Kjelden pops 39, takes driver’s seat

Brookings, S.D., pro opens up 6-pound, 6-ounce lead

CLEVELAND – Lake Erie turned to glass on day three of the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour Championship, allowing the best fishermen in the world to put on quite a show. Nine out of the 10 pros caught five-fish limits, but the trademark Erie monsters were peculiarly absent. The exception was in the BFGoodrich Tires boat.

That boat, captained by Dustin Kjelden, caught five walleyes that weighed 39 pounds, 3 ounces. On the pivotal third day, Kjelden executed flawlessly and took one major step toward the $150,000 first-place purse.

“We went out there and it was unbelievable,” he said. “It was probably the best day of fishing in my entire life. Cleveland rocks.”

Not much changed in Kjelden’s pattern from the first two days of competition. For whatever reason, his fish were more aggressive and much bigger. His biggest walleye weighed roughly 11 pounds, and he had two others that were close to 9 pounds. How good was the fishing? The Brookings, S.D., pro had a limit in his livewell at 8:45 this morning, and it takes him nearly an hour to get to his spot. On the day, over 30 walleyes were caught, including multiple doubles and even a triple.

“Today was huge. Today was the day to do it too. Our second fish of the day was the 11-pounder. The board was over 100 feet behind the boat. It was so strong, we didn’t know what it was.”

Kjelden said today was huge because tomorrow co-anglers will not be fishing with pros. The 10 finalists are on their own and will be allowed only two lines in the water compared to the four they were allowed the first three days.

Kjelden caught his fish in 45 feet of water in an area located 42 miles to the northwest near the Canadian border. He’s trolling with spinners and planer boards but the specifics of his presentation, which he wouldn’t reveal, are the reason for his success. He would reveal that the more aggressive fish were up higher in the water column.

“I’m feeling real nervous. I’ve got Fairbairn right behind me.”

When he won the 2005 Walleye Tour qualifier on Devils Lake, Kjelden stormed back from seventh place. Kjelden also finished second at the season-opening 2007 Walleye Tour event held on the Detroit River and Lake Erie. Catching 24 pounds on day four, he thought he had his second Walleye Tour win wrapped up. He ultimately finished second, and now he’s out for some Lake Erie revenge. Heading into the final day, he’s in the driver’s seat with a 6-pound, 6-ounce lead.

“The goal is to get at least 25 pounds.”

Fairbairn rises to second

Hager City, Wis., pro Scott Fairbairn had to make a major adjustment in presentation, but he still managed to catch a five-walleye limit weighing 32 pounds, 13 ounces. The execution in his boat was solid once again, but he didn’t catch nearly as many fish as Kjelden.

“I think we caught around eight or nine fish,” said the four-time Walleye Tour Championship qualifier. “I was at my spot 45 minutes before I was on day one and an hour and 45 minutes before I was yesterday. It was fabulous.”

Although he got there early, the action was far from fast and furious.

“I was marking more fish, but they just weren’t biting. I think they wanted something slower.”

At noon, with only two fish in the box, Fairbairn switched from trolling crankbaits to trolling spinners and night crawlers. He pulled the spinners at 1.3 to 1.5 mph along the bottom of the column in water 45 feet deep.

“If I could go out and get another 30 pounds, that would make Dustin really have to work for it.”

Lantzy third

Folgers pro Dennis Lantzy of Warren, Mich., continued his consistent fishing with a 24-pound, 1-ounce limit on day three and moved up to third place. After retreating to an area 10 miles northeast of Voinovich Bicentennial Park yesterday, Lantzy returned to his day-one area, located some 45 miles to the west.

But the results weren’t quite what he hoped for. Yesterday, his friend and teammate David Kolb caught 31 pounds, 5 ounces there. On day one, Kolb caught over 37 pounds. The area is loaded with 23- and 24-inch fish, but the occasional pig didn’t show up Saturday.

“We caught probably 30 fish today,” Lantzy said. “At times we had only one line in the water. I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me though. I just didn’t get the big bite today.”

Crow up to fourth

Climbing six spots into fourth place was Paterson, Wash., pro Robert Crow.

After bringing in 41 pounds, 9 ounces during the opening round, Crow caught five fish that weighed 23 pounds, 12 ounces on day three. Interestingly, Crow is sharing water with Kjelden, so the potential for a 40-pound bag in his area exists.

“It started out really good, and then it kind of slowed later in the day,” said Crow, who is making his first championship appearance in the top 10. “All I need is a couple of big bites.”

Preissner fifth

Jim Preissner of Hastings, Minn., managed five walleyes Saturday that weighed 23 pounds, 5 ounces. His biggest walleye was in the 8-pound class.

“We had one more on just like that that came unbuttoned,” he said. “We caught a lot of fish today. I’m having a lot of fun here at the big show. We ran wide open for the first time in a long time on Lake Erie.”

Rest of the best

Rounding out the top 10 pros on day three on Lake Erie:

6th: Jason Kerr of Holly, Mich., five walleyes, 21-15

7th: David Kolb of Ada, Mich., five walleyes, 21-3

8th: Ross Grothe of Northfield, Minn., five walleyes, 19-11

9th: Tommy Skarlis of Waukon, Iowa, five walleyes, 18-5

10th: John Gillman of Freeland, Mich., three walleyes, 16-2

The final day of the Wal-Mart FLW Walleye Tour Championship begins as the top 10 pros take off from Voinovich Bicentennial Park, located at 800 E. Ninth St. in Cleveland, at 7:30 a.m. Eastern time Sunday. Weights are cleared for the final round, with the winning pro determined by the heaviest two-day total weight from Saturday and Sunday.