Lessila leads Co-angler Division; field cut to 12 pros and 12 co-anglers
RED WING, Minn. – Richard Franklin of Louisburg, Kan., will lead 12 Pro Division anglers into Friday’s semifinal round of the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship where the nation’s top pros are chasing a $150,000 cash award plus potential sponsor bonuses of $250,000 cash for a total first-place award of $400,000.
Franklin advanced as the No. 1 contender with a two-day, opening-round total of eight walleyes weighing 33 pounds, 9 ounces. Franklin and his opening day co-angler, James Kraft of Eau Claire, Wis., caught four walleyes weighing 20 pounds, 3 ounces Wednesday. With the help of his day two co-angler, Mike Abrahamson of Brainerd, Minn., Franklin turned in four walleyes weighing 13 pounds, 6 ounces Thursday to secure a top-12 berth.
“I don’t care what happens now,” said Franklin, who is an RCL rookie. “If I finish 12th, I’ll be ecstatic. I have 10 spots where I’ve pulled fish over 5 pounds. I fished four (Thursday) to find one fish over 5 pounds, so we will see what happens.”
Most of Franklin’s fish were caught on crankbaits just a few minutes run from the launch ramp at Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Red Wing.
Tim Lessila of New Berlin, Wis., will lead the top 12 co-anglers into their final round Friday with a two-day total of 10 walleyes weighing 31 pounds, 15 ounces. He and pro Ron Seelhoff of Burlington, Colo., landed five walleyes weighing 12 pounds, 4 ounces Wednesday, while pro John Renschen of Red Wing, Minn., helped him catch five walleyes weighing 19 pounds, 11 ounces Thursday.
Co-anglers are competing for a guaranteed cash award of $75,000 plus a potential $75,000 in sponsor bonuses for a top award of $150,000 cash.
Opening round weights are cleared for the semifinal round and will be cleared again for Saturday’s final round where six pros will compete for the championship’s top money. The original field comprised 234 pros and 234 co-anglers representing 19 states and Canada.
Rounding out the top five pros are Joe Wilson of Rolling Stone, Minn., with 10 walleyes weighing 33 pounds, 3 ounces; Jeff Taege of Rhinelander, Wis., with 10 walleyes weighing 31 pounds, 12 ounces; Mark Brumbaugh of Arcanum, Ohio, with seven walleyes weighing 31 pounds, 1 ounce; and Richard LaCourse of Port Clinton, Ohio, with 10 walleyes weighing 31 pounds.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Hans Halvorson of Grafton, N.D., with nine walleyes weighing 30 pounds, 12 ounces; Tim Williams of Oregon, Ohio, with seven walleyes weighing 28 pounds, 6 ounces; G.W. Kadow of Mishicot, Wis., with eight walleyes weighing 28 pounds, 6 ounces; and Mike Abrahamson of Brainerd, Minn., with nine walleyes weighing 28 pounds, 3 ounces.
Sixteen-year-old Brandon Henexson of Denver, Wednesday’s leading co-angler, missed the top-12 cut by five ounces after arriving to Thursday’s weigh-in empty handed.
Friday’s takeoff starts at 8 a.m. at Treasure Island Resort and Casino. Friday’s weigh-in begins at 5 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 225 33rd St. W. in Hastings, Minn. Saturday’s takeoff starts at 7 a.m. at Treasure Island, and the final weigh-in will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the Hastings Wal-Mart.
The Family Fun Zone featuring interactive games and product displays for the whole family opens Friday at 3 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Hastings Wal-Mart. Families are encouraged to stop by and join the fun before attending the championship weigh-ins.
Named after Wal-Mart and boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and Lund, the $2.9 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit is the world’s most lucrative walleye-fishing series. With a purse of up to $1.4 million, the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship is the most lucrative walleye tournament in the history of the sport. The championship will be broadcast to 45 million Outdoor Life Network subscribers Oct. 12 at 10:30 a.m. CST.
FLW Outdoors, the world’s leading marketer of competitive fishing tournaments, administers the RCL Walleye Circuit. Other FLW Outdoors-sanctioned tournament trails include the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, EverStart Series, Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League and Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail.
Sponsors of the 2002 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit are Wal-Mart, Castrol, Conseco, Crestliner, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Evinrude, Faded Glory, Garmin, Kellogg’s, Lund, Minn Kota, Newell Rubbermaid, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Snickers, Stanley, Weed Eater and Yamaha Outboards.