Cold front curveball

Dramatic weather change wreaks havoc on 2009 FLW Walleye Tour Championship

BISMARCK, N.D. – After an unseasonably cool summer in the Midwest, most of September was a pleasant surprise. With high temperatures repeatedly hitting the mid-70s, September was nicer than most of June and July. Then on Sunday, Sept. 27, a vicious cold front came ripping down from Canada. The front, which possessed freezing temperatures and 60-mph winds, has dramatically changed the scene at the 2009 Walmart FLW Walleye Tour Championship.

For a strong fall walleye bite, anglers typically prefer cool, stable weather. But this is not the type of cool they had in mind. This is brutal. When the 54 pro qualifiers arrived in Bismarck last Thursday, the bite was strong and the weather was cooperating. The conditions were pleasant – sunny and warm, just like last year’s championship. Then the cold front hit, and whatever was working was pretty much thrown out the window.

Less than a week later, the river has dropped in temperature from the mid-60s to the mid-50s. Snow flurries are even in the forecast for Thursday and Friday.

“The fish are in shock,” said Jason Przekurat, a two-time Angler of the Year. “It was almost 80 degrees for a week straight here. Now we’re approaching freezing at night.”

On most fisheries, a cold front of this severity would completely shut down the bite. But the Missouri River is teeming with walleyes, and most anglers are still expecting to catch a limit each day.

“Last year it took 14 pounds a day to make the cutoff,” Przekurat added. “This year I think it will take 13 pounds a day. The water just gets dirty from the wind, and it makes it hard for the fish to see your presentation.”

Most of the big weights last year came from Upper Oahe, the portion near the North Dakota-South Dakota border where the Missouri River transforms into a reservoir. While that area is technically still in play, it will be nearly impossible to reach with today’s stiff prairie air stream.

“With this format you have to catch them on day one, and it’s going to be brutally tough down there with southeast winds at 30 mph. I think most of the guys will spread out and fish around here.”

Tony Renner had hoped to fish the lake today. But echoing Przekurat’s thoughts, he said it just isn’t feasible.



“We’re just trying to stay alive, and maybe we’ll get to fish the lake tomorrow,” he said. “If we could reach the lake, that would bring the weights up substantially.”

Each year around this time, the Missouri River walleyes begin their migration north. The key to have a successful tournament is determining where along that migration route the big females are. Are they in town near Bismarck, or are they still near Fort Yates, N.D.?

Once anglers reach their destinations, the crankbaits will come out in full force. Most of those cranks will be trolled on leadcore line. In addition, live-bait rigging and jigging will be common. For the majority, the problem isn’t catching fish, it’s selecting which fish to keep and when. North Dakota is a no-cull state, although anglers are allowed to keep eight fish in the livewell and weigh their best five.

Logistics

Hazelton Launch Ramp, located 31 miles southeast of Bismarck, just off Highway 1804, is hosting daily takeoffs at 8 a.m. Daily weigh-ins will be held at the Bismarck Civic Center, located at 315 S. 5th St., beginning at 4:30 p.m. The community is invited to attend takeoffs and weigh-ins as well as the Family Fun Zone, which opens at 2 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday. Saturday is free fishing rod and reel day at the Fun Zone, where the first 200 children 14 and under receive a free fishing rod and reel.

The winning pro at the FLW Walleye Tour Championship is guaranteed a cash award of $70,000. If the winner is Ranger Cup qualified, he will earn a $17,500 bonus, and if the boat is equipped with a qualifying Evinrude or Yamaha outboard, he will receive another $17,500 bonus for a total cash award of $105,000.

The winning co-angler is guaranteed $7,000 cash and is eligible for a $3,500 bonus from Ranger if he is Ranger Cup qualified. The winning co-angler will also receive a $3,500 bonus from Evinrude or Yamaha if his boat is equipped with a qualifying Evinrude or Yamaha outboard.

Tournament rules

Pros and co-anglers are randomly paired each day and fish for a combined boat weight. Pros compete against other pros, and co-anglers compete against other co-anglers. The full field competes for two days and then is cut to the top 10 pros and top 10 co-anglers for day three.

Anglers in both divisions start from zero on day three, and co-angler competition concludes with the winner determined by the day’s heaviest catch. Pros carry their weights over to day four, and the winner is determined by the heaviest accumulated weight from days three and four.

On TV

Coverage of the Walleye Tour Championship, hosted by the Bismarck-Mandan Convention & Visitors Bureau, will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS, the network which brings anglers the best fishing programming on television featuring the most-trusted authorities on the water. The Emmy-nominated “FLW Outdoors” program will air Nov. 15 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.

On the Web

For walleye-fishing fans unable to attend the festivities in person, you can catch all the weigh-in action live at FLWOutdoors.com with FLW Live. Show time starts at 4:30 p.m. Central today.

Wednesday’s conditions

Sunrise: 7:41 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 50 degrees

Expected high temperature: 67 degrees

Water temperature: 54-56 degrees

Wind: SSE at 27 mph

Maximum humidity: 53 percent

Day’s outlook: mostly cloudy