Klemm carries near 3-pound lead into finals
Minnesota pro, North Dakota co-angler still riding high
PIERRE, S.D. – In a tournament with weights grouped together as tight as in this week’s Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour event on Lake Sharpe, the importance of netting a truly big fish cannot be overstated. So when pro Kelly Klemm and co-angler Darrell Rosemore caught a 29 1/2-inch walleye yesterday, it was as though Ahab had landed the white whale. Each still leads his respective divisions despite middling weights Friday.
A young walleye specialist from Wheaton, Minn., Klemm is in his seventh season on the FLW Walleye Tour, presented by Berkley, which he began fishing at 17. Currently in his third season as a pro, today he made his fourth top-10 cut – second as a pro – by leading the pack with a three-day weight of 28 pounds, 12 ounces.
Klemm was able to bring a five-fish limit to the scale today weighing 7-3, just a few ounces more than his day-one weight and less than half the weight he and Rosemore logged yesterday (click here to read about the roughly 8-pound walleye that pushed them into the lead). Klemm said he fished the same area of West Bend, about 40 to 45 miles south, that he has all week. His key area is “a spot only as big as a semitrailer” that has produced 15 to 16 keeper walleyes over three days, including seven today.
“I’m pitching jigs with minnows right offshore,” he said of his ¼-ounce offerings tipped with bait. “We caught a few in the morning; then it slowed down.”
After the slowdown, Klemm and his co-angler picked up four more walleyes pulling bottom bouncers. And just like yesterday, Klemm picked up his eighth and best fish – a 19-incher – in the main channel of the Missouri River near Pierre after moving back upstream; it wasn’t near the behemoth caught by Rosemore the day before, but it was enough to keep Klemm on top with a 2-12 lead heading into the final day. Klemm and Rosemore will be paired together again tomorrow for the final day, but whether they can re-create their day-two magic in the face of another forecasted storm remains to be seen.
Banks holding steady in second
Cannon Falls, Minn., pro Scott Banks was able to whittle away 6 ounces of the margin separating him from first place Friday, reeling in a limit weighing 7-9 for a three-day total of 26 pounds even. Yesterday he was able to rise 40 places in the standings on the strength of a 5-3 kicker – worth $500 as the Frabill Nets Big Walleye bonus – but like Klemm, he couldn’t find a big bite today.
“Today was pretty tough; I only had one fish by 11 o’clock,” he said, adding that he was fishing about 30 miles south, just past Joe Creek.
A flurry of walleye activity erupted later in the day, giving Banks four “nice upgrades.” He limited out about 20 miles downstream while fishing his way back in the main channel of the river.
Banks is casting glass Rapala Shad Raps to water anywhere from 1 1/2 to 6 feet deep. He said “natural colors” are working best.
Larkins lands in third
Kevin Larkins of Greenwood, Neb., was the heat-seeking pro of the day, climbing 32 rungs up the leader ladder into third place. His 9-15 limit today came largely on the strength of a 3 1/2-pounder caught on a Knuckleball jig made by Fin-tech Tackle and given to him by fellow pro Dean Kaminski. His three-day total sits at 25-14.
Larkins said he was fishing with a system today: He wouldn’t keep any fish that he didn’t figure to weigh at least 1 1/2 pounds (competitors cannot cull on Lake Sharpe, but may keep eight walleyes and weigh five).
“We had our one-and-a-half rule done, probably for a total of about 7 ¾ pounds,” he said. “Then we got that 3 1/2-pounder with about a half-hour to go. I about had a heart attack.”
Larkins has been fishing south around the Joe Creek area, roughly 35 to 38 miles downstream. He estimates he has been burning $100 in fuel each day.
Local McComsey makes grade
Fort Pierre, S.D., native Gerrick McComsey climbed 27 slots to make the top-10 cut on his home waters in fourth place. His 9-12 limit Friday gave him a three-day total of 25-12.
“I spent the first two days in town; that’s kind of my claim to fame,” the local pro said. “Today, I knew my co-angler needed about 8 pounds to stay in it, so I ran 60 miles south.”
For a second or two on the weigh-in stage, McComsey and local co-angler Jack Ellenbecker looked crestfallen as Sonny Reynolds, tournament director, called out their weight as “seven-twelve” before correcting himself, to which McComsey replied, “What are you doin’ to me, Sonny?”
After making the long run, McComsey said they picked up a limit in a little over an hour pitching 1/8-ounce plastic jigs with 3-inch white tails, “basically swimming it like a dying shad.” They also caught a few by dragging minnows on bottom bouncers or split-shot rigs, fishing primarily in water 8 to 10 feet deep. But he brought them back home for the kicker fish that put them in the top 10, catching it upriver near Pierre.
