Kirkland Wins Walmart FLW Walleye League Minnesota Division Event on Lake Bemidji
Category: npaa
Jul 13th, 2009 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jul 13th, 2009 at 12:00 AM
BEMIDJI, Minn. (July 13, 2009) – Michael Kirkland of Welch, Minn., caught two walleyes that weighed 12 pounds, 6 ounces and earned $4,200 Saturday as winner of the Walmart FLW Walleye League Minnesota Division event on Lake Bemidji. Kirkland’s co-angler, Bill Wieczorek of Little Falls, Minn., earned $2,100 for the win.
Kirkland said he caught his fish using a Lindy Rig and nightcrawlers fishing deep structure about 23 feet deep on a mud basin.
Rounding out the top five are Chad Benson of Bemidji, Minn., who earned $2,100 and co-angler Cody Reynolds of Mitchell, S.D., who earned $1,050 (five walleyes, 10 pounds, 4 ounces); Brian Brosdahl of Max, Minn., who earned $1,800 and co-angler Mathew Tornquisp of Placerville, Calif., who earned $900 (three walleyes, 7 pounds, 9 ounces); Toby Kvalevog of Brainerd, Minn., who earned $1,350 and co-angler Douglas Chapman of Hills, Minn., who earned $675 (four walleyes, 6 pounds, 14 ounces) and Jason P. Sullivan of Chippewa Falls, Wis., who earned $1,350 and co-angler Ryan Miller of Saint Anthony, Minn., who earned $675 (five walleyes, 6 pounds, 14 ounces).
Boaters and co-anglers are randomly paired for the event and fish for a combined boat weight. Boaters compete against other boaters, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. Cash payouts extend through 20th place based on a full field of 100 boats.
Four FLW Walleye League divisions – Michigan, Minnesota, Heartland and Wisconsin – each feature three one-day events. Every angler who receives weight credit earns points, with 100 points awarded to the winner, 99 for second, 98 for third, and so on. These points determine angler standings.
The top 30 boaters and top 30 co-anglers from each FLW Walleye League division at the end of the season advance to the 2009 Walmart FLW Walleye League Finals set for Sept. 17-19 on Lake Wissota in Chippewa Falls, Wis., where they will compete for a Ranger 621 powered by a 200 horsepower Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and a Ranger Reata 1760 Angler, respectively. Anglers competing in the no-entry-fee League Finals may also participate in an optional payout that could boost boater winnings by $8,400 and co-angler winnings by $4,200 based on 120 boaters and co-anglers participating. The fee for participation in the optional payout is $300 for boaters and $150 for co-anglers. Qualifiers may elect to participate any time after qualifying through the Sept. 16 FLW Walleye League Finals pretournament meeting. Please check the online rules to view the payout table.
The boater and co-angler point’s champions from each division also advance to the no-entry-fee 2009 Walmart FLW Walleye Tour Championship in Bismarck, N.D., Sept. 30-Oct. 3 for a chance to compete for as much as $150,000 in the Pro Division and $20,000 in the Co-angler Division. Anglers finishing the season in the top 10 in each division also receive priority entry into the Walmart FLW Walleye Tour for 2010.
Minnesota Division anglers will visit Leech Lake in Walker, Minn., June 6. The third and final regular-season event will be on Lake Bemidji in Bemidji, Minn., July 11.
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