2002 RCL Championship Notes: Mississippi River, Day Two

Pro Richard Franklin (right) of Louisburg, Kansas, talks to RCL tournament host Charlie Evans about his stellar day on the water. Franklin finished the first two days of competition in first place with a combined stringer weighing 33 pounds, 9 ounces. Photo by Gary Mortenson. Angler: Rick Franklin.

October 3, 2002 • Gary Mortenson • Archives

Rookie magic … Despite only turning pro this season, Richard Franklin of Louisburg, Kan., showed the rest of the pro field that he means business. Posting a stunning two-day total of 33 pounds, 9 ounces, Franklin shot atop the leaderboard heading into tomorrow’s semifinals. However, while some of his competitors might have been amazed by the strong rookie showing, no one appeared more surprised than Franklin himself. “I’m ecstatic. It’s more than I ever could have imagined,” he said. “I don’t even care what happens tomorrow. If I finish in first place or 12th, I’ll be happy.” What made Franklin’s accomplishment even more amazing was the fact that he reeled in the biggest overall catch in the tournament despite only recording four keepers in each day of competition. “I guess I’m only good for four fish a day,” he joked. “But it seems like it’s working.” Because of his stellar performance, Franklin can also expect a bigger fan base for tomorrow’s all-important semifinals. “I can’t wait to call my family and tell them that I made it this far,” he said. “They’ll probably fly in tonight from Kansas.” With a chance to win upwards of $400,000 at the most prestigious walleye championship in the nation, it’s clear that Franklin, the rookie, is not in Kansas anymore. “We have walleye fishing in Kansas,” he said. “But it’s not quite like here.”

Brumbaugh breathes sigh of relief … With a commanding lead after Wednesday’s competition, Mark Brumbaugh of Arcanum, Ohio, only needed a modest stringer during today’s action to guarantee a trip to the semifinals. However, despite the cushion, Brumbaugh’s day-two catch of 6 pounds, 15 ounces turned out to be a little bit too close for comfort for the Ohio native. Although Brumbaugh eventually qualified for the semifinals with a total catch of 31 pounds, 1 ounce, it wasn’t quite the worry-free outing he had hoped for. “I guess I had to make it interesting,” Brumbaugh joked. What Brumbaugh won’t have to worry about tomorrow is the overwhelming boat traffic that caused massive amounts of congestion near his prime fishing location. “The first day there were like 30 or 40 boats in my area, but today it was something like 120,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to going back to my spot tomorrow without all of the traffic.” However, Brumbaugh admitted that even though his location will be relatively cleared out during tomorrow’s competition, some of the nation’s best anglers will be sharing his water. “My area is not a secret spot,” he said. “Several of the guys who made the top 12 are going to be fishing in my area. It’s still going to be tough.”

Rookie magic redux … At 58 years of age, Tim Lessila of Newberlin, Wis., is not your prototypical rookie. However, that being said, Lessila has turned in anything but a prototypical rookie performance. After posting a two-day total of 31 pounds, 15 ounces, Lessila not only made today’s all-important cut, but he also found himself in the No. 1 qualifying position heading into tomorrow’s co-angler finals – a feat nearly unimaginable a few, short months ago. “This is the first time I’ve made it this far and it feels great,” said Lessila. “I’m so excited I can hardly believe it. This has exceeded my expectations 100 times over.” Rumor has it that there’s no telling how excited Lessila will become if he manages to win the first-place prize of $150,000 during tomorrow’s finals.

By the numbers:

2,888-15: Weight, in pounds and ounces, of total fish caught after first two days of RCL tournament action.

1,335-2: Weight, in pounds and ounces, of fish caught during second day of tournament.

1,060: Total number of fish caught during first two days of tournament.

444: Number of anglers eliminated after the second day of RCL competition.

33: Number of limits caught on second day of competition.

26-15: Weight, in pounds and ounces, of the top-12 cut for the pro field.

24-7: Weight, in pounds and ounces, of the top-12 cut for the co-angler field.

24: Number of pros and co-anglers combined that survived elimination after today’s events.

Sound bites:

“I’m about ready to cry right now.”
– Pro Chris Bahl on losing a 10-pound walleye that would have easily placed him among the top 12 anglers qualifying for tomorrow’s semifinals.

“I just want to get my money back.”
– Co-angler John Schleicher worried about winning enough prize money to cover his entry fee. In the end, Schleicher won enough money to nearly double his initial investment.

“Ninety miles of hard work.”
– Pro Robert Lampman describing what went into catching today’s stringer.

“There was a lot of traffic out there; you couldn’t even move. It was like bumper boats.”
– Day-one pro leader Mark Brumbaugh on the staggering number of boats near his fishing area during today’s competition.

“Whoever wins this tournament will have a life-changing experience.”
– 2000 RCL Champion Scott Glorvigen on what it will be like to win this year’s championship.

“I really hope the championship comes back here next year, because I need to redeem myself.”
– Pro Tom Keenan on his less-than-stellar performance at this year’s championship.

“I don’t know if I’ll get a check out of this tournament or not, but I’m going to go home and spend my 42nd anniversary with my wife tonight.”
– Walleye-fishing legend Gary Roach explaining why not making the cut won’t be so bad this year.