“You can always catch `em down at West Bend,” he said. “The bite’s been getting tough up here, but the fish are always so much bigger.”
Fairbairn finds fifth
Pro Scott Fairbairn of Hager City, Wis., paved the way to another top-10 cut with consistency, catching 8-3, 8-13 and 8-10 limits over the first three days, respectively, for a total of 25-10. The same consistency is apparent when checking Fairbairn’s mileage meter: He said his total mileage per day has been 126 miles, give or take just a couple. He has been fishing south around the West Bend area.
“It was a tough day today,” he said. “We caught a 2-pounder right away, our first fish, but then we went through a long lull.”
At about noon, the bite was back on, and Fairbairn started catching walleyes again on bottom bouncers, fished in 6 to 13 feet of water with either minnows or half a night crawler on a Mustad Slow Death Hook. He said the special hook “gives the crawler a unique rotation – almost like a Shad Rap.”
“They all turn on at the same time,” Fairbairn said, adding that the when the feeding frenzy begins, the biggest challenge is avoiding pandemonium in the boat.
Fairbairn hopes he can continue his routine at West Bend tomorrow if the wind doesn’t blow too hard to make the trip.
Rest of the best
Rounding out the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, presented by Berkley, pros to make Saturday’s finals on Lake Sharpe:
6th: Ted Takasaki of East Gull Lake, Minn., three-day total of 25 pounds, 7 ounces
7th: Ron Seelhoff of Burlington, Colo., 25-2
8th: Troy Walwood of Grand Haven, Mich., 25-2
9th: Chris Gilman of Chisago City, Minn., 25-1
10th: Bill Shimota of Lonsdale, Minn., 25-0
Everything coming up roses for co-angler leader
North Dakota co-angler Darrell Rosemore was still getting mileage out of the 29 1/2-inch monster walleye he caught yesterday with Klemm, the pro leader. He had a tougher go of it today, but was able to bring in four walleyes weighing 5 pounds, 6 ounces with pro partner Joe McCartin to make the top-10 cut Friday. With a three-day total of 27-6, Rosemore is still on top of the Co-angler Division and will carry an 11-ounce lead into Saturday’s final round.
“Today was really tough,” he said. “We fished around here until 9 o’clock without catching any. I was starting to get nervous.”
The pair made a long run south, about 55 miles, and caught their first fish at 11:30 a.m. They knew they’d need to head back to weigh-in by 1:30 p.m., and Rosemore said they hooked into their fourth fish with five minutes to spare.
“It seems like everything’s gone to heck down there,” he said of the area just north of Big Bend Dam.
They caught their walleyes over a submerged roadway in 8 to 12 feet of water, fishing Lindy rigs with minnows on red-colored hooks.
Wood, Ellenbecker make cut with 26-11
Victor Wood of Rapid City, S.D., made the top-10 cut in second place with a three-day total of 26-11. He fished with pro Rick Schock of Bismarck, N.D., today for a five-fish limit weighing 8-15.
“I’m just grateful I got Rick for a draw,” he said.
In third place and also with a total of 26-11 (ties are broken based on heaviest single day) is Jack Ellenbecker of Pierre, S.D. He teamed up with McComsey, also a local, to bring in a 9-12 limit today.
“We had a great day,” Ellenbecker said. “We didn’t fish too long, but we made a long run and caught our fish up and back.”
The pair caught a 20-incher in the West Bend area downstream before deciding to head back toward Pierre, where the bite has been tough but McComsey excels as a pro.
“We came up here, put 5 gallons of gas in, had a cup of coffee and went out and caught a 21-incher.”
Rest of the best
Rounding out the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour, presented by Berkley, co-anglers to make Saturday’s finals on Lake Sharpe:
4th: Robert Nelson of Saint Croix Falls, Wis., three-day total of 25 pounds, 12 ounces
5th: Edward Piekutowski of Moorehead, Minn., 25-7
6th: Terry Etzkorn of Pierre, S.D., 25-5
7th: Richard Myers of Pierre, S.D., 25-2
8th: Jim Feller of Blunt, S.D., 25-1
9th: Justin Crawford of Box Elder, S.D., 25-1
10th: Francis Beck of Saint Paul, Neb., 24-14
The final day of Walleye Tour competition begins when the top 10 finalists in each division take off at 7 a.m. Saturday from Downs Marina in Pierre.