Shootout for second

Nine pros vie for consolation at second qualifying event

RED WING, Minn. – Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour anglers spent Friday night wondering if it was mathematically possible to catch pro leader Jeff Ryan. After munching and crunching the numbers, it appears likely that the Lake View, Iowa, native will head south this afternoon with a check for $100,000.

Second place pro Scott Allar has the best chance to usurp Ryan. But even a 30-pound day from Allar wouldn’t be enough unless Ryan stumbles and comes to the scale without a sizeable fish.

In order to complete mission impossible, Allar plans to troll No. 5 Shad Raps on a rocky shoreline in Pool 3. One thing on his side is that the bite has steadily improved each of the last three days. On day one, 1,194 pounds of walleye were caught, while 1,228 pounds were caught on day two and 1,314 pounds were weighed on day three. For more evidence on the strength of the bite, look no further than Eric Olson’s crankbait.

“If I get every fish in the boat that bites, 30 pounds would be possible,” said Allar, who has been fishing the Mississippi since he was 12 years old. “The weather is stabilizing and the water is getting cleaner. I can’t see the fishing getting any worse.”

“What Jeff has accomplished, we’ll probably never see again,” said third-place pro Kevin McQuoid. “I’ve never seen this many big fish on this river.”

The final weigh-in, which is free and open to the public, will take place today at 4 p.m. Central time at the Wal-Mart store located on Tyler Road in Red Wing. The winner on both the pro and co-angler side is determined by the largest total weight spanning all four days of competition.

Saturday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 5:54 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 48 degrees

Expected high temperature: 69 degrees

Water temperature: 54-61 degrees

Wind: SW at 11 mph

Maximum humidity: 40 percent

Day’s outlook: partly cloudy