Brrring on the walleyes
2003 RCL Championship under way on chilly Mississippi River
RED WING, Minn. – Below-freezing temperatures gripped the upper reaches of the Mississippi River Wednesday morning as 220 boats left the marina at Treasure Island Resort and Casino to begin the 2003 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship. The 440 pros and co-anglers in competition this week are vying for a $1.4 million purse.
It won’t be easy. The walleye bite on the river has been slow in the week preceding the event. A low current, muddy water and a glut of baitfish have suppressed anglers’ abilities to get the tricky river walleyes to bite.
On top of that, air temperatures in Minnesota have dropped to their lowest levels since last April. The thermometer read just 30 degrees at the 7 a.m. takeoff, and highs are only expected to reach 50 by afternoon. While it’s a sunny fall day in the upper Midwest, a dense cold front has blown down from the Canadian Shield and descended upon Minnesota. RCL anglers were slipping around on layers of frost that had accumulated on their boat decks overnight.
While many boats stayed in Pool 3 to begin day one – Bruce Samson of Minnetrista, Minn., won last year’s championship in this pool on Buffalo Slough – just over half the field, about 120 boats, locked down to Pool 4 en masse early Wednesday. While the fishing’s been tough, anglers have reported catching some sizable fish in the 6- to 7-pound range, particularly in the lower pool.
At tournament registration Tuesday night, Jason Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., accepted the award for RCL Pro Angler of the Year. He won the regular-season standings with 718 points. Mike Bentz of Brookville, Ind., won the Co-angler of the Year award with 645 points.
Wednesday’s weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. Central time at Treasure Island. Thursday’s weigh-in will also be held at Treasure Island beginning at 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday’s weigh-ins will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 1752 Frontage Road in Hastings beginning at 5 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Saturday. The community is encouraged to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-ins.
The winning pro is guaranteed a cash award of $150,000. If the winner is a registered owner of a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat, he will earn a $150,000 bonus, and if his boat is equipped with an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, he will receive another $100,000 for a total cash award of $400,000.
The winning co-angler is guaranteed $75,000 cash and is eligible for a $45,000 bonus from Ranger, Crestliner or Lund if he is a registered owner. The winning co-angler will also receive a $30,000 bonus if his boat is equipped with an Evinrude or Yamaha for a total cash award of $150,000.
For fans outside the Red Wing area, you can follow the drama of RCL Championship competition live every day on FLWOutdoors.com. Complete with live, streaming audio and results, FLW Live is your fastest and most complete option for catching all the walleye action from the Mississippi River. Transmission begins every day at the start of weigh-in.
Wednesday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:08 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 30 degrees
Expected high temperature: 50 degrees
Water temperature at the ramp: 52 degrees
Wind: from the north-northwest at 6 mph
Relative humidity: 75 percent
Day’s outlook: mostly sunny
Day-one links: