E-mail Sonny Reynolds 

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Special  mailing List This list has been formed to share information on ridesharing, lodging info and press releases for the RCL tournaments 

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		Green Bay Convention Bureau

Glorvigen landed three walleyes weighing 11 pounds, 1 ounce during the final round of the four-day championship presented by Transamerica to top anglers from 21 states and four Canadian provinces. 

The championship started Wednesday with 200 pros and 200 co-anglers probing Green Bay and the Fox River for weighty walleyes. The initial field was cut to the top 12 pros and co-anglers after two days of competition and narrowed again for Saturday’s final to the top six pros. On Friday, the final day of competition for co-anglers, Gary Hettenhaus of Fond du Lac, Wis., won $120,000 with five walleyes weighing 17-5. Anglers in both divisions started from zero Friday and Saturday, fishing for the heaviest catch each day. Each team was allowed to weigh-in five walleyes through Friday, but the final six pros w300ere limited to three walleyes Saturday.

Deteriorating weather conditions prompted Operation Walleye officials to designate the previously productive waters of Green Bay off limits due to strong northwest winds that elicited a small-craft advisory from the Coast Guard on Friday and Saturday. A major cold front that passed through the area brought frigid conditions and rain Saturday but didn’t dampen the spirit of competitors who were again confined to the relatively calm waters of the Fox River. 

“This is absolutely fantastic,” said an ecstatic Glorvigen following the weigh-in. “This has been a dream of mine, but you don’t get here by yourself without the help of my twin, Marty, I wouldn’t be here. This win represents a lot to me and all of the walleye angers who aren’t even here. It shows that we have a future in this sport.”

Glorvigen says that his game plan going into the final round was not to keep a walleye under 21-inches long. “I decided early on not to get worked up. I had a plan, and I stuck to it. I knew that if I didn’t beat myself mentally that I could win.”

John Campbell of West Dundee, Ill., placed second with three walleyes weighing 9-9 worth $65,000 followed by Patrick Byle of Colgate, Wis., in third with three walleyes weighing 9-7 worth $32,500. Rounding out the top six were John Nelson of Wahkon, Minn., with three walleyes weighing 8-0 worth $21,000;  Mike Gofron of Antioch, Ill., with three walleyes weighing 7-10 worth $16,000; and Jason Przekurat of Stevens Point, Wis., with one walleye weighing 1-12 worth $16,000.

The Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship will air Dec. 31 on ESPN2. 

As part of the RCL Championship’s commitment to enhance walleye habitat, Operation Walleye and the FishAmerica Foundation have donated $10,000 for new spawning structure in Green Bay. Operation Walleye, the organization running the RCL Championship, successfully released over 99.7 percent of the 1,232 walleyes caught during the championship.

Sponsors of the RCL Championship include Ranger Boat Company, Crestliner and Lund Boats (RCL). Evinrude Outboards, Energizer, Garmin, Kellogg’s, Poulan/Weed Eater, and Coleman are also sponsoring the tournament. Locally, the Green Bay Area Visitors and Convention Bureau is a sponsor. 

Operation Bass is the world's largest bass fishing tournament organization. It administers the Wal-Mart FLW Tour, the world's richest bass tournament series; the EverStart Batteries Series, the pathway to the Wal-Mart FLW Tour; and the Red Man Tournament Trail, the weekend tournament series designed for working anglers. Operation Bass also runs the Ranger M1 Millennium Tournament and the RCL Walleye Championship. For additional information, contact Brian G. Sayner, vice president of communications, at (270) 362-5212 or Dave Washburn, communications specialist, at (270) 362-5213. 

Wisconsin co-angler wins $120,000 in Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship

GREEN BAY, Wis., - John Campbell of West Dundee, Ill., climbed to the
top of the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship's Pro Division Friday with
five walleyes weighing 17 pounds, 5 ounces while helping his partner
Gary Hettenhaus of Fond du Lac, Wis., capture $120,000 in the Co-Angler
Division.

The pair's impressive catch came during a blustery semi-final round that
prompted Operation Walleye officials to designate Green Bay off limits
due to a small-craft advisory issued by the Coast Guard. A northwest
wind gusting to 25 mph made travel on the bay hazardous, so anglers were
restricted to the relatively safe confines of the Fox River.

In Saturday's final round, Campbell will be casting for $300,000 - the
richest award in walleye tournament history. That is three times more
money than he's won in his 12-year walleye fishing career.

"Everything went right for us today," Campbell said. "Going out with the
cold front had me worried, but everything worked out great."

Only six of the original 400 pro and co-anglers from the United States
and Canada remain in the hunt for the sport's richest cash prize.
Co-Angler competition ended Friday. The remaining pros, however, will
start the final round from zero and fish for the heaviest one-day catch.

Pro Scott Glorvigen of Grand Rapids, Minn., advanced to the final round
with a catch of five walleyes weighing 15-11 that earned his co-angler,
Greg Reimer of Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada, second place and $50,000.
Mike Gofron of Antioch, Ill., qualified with a five-walleye catch
weighing 13-10 that won his co-angler, Pat Kotowski of De Pere, Wis.,
third place and $13,600.

Rounding out the remainder of the pro field are Patrick Byle of Colgate,
Wis., with five walleyes weighing 13-5; John Nelson of Wahkon, Minn.,
with five walleyes weighing 12-6; and Jason Przekurat of Stevens Point,
Wis., with five walleyes weighing 12-4.

Darrell Charles of Sterling, Colo., took fourth place and $8,600 in the
Co-Angler Division followed by Jim Milewsky of Des Moines, Iowa, who
earned $6,600 for a fifth place showing and Gary Darling of Fort
Collins, Colo., who took sixth and $6,300.

Byle and Charles won Friday's big walleye award with a 4 pound, 15 ounce
heavyweight. Byle collected $1,200 for the catch, and Charles won $600.

Frigid temperatures and piercing winds forced many semi-final round
anglers to change game plans as most fished the open water of Green Bay
at least once during the first two days of competition. Forecasts for
Saturday's finale call for further drops in the temperature along with
continued strong winds and possible snow flurries.

"I pre-fished planning on bad weather," Campbel said. "I'm a big river
fisherman, so the weather is playing into my strategy. If it's cold and
windy, that would be good for me."

The final day of pro competition will begin at 7 a.m. Saturday at the
Green Bay Metro Boat Launch followed by a 3 p.m. weigh-in at the Green
Bay Wal-Mart located at 2440 West Mason Street. The RCL Family Fun Zone
at Wal-Mart opens at noon Saturday. The Fun Zone features children's
games, product displays and giveaways.

Up to $1.4 million will be awarded during the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye
Championship presented by Transamerica. The event will be broadcast Dec.
20 on ESPN2.  Wal-Mart has made a major commitment to walleye fishing as
title sponsor of the RCL Championship. Additional title sponsors are
Ranger Boat Company Crestliner and Lund Boats (RCL). Evinrude Outboards,
Energizer, Garmin, Kellogg's, Poulan/Weed Eater, and Coleman are also
sponsoring the tournament. Locally, the Green Bay Area Visitors and
Convention Bureau is a sponsor.

RCL Championship
RCL Walleye Championship Has Anglers Packing for Green Bay.
$1.4 million to be reeled in at the richest walleye tournament ever!

With the recent live national broadcast of the multi-million dollar
Ranger M1 owners' tournament, the sport of fishing and the industry,
itself, drew strong interest from new audiences across the country.
Now, the overwhelming success of the M1 event has even more anglers
packing their bags in anticipation of another history-making tournament--
the RCL Walleye Championship, set to take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin,
October 3-7.  With $1.4 million in prize money on the line, skilled walleye
anglers are gearing up to qualify for their chance to land up to $400,000
in the tournament.

Bart Schad, Vice President of Marketing for Ranger Boats, is very excited
about the RCL Walleye Championship, saying, "Walleye fishing is rapidly
moving to the next level.  Our commitment to developing the best
quality boat for the multispecies angler is clearly visible in our growing
product line.  We're really looking forward to this special walleye event
and the opportunity to showcase Ranger quality and performance
even further."

Original owners of Ranger boats are eligible to compete in the RCL
tournament by qualifying through participating tournament organizations.
The field will consist of 400 anglers from thirty-four tournament trails
across America.

During the first two days of competition, 200 Pro-Anglers and 200
Co-Anglers will be matched against each other in separate divisions.
By day three of the four-day event, the field will be cut to the top twelve
anglers.  With the field reduced, these 12 semi-finalists will start from a
zero weight in boats provided by the sponsors.

After day three, Co-Angler competition ends, culminating in the
crowning of the Co-Angler Division Champion.  On day four, the top
six Professionals will advance to the final round, where they will fight
for the biggest stringer and a shot at up to $400,000 with a guaranteed
first place prize of $150,000.  Co-Anglers can earn a guaranteed
$75,000 and as much as $150,000 with sponsor bonus awards.

Owning a Ranger boat and fishing for walleye have always had
their rewards.  But never like this!  The RCL $1.4 million tournament
is the richest walleye tournament ever held.

Ranger Boats, headquartered in Flippin, Arkansas, is the nation's largest
manufacturer of premium fiberglass fishing boats, including a line of more
than 40 freshwater boats, and a popular saltwater series.  With emphasis
on building the best boats in the world, Ranger Boats is still building
legends.one at a time.

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