BENTON, Ky. (December 23, 2003) – The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League, fresh off its highly successful inaugural season, will return in 2004 with a $440,000 payout. The tournament series, which is designed for weekend walleye anglers, will feature 12 regular-season events in four divisions followed by the $100,000 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League Finals Sept. 2-4 on Bays de Noc in Escanaba, Mich.
   The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League’s four divisions – Michigan, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin –host three regular-season events each, with two one-day qualifiers and one two-day Super Tournament. Anglers will compete for as much as $25,955 at the one-day qualifiers, with as much as $4,000 awarded to the winning boater. Boaters can earn as much as $3,500 for the win as well as a $500 bonus if they are a registered owner of a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat. Winning co-anglers can earn as much as $2,000, which includes a $250 bonus if they meet Ranger, Crestliner or Lund contingency guidelines.
   Super Tournaments feature a $34,945 purse with as much as $5,250 going to the winning boater, including a $750 bonus if the winner is a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund owner. Super Tournaments will award the winning co-angler as much as $2,625, including a $375 bonus for qualifying Ranger, Crestliner or Lund owners.
   Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 200 points going to the winner, 199 for second, 198 for third, and so on. In Super Tournaments, 300 points are awarded to the winner, 299 for second, 298 for third, and so on. These points determine angler standings. The top 25 boaters and top 25 co-anglers from each RCL League division advance to the $100,000 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League Finals, where boaters will compete for an Evinrude- or Yamaha-powered Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat and trailer. The winning co-angler will also earn a Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat and trailer.
   During the season, winning boaters can also earn a $1,000 bonus from Garmin at each tournament if they use only Garmin electronics and at least one unit is a qualifying Garmin Fishfinder or GPS/sounder. 
   The top five boaters and co-anglers in each division can also earn a ticket to the $1.4 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship if they are Ranger, Crestliner or Lund boat owners. At the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship, the winning boater can earn as much as $400,000 cash and the winning co-angler can earn as much as $150,000 cash.
   One hundred boaters and 100 co-anglers comprise a full field in RCL League competition, with entry fees remaining at $150 for boaters and $75 for co-anglers. Super Tournament entry fees also remain the same at $200 for boaters and $100 for co-anglers. For Ranger, Crestliner or Lund owners, entries will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. CST Jan. 19. For Champion and Stratos owners, entries will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. CST Jan. 22. All other entries will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. CST Jan. 26. Entries will be accepted online at FLWOutdoors.com or by phone at (270) 252-1000 no earlier than the dates listed above.
   Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League boaters and co-anglers fish together for a combined boat weight, with boaters competing against other boaters and co-anglers fishing against other co-anglers. The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League meets the needs of America’s fishing masses by providing professionally administered, close-to-home, affordable weekend events with lucrative cash purses.
   The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League is administered by FLW Outdoors, the world’s leading marketer of competitive fishing. Other FLW Outdoors-sanctioned tournament trails include the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Tour, the world’s most lucrative walleye-fishing series; the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world’s most lucrative bass-fishing 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.
 

2004 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League Schedule

Michigan Division
   Detroit River – April 24
   Houghton Lake – June 5
   Saginaw Bay – July 31-Aug. 1

Minnesota Division
   Big Stone Lake – May 15
   Mille Lacs – June 26
   Leech Lake – July 24-25

South Dakota Division
   Lake Oahe (Mobridge) – May 8
   Big Stone Lake – June 12
   Lake Oahe (Pierre) – July 17-18

Wisconsin Division
   Petenwell Lake – April 17
   Green Bay – May 22
   Lake Winnebago – July 10-11

Wal-Mart RCL Walleye League Finals
   Bays de Noc (Escanaba, Mich.) – Sept. 2-4

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