FISHING REPORT FOR LAKES OAHE/SHARPE/CHAMBERLAIN AREA FOR SEPT 9TH 10 11TH 2016

[Hutch]

I mentioned Chamberlain in the report caption so to explain that almost 50% of the boats fishing in the Pierre area right now are guides from the Chamberlain area or boats driving the 200 mile round trip to catch some fish so I will try and help out all of you hiring Chamberlain area guides or staying at Chamberlain motel with a little info about the bite. After all if you are going to drive 180 miles round trip every day you probably would like a little info about the bite. Some of this is tongue in cheek but it is the truth. I wonder what it says about the fishery in Pierre versus the Chamberlain area fishery and fishing pressure. Every fall the minute the 15 inch slot goes back on Sharpe this situation of boats traveling 200 miles a day to catch 15 inch or better fish develops. Maybe next fall if you are planning a trip you might look in to Pierre resorts/motels/guides and save yourself a little driving time. There are a lot of Chamberlain guides that are very good (Gary Allen's Hillside service, Dave Dahl's service etc.) however many of the guides that are working the Pierre area are great also so maybe think about that on your next fall trip. I fished the Davorik repeat customer guys for the OUTPOST LODGE to some real nice walleye. We did not get their full possession limit somewhat due to my inability and aversion to fishing in the middle of a lot of boats. Had a great time with these two but the fall migration up river or out of the weeds walleye have always liked a half dozen or so main areas over the years and when you put 20 to 30 boats around each one of these spots everyone splits up the fish making for limited luck for some and limits for others. I tried to get a way from these spots and fish where no other boats were but for this trip it just didn't work hence one of the first trips on Sharpe that did not produce full limits. I would suggest part of this is due to a limited bite on Oahe keeping most boats on Sharpe. I think as we get colder fall weather and the bite on Oahe gets more consistent fishing the big lake will be a much better choice and even now it probably is if an outing that produces bigger fish and more species (northern, smallmouth white bass) but less numbers and less boat traffic is what you are looking for. Another after thought about the somewhat controversial stuff I mentioned above is maybe the GFPS ought to look at either taking off the slot limits on Sharpe year around spreading out the bite on the lake (West Bend etc. areas have plenty of 14 inchers) or just making a year around 15 inch minimum on the lake making for the saving of the 14 inch population all over the lake instead of producing all the fishing pressure in the areas that produce of the legal fish for the time frame in the summer slot limits are off. I was told at the time that taking off these slots got put in place was because catching the fish in July and Aug produced a high mortality rate (fish deeper) hence no slots but the truth of the matter in my opinion is that would apply to Oahe with the main bait deep but we catch the fish all summer at West Bend and all over Sharpe shallow where ever the shad are and that is mostly 10 fow or less .I am not a biologist so it is there business as to what is best but I think looking at how to spread out harvest areas year around with either using slots or not using them should be based with that in mind. These guys have a tough job keeping these fishery's producing in the face of the ever growing fishing pressure and yes the Pierre area has been discovered by an increasing number of fishermen so I am not knocking them. I am just suggesting studying the effect the slots have on the area they are applied two in regard to the fishing pressure generated by the slots either imposed or not. There is one thing that as a fishing guide I do know. When fishing pressure eliminates the fish population to the point that the average person can't catch fish the fishermen just don't show up making for the final solution to increased fish populations. No harvests mean more fish. Nobody wants that. We all want to catch fish. Lets hope GFP's can come up with some ways to equal out fishing pressure through either improving slot limits that address that or better stocking programs all over to equal out better harvests year around in all the reservoir's/lakes. South Dakota is still the best destination area for both fishing and pheasant hunting in the whole Midwest. It is just that more people are wanting to fish and hunt in SD now. Best temporary solution in my opinion: Put a increased dollar amount on both hunting and fishing licenses to be used only for increased stocking programs state wide to overcome increased pressure on the fishery's and more habitat/birds in the face of declining habitat.

HUTCH'S GUIDE SERVICE

Hutch