Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for July 7th, 8th. 9th, and 10th 20

[Hutch]

I guided Don Lien and his wife from MN to a day of fishing down at West Bend on Sharpe and then I guided one of my favorite repeat customer groups lead by Doctor Paul Jacobson with Zach Cox, Jeff Gamm, and Joe Moyan and a lot of there sons from Omaha NE. We sent all of these two groups home with their limits of walleye some smallmouth and a few northern pike and catfish as bonus fish. We fished Sharpe two days and Oahe one day concentrating efforts on Oahe for the most part in 20 to 30 fow and Sharpe around 10 to 20 fow. In both lakes we used bottom/bouncer night crawlers, minnows or Berkeley gulp and even pulled flicker shad plugs catching the fish all ways. The in between fish (15 inch to 19 inch fish) seem to be easier to catch on Sharpe but the bigger over 20 inch fish and for sure the little bonus fish under 15 inches are more abundant on Oahe. I have been trying to spend a day on Sharpe and a day on Oahe with my 2 and 3 day trips as this year their are advantages to both lakes in the over all size of the fish with Oahe still the number 1 choice for the bigger fish and better limits (8 and 24 in possession) but Sharpe a better choice for the 15 to 18 inch fish. One of the reasons I decided 30 years ago to guide in the Pierre area was because you do have the ability to fish both of these Lakes easily making for nicer trips fishing both lakes. One tip on both lakes for the bigger over all avg. of catches avoid as much as possible community spots and heavily fished area's. Many of these have had a lot of pressure and many of the nicer fish have been harvested now. I would have never been a walleye guide if I didn't love to hunt walleyes and new walleye spots and I try to spend time daily looking for out of the way area's that hold the fish. Almost at least 70% of the time this approach get's me and my customers the better stringers of the year. For many of us guides that have spent many years on the water the hunt is way more fun than the catching/eating although that is the prize for sure. The walleye anglers that I admire most are those with the ability to hunt walleye down on any lake that holds them as they have spent the time to learn this art. It is this hunt that separates the great fishermen from the avg. angler from my viewpoint and also the most fun. If you take a little time each trip you make to spend the time to hone these kinds of skills it will not only make you a more skilled angler along with catching bigger stringers and I think make you feel hunting walleyes is if not the best part of the sport at least a whole different dimension.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch