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Updated: 10/05/03
KEENAN WINS $300,000 AS WAL-MART RCL WALLEYE
CHAMPION
RED WING, Minn. (Oct. 4, 2003) – Pro Tom Keenan of Hatley, Wis., collected
$300,000 cash Saturday as winner of the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye
Championship, held this week on the Mississippi River near Red Wing. Keenan
outfished six final-round competitors Saturday and caught five walleyes
weighing 13 pounds, 5 ounces to emerge as the 2003 champion.
To take the crown, Keenan had to prevail over some
very tough conditions presented during the week by the formidable Mississippi
River. Despite consistently sunny skies, cooler air temperatures had caused
water temperatures to drop eight to 10 degrees over the past week. As a
result, fewer limits and big fish were brought to the scales, but in true
championship form, Keenan left the final weigh-in an exception to the rule.
“I actually switched spots today,” said Keenan,
who finished second at the 2001 championship on the Fox River. “I didn’t
think I could catch enough fish where I’d fished the past three days. I
went to a spot where I’d done well in the past and fished Wally Divers
on leadcore line in 7 to 8 feet of water. The bite got hot for about two
hours, and they were snapping pretty good. I’ve been wanting to fish this
spot for four days, but the water’s been dirty. I went yesterday, and the
water had cleared up a bit. I thought I could win the tournament on it,
so I saved it for this.”
Keenan’s victory was especially sweet after his
heartbreaking runner-up finish in 2001. “It’s awesome,” Keenan said. “It’s
everything I wanted it to be. Two years ago was a killer. I just prayed
to get a chance to do this. I caught a lot more fish than I anticipated
in this tournament, and I fished hard. I wanted to win something like this;
it’s a dream come true. I know the three guys who have won this before,
and it feels pretty good to join them.”
As winner, Keenan was guaranteed $150,000 cash,
and because he was a qualified Ranger pro, he claimed a $150,000 bonus
for a total award of $300,000 cash.
Rounding out the top six pros are Scott Allar of
Welch (three walleyes, 10 pounds, 3 ounces, $75,000); Steve Lamb of Nashville,
Tenn. (four walleyes, 6 pounds, 9 ounces, $32,500); Jim Schulta of Hazelhurst,
Wis. (four walleyes, 6 pounds, 2 ounces, $21,000); Doug Vandersteen of
Lundar, Manitoba (two walleyes, 3 pounds, 12 ounces, $20,000); and Jerry
Hein of Stillwater (one walleye, 2 pounds, 10 ounces, $16,000).
The tournament kicked off Wednesday from Treasure
Island Resort and Casino, where 220 pros and 220 co-anglers competed for
two days for one of 12 semifinal-round slots in each division. Co-angler
competition concluded Friday, with Darrell Archey of Great Falls, Mont.,
claiming $120,000 cash as the co-angler champ. The pro field was whittled
to six for Saturday’s competition, with weights reset to zero.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship field was
comprised of anglers who qualified for the event via the $3.07 million
Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour or other sanctioned tournament organizations.
Pros and co-anglers were randomly paired each day and fished for a combined
boat weight. In RCL competition, pros supply the boat and tackle and control
boat movement.
The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship is administered
by FLW Outdoors and named after boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner and
Lund. FLW Outdoors, the world’s leading marketer of competitive fishing,
is named after the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, Forrest L. Wood.
Other FLW Outdoors tournament trails include the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League
for weekend anglers; the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world’s most lucrative
bass-tournament series; the EverStart Series, designed as a pathway to
the FLW Tour; the Wal-Mart Bass Fishing League for weekend anglers; and
the Wal-Mart Texas Tournament Trail.
Wal-Mart and many of America’s most respected companies
support FLW Outdoors and its six tournament trails. Wal-Mart has been the
title sponsor of FLW Outdoors since 1997. For a complete list of FLW Outdoors
sponsors and for more information about the premier products and services
they offer, please visit FLWOutdoors.com.
###
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