Rain doesn't deter anglers in Walleye Tour event

• FLW Walleye Tour at Red Wing

Anglers stand to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before racing out of the Upper Harbor Thursday morning to open the National Guard FLW Walleye Tour presented by Evinrude. The tournament runs through today.

Talk about it

RED WING - Walleye pro angler Tommy Skarlis, of Waukon, Iowa, and his co-angler, Jimmy Cox, of Bono, Ark., brought in a limit of five walleyes weighing 36 pounds, 12 ounces Thursday on the opening day of the National Guard FLW Walleye Tour on the Mississippi River in Red Wing.

Skarlis and Cox took an 8 pound, 13 ounce lead over the second place team. Pros are competing for a top prize of $63,000 and co-anglers are competing for $10,500. There are 110 pros and 110 co-anglers competing.

Robert Bruegger, of Wabasha, finished second after the first day with five walleyes weighing 27 pounds, 15 ounces.

The anglers brought in a total of 432 walleyes weighing 1,192 pounds, 3 ounces on the first day.

Skarlis remained in the lead following the second day with another haul of five walleyes. Skarlis weighed in at 20 pounds, 13 ounces to have a two-day total of 57 pounds, 9 ounces. He holds a 17 pound, 7 ounce edge over Bruegger.

Todd Zemke, of Red Wing, is in 12th place after catching five walleyes Friday and having a weight of 28 pounds, 2 ounces. Dean Kaminski edged Zemke out for the best haul Friday by five ounces.

Tags: outdoors