About this tournament

Few tournaments capture the gritty character of eastern Montana fall fishing the way the Yellowstone River Rats do. Held out of Sidney on the lower Yellowstone River in mid-October, the River Rats is a one-day, two-person team event that closes the open-water walleye calendar for many Big Sky walleye anglers. By mid-October the lower Yellowstone has dropped to its bones — current seams sharpen, water clears, and walleye stack in the deeper holes and dam tailouts ahead of winter.

The event is open to walleye and northern pike across the tournament hours, with anglers fishing from jet boats, prop boats, and shore alike. The $100 per team entry keeps the field local and serious — Sidney, Glendive, Williston, and Miles City anglers who fish this river all year. Cash payouts are tight and the leaderboard usually decides on one or two big saugeye or walleye picked off a deeper hole or rock pile.

The River Rats sits in the same Montana Walleyes Unlimited rotation as the Yellowstone River Classic (September) and Glendive Walleye Tournament, giving fall walleye chasers a three-tournament fall sweep on the Yellowstone.

Schedule

• Saturday Oct 17 — Day-of competition on the Yellowstone River out of Sidney; weigh-in at end of day

Entry & Prizes

Entry: $100 per two-person team. Walleye and northern pike both eligible at weigh-in.

What to expect

Mid-October walleye on the lower Yellowstone are concentrated in deeper holes, dam tailouts, and the slow water behind wing dams. Jig-and-minnow combos worked tight to bottom on three-way rigs and slow-rolled minnow-imitating cranks are go-to tactics. Don’t underestimate big pike either — a fall pike at the scale can swing the leaderboard if the event allows them in your division.

Contact