Nuechterlein Surges into Lead at Walmart FLW Walleye Tour Event on Lake Winnebago
Category: press release
Jul 16th, 2009 by OutdoorsFIRST
Modified Jul 16th, 2009 at 12:00 AM
OSHKOSH, Wis. (July 16, 2009) – Pro Jeff Nuechterlein of Fremont, Wis., caught five walleyes weighing 14 pounds, 15 ounces to give him a two-day catch of 10 walleyes weighing 26 pounds, 8 ounces to take over the lead at the Walmart FLW Walleye Tour presented by Berkley on Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, Wis. Nuechterlein holds a 5-ounce lead heading into Day 3 of the nationally televised tournament that features anglers from 20 states and one Canadian province fishing for top awards of $35,333 in the Pro Division and $7,067 in the Co-angler Division-not including sponsor contingencies.
James Muntean of Maplewood, Minn., held onto the lead in the Co-angler Division with a two-day catch of 10 walleyes weighing 28 pounds even. Muntean brought in five walleyes weighing 10 pounds, 7 ounces today with his partner on the pro side, Randy Seidl. Muntean now holds a 9-ounce lead over second-place finisher Del Ringling of Valley, Neb., going into the third day of competition.
Nuechterlein, who was in eighth place with 11 pounds, 9 ounces after day one, is no stranger to Winnebago’s walleyes or competition. He won the Walmart FLW Walleye League Super Tournament here in 2005 as a co-angler. That event, too, was in July. In ’05, Nuechterlein rode a solid trolling pattern to victory on the lake’s southeast and northwest sides, pulling shad-bodied crankbaits and crawler harnesses.
While it’s too early to divulge specifics about his strategies this time around, he offered insight into a day that started agonizingly slow but finished strong. “Our number one spot didn’t go for us,” he said. With no fish at 9:45, he made a move to an area known for yielding good-sized walleyes to those with patience. “It wasn’t fast and furious, just one fish every half hour to 40 minutes, but they were the right ones,” he added, noting that the increasing winds were a challenge but ultimately not a problem. “I’m running a Ranger so the waves weren’t a factor, but a drift sock was critical to speed control.”
The second day of competition brought major changes to the leaderboard, as early frontrunners struggled and those on their heels charged hard. Rounding out the top 10 pros are Jimmy Hughes of Oshkosh, Wis. (nine walleyes, 26-3); Tom Hoinacki of Waupun, Wis. (10 walleyes, 26-2); Brian Deffner of Eland, Wis. (10 walleyes, 25-0); Rick Olson of Mina, S.D. (10 walleyes, 24-11); Robert Crow of Paterson, Wash. (10 walleyes, 24-11); Pat Neu of Forestville, Wis. (nine walleyes, 24-3); Bill Shimota of Lonsdale, Minn. (10 walleyes, 23-7); Tom Brunz of Madison Lake, Minn. (nine walleyes, 22-8); and Kevin McQuoid of Isle, Minn. (10 walleyes, 22-1).
“The wind blew a lot harder today but it didn’t seem to affect the fish,” said Crow, who jumped ahead from 10th on day one. “I know the weights will be up and down the first three days, I just want to stay in the top 10 and make a run at it on Saturday.”
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers behind Muntean and Ringling are Donald Doran of Sun Prairie, Wis. (10 walleyes, 25-14); David Anderson of Sauk Rapids, Minn. (nine walleyes, 25-2); Robert Brunz of Madison Lake, Minn. (10 walleyes, 25-1); Richard Dobbs of Woodridge, Ill. (10 walleyes, 23-5); Korey Sprengel of Beaver Dam, Wis. (10 walleyes, 22-12); Don Cozzie of Orland Park, Ill. (10 walleyes, 22-10); Larry Oleson of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. (10 walleyes, 22-9); and Justin Steinke of Birnamwood, Wis. (10 walleyes, 22-5).
Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight. Pros compete against other pros, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. The full field competes during the three-day opening round for one of 10 final-round slots based on their three-day accumulated weight. Weights carry over to day four, with winners determined by the heaviest four-day weight.
Overall there were 401 walleyes weighing 781 pounds caught by 106 boats Thursday. The catch included 53 five-walleye limits.
Fans are encouraged to attend the weigh-ins to win free prizes, visit the Cabela’s booth for various promotions and ride the FLW Fantasy Fishing boat simulator for free. Pioneer Resort Marina located at 1000 Pioneer Drive in Oshkosh will host daily takeoffs each morning at 7 a.m. Friday’s weigh-in will also be held at Pioneer Resort Marina beginning at 3 p.m.
Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Pioneer Resort beginning at 4 p.m. Prior to the final weigh-in, there will be a free Family Fishing Clinic where anglers will answer questions and provide tips, as well as hand out free rod and reels to kids 14 and under, while supplies last. The community is invited to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-ins, which are free and open to the public.
Every angler who receives weight credit in a tournament earns points, with 150 points awarded to the winner, 149 to second, 148 for third, and so on. These points determine Land O’Lakes Angler of the Year standings. The top 50 pros and 50 co-anglers in the standings will advance to the FLW Walleye Tour Championship in Bismarck, N.D., Sept. 30-Oct. 3 for a shot at top awards of $150,000 and $20,000, respectively. The prestigious championship, hosted by the Bismarck-Mandan Convention and Visitors Bureau, will also feature boater and co-angler points champions from each of four Walmart FLW Walleye League divisions. The no-entry-fee FLW Walleye Tour Championship is the most lucrative event in professional walleye angling, with cash awards for the entire field.
Coverage of the FLW Walleye Tour, hosted by the Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau, will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS, the network which brings anglers the best fishing programming on television featuring the most-trusted authorities on the water. The Emmy-nominated “FLW Outdoors,” will air Sept. 6 from 12:30 to 1:30 ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is broadcast to approximately 500 million households worldwide, including internationally through agreements with WFN (World Fishing Network) and Matchroom Sport to such countries as Canada, Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor-sports television show in the world.
FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with FLW Fantasy Fishing, offering the largest awards possible in the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for Player’s Advantage for only $10 to get your edge and win.