Catch him if you can

Giachetto leads by 2 pounds in RCL finals on Illinois River; rest of the top 10 try to make up the difference

Spring Valley, Ill. – To secure a 2-pound lead heading into the finals of the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour event on the Illinois River, Tom Giachetto of Ladd, Ill., has had to overcome the occupational hazards of tournament fishing on a high, muddy river near flood stage. But now, with most of the crud washed free from the system and the sauger angling picking up after a few days of steady weather, Giachetto might have a new and unique hindrance to contend with: a disappearing barge.

takeoff.” border=”1″ align=”right” />On Friday afternoon, in Giachetto’s ascent to first place with a five-fish, 15-pound limit, a barge upstream from his fishing area near Peru was relocated, dislodging debris and mud that clouded the screen on his depth finder and shut down the fishing. Lucky for Giachetto, it happened in the afternoon, after the leader had done his damage. Now he hopes it doesn’t happen again.

“If they move a barge in the morning, it could mess up the fishing or stop it,” Giachetto says.

As for everyone else, their challenge is clear: catch Giachetto.

Third-place Ranger pro Rick LaCourse of Port Clinton, Ohio, still laments the 4-pounder he lost handlining Friday. As a result, LaCourse will have to make up a margin of 2 pounds, 3 ounces as he searches for a five-fish limit as well as the more difficult bigger bites.

“I haven’t had to go to my big fish spot,” LaCourse says. “If I have a limit in the boat, I’m going for one big fish.”

Bigger fish would also spell the difference for second-place semifinalist Aaron McQuoid of Isle, Minn., who has a 2-pound, 1-ounce deficit to overcome.

“The biggest thing I have to do is up my average,” McQuoid says. “(Friday) my average was 2 1/2 pounds. Now I need to get a 4-pounder. That’s like having half of another fish all of a sudden.”

Final weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. CST at the Spring Valley Boat Club, located at Wal-Mart, 1650 38th Street in Peru, Ill.

Saturday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 5:36 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 41 degrees

Expected high temperature: upper 50s

Water temperature: 52-56 degrees

Wind: from the west-northwest at 10 mph

Relative humidity: 65 percent

Day’s outlook: mostly sunny; breezy; northwest wind of 10-15 mph increasing to 15-25 mph in the afternoon, with gusts to 35 mph