boaters competing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing against other co-anglers. The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League meets the needs of America’s fishing masses by providing professionally administered, close-to-home, affordable events with lucrative cash purses.