FISHING REPORTS LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA JUNE 16TH THRU JULY 2ND 2022

[Hutch]

Lots of big walleye coming in on Lake Oahe. You have to go thru a lot of little 13 inch fish to get them but if you land on the right ones some real nice bags are coming in. I had had some real nice days but I also have had just as many with smaller fish so I would describe the bite as a little hit or miss with both minnow presentations and crawler rigs producing most of the catch's however trolling plugs along with leeches are working. Depths on Oahe range from 15 fow out to 35 fow depending on the area you are fishing but a good starting point would be around 20 fow.  Sharpe is getting a lot easier to bring home limits of eating size fish as starting on the 1st of July until the 1st 0f September the size limit of 15 inches is off so now to 14 inch fish become fair game. I have been fishing Sharpe off and on and the fishing there is very good for getting limits of fish from 15 to 19 inches with some over 20 inch fish every other day or so. I find bouncer spinner crawler rigs in 10 fow to 20 fow to be very good but all the other minnow combinations along with plug fishing are working. One the spinner rigs I favor love blades (chartreuse/orange beads) to be my choice for crawlers and silver blades with blue beads for  minnow rigs. Don't forget that some days just a plain hook rigs works best. Get ready for crowed ramps as I think that over all the years I have been here guiding this year is the most boat traffic I have seen. Fortunately Sharpe is 90 miles long and Oahe is 235 long so Pierre is right in the middle of 335 miles of reservoir water so other than the crowed boat ramps there is plenty of water to fish. I have always recommended hunting down the fish as the fun part of the sport so if you avoid the community fishing and look at the walleye fishing as hunting them usually you will come in with bigger overall catches and if you are like me just a better experience finding spots away from all the boats that are clustered together. All the great walleye fishermen that I know are great at catching the fish but more importantly finding them. It is easier to find a boat than a walleye but not as fun and if you dedicate time to that part of all fishing the reward of knowing you can hunt them down and find them is and was for me worth the time invested. I understand the time factor and the other reasons why group fishing has become so popular now.  I do not think anything is wrong with that method of fishing but just not as rewarding. Actually, it is good for all of us that like to hunt the fish as it leaves huge areas of the lakes that are full of fish and very few boats. Once again I would like to thank all my customers both repeat referral and new for your business. You all make my guiding career just great. Hot out now so water, water, water along with an eye to the sky for storms is the word, Bug repellant and if you are going out in shorts throwing a pair of long pants in the boat can save a lot of slapping biting fly's some days .GF&P's  are conducting  boat checks so have all the required equipment and remember to pull plugs and drain water or you can subject yourself to a more expensive trip.  We are having another great year. Lots of people and lots of fish.

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