The new $2.9 million Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit will stop Sept. 5-8 at Devils Lake, N.D., for its third and final regular season tournament of the 2001 season. At stake in the prestigious tournament are top awards of $85,000 in cash and prizes in the Professional Division and $15,000 cash in the Co-Angler Division.

Named after retail giant Wal-Mart and boat manufacturers Ranger, Crestliner
and Lund, the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit is the world's most lucrative
walleye fishing series.

Dan Plautz of Muskego, Wis., won the second stop of the 2001 season in June on Saginaw Bay near Bay City, Mich., and received $50,000 cash plus a Yamaha-powered Crestliner boat with GARMIN electronics. His partner, co-angler Steve Campbell of Fife Lake, Mich., reeled in $15,000 cash. In April, Jim Klick of White Bear Lake, Minn., won the season opener on Lake Erie near Port Clinton, Ohio, and collected $50,000 cash plus a Mercury-powered Lund boat with GARMIN electronics. His partner, co-angler Cecil Newman of River Rouge, Mich., received $15,000 cash.

Each of the circuit's regular season tournaments features a cash purse of
$390,750, and the year-end Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship features a cash
purse of $1.4 million with top awards of up to $400,000 in the Pro Division
and $150,000 in the Co-Angler Division.

Two hundred pros and 200 co-anglers from the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit
and other sanctioned tournament organizations and events will compete in the
championship, which will be held on the Fox River and Green Bay in Green
Bay, Wis., Oct. 2-6.

Green Bay hosted the inaugural Wal-Mart RCL Championship last year when Scott Glorvigen of Grand Rapids, Minn., won $300,000 and instantly joined the sport's top all-time money winners.

"We are thrilled about our upcoming visit to Devils Lake," said RCL tournament director Sonny Reynolds. "The lake is a terrific walleye fishery, so we are expecting an exciting end to our regular season."

Up to 175 Ranger, Crestliner and Lund boat owners will fill the Pro Division
in Devils Lake while 175 co-angler berths are open to the public. Anglers in
both divisions will fish in three elimination rounds.

After the two-day opening round, the field will be cut to the top 60 pros and top 60 co-anglers who will advance to the one-day semifinal round. The top 12 pros and top 12 co-anglers after the semifinal round will move on to the final
day of competition. Catch weights carry over for the first two days, but anglers will start the semifinal and final rounds from scratch.

Weigh-ins during the first three days of competition will be held at Grahams
Island State Park in Devils Lake starting at 3 p.m. each day. The final weigh-in, Sept. 8, will be held at the Devils Lake Wal-Mart starting at 3 p.m.
Take off will be at 7 a.m. each day at Grahams Island State Park.

Nationwide there are an estimated 4 million walleye anglers, according to the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Walleyes, in fact, are the most sought-after
species of fish by U.S. anglers fishing the Great Lakes.

Sponsors of the 2001 Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Circuit are Coleman, Conseco, Crestliner, Energizer, EverStart Batteries, Garmin, Kellogg's, Lund,
Mercury, Minn Kota, Poulan, Ranger Boats, Wal-Mart, Weed Eater and Yamaha
Outboards.

To register for competition or for more information about the Wal-Mart RCL
Walleye Circuit, visit www.operationwalleye.com or call (270) 362-5259. Entry
fees for regular season tournaments are $1,250 for pros and $500 for
co-anglers.