The National Guard FLW Walleye Tour start boat flies the American flag along with the National Guard flag during the national anthem on day one of the championship on the Missouri River. Photo by Patrick Baker.

September 23, 2011 • Curtis Niedermier • Angler Columns

I expected gray skies, chilled air and conditions more suited to autumn ducks and pheasants than the sunshine I was greeted with today when I rolled into Bismarck, N.D. It’s borderline T-shirt weather with enough sun to scald a balding head.

This is a stark change from what championship contenders were faced with at practice the last few days. Ever wonder how much wind it takes to cancel Chevy Pro Night? About 70-mph gusts, which are exactly what hit Bismarck the other night. Along with the wind came rain. Let’s just say pros had a little extra time on shore to tinker with their boats and go over their game plans. But don’t worry, like with any interesting walleye tournament, the conditions are constantly changing.

Not only is the sun out, but there’s nary a cloud in the sky and the river is dropping. It dropped enough that a couple of pros had to be pulled off the Missouri’s shifting sandbars. Making matters worse was a dense fog that moved through around takeoff. You’d be hard-pressed to find a skeg in the angler parking lot that has all of its factory paint.

Yet despite the changes, the pros are catching fish. Most reported good numbers of short fish, with enough 16- to 17-inch keepers to scrape together 16-pound bags. The consensus is that if you were a guide on the Missouri, you’d have no problem keeping your clients on fish. A few pros stood out from the pack, led by Keith Kavajecz, who caught nearly 27 pounds. And several of the top placers are fishing close enough together that they could have conversations without having to shout. One photographer reported there were almost 15 boats crammed in one little hole.

Most of the field is staying within the “river” portion of the Missouri River, rather than running far enough south to where it widens into a more traditional reservoir. Some are even going upstream of Bismarck closer to the dam.

Jigging is popular throughout the field, as are some casting presentations and, of course, trolling. What this all means is that the Missouri is filled to the brim with water – although it’s dropping – and fish, and you can catch them just about any way. Successful pros will be the ones who either find that golden spot or that “something different” with their presentation that gets the big bites. And they’ll have to overcome the pressure of the field. Stay tuned. This is setting up to be extremely close through the end of the week.