Hutch's Guide Service Fishing Reports

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2013 Fishing Reports

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Commission Update - Lake Oahe - October 2013

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Oahe Walleye Limits Lowered

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2013 Fishing Reports

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area final report for the 2013 season

This will be my last report for the 2013 season. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my repeat and new customers for your business this year. Once again we had a great year on Oahe and Sharpe with just about a 100 per cent success ratio on limits for all of my customers. After speaking with GF & Parks rep Geno Adams the head biologists for our area it appears that next year (2014) should be similar on both lakes to this year I agree with that assessment. I will post all of the info that he sent me next for those that are interested. Since most of the interest for fishing info is mostly local now if you need info that I might help you with just send me an e-mail and I will try to help you out. Limits for walleye have been changed back to four fish a day with eight in possession and if you check the GF&Ps post following you can get the latest on this. I will post any new info as it comes in starting in January 2014. I will be at the St. Paul Sports show from Jan 9th to the 12th and then the following week I will have my booth and be presenting seminars at the Council Bluffs Iowa annual Show so if you are attending either of these in January stop by and visit. I will post my Feb 14 schedule after the 1st. One very sad note for this season was the passing of former Spring Creek Marina owner John Brakss earlier this month. He was one of the best representatives of the area and will be missed by all of us that work on the Lake. On a more happy note Merry Christmas and Happy New year to all and lets all look forward to another great year of fishing on Oahe and Sharpe.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fish/hunt report for November 15th thru 30th 2013

I have been hunting more than fishing so I haven't posted reports for a while and for the rest of the year will probably just do a few more. I spent opening weekend hunting some good friends of mine from the Grand Prairie, Texas area. Cary, Pat, Chris and James spent two days shooting birds getting full possession limits and we all had a great time renewing some old friendships along with the bird hunting. I then spent time guiding Wes Coats and his friend Curt from down around Liberty Kansas to some fishing and bird hunting getting limits of birds along with some walleye.The Pheasant hunting around Pierre is off this year on public land due to lower bird numbers and a late crop harvest however hunting on private land is still very good with limits the norm. There are very few Geese in the area and no one is really hunting them. I will report if that changes. Fishing on Sharpe has been much harder due to the large amount of rain/bad weather making Sharpe real muddy east of Pierre.I look for this bite to improve if weather improves and the river cleans up. Oahe is good some days and tougher some days making me call the bite spotty. Walleye /Bass are coming from 20 fow to 35 fow for the most part and minnow/jig or minnows/bouncers the bait of choice. If you can get chubs they are very good. The fish being caught look healthy and size is improving overall.

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Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for October 7th thru the 12th 2013

Weather. That is the big word this week with howling winds and 3 inches of rain early in the week making for muddy waters from the bridges to Joe creek on Sharpe. The fishing in this area has been excellent but with the bad river etc running mud it just turned off making the fishing poor around Pierre on Sharpe. Oahe fishing was effected also especially with the high wind days (20 to 50 mph). I guided the Matt Henderson group for one day at West Bend and one day on Oahe the took the Steve Hauptman group on Oahe for three days. Both groups caught fish with limits of smallmouth bass on Oahe some days and some walleye with a 15 fish (walleye) high being the best stringer. Part of the tougher bite going on is weather related with Sharpe being shut down around Pierre but some of the bite on Oahe is also due to fish that just are slow to bite. A Salmon bite has been going on on Oahe with an avg of two fish a day per boat mostly in 20 fow or less. Pulling plugs for these salmon is also producing some nice northern pike and a few bigger walleye. This spring May had a lot of windy days and it looks like October is going to be that way on many days. This makes the outcome of most fishing trips weather related so check the extended forecast before you head over. I look for the next bite on both lakes to be more on jigs/gulp/minnows but we still caught more of the fish this week on crawlers/bouncers/gulp in depths of 10 to 20 fow however on Oahe casting shallow is a real good option.

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Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for Sept 29th Thru Oct 6th 2013

About the only thing that has changed since my last report is the weather and it has got bad quick with temps dropping to the thirty's at night, big wind and the first snow of the year in the forecast for Saturday. I guided Milo Allen and his friend Rick from MN. for one day on Sharpe catching limits of nice walleye (avg 17 inch) and then spent the next day pitching jigs tipped with gulp for smallmouth bass on Oahe. We caught lots of bass (avg 17 inch) and they kept a limit of these also for them to take home. A couple of nice guys and also good fishermen. I then guided Dorhan and Cindy Mcellen from western NE. for one day of what was supposed to be a 2 day trip on Sharpe in about as bad of conditions as you can get and still be safe. These two were real troopers sticking out cold rain and 30 mph winds for long enough to get some walleye, bass and northern.They grow tough folks out in western NE but not suicidal so we called the trip early as 50 mph winds and snow are in the forecast. A real nice couple and hopefully we will get to fish again in better weather. The fishing remains good for walleye on Sharpe and great for smallmouth on Oahe when the weather cooperates. As the fishing season winds down I will start to do these reports more on a weekly basis unless there is a big change in the bite. Look for jigs/minnows/ gulp to be the bait of choice as water temps drop.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for Sept 23 to Sept 28th 2013

The fishing now has a lot to do with current and weather on Sharpe and also weather on Oahe. If the wind is blowing hard and the current isn't right on Sharpe the bite can be much harder. That being said when we have those really nice fall days fishing both places is very good There is still a lot of boat traffic on Sharpe and much lees on Oahe. Oahe smallmouth fishing along with smaller walleye and some good fish in the mix is excellent on these days as well as 16 to 17 inch avg size walleye on Sharpe. Depths on Oahe seem to be around 15 fow to 20 fow for the bass and the same for walleye most days. Sharpe fish are being taken in around 10 fow. I Guided Keith and David Johnson from Iowa to one day of walleye fishing on Sharpe and one day of bass fishing on Oahe. It turned out that the highlight of their trip was great 17 inch avg. size limits of smallmouth on Oahe. I then took out the Ryan Hellrigel group from Ne to nice limits of walleye on Sharpe and a good bunch of smallmouth and some walleye on Oahe in some big wind. Had a great time with all of these guys and they all took home some nice eating. If you like smallmouth bass fishing it is very good now on the big lake with these fish coming out of the shallows and feeding in 15 to 20 fow making them easier to catch. I am still using crawlers/Gulp on btm bouncers however minnows and plug fishing work. Cooler nights will make the minnow/jig bite the best soon.

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Hutch

Lakes Oahe/ Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for Sept 16th thru Sept 22nd 2013

I guided Harvey and Marilyn Ganow from Jefferson Iowa then took Doctors Scott Rose and DR Owens and their wives from the Omaha NE area and on Sunday I took Jeb and Mary Piles one of my favorite repeat customers from Malcom NE. The bite on the river (Lake Sharpe) was very good when the conditions were right but several of these days involved big winds in the 20 to 30 mph range and current that was very strong making for a couple of days that we had to work real hard to come up with the fish. When conditions were right we put limits in the boat by one or so. On the river we were using either spinner/bouncer/crawler or bouncer/plain hook gulp or crawlers in around 10 fow east of Pierre. There are still a lot of boats using the main bite area's and for the most part every one is catching some fish. Small mouth fishing is very good on Oahe and walleye fishing is improving daily as cooler nights are putting more fish in around 15 fow to 25 fow making finding them easier. The same bait's are working on Oahe and fishing pressure much less so I plan on spending more guiding time back on the big lake if the weather permits. I had a great time with all of these folks and hope to guide them again next year. As we get more into fall I look for the bite to be even better especially on Oahe but as usual weather will start to enter the picture more often.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for Sept 12 thru the 15th 2013

