That’s a lot of area for five boats compared to 400 in the other pool.” It definitely was working though, because towards the last day I think we only had five boats come up with us.

“That was my goal going up to pool seven, just getting away from the most density of people fishing. “I don’t like fishing around other people, I like having an area to myself,” Martel said. Martel and Dewald moved up to a different pool on the river for that exact reason. “With 400 boats competing plus recreational boats, you are always dealing with people on your spots so you have to find spots that are tucked away,” Ryan Bullinger added. But we found some spots a little bit hidden and off the map, so it wasn’t too bad fishing around other people.” “It was getting crowded with almost 400 boats in the tournament. “We were fishing at the south end of pool eight because we didn’t want to mess with the locks or anything,” Logan Bullinger said.

Throw in hundreds of other boats around you, and that task becomes even taller. Fishing solo on a quiet lake is a tall task, as it is. The tournament didn’t come without challenges. “And (the tournament) kind of gave us a taste of what that would be like.” “I’d say the biggest thing is that everyone from North Dakota who fished that weekend, we all kind of have a dream of basically going pro or fishing at a really high level,” Dewald said.

North Dakota was the only state to place two teams in the top 10 of the World Finals. The Bullinger brothers came home in fifth place with a final weight of 9 pounds, 14 ounces while Martel and Dewald finished ninth with a weight of 9 pounds, 3 ounces. The Bismarck Century duo of Logan and Ryan Bullinger and the Jamestown duo of Alex Martel and Carson Dewald each earned top 10 finishes in the World Finals, which pitted 31 teams against one another in the championship round. FARGO - When people think of destinations for fishing, it’s probably safe to assume North Dakota isn’t near the top of the list for many.Ī quartet of high school anglers from the state beg to differ, recently showing what they’re capable of at the 14th annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship, held last month on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

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