Nelson wins FLW Walleye League event on Illinois River

SPRING VALLEY, Ill. – Troy Nelson of Lombard, Ill., caught five walleyes that weighed 11 pounds, 15 ounces and earned $2,450 plus $500 contingency bonus Saturday as winner of the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League Heartland Division event on the Illinois River. The victory placed Nelson one step closer to qualifying for the Walleye League Finals on the Mississippi River in Winona, Minn., Sept. 11-13. Nelson’s co-angler, Scott Anzulas of Homer Glen, Ill., earned $1,225 for the win.

Rounding out the top five are Adam Sandor of Tonica, Ill., who earned $1,225 plus $400 contingency bonus, and co-angler Scott Trumpinski of Cedar Point, Ill., who earned $613 (five walleyes, 11 pounds, 12 ounces); Chad Carroll of Lake Bluff, Ill., who earned $1,050, and co-angler Adam Humphrey of Ames, Iowa, who earned $525 (five walleyes, 10 pounds, 11 ounces); Robert Apple of Chadwick, Ill., who earned $875 plus $300 contingency bonus, and co-angler Nicholas Kueter of Bellevue, Iowa, who earned $438 (four walleyes, 10 pounds, 8 ounces); and Jacob Lapine of Fond Du Lac, Wis., who earned $700 plus $200 contingency bonus, and co-angler John Reynolds of Machesney Park, Ill., who earned $350 (five walleyes, 10 pounds, 1 ounce).

Four FLW Walleye League divisions – Michigan, Minnesota, Heartland and Wisconsin – each feature three one-day events. Every angler who receives weight credit earns points, with 100 points awarded to the winner, 99 for second, 98 for third, and so on. These points determine angler standings.

The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers from each FLW Walleye League division at the end of the season advance to the $133,400 Wal-Mart FLW Walleye League Finals set for Sept. 11-13 on the Mississippi River in Winona, Minn. The boater and co-angler point’s champions from each division also advance to the $650,000 no-entry-fee Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour Championship in Bismarck, N.D., Sept. 24-27 for a chance to compete for as much as $150,000 in the Pro Division and $20,000 in the Co-angler Division. Anglers finishing the season in the top 10 in each division also receive priority entry into the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour for 2009.

Heartland Division anglers will visit Lake Rathbun in Centerville, Iowa, May 31 for their second regular-season event. The third and final stop will be held on the Mississippi River in Moline, Ill., July 12.

Tournament anglers aren’t the only ones winning big this season. With the introduction of FLW Fantasy Fishing, FLW Outdoors offers anyone the opportunity to enter for their chance to land the catch of a lifetime with the opportunity to win $7.3 million in cash and prizes. Players can become a virtual pro angler by signing up for Player’s Advantage, providing them with exclusive insider information that could guide them to a $100,000 victory at every Wal-Mart FLW Tour stop and the Forrest Wood Cup. Player’s Advantage will give them an edge over the competition and increase their shot for a $1 million cash grand prize that will be awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing cumulative points winner. Those who visit FantasyFishing.com today can sign up for Player’s Advantage and FLW Outdoors will include a $15 Wal-Mart gift card.

FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. In 2008 alone the organization is offering more than 90,000 anglers the chance to win over $40 million through 230 tournaments in 10 circuits targeting bass, walleye, redfish, kingfish and striped bass. FLW Outdoors is also taking fishing mainstream with the largest cash awards in the history of fantasy sports, $7.3 million.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, browse FLWOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com.

All awards are based on 100-boat fields in qualifying events.