I posted the information that GF&P's sent me in a earlier report and then in my next report I will comment on how I see things. I accidentally missed this meeting and so I will stop by GF&PS soon to get any more updated info they have. I helped Scott Van Lear along with the radio man guide a bunch of real nice guys from the Sioux City Iowa area to limits of walleye on Sharpe. The first day the bite was a little harder as in the afternoon the corps ran a lot of current and the bite was off. We caught all the fish on bouncer crawler rigs or bouncer/plain hook rigs in around 4 fow to 10 fow fishing East of Pierre. Once again boat traffic was high with boats strung out just about every were so if you are looking to fish more by yourself Oahe is a better choice. The bite there is decent. If you are new to fishing on Sharpe watch your step. I observed three boats hung up on sand bars and one boat stuck on a rock pile right out of the marina. I also saw a boat run right thru and island into a stump field so if you haven't fished here before you would be will advised to study some good maps or get some local info before you lean on the throttle as you can get into some serious trouble in a quick hurry going downriver on Sharpe from Pierre. Local fishermen zip around but they know the way so remember to be careful if you haven't been on the lake since the flood. I have bumped a few myself and I have been around for a while. Some mornings have been foggy making for some tricky navigation.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for Sept. 8th thru the 11th 2013

We have had some real nice weather and the fishing is going strong on Sharpe around Pierre. Lake Oahe also is putting out lots of fish however the size of the walleye and the depths that you catch them in are different. Lots of smaller walleye on Oahe with a few bigger fish in most bags but you do get a little more variety on Oahe with catfish biting everywhere and smallmouth bass doing well. Occasional northern pike are coming in from the big lake also. There is also a huge difference in usage. We fished one day on Oahe and saw two other boats all day but when we fished Sharpe boat traffic is everywhere with even Chamberlain fishermen/Guides driving almost 180 miles round trip to catch limits of over 15 inch fish. Sharpe is still putting out nice stringers around Pierre and it is not uncommon to come in with 17 to 18 inch avg size walleye limits if you are selective. I finished guiding another of my favorite bunch of repeat customers the Jim Beck group. Jim Ron and Robert from Omaha NE to possession limits of real nice walleye on Sharpe and then guided the Gary Holeka group from Brainerd, NE for two days on Sharpe and one day on Oahe. On Oahe we ended up keeping 20 walleye to 19 inches some catfish and some smallmouth catching these fish down as deep as 60 fow with some in 20 fow on crawler bouncer rigs and on Sharpe we caught limits in around 10 fow on both gulp/bouncers and spinner crawler rigs. They had fun both places but they picked going back to Sharpe on the third day due to the avg size of the walleye on Sharpe. If you are looking to fish more by yourself Oahe is a better choice but if boat traffic doesn't bother you overall size would favor Sharpe.

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Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre Area fishing report for Sept. 4th to the 7th 2013

I spent an afternoon on Oahe with some fellows from the wheat growers group and then spent two days on Sharpe guiding first Pete Derksen and his boys from Blackhawk SD and then repeat customers the Jim Beck group from around Omaha NE and had a real good time with all of these guys. The fishing on Oahe is still a lot of smaller walleye with a few big ones once in a while. We did stay in 20 to 30 fow on Oahe catching some little fish so maybe more of the walleye are starting to come up out of the deep. On Sharpe I fished east of Pierre and tried to stay a head of the main batch of boats however especially on the weekend boats are scattered all over. Fishing is good on Sharpe and although the 15 inch minimum size limit is back on we had no trouble getting limits for both groups. In fact with throwing some fish under 16 inches back we managed to keep a 17 inch average size walleye stringer both days. We fished in 8 fow to 12 fow both days using spinners/crawlers or gulp on plain hooks with bottom bouncers. Both days we were limited out around noon and fished for fun until the heat set in. It is very good to get your limits in the boat as early as possible as if they run too much or no current the bite gets tougher and hot weather has been around again. It makes getting off the lake before the afternoon high temps set in a good choice. Lots of water/fly bug repellant and sunscreen should be in your boat.

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Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for Sept 2nd and 3rd 2013

I guided another of my repeat customers the Gordy Sorensen group from around Cairo NE. for a a great one day of fishing down on Sharpe. A real nice bunch and we had 18 fish in the boat by noon and decided to take a lunch break needing 2 more fish for my limit. That turned out to be a mistake as after lunch the bite just died and we only managed one more fish in the next two hours. I have noticed on Sharpe that is a very common occurrence as many times in the afternoon the current just isn't right for both the bait and the fish and they get real tough to catch. We used spinner/crawler or gulp rigs in around 10 fow to catch these fish but both minnows and plugs work. The plug fishing is harder some days due to floating grass etc. There was a large amount of fishermen on both Oahe and Sharpe this weekend affirming the fact that Labor Day weekends are a real busy time. The bite on Oahe may be getting a little better as some of the fish are showing up in 20 to 30 fow and the size seems to be getting a little better so spending some time back on the big lake can be more of an option for those that know the lake. On Oahe minnows seem to come into play more but all the other ways work. One nice thing about Oahe is because of the bigger water you do not notice the large amount of boat traffic nearly as much as on Sharpe. Sharpe seems to concentrate boats in parking lot numbers in some of the community spots and speaking for myself I do not enjoy that kind of fishing as much. The good part is even then most people catch some fish but I find getting away from these community spot area's to be better whenever possible. There are fish all up and down the river and hunting them is to many of us just as much fun as the catching and eating. Well maybe not the eating. The bite on both lakes is good for those that know their way around but Sharpe can be tougher when the Corps runs too much current(makes dirtier water, floating grass and makes fish hunker down) or if they aren't running any so here the fishing is real current related at least in the first 20 miles below the dam.

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Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for August 29th thru Sept. 1st 2013

I fished repeat customers Steve Sederlin with his two friends Doug and Gary from the Courtland/Belleville KS area to three real nice days of both weather and fishing. Another of my favorite bunch of guys and they went home with possession limits of walleye averaging around 17 to 18 inches with a fish or two over twenty. We stayed mostly on Sharpe and fished both gulp and crawlers on bottom/bouncers running along the weed lines in 6 to 10 fow. We fished Oahe for a while one day so they could take home a few bonus fish but here again the average size of the fish is smaller. We fished most of the time East of Pierre and tried to stay away from the main bunches of boats but on weekends you have to travel down river a pretty good piece to outrun the main batches of boats gathered in the community spots. As with all Labor day weekends it is very busy. We found that by just traveling down river along the weeds we would run into little pockets of fish ever quarter mile or so and managed to catch around 30 to 40 fish a day being selective and keeping only fish over 16 inches giving us the nice overall avg size. Where we fished the only other boats around were guide boats that know that all the fish aren't in a few spots. I have nothing against the group type fishing as I think it is good that everyone catches some fish and even think that these concentrations of boats leave the rest of the lake mostly unfished however if this isn't your style of fishing you certainly can catch a lot more fish by spending a little time hunting fish as they are all the way down to the Cedar Creek area on Sharpe Pulling plugs also works but on Sharpe there is a lot of floating grass so it almost becomes too much work sometimes. A word of caution. If the Corps run too much water it can get things downriver real dirty as it stirs up silt on the bttm. This can make the fishing tough so if you see this happing it is better to go toward the dam and blue water. Oahe is still putting out plenty of fish but once again coming in with a real quality stringer is harder to do as the fish are anywhere from 5 fow down to 70 fow or more. For this reason I have spent more time guiding on Lake Sharpe this August than I have in years past. Lots of water and some good fly/bug spray along with sunscreen are no forget items.

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Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe fishing report Pierre area for Aug 24th thru the 29th 2013

I helped Dave Spaid guide his Capitol motors group to limits of walleye on Sharpe and then He and Ne John, Scott Van Lyre and Brad Garret helped me guide repeat customers the Agro Grow/Lonnie Wann group. We fished both Sharpe and Oahe with these groups catching limits every day on both Oahe and on Sharpe. We all fished either gulp/crawlers/bouncers on both lake's catching the fish on Oahe in depths from 20 fow to 70 fow and on Sharpe around 10 fow.The overall avg size walleye still is better on Sharpe but the eight fish a day limit and the less boat traffic makes up some for the smaller fish on Oahe. We all had a great time and It is a real nice way for these company's to repay their employee's for jobs well done. I look forward to both of these groups every year. The weather remains hot and the flys are still around but the bite still is decent on both lakes for those anglers that know the lakes. I will post the GFP's meeting info as soon as they send it to me.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for 19th thru 23rd Aug 2013

I helped along with around 20 other guides take the CVA group of repeat customers for the Outpost Lodge out fishing on their annual fishing trip. A great bunch of guys from all over Ne. In general most of the guide boats fishing on the river (Sharpe) came in with limits of walleye. Those boats fishing the big lake (Oahe) caught fish with some over 20 inch fish but for the most part it still seems like the river is the best choice to me because of the overall avg. size fish. The fish on Sharpe were caught in depths around 6 to 10 fow on bouncers with either minnows gulp crawlers or pulling plugs. Oahe fish were coming in from depth of 20 fow to way down to 80 fow making for a tougher bite. The same baits are working here. We are in for what sounds like a run of hot weather so if you are coming over bring plenty of water etc. and a good fly repellant is still good to have in your boat.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for August 15th thru the 17th 2013

Fishing on Oahe remains slow with those fish that are being caught scattered in Depths from as little as 3 fow to way down to 75 fow. There are very few quality stringers being put together but limits of smaller walleye with an occasional over are still coming in. Sharpe remains good some days but can be tough if the Corps runs the wrong current and the water muddy's up. I guided Darrel Adams and his friend Kenny from Harvard NE to Limits on Sharpe and limits on Oahe with the Sharpe fish we kept in the 17 to 18 inch avg. size range but the Oahe limits were almost all small walleye. We caught the walleye on Sharpe using Gulp and crawlers on bouncers in around 10 fow and the fish on Oahe mostly in less than 10 fow using the same. When conditions are right Sharpe is your best bet as the fish being caught are real nice walleye and it is not uncommon to have at least a 17 inch avg. size bag if you are selective and throw a few fish back under that range. It is harder to do also if you spend a lot of time fishing in the community spots as some of these area's have been fished very hard and have fewer of the 18 inch fish present. The limits we caught on both Oahe and Sharpe were for the most part in area's that had either no other boats present or just a few other guide boats hence the nicer size on Sharpe. Some of the guide boats are using minnows also and some plug pulling is being done and these methods are putting fish in the boat also.

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Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for Aug11th and 12th 2013

I guided repeat customers Dale Hanna and his wife Sandy for two days of fishing on Lake Sharpe. Just a great couple and I always look forward to fishing with them. We put limits of nice walleye along with a nice trout in the boat both days throwing good numbers of fish back. We kept a 17 to 18 inch avg. size walleye both days and spent almost the entire time fishing by ourselves except when we took a quick run through a community spot or two just to see what size fish were around. We fished in around 6 fow to 10 fow using both Berkeley gulp on bouncers and crawlers on bouncers. I think the gulp was the most productive but the crawlers worked too. Lake Oahe continues to put out fish but the overall avg. size fish coming in favor's Sharpe most days. A real unusual year for me guiding as in a normal year I spend most of the time on Oahe in the summer month's. Because of the numbers of smaller fish in the big lake I have found myself down on Sharpe more often. This isn't all bad as the size of the walleye is very good this year on the smaller of the two reservoirs. The fishing is very good again on Sharpe as the water got a lot cleaner after the storms passed through. As long as the corps runs the right amount of water limits are the norm. Community spots are all putting out fish but if that isn't your style of fishing the fish are coming out of the weed lines up river and you can catch real good numbers along just about any weed line that has current close by if bait is present. There is a good bug hatch going on but in some area's it actually gets the fish feeding more.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe fishing report for the Pierre area August 7th to August 10th 2013

The bite is a little tougher some days especially if you do not land on the right fish. Oahe continues to put out a lot of the smaller walleye but catching a quality stringer is not easy. I think on Oahe it is because the walleye seem to be divided into two types. Some are feeding on the deeper smelt etc. way down deep (40 to 80 fow) and some seem to be chasing bait in as little as four to six fow. This splits the schools and makes fishing for them much tougher. Sharpe continues to put out nice fish if the current, weather, and cleaner water are good. Some days when the water is very dirty and the current the corps is running is either to much or not enough fishing even here can be spotty. I guided Tom Gilbert and friend with limited success fishing one day on Sharpe and one day on Oahe. We did not get limits on Sharpe but did get their limits of walleye along with some northern pike, white bass smallmouth and catfish on Oahe. The walleye we caught on Sharpe we got pulling flicker shad plugs in around 10 fow and on Oahe we caught fish that way along with bottom bouncer/ crawler/gulp in 4 fow to 65 fow so no help here if you are looking for a depth to start at. Leech's crawler. minnows trolling plugs and even pitching jigs are working when you find the fish. I just got a notice that GF & Parks are going to have a meeting to discuss all of the statistics from their summer surveys on the 29th of this month so I will post that information after the meeting. It is going to be interesting to see a lot of these fact's and can be helpful to all of the fishermen spending time on Oahe.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for July 30th to Aug 6th 2013

I would describe the current bite on both Oahe and Sharpe as Spotty to tough however if you get on fish either place limits can be caught. I guided one of my favorite repeat customer Alan and Ellen Buckley from down Omaha way to a couple days of real tough fishing. We had as good a time as you can have when the bite is off and you are not coming in with limits. They are just a great couple and I felt real bad not getting their limits but we worked hard, fished from 5 fow to 60 fow and caught some fish but not enough. I then guided Les Johnson and his nephew from Germany to 2 days of limits on Sharpe catching their fish in around 4 fow to 10 fow with crawler/bouncer rigs and also flicker shad plugs in around 10 fow. I then took the Shields family of both Rapid City and a home on Sharpe for one day of fishing on Sharpe and we put 20 fish in the boat pulling flicker shad plugs in around 10 fow. All the fish we caught on Sharpe were nice with around an 17 inch avg. size. Just about as nice a family as I run across and I hope to take them fishing again. I went right back to the same area on Sharpe the next day with another nice couple the Cox's from Ne. and got a real surprise. We had a tough day not getting limits in a lot of wind, muddy water etc from storms moving through the area. Remember that current is a real factor on Sharpe also and when the Corps is not running any or if they are running too much it can be challenging. The next day we tried Oahe in wind and again had some walleye along with a couple of big northern but real hard fishing. We tried from 10 fow to 75 fow and got a few in all these depth's throwing back some small walleye but we did not come in with limits. That is why I am describing the bite as Spotty. We have had a lot of rain/lightning/storms coming through so that along with rising water on Oahe and dropping water on Sharpe might be some of the reason for a decline in the fishing on some day's. If you do pull plugs down on Sharpe try putting a splint shot above your plugs to catch some of the floating grass that some area's have. There are many area's down river like the west bend area that have a lot less of this. Sometimes it is just better to stay with gulp or live bait in some places as grass fowl's the plugs too much.

