PIERRE, S.D. – Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour finalists will face more than stiff competition Saturday; they will battle stiff winds that threaten to limit the scope of their search for a tournament-winning bite on Lake Sharpe.
The second stop on the 2008 FLW Walleye Tour, presented by Berkley, has been taking place in central South Dakota on the Lake Sharpe portion of the Missouri River and will be nationally televised (read below for details). Today marks the culmination of this four-day event that has illustrated the meteorological highs and lows of what tournament anglers can face – from conditions fit for a golfer’s paradise to, well, today.
Saturday’s conditions will test the mettle of the top 10 pros and 10 co-anglers still in the hunt for the brass ring, presenting them with rain, a chill factor that feel like 41 degrees and – potentially most devastating – some of the strongest winds they will have seen since the beginning.
Though many of the bigger bites this week have come from the main channel of the river near Pierre, the majority of the field has fished some 40-plus miles downstream in the West Bend area. Today’s north winds will make returning from the south a risky – if not herculean – challenge. Making it back to weigh-in on time under such conditions will require anyone fishing down south to sacrifice valuable fishing time for the trek home, not to mention steely nerves and a large fuel tank. Though the wind at takeoff had only reached 12 mph, forecasts project them to hold in the 20- to 30-mph range for most of the day.
Scott Fairbairn, currently in fifth place in the Pro Division, said he remembers all too well a Professional Walleye Tour event held on Lake Sharpe a few years ago that presented similar circumstances. In the end, many of the finalists didn’t make it back in time to weigh their catches on the final day. Though Fairbairn, who has been fishing West Bend, hasn’t found a big bite near Pierre, he said he may still play it conservatively like he did in the PWT event to guarantee that he weighs walleyes.
“If it’s that big of a blow … I may consider staying up here,” he said. “I know of some dink holes (with smaller fish) that I could hit if I have to.”
Currently leading the pros is Kelly Klemm with a three-day total of 28 pounds, 12 ounces. In a cumulative-weight tournament such as this, it won’t be easy to overtake him, as the nearest competitor is behind by a margin of 2-12.
However, Klemm got where he is by bringing in the largest fish of the tournament on day two, more than doubling his average daily weight. And 10th place is only another pound behind the lead for a total deficit of only 3 pounds, 12 ounces. In other words, one good walleye bite could swiftly spin the wheel of fortune before day’s end.
The conditions will be tough, but these walleye specialists didn’t luck their way into the finals; they’ve been tested before and persevered. And the dangling carrots of as much as $100,000 and $20,000 for the pro and co-angler winners, respectively, are sure to encourage them to keep their game faces on for a final day.
Logistics
Since South Dakota is a no-cull state, anglers must decide whether to keep a walleye at the time they catch it. The minimum length for a keeper is 15 inches, while two walleyes over 20 inches are allowed. Eight walleyes may be kept on a boat, but only the best five from a pro and co-angler may be weighed in per day at the tournament.
Local details
Saturday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart store located at 1730 N. Garfield Road in Pierre beginning at 4 p.m., with booths and activities for the whole family beginning two hours before fish are weighed. The community is invited to attend daily takeoffs and weigh-ins, which are free and open to the public.
On TV
Coverage of the Lake Sharpe tournament will be broadcast to 81 million FSN (Fox Sports Net) subscribers in the United States as part of the “FLW Outdoors” television program airing Aug. 24. “FLW Outdoors” is also broadcast in Canada on WFN (World Fishing Network) and to more than 429 million households in the United Kingdom, Europe, Russia, Australia, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East through a distribution agreement with Matchroom Sport, making it the most widely distributed fishing program in the world. The program airs Sunday mornings at 11 Eastern time in most markets. Check local listings for times in your area.
Saturday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:19 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 47 degrees (feels like 41)
Expected high temperature: 47 degrees
Water temperature on the river: 41 degrees
Wind: NNE at 12 mph
Maximum humidity: 93 percent
Day’s outlook: cold and windy with rain showers throughout the day; expected N winds at 20 to 30 mph