Congratulations Tommy Skarlis

Iowa walleye pro Tommy Skarlis won the FLW Walleye Tour opener on the Mississippi River. FLW photo by Brett Carlson.

After all the fish had been weighed at the FLW Walleye Tour opener on the Mississippi River, Tommy Skarlis of Waukon, Iowa had tallied nearly 9 pounds more weight than his nearest competitor. Skarlis' 72-pound, 8-ounce three-day sack earned him his seventh major victory as a walleye pro. Skarlis seems partial to spring fishing because five of those wins have come during the month of April.

I've gotten to fish with Tommy Skarlis a few times and have done some story and photo work with him, and working with him is always a pleasure. Therefore, I'm always delighted to see his name atop the leaderboard. Congratulations Tommy.