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Hutch

Lake's Oahe/Sharpe fishing report for the Pierre Area July 26th to the 30th July 2013

Well the weather turned cooler with 70 degree days and 2 nights of all time low temps and the fishing got a lot cooler right a long with the weather. I guided Cory Schmidt and his son to 2 days of fishing spending one day on Oahe and one day on Sharpe. We got limits on Sharpe but for the first time this year we didn't bring limits in on Oahe. The bite both places has got harder with many of the fish on Oahe going deep. We caught the fish on Oahe in around 40 fow. I am not sure if this is due to the weather or rising water levels (the lake has been coming up) but the fish have been harder to come by. Just a couple of great guys that got unlucky and hit a bad bite for one day but had a real nice day on Sharpe. On the 25th I fished the John Niedifeldt family to limits of real nice walleye. Just a great Nebraska bunch and the kids had a ball and so did I. They were on their way to the Black Hills and got a good start to a nice vacation. I then guided the John Dryer group from Rapid City for two days to limits of nice walleye each day on Sharpe. With both groups we caught the fish on Sharpe in around 10 fow on either plugs(flicker shads) gulp or night crawlers. We had around a 17 to 18 inch avg. and for the most part managed to stay away from the bunches of boats congregated around the main community spots. With the Dryer group we had to work hard to come up with their 16 fish limits each day as the bite even on Sharpe got tougher. Some of this was caused by muddy water and some by not the right amount of current the corps was running. I also think fishing pressure has reduced numbers around Pierre. Fortunately as the fall comes more numbers of fish start to arrive from down lake so expect fishing to improve as these fish arrive in the area and the other factors stabilize. I am hoping after this unusual weather (record low temps) moves out of the area we will start to see a normal August bite. The fly's are still all over so good fly repellent in your boat is a real plus.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for July 21th to the 24th 2013

I guided the Andrew Corsentino group from around the Walsenburg Co area for 1 day on Oahe 1 day at West Bend and 1 day in the river in Pierre getting them limits of walleye at all three place's. A super bunch of guys that I hope to take fishing again. Day one we fished Oahe keeping 32 walleye and a couple of smallmouth and throwing back probably that many more. The numbers were there but we had mostly smaller walleye so we spent the next day at West Bend on Sharpe keeping an avg. size 17 inch walleye limit. We decided to spend the next day fishing Sharpe out of Pierre and put together another 16 fish limit for them with even a little better avg size catching maybe a half dozen fish in the 18 to 19 inch range in the 16 fish bunch. We caught all the fish on both Oahe and Sharpe using either bottom/bouncer crawlers or gulp. We fished Oahe mostly around 17 to 25 fow and at the Bend around 20 to 25 fow. In Pierre on Sharpe we stayed in 5 to 10 fow. The bite is excellent in all three places however getting the 15 to 19 inch fish seems easier at the bend or on the river in Pierre. That being said there is still a better chance to get the 20 inch plus fish on Oahe and probably more numbers of smaller fish so it is kind of take your pick as to what avg size walleye you want to end up taking home. The nice thing about fishing the Pierre area is that you have the choice to fish either fishery and that is why I guide here. The bite is very good all up and down Oahe and Sharpe and most ways of fishing are working from plug pulling, jig fishing and bouncer /lindy rig fishing. You can catch the fish on Leeches/minnows/crawlers or gulp type products. Fly spray (I use Horse stable spray) is a real good thing to put in your boat along with sunscreen and a lot of cold water. It did cool down some this week.

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Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for July 15th thru July 18th 2012

A heat wave is the news with temps in the 90's and a few 100's. Actually when you are the water those temps are not as noticeable as long as you have a breeze. The cooler water acts some as an air conditioner. When you hit the bank and until you get into air conditioned rooms is when you will feel the heat. I finished guiding Mat Lyne and his wife Nancy from Broken Bow NE. to limits of fish on Sharpe and some good fish and some little fish on Oahe. I then fished Larry Russell and wife to limits of fish at the bend. We caught the fish at West Bend in around 20 fow on bouncer /crawler/gulp rigs and on Oahe we caught the fish both pulling plugs and pulling spinners along the tree's on the big flat's. We used Crawler rigs and for the plug pulling flicker shads all in around 25 fow. I then took Alex, Gus and Uly Freitag from Des Plaines Illinois along with grandmother Francie for one day on Oahe (3 hours) and one day on Sharpe (4 hours) and they hit some real nice fish with Gus catching a 26 inch walleye and brother Uly a nice 24 incher. They also caught a northern and a few catfish. Their mother Alex caught some real nice fish but the two boys hit the big one's a couple of lunkers for a couple of great little boys. We then fished West Bend on Sharpe to limits of nice walleye averaging around 17 inches. We caught the big fish on Oahe in around 20 fow on nightcrawler/bouncers's and did the same at the bend. It is staying about the same story on Oahe with a lot of little fish coming in and every other day or so some real nice stringers. Sharpe remains very good for the 15 to 18 inch size fish an a few over 20 inchers in some bags. Smallmouth and Northern pike continue to be bonus fish. If you are fishing bring plenty of water/beverages as staying hydrated can keep problems away with these hot days probably staying around for a while. Fly Spray is a necessity. Just about all ways of catching fish will work right now so if you like a certain style of fishing give it a try.

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Lake's Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for July 11th thru July 14th 2013

I fished a great bunch of guys the Pat Jedrzejczr group from North Platte Ne. for two days on Oahe and one day on Sharpe and then started my next trip down at the bend fishing Matt and Nancy Lyne from Broken Bow Ne. on Oahe we had one very good day catching all of the over fish and limits of under fish but had trouble getting bigger fish on day two. We caught real nice 15 to 19 inch fish on both of the trips down to West Bend. At the bend we put most of the fish in the boat fishing in around 20 fow with night crawler/bouncer or gulp rigs however with the Lyne's we pulled some flicker shad plugs in 10 fow for the bigger fish. The days we fished Oahe we stayed in around 14 to 30 fow fishing with bouncer crawler or bouncer gulp rigs. I would still describe the bite both place as very good for numbers of the walleye but especially on Oahe some days you can have trouble getting to the bigger walleye. Leech's and minnows both work along with plug trolling so take your pick if you have a favorite presentation. From the Dam all the way to Mobridge and from Pierre all the way to the bend the walleye are biting.

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Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for July 7th, 8th. 9th, and 10th 2013

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.

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Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre Area fishing report for July 4th 5th and 6th 2013

Well if you were here over the 4th of July you probably know you were not the only angler around. It was as busy a 4th of July week end as I can recall and I think for the most part every one had a good time with the weather just great and the fishing exceptional at least for numbers of walleye on both Sharpe and Oahe. I fished just about as nice a family and friend the Jeff Jarrell group to an easy 17 inch avg. size limit of walleye down at West Bend on Sharpe and everyone had a great time. They had expressed a desire to be back in Pierre for the rodeo and fire works so we put the last limit fish in the box around 1:00 o'clock and headed back. A great way to spend the 4th getting rodeo's, fireworks and fishing all in. A super bunch. I then guided (along with NE John, Scott Van Lyre and Larry Porter helping) the Cory Jacobs group of 13 brother's kids and relatives for one day on Oahe and one day down at the bend. Another great bunch that all of us guides enjoyed taking fishing. We fished on Sharpe in different depth's getting fish from 10 fow to 23 fow along break lines and flat's. We used both night crawlers/minnows on bottom bouncer's and gulp. On Oahe we used the same presentation catching their 88 fish limits in around a 20 fow average. We did have a good number of over fish mixed in with the smaller bonus fish so both lakes were good to this group and the weather was just as nice as you can get. I have said all along when you take the weather factor into account along with the fishing July is maybe our best month especially for family's. The over all picture on Oahe is still lot's of numbers but tougher to get bigger fish in your bag. Once again as a guide I do not target the big fish but go after the number's and taking the big fish that come up from the deeper water and beat the little fish to the bait. I think many of the bigger walleye are chasing suspended hatch's of bait in anywhere from the surface down to 30 fow over 60 to 80 fow making targeting them much harder for any big numbers right now. Anglers wanting maybe 5 big fish a day might try pulling plugs in these water depths. Probably not numbers this way but quality fish if you can run across them. I would like to thank the Cory Jacobs family and all the family's that I guide that bring their kid's along showing them the fishing sport. It is these kids that will continue to provide a future for fishing and maybe someday they will take their own kids fishing keeping the sport alive. Remember fly repellent and sun screen as summer is here. The bait of choice for me is either night crawlers or Berkeley gulp pumpkinseed fry's on bottom bouncer's but almost any way you like to catch a walleye works right now.

