Geez, we are into a feeding frenzy!

I have wanted to get to the Williston area for 3 years now and my time has finally arrived.  Actually I’ve been here before chasing the prehistoric paddlefish but my goal was a walleye trip. Williston hugs the Mighty Missouri as it joins the upper end of Lake Sakakawea at the western edge of North Dakota. Water warms here long before the eastern end, in fact almost 20 degrees difference from where I was last week at the Garrison Marina over 160 lake miles to the south east. Ya, big lake!

My son Levi described it as the best trip he has ever taken with his Dad.  Lund’s Landing is nestled in a saturated with nature, Dakota prairie coulee. Sweetened by the presence of Jim and Analene, Lund's Landing is everything homemade from the cabins to the bread and only outdone by the Juneberry pie. The outdoorsman life is core in the Torgerson’s with a line-up of impressive North Dakota Whitetails as evidence.

Looking at more water than can be fished in a lifetime I asked Jim for suggestions on where to start. His advice had us going in three different directions, all of it looking like great walleye structure. We compressed the advice down to include at least two of the 3 choices and launched out to the south east. Bomber 24A’s start the day at 15 feet in an area locally know as the Three Sisters which are nearly identical, vertical coal lined bluffs. Nothing! Off to the east where we moved up to 10 feet on an area called the Charleston Flats with the same results. Nothing!

I need to follow my own advice here, something I can easily forget. If what you’re doing ain't working don’t keep doing it.  Our morning is defined by changing location, changing lures, changing depths and changing speed. None of which is improving the fishless situation. Finally Levi gets our first fish of the day, a pickle jar sized northern. Not exactly what we were hoping for.  By now we are way out of the mental boundary I had set for the day. Since I’m in advice mode here is point number two. Try hard not to put boundaries on where the walleyes should be or how far you will go to find them. Walleyes seldom follow my pre-set thinking either in location or depth.

Nine feet, four different types of lures down, this is just one more of the many stops this morning. Looks exactly like the last location that left us with an empty livewell. That however, is where the similarity ends! First walleye, nine feet on a jointed #5 Shad Rap in Firetiger. Next fish is a whitebass followed by a northern. Geez, we are into a feeding frenzy! Try as I might, fish will not go on Reef Runner Rip Shad’s my favorite lure for Sakakawea. In fact if it ain't high action, in your face color, they won’t go for it at all. Exactly the opposite of last trip out where soft and subtle Bombers did the work. Remember that boundaries thing, might be something for me to learn here.

We have a mile stretch of shoreline that is treating us right. Wind picked up and a little mud line formed on the surface. In fact if you look closely you can see where the boat leaves a clear water track as it parts the dirty water on top revealing a shadowed area below. The contrast from this morning is amazing as we hook into our first double thanks to the new partnership formed by Jointed Shad Rap and Sons and the Salmo Hornet Group. It won’t last however so try not to lock it in your mind for next trip, partnerships never last. I can see me now next trip out digging for the Shad Raps and Hornets. Fish on! Levi gets an astonished look as he gives a Sakakawea Drum the look over. His first.

The goal is two limits and last fish is a definite keeper. The GPS location is without question the Hot Spot of the day but we caught fish both directions from here. While high action was the best lure type it didn’t sync with the usual high speed. 2 mph tops seemed best. Often I will pull these cranks at a solid 3mph. Keep all of this in mind next trip out, but go one better. Try hard not to put boundaries on where the walleyes should be or how far you will go to find them.

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