12 anglers vying to be River Kings after RRWT

Ken Johnston
Editor

Who will be king?
While 162 anglers will be competing to be crowned the Rainy River Walleye Tournament Champs this weekend, 12 of them will also be gunning for a crown only a River King could wear.
Last year a new award was added to the RRWT that involved the Emo Walleye Classic. Teams that compete in both can vi for $1,200 in extra prize money. The team with the most weight after fishing both tournaments will be crowned River Kings!
Both the RRWT and the EWC decided to put $600 in prize money up over and above the thousands of dollars already up for grabs in each tournament. The money, $1,200 in total, will be used to crown a River Champion at the RRWT.
However the catch is that the teams had to have fished in the EWC and the RRWT.
Right now it appears the favourite to win the crown is Frank Grunewald and Frank McWhinnie of Red Lake. They came in second this past spring in Emo with 17 lbs. of fish.
Hot on their heels is Jerry Elliott and Vance Allan of Fort Frances. They came in 6th with 13.86 lbs.
Closest to them is Pete and Sandra Hapka of Warren, MN with 5.22 lbs. at Emo. However, they have consistently proven to be top ten anglers at the RRWT and that could make the difference at the RRWT.
Last year’s RRWT champs, Mike Vacura and Marnie Korpi came in 31st in Emo with 5 lbs. of fish. They to could draw from their top of the pack experience in RR and catch the Two Franks Fishing boys!
Rounding out the pack in the hunt for the River King crown is Oliver Gibbins and Harvey Cochrane. Both experienced tournament competitors they too could come from behind and catch the Franks. They had 4.94 lbs. at Emo.
So keep your eyes on them throughout the tournament. They are sure to provide fans with some excitement!