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Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre Area fishing report for July 1st 2nd and 3rd 2013

It is getting challenging to come up with bigger over 15 inch fish and up as the summer progress's on Oahe. Many days you catch 75 fish but most of them are under 15. As a guide I am always looking for numbers of fish and normally do not target just big fish so most of my catches reflect that. Many day's we are coming in with some nice stringers fishing this way but there are also a lot of days we have a whole bunch of eaters. I guided repeat customers Max Nordeen Tom Nordeen and his son from NE and Wyoming for three days all on Oahe and we caught a lot of fish with them taking home around 80 walleye, bass and a big Northern. We threw in a lot of the smaller walleye in after lunch each day to get them to their possession limits. I have guided this family for many years to some great catches and sure would have liked to see them catch a few more big ones but we all had a great time and I look forward to the next trip with them. We fished from 5 fow to 45 fow looking for the bigger fish and seemed to catch under 15 inch fish everywhere. We used crawlers and Berkeley gulp worms and minnows on bottom bouncers and we also pulled spinners on bouncers. The best numbers depth was probably around 17 to 20 fow. Lake Sharpe continues to put out numbers of fish mostly on the breaks in around 20 fow and crawlers/gulp are doing the best. The over 15 inch regulation is now off for the next 2 month's on Sharpe so if you want you can keep some of those just under 15 inchers now. Fishing on both lakes is excellent for numbers but getting big fish is harder.

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Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for June 28th 29th and 30th 2013

I took another one of my repeat customers Tom Wheeler and his son fishing spending the first day down on Sharpe and then spent the next two days on Oahe. The fishing at West Bend/Sharpe was an easy 75 fish day and we kept 12 nice walleye with around a 17 inch avg. size. We caught these fish in around 17 fow on Night crawlers and Berkeley gulp pumpkin seed fry's on bottom/Bouncers. I actually favor the Gulp as you catch just as many fish but the fish seem to be easier to release as more of them are lip hooked and do not swallow the bait as much as they do on night crawlers so you have to cut a lot less hooks to release the ones you do not want to keep. The same is true when fishing with plugs or minnows. We then caught limits of walleye and a few bass in around 17 fow on Oahe using the same presentation. We did catch some fish on leech's. They had just two over fish and a lot of the bonus fish but were able to take home their full 48 walleye possession limits so they will be enjoying some real nice fish dinners back home in Omaha NE. The bite is excellent for numbers on both Oahe and Sharpe but you have to catch and release a lot of fish to end up with quality stringers. All in all most anglers seem to be having fun as it is not uncommon to catch 25 to 50 fish a day making up some for the numbers of the smaller year class fish that are jumping on the bait all up and down Oahe. The lake is busy so be prepared to see a lot of trailers at boat ramps and at fish cleaning stations. Self contained electric knife's or regular filet knife's are time savers at cleaning station's (no waiting for a plug in) and a good fly repellant is a plus in your boat especially if you like wearing Bermuda shorts.

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Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for June 24th thru June 27th 2013

Not much has changed since my last report. Fishing all up and down the river is excellent especially for numbers but on Oahe some days you can struggle with size as the lake is full of 13 to 14 inch year class walleye. Sharpe is excellent for over 15 inch fish and real good numbers of big smallmouth bass. I guided repeat customer's Jim and Mary Rey for one day on Oahe and one day on Sharpe with the highlight of the trip a 22 lb. northern pike Jim caught. We also got limits of fish for them to take home on Sharpe. Had a great time with them as usual. I then helped guide the BPI group of 93 guys out of the outpost taking limits if 32 fish daily on Oahe plus some northern and smallmouth as bonus fish. We caught most of these fish in around 20 fow on bouncer/nightcrawler or Berkeley gulp pumpkinseed fry's. Once again I will pass on a couple of tips if you are coming over. A self contained NiCad battery powered electric knife or a butcher filet knife are good investments as fish cleaning stations can be busy and electric plug in's are limited so a wait in line can be avoided if you have one of the above. Also fly's are out so some good fly spray in your boat helps. I use Bronco horse stable spray.

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Lake's Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for June 19th thru June 23rd, 2013

 

Fishing on both Oahe and Lake Sharpe is excellent with almost all anglers getting limits of walleye with both bass and northern pike as either limits or bonus fish. The size of the walleye being caught on Oahe can be on the small side in many area's and some days many anglers are coming in with more of the under 15 inch fish due to the numbers of these year class fish in the lake. The extra bonus fish have made the lake the busiest I have ever seen in my 30 year's on the lake. Boat ramps and fish cleaning places are very busy. One tip. A self contained 12 volt fish cleaning knife like Berkley's NiCad battery knife is a time saving investment as most cleaning places are limited on power outlets so waiting in line for a plug in can be time consuming. I guided the Bird group out of the Outpost lodge to limits of small walleye and some big ones on Oahe and then limits of walleye and bass on Lake Sharpe. They had one bass around 18 1/2 inch's for there big fish. I then took the Jay Wright group out of Nebraska for two days on Sharpe and one day on Oahe. A great bunch of guys that have made many trips over the years with me. Once again they got a real big smallmouth bass at 19 3/4 inch's getting a proud angler award from the state. This is a very good year for big smallmouth on Sharpe and a nice avg. size walleye. Oahe remains challenging for numbers of over 15 inch fish however the 8 fish limits seem to keep most angler happy as catching a lot of fish is very common and most groups are getting some big fish also. The bite is on just about on anything you favor fishing with. My preference is bottom/bouncer crawler or Gulp pumpkinseed fry but leeches and minnows and pulling plugs are all producing fish. The bite for the most part is shallow but some bigger fish are coming deep in 30 to 45 fow. Not numbers here but better quality fish when caught.

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Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre Area fishing report for June 14th thru June 18th 2013

I guided one of my favorite bunch of guys the Rezac brothers and sons for a two day outing with guides Brad Garrett, Dave Spaid and Jim Randash helping me. We spent both days on Oahe getting over 100 walleye, small mouth etc. to take home. A great deal of these fish were smaller but they did have many over fish and once again had a great time. This is a trip all of us look forward to every year. We caught most of these fish using either night crawlers/minnows on bottom/bouncer rigs or gulp pumpkinseed worms on bouncer's fished in 20 fow or less. I then spent three days with the Brian Schmitz family Brian wife Gina and sons Deren and Gunner. Just a great farm family from around Avoca, Iowa. The first day I took them down on Sharpe were we got limits of 17 inch avg. size walleye but boy did these two boys hit home runs on the small mouth bass catching a small mouth that touched 20 inches and one that was 18 1/2 inches getting them both proud angler awards from the state. In SD the 20 incher is the biggest small mouth I have had anyone put in my boat. We caught all of these fish on Sharpe in 10 fow or less on Berkeley Gulp fry worms or night crawler's. We then spent the next two days on Oahe getting them full limits of nice walleye to 24 inches (64) many bass and some northern. Both days we were limited out on walleye by two o'clock and the boys wanted to catch some catfish so we ran to the back of the creek we were fishing in and caught some nice ones to about 5 lb's plus a couple of northern's with one around 14lbs. The bite on both lakes is in full swing with just about everyone catching plenty of fish. It is the busiest that I have ever seen the lake. Be prepared for waits at fish cleaning stations as angler's are taking more time to clean the larger limits of 8 per license. Also be ready to fish around other boats as the better more well known walleye spots will have boats on them. A tip. Try and find spots that you can fish by yourself if you want to catch bigger fish. Another tip great walleye fishermen spend time learning how to find new spots and are good at finding fish. Walleye can be hard to find but that is the part (hunting them) of the sport that to most great anglers is fun part. It is not hard to find a boat that is netting fish on the lake and go fishing there but from my viewpoint you will be missing the best of the sport, the hunt. Leeches, Minnows, crawlers and plugs are all catching fish so if you have a favorite presentation it should work. The fly's/bugs are starting to show up so some good horse stable spray kept in your boat is a good idea now.

