July 29 to August 2 Lakes Oahe/Sharpe, Pierre SD Fishing Report

[Hutch]

I guided Bob and Bev Arkseld from Defiance Iowa for the Outpost Lodge and then I took the Tom Craig family from the Vermillion area fishing. I spent the day on Oahe with Bob and Bev catching their limit of walleye's with one to 22 inches that Bev caught and had a real nice time with them .I then took the Craig's down on Sharpe for a day and then on Oahe for a day. The fish we caught on Oahe were mostly in around 30 fow and we caught them with night crawlers on spinners or a plain hook/bottom bouncer rigs. The fish we caught on Sharpe were in around 10 fow and we caught them on spinner/crawler rigs. I was surprised at the size of the fish on Sharpe as the first two fish the Craig boys caught were over 20 inch's and we kept and easy 18 inch avg. limit for the parents. We caught 25 walleye or so by noon on there last day keeping 19 and with 100 degree heat they elected to call it an early day so we in bounded for the ramp and the cleaning station. The bite has got a little harder for nicer slot fish but depending on the area's you fish it can still be excellent even for the big fish and keeping limits of smaller fish is still easy to do most days. With the weather getting toasty some day's you might have it in your plan's to get on the Lake early and come in before the hottest part of the day. Some northern pike and some small mouth bass are still a part of daily catch's of most anglers on Oahe as well as limits of the walleye A lot of night fishing has been going on around the dam area and on the big flats (primarily plug/trollers) but be careful as everything is harder to do at night and it is a lot easer to get a hook stuck in you or get into trouble with other boats that have poor lights Be prepared to be in the middle of a lot of boat traffic at time's .Gary Roach told me on a trip I made with him in NE. in the 70's if I didn't know there were better things to do at night it might be better if we didn't hang out together and I believed him and feel like I can catch plenty of fish in the day time including big ones. I acknowledge the fact that it is the only time some anglers can get on the lake because of work so night fishing has it's place and any one can catch the bigger fish as they are less leery and darkness hides the boat If just targeting bigger fish and maybe cooler temps are your bag go for it. It is easy catching fish but be watchful as all the dangers that are present when you are fishing in the day time are compounded at night. The lake has been dropping so keep your eyes on your depth finders as new hazards are popping up daily. Maybe being a little to preachy but I know of to lower units that got knocked off this last week.

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Hutch