It may say Trout Bum on his hat, but there's nothing "bum" about Don Polovich's trout-fishing ability when it comes to taking rainbows like this one! The Rapid City angler likes to hit the Missouri River this time of year and thinks it's the best spot for taking truly large rainbows. Photo courtesy of Don Polovich.

It's still early; the warmth has not yet returned to the prairie, and fishermen this time of year are much scarcer than the big trout that swim below the surface in the Missouri River.

The Dakotas reign as a place recognized for walleye fishing. And it is that species the vast majority of anglers come here to pursue. But unknown to most, there is another denizen of this prairie fishing paradise that breaks lines and tears up tackle. Big trout lurk along the shorelines right now in the still water and on the edge of the current in our big river.

For the most part, the trout are huge. The Missouri River is by far the best place in the Dakotas to pick up a trophy-sized trout.

The fishing for giant trout in the Missouri is even better than that found in the Black Hills in western South Dakota, the place most Dakota anglers go for trout. The Missouri has such a good food supply for trout that they grow into very fat and feisty fish, and they do so very quickly.

As a result, a merely "average" trout caught in the Missouri might easily be larger than the biggest fish you take from a Black Hills stream.

That is one of the big reasons why Rapid City, S.D., angler Don Polovich pursues the big ones in the Missouri. One of his favorite spots is below Oahe Dam near Pierre. Right now is the very best time to fish there; the fishing for the really big trout is at its peak in late March and early April. Similar fishing can be found in the two main tailrace areas of the big lakes -- below Oahe in South Dakota and below Sakakawea in North Dakota.

Polovich concentrates his fishing below Oahe Dam. There, anglers will find variable waters, from completely calm and still "lake" water, to the biggest torrent in all the Dakotas.

All of it holds trout, but they move around. The variety of waters makes an interesting fishing experience. It's one that changes from hour to hour on some days as conditions change. The flow from the big turbines at Oahe, for example, quickly alter the fishing patterns down below.

Polovich concentrates on the still waters below the dam during most of his fishing trips.

It was in some of that quieter water near the marina below Oahe Dam that I found him casting on a sunny but cold day in early April several years ago. The breeze fluttered out of the north. The ripples moved across the water surface. And the pet beagle sat by the pickup, expectantly.

Polovich moved slowly along the shoreline. On most trips to the Missouri, he uses a small one-man pontoon boat that is easy to launch and take out. It's slow, but very good for getting into the water quickly. It's one of the most basic vessels for plying these waters.

On this particular day, the quest was even simpler -- fishing the shoreline on foot. He was wearing neoprene waders because you never know when you might have to plunge into the lake if a big one gets on. And sometimes you can move about to get in a better position for casting if you can wade the shoreline. The waders also are warm, protecting the fisherman not only from frigid water, but also from arctic blasts of wind.