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Lake Oahe/Lake Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for June 12th and 13th

I took Larry Jannsen from Nebraska and his two son in laws out fishing for two days spending 1 day on Oahe and one day on Sharpe. We put limits of fish in the boat both days with 24 fish on Oahe and 16 fish down at the bend on Sharpe. They had a real nice avg size of both bass and walleye the second day catching two proud angler bass and several over 20 inch fish but the general size on Oahe was small. We fished both lakes in 12 fow or less using crawler/bouncer rigs. Lake Oahe has a lot of boats out and due to the increased limits of 8 each be prepared to wait at fish cleaning stations as anglers are taking more time because they have more fish to clean. June has become a very busy month so in all likelihood you will have to spend a little time to find places to fish by yourself but it can be done. A GF&P's report says that 74% of the walleye in Oahe are the under 15 inch year class so it is no problem to get a bunch of eaters. Minnows still work as well as leech's but my preference is crawlers or gulp worms. Pulling plugs is going too.

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Lake's Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for June 10th and 11th 2013

I along with guide Brad Garrett guided repeat customer's Dana, Lori, Vandyke and son Logan and Dave Walters, Diane and daughter Megan from Kearney/Lincoln Ne. to possession limits of walleye some bass, catfish and some Northern Pike. We fished both days on Lake Oahe with one day of real nice weather and one day of 30 mph wind. Day one we put 48 walleye in the boat by around one o'clock so we decided to run to the back of the creek and catch some catfish. We got 12 in the boat in less than an hour so we in bounded to the ramp to take pictures and clean fish. Day two the wind blew but we put all their limits in the boat with over 20 inch fish both days all their over 15 inch fish and all of their under 15 inch bonus fish plus some more bass/northern. We caught most of the walleye in around 10 fow to 20 fow and caught the catfish in 3 fow. We caught these fish on both crawlers and minnows on bottom/bouncer rigs. You might think the catfish catch is amusing but I can tell you they are very good eating on our lake (channel cat) great fun to catch and with no limit on Oahe you can take home some real weight if you want. I have always used this as a way to beat the big winds we sometimes get and usually you catch some big northern pike as bonus fish. Just get as far back in any creek that has running water and put out a slip bobber rig or just about any rig with some dead smelt or crawlers/ dead minnows and if you are in the right place you will get instant action with a nice 3 to 4 lb, avg, size catfish. A great way to get some bonus fish in the May & June months however as the summer warms it can get very hot in the back of these creeks and bugs/fly's etc. take the fun away. I actually run by request as many as a half a dozen trips a year just for catfish now with customer's just like the Vandyke's. On previous trips when the wind blew we fished for them so now any chance they get to get some extra catfish to take home they ask me to go catch some. These family's are as nice a customers as you can get and I look forward to taking them every year. The fishing on Sharpe is still very good all down at the big bend and around Pierre but there is a lot of muddy water from Antelope Creek down to the Joe Creek area making fishing harder in that area. Oahe remains excellent for numbers of smaller fish but because of the numbers of these fish some days finding bigger fish can be challenging.

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Lakes Oahe/ Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for June 5th thru the 9th 2013

I guided the Joe Cox group from around the KC area for one day down on the Big Bend on Sharpe. It was very windy with solid 5 foot seas so even though they got limits of nice 17 inch avg. size walleye they earned them. We caught these fish mostly on spinner/crawler rigs in 5 fow to 20 fow, I then spent 3 days with John Hansen, Wayne Labart and Chuck Holsapple all from the Bellevue Ne. area. We fished all three days on Lake Oahe and they took home their possession limit of 72 walleye plus some smallmouth bass. We spent most of the time using bottom/bouncer rigs with either night crawlers, minnows or gulp minnows/worms. Most of the fish were caught in 10 fow or less but we did catch some out to 17 fow in the afternoon. We managed to get all of their over 15 inch fish each day along with all of the under 15 inch fish but over 20 inch fish were hard to come by. I think this is because there are so many smaller walleye in the lake they just beat the big guys to the bait. These guys were a real class act and I was lucky to have them book another trip with me so I will get to take them fishing again. The spawn the year of the flood (3 years ago) must have produced a near record spawn as the lake is full of that year class fish. It has been a very tough spring as far as the weather go's with a lot of windy colder days but the last three days have shown improvement. Fishing especially for numbers of walleye is excellent on Oahe all the way up to Mobridge and all of Sharpe as well. The smallmouth are spawning in some area's so numbers right now are a little off. Northern are common in most bags. Salmon fishing is very spotty. There is a lot of boat traffic especially on Oahe and every one is catching fish.

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Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for June 2nd 3rd and 4th 2013

Just finished guiding a super bunch repeat customers from mostly around central Nebraska. Gordy Sorensen from Cairo NE (Roberts Pump) put together the trip. We fished in big wind two out of three days but put well over 250 walleye in freezer bags for them to take home. We fished Lake Oahe two days then moved down on Sharpe on day three catching limits of walleye in all 4 boats drifting with either minnow bouncer rigs or night crawler/spinner combos in mostly 15 fow or less. 30 to 40 mph winds forced drifting in sheltered area's both on Oahe and Sharpe as the main presentation. Pulling flicker shad plugs also produced fish. We had a lot of little fish on Oahe but also had as good a balance of bigger fish as you could expect with the weather factored in. The fishing is excellent on both Oahe and Sharpe but we have had a wet windy spring making for a lot harder fishing on some days. I have always said that on our lakes the months of July, August and September are the best months both for weather and fishing and this spring sure bears that out. The fishing is great in May and June but you better cross your fingers when you plan trips in these months because mother nature can step on many fishing days making earning limits necessary. Maybe this pattern all thru the Midwest will straighten up as we get into the summer months. Most fishermen are getting northern, smallmouth and a few crappie as bonus fish in their catches. Salmon fishing is spotty.

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Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for May 29 thru June 1st 2013

I fished the Justin Plush Group from Topeka, Kansas to their limits of walleye on both Oahe and Sharpe. We used bottom/bouncer/night crawler rigs along with jigs/gulp on Oahe and also used night crawler/bouncer rigs on Sharpe. Recent storms had the water muddy in many places making finding fish that were active a little harder but we found some green water and managed to put limits in the boat. We fished in 10 fow or less on Oahe and stayed around 20 fow on Sharpe. I then fished the Doug Hays party from Kansas City on Sharpe both days getting them limits of quality walleye in about 20 fow on mostly crawler bouncer rigs. We did catch fish pulling flicker shad plugs also. These two guys are just about as unlucky as you can get driving all the way up from KC to fish both days in 25 to 40 mph winds and rain. They stuck it out though and went home with limits of walleye and bass. A couple of great guys and I really enjoyed fishing them in spite of the unfavorable conditions. The bite is excellent when the weather is good but we are having a real windy wet spring. Hopefully things will improve as summer arrives. Minnows are still going but night crawlers are as good now. Many big fish are still shallow so if you want nice over fish in your bag keep someone pitching jigs/gulp etc. to the bank.

