Americana Outdoors E-Magazine - May 2022

KJELDEN COMPLETES CHAMBERLAIN COMEBACK

For the better part of a decade, Dustin Kjelden was near the summit of the professional walleye world - trading blows and holding his own with the likes of Jason Przekurat, Tom Keenan, and Dean Arnoldussen. In 2009, he called it quits when work and family obligations proved to be too much. Last year, he restarted his professional career on the National Walleye Tour, presented by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s. His return season was solid as he finished 17th in the points race and qualified for the no-entry-fee championship. Today on Lake Francis Case, his home tournament water, he emphatically announced his return with a trip to the winner’s circle. The coronavirus pandemic prompted the 42-year- old Kjelden to revisit his priorities and reconnect with his passion. “Once tournament fishing is in your blood, it’s always there,” said the Brookings, S.D., native. “I’ve been wanting to get back in for a while. The first COVID year, 2020, taught me that life can be crazy, and that life is too short, so I jumped back in the following year.”

Despite impressive accolades that include a pro- am championship victory in 2007, Kjelden wasn’t sure his skills were still up to par. “I had questions if I could jump back in and keep up with these guys. Youth is a huge asset in this sport. Back when I was winning, I had youth on my side. It’s awesome to know I can still compete. Chalk one up for the old guys.” What Kjelden did intimately understand was the seasonal migration of the Missouri River walleyes. Despite a mediocre practice, he knew what areas would start firing as the walleyes finished spawning. In addition, the river’s turbid waters were slowly clearing after a blustery practice period. w “I just knew what areas would be turning on as we got further away from the spawn, and I was confident that the big females would show up.