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Lake Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for May 27th and 28th 2013

I guided the May brothers Rocky, Rick, and Kim from Elkhorn NE and North Platte NE to two days of both great weather and great fishing. We fished on Oahe both days staying out of cow creek one day and the little bend Cheyenne area one day. They were able to take a full 48 walleye fish limit home with them along with eating a big batch and also had some bass as bonus fish .We caught these fish using both minnows and night crawlers in around 10 fow. We probably released another 30 fish a day so the bite is very good..We had all their over 20 inch fish with the biggest a 25 inch walleye and we had a good number of 18 to 19 inch fish in their catch. The bite is on all over the lake with the Cow Creek area the Cheyenne river area and Bush's landing all good choices for starting ramps. Lake Sharpe is still doing well from Pierre down to the Big Bend area with night crawlers starting to be the best bait, Pulling plugs along with night crawler/spinner rigs are also doing well.

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Lakes Oahe/Sharpe fishing report for May 24th 25th and 26th 2013

I Just finished guiding a real nice family outing Dan Latch his Dad Gene and his son Eric from the Omaha NE area. We had the wind blow day one with 30 to 40 mph stuff but managed to come up with 16 walleye with a 23 a 24 and a 25 incher in the bunch. We caught all these fish in around 22 fow on Oahe using bottom bouncer minnows. They then hit a real nice day so we stayed on Oahe (lower end fishing out of cow creek) and put full limits of all their over 20 inch fish (22 25 26 inchers) Their 3 over 15 (18 inch avg.) and all their under 15 inch fish to get 24 fish limits. Day three was a 20 fish day for them so the ended up taking home a real big cooler full of walleye with a few bass and catfish for a bonus bag. Due to real dirty water we pulled some flicker shads in around 10 fow to put the fish in the boat. Big females are biting now all over Oahe from the dam to the 212 bridge and there are real good numbers of over 20 inch fish in most bags and most experienced anglers are putting limits of fish in their boats on both Oahe and Sharpe. Smallmouth, Northern and catfish continue to be bonus fish for many anglers. I think a big percentage of the big fish are coming shallow yet (5 fow) so if you like to cast throwing jig/gulp etc. can be very rewarding. Looking for mud lines and stained water with higher water temps is a good starting point. If you are interested in current regulations update you might tap on the GFP Note that I posted preceding this report.

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Lakes Oahe/Lake Sharpe fishing report for May 21st to May 24th 2013

I guided repeat customers Toyota of Kansas City with Terry Greene ramrodding the trip. We fished on Sharpe one day then put the main bunch of guys from all over the Midwest on lower Lake Oahe for the next day filling full limits all three days. I had 7 guide boats out and they all limited with 25 walleye every day getting many over fish and all of the over and under 15 inch bonus fish by all boats. We also caught full limits of small mouth bass in each boat making for a huge fish fry the first evening. Toyota had a great trip and all of us guides would like to thank them for spending (especially boss Terry Greene) company money to provide their loyal employees a fishing trip for their company efforts. We are still using minnow/bottom bouncer rigs or jigs/gulp and fishing in 20 fow or less with many big fish coming right off the bank. Pulling plugs shallow will also work. Nightcrawlers are starting to be a good choice in some area's but minnows still are the number one choice. Water temps staying in 50's with some 60 degree bay/creek temps around. It is good to look for the stained warmer water. Memorial Day is here so look for the lakes to be very busy with a lot of anglers around. Northern, small mouth bass catfish and a few crappie continue to be bonus fish in many bags. Fishing is great when the weather is great.

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Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for May 19th and 20th 2013

Well the drought has broken around Pierre with three days of wet rainy weather but it sure didn't slow down the fishing. I guided Ken Shawyer his wife Dolores and their friends Bill Lucero and wife Louise to two days of great fishing. We fished one day on Oahe catching full 32 fish limits of walleye (8 each) and then on Monday went down to West Bend on Sharpe catching their limits of 16 walleye (4 each) and a 20 fish limit of small mouth bass (5 each). Three of there bass were over 4 lbs. qualifying them for Proud Angler awards. On Oahe we caught the fish using bottom bouncer minnow rigs in anywhere from 4 fow to 10 fow and stayed with the same presentation on Sharpe catching the walleye in around 20 fow and most of the bass in 5 to 10 fow. These couples were from Oregon so a little rain didn't bother them. Some real troopers and they stuck out some showers to go home with a full cooler full of fish. They were real nice couples and I had a great time guiding them. The fishing on Oahe is going all the way from the Dam to Mobridge with limits of walleye the norm for most accomplished anglers. The fish seem to be healthy with an occasional stressed fish turning up. As the bigger female fish get over the spawning period it will be interesting to see if they get stressed due to lack of bait fish or if they will stay healthy. I am seeing bait fish around in the area's I am fishing so hopefully the latter will happen. Northern Pike, Smallmouth and a few Crappie continue to be bonus fish in most bags. Salmon Fishing is below average.

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Lakes Oahe/Sharpe fishing report for May 15th to May 18th 2013

I along with 7 other guides worked for the Outpost lodge guiding Steve Wilkes' annual air conditioning group from all over the Midwest to another great trip for them. We fished 23 guys to limits of walleye along with some smallmouth bass Northern Pike and pictured on day three one of the fellows in my boat caught the 2nd largemouth bass I have caught in my boat in 30 years on Oahe. We all fished the Big Bend area on Sharpe (due to storms in the area) on day one with everyone catching Limits. We then all spent the next two days fishing right out of cow creek/spring creek on Oahe avg. around 25 walleye per boat with everyone catching plenty of there bonus fish along with a lot of big walleye. Most boats had some 24 to 28 inch fish with the largest a 29 incher. Most of these fish were caught on either jigs/gulp or bottom bouncer minnow combinations in depths from 5 fow out to 25 fow on the lower end of the lake. There is a very good bite all up and down both Oahe and Sharpe with the bigger female fish starting to bite. Water temps are now in the 50's most place's with bays/back end of creeks having near 60 degree temps. I am not sure if there is any Salmon coming in but I believe that bite is slow. All of us guides would like to thank all of these guys for coming annually and it is a great way for company's to express their appreciation to the crews that due good work for them.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre SD area fishing report for May 12th to May 15th 2013

I mentioned in my last report that I thought the bigger female walleye should be mostly done spawning in my area and they should start to come on the bite and that is exactly what is happening. I guided two twin brothers from Columbia Missouri Tim and Jim Grace to two day limits of all there overs along with all of there under bonus fish for as good as you can have limits with them even releasing some over fish and catching and releasing conservatory 70 fish a day for an easy 18 inch avg size fish. These guys were bass fisherman and spent the whole trip pitching Gulp/jigs into 1fow to 5 fow and just had a great time and took home a full passion limit of 48 walleye for the two of them. Day three there luck ran out with the weather and due to 30 mph winds we finished their trip on Sharpe catching limits for them but fishing btm bouncer minnows or jigs/ gulp in around 10 fow. Some smallmouth and some northern pike are also being caught around the lake but I haven't heard much about salmon. Fishing is excellent. but weather can still be Spring related.

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Hutch

Lake's Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area fishing report for May 10th and 11th 2013

The fishing on both Oahe and Sharpe in the Pierre area is excellent for walleye with many northern and smallmouth being caught also. There were a lot of boats around over the weekend with most anglers taking limits home. I guided repeat customers Keith Leonard his son Doug and grandson Cooper from Atlantic Iowa to two days of as good as it gets walleye fishing. We caught probably 50 to 75 walleye each day with them keeping around 25 fish a day with there extra bonus fish under 15 inch. We caught all of these fish on Oahe in the Cheyenne river arm using both bttm bouncer/minnow or jigs/Gulp. We fished in 10 fow or less day one but moved out to 15 to 20 fow day two. Just a great family outing and with the weather holding a great trip for them. I also had a Bachelor Party group out ramrodded by Jess Johnson all from around the Glendive MT, Area. Guides Dave Spaid, Scott Van Lear and Gail Johnson helped me with this group getting 77 walleye day one and full limits day two so they did a great job for these guys and everybody had a super time. I will mention that the key to a lot of the numbers fishing right know is looking for the stained warmer waters with water temps in the 50'sand concentrating efforts around known spawning area's. I think the bigger fish bite is ready to go as many of the bigger female fish are moving away from the spawn and starting to feed. So far all the fish we are catching are healthy. Sharpe is putting out limits for just about every angler. Shallow water minnows or gulp still is the right way to catch them. It is real busy on the river in Pierre so if you want to get away from the boat traffic you have to travel down river. Pulling plugs also is working for those that like that style of fishing with my favorite Berkley Flicker Shads. Fishing should continue to stay very good as water warm's.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Pierre area fishing report for Lakes Oahe/Sharpe May 6th 7th and 8th 2013

I guided a real nice couple from Sundance WY. Audrey and Marvin Finn to day one limits of nice walleye on Lake Sharpe catching these fish pulling plugs (flicker shads) in around 10 fow. Just about everything is working now and you can catch the fish pitching jigs, using btm bouncer/minnows and even night crawlers are starting to work. Be prepared to fish in a lot of boat traffic around the bluffs in Pierre. We caught a lot of fish so on day two we decided to try the big lake for some northern, bigger walleye and catfish. Marvin did catch a real nice 24 to 25 inch walleye and we got around 7 other walleye a few catfish but no northern. The wind was a factor as fronts moved thru but it is harder right now to put numbers together on the main lake as water temps are lower. I then took out repeat customer Troy Swift, his Dad and friend Gary up on the Cheyenne river arm of Oahe (seeing only around 6 or 8 boats all day) and we really caught a lot of fish. Got 3 or 4 small northern and caught and released over 75 walleye and keeping a 17 inch avg size limit along with 9 bonus walleye under 15 inch's. We had only 1 fish over 20 inch's but had several 18 to 19 incher's keeping 25 fish for some real nice eating. We caught these fish pitching Berkley gulp on jigs or btm bouncers/minnow rigs anywhere from 2 fow to 15 fow on a beautiful spring day in the 70's with no wind. The spawn is on the tail end and I think most of the females have moved off with the males hanging around the spawning areas so I look forward to the bite moving away from some of theses areas maybe next week. The bigger females should start to come back on bite making for larger avg. size stringers coming in.Right now water temps are in the 50's in the back of bays/river but the main lake temps are still in the lower 40's.There is a very good bite all over so I look for a lot of anglers over the next week end and many places will be busy.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Fishing report for Lake Oahe/Sharpe Pierre SD area for May 1st to May 5th 2013

The weather the last five days has been improving and the fishing for walleye spawning males is very good .A few big females are coming in but the main bite is still for the 15 to 18 inch males. I guided the Vanderlin Group from Sioux City to a couple of days of fishing catching limits of walleye/sauger on Sharpe. We pulled number 6 flicker shad plugs in around 10 fow and caught at least 50 fish or more. We then went out and tried for catfish and northern Pike but did poorly there coming in with only a half dozen fish. A real nice bunch of Iowa folks and everybody had a great time. I then guided a couple of repeat customers from Whiting Iowa Pat Purelick and his friend Kirby to three days of fishing doing both Sharpe and Oahe. We caught limits on Sharpe at West Bend fishing minnow /bouncers in around 18 fow. Then went up on the Cheyenne River On Oahe and got limits of over 15 inch walleye and caught real good numbers. Here we used both Minnow/bouncer rigs and Jigs with Gulp. We caught almost all of these fish in 4 to 10 fow but could only come up with four of the bonus walleye under 15 inches. Here again we probably caught around 50 walleye and a few smallmouth keeping a nice 17 inch avg. size limit along with 6 bonus fish under 15inches.Had a real good time with these guys and I am real lucky to have them for repeat customers. The forecast for next week looks a lot more like spring so I think the bite will continue to improve especially when the bigger female walleye come back on bite and as the water temps warm we should see more smallmouth and other species being caught. The northern bite is good for fishermen bank fishing with dead smelt rigs and stocker trout are still coming in around the marina below the dam.

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Hutch

Pierre area fishing report for Oahe/Sharpe April 28th to April 30th, 2013

Wind picked up some but fishing remains' good. The walleye are spawning or finishing the main spawn on both Lake Sharpe and Lake Oahe. I helped guide Dave Spaid with 3 fellows 2 from MN. and one from Rapid City. We fished the West Bend Area on Lake Sharpe due to 29 to 30 mph wind and got a 16 fish limit of walleye in around 4 hours. Caught these fish on bttm/bouncer/minnows in around 15 to 20 fow. I then fished repeat customer Troy Swift and his friend John to a catch of 14 walleye along with some smallmouth bass a northern and a catfish. We fished the Cheyenne river arm of lake Oahe catching numbers of over 15 inch walleye but could only come up with 2 fish under the 15 inch bonus rule so did not get all the bonus fish. Caught almost all of these fish pitching Berkeley gulp on jigs in less than 10 fow. Right now the year class walleye that are on in the spawning area's seem to be 15 inchers and up with very few of the smaller walleye around. I suspect the little guys are probably still out real deep but they will show up and when they do the extra bonus limits will be a little easier to come by. Fishing should continue to get even better as spring weather warms the lake water temps.

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Hutch

Pierre area fishing report for Lake Oahe/Lake Sharpe April 25, 26, 27, 2013

Spring maybe has sprung. (FINALLY) Was on the water in beautiful weather ( 70 to 80 degrees) and the fishing is great. I fished a couple friends of mine Gary Howe of Outdoor productions and Larry Myer with The Sioux City Journal Friday and Saturday. We fished down at West Bend on Sharpe day one and caught limits of 16 to 18 inch male spawning walleye/ We used both jigs with Berkley gulp or bttm/bouncer minnow rigs and had no trouble catching fish. The fish were caught in around 10 fow to 15 fow. The bite on Sharpe is very good from the dam to the Stony point area also but it is very crowded. West Bend had boat traffic but not as bad as bridges to dam. Day two we fished the Cheyenne river arm of Oahe and again caught even more fish of maybe a little nicer avg. size however since they raised the limits giving 4 extra walleye under 15 inches per angler we failed to limit as we just couldn't find the little guys. We caught 17 inch average size male walleye all day long but since you can still only keep 4 each over 15 inches we just had to catch and release a bunch after we kept our 12 fish, We finally got one just a little under 15 inch but gave up on the rest of the small fish. They will show up in time but right now the year class fish around the spawning area's are just mostly over the 15 inch mark We caught most of the fish in around 10 to 17 fow and used jigs/gulp or bouncer/minnows. The spawn is going strong on both lakes and I think if the weather stays decent it should be peaking next week. Northern fishing is peaking also on dead smelt rigs. I am not sure about salmon but will try to see if any of the other guides have been fishing for them Stocked rainbow trout fishing around the marina below the dam is excellent. I will start posting regular reports now as I will be on the water just about every day. I might also mention all the fish we caught both places were very healthy but since we were catching all males we will have to wait and see what the bigger females look like when they come on bite after the spawn. The ones that are being caught have been in good shape from what I have heard.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

April 1st, 2nd and 3rd

Fishing in the Pierre area is surprisingly busy especially on the nice weather days/week ends. The main pressure is on Sharpe from the dam down to the Ft George area with most boats around the dam to the bridges in Pierre. Time of the day seems to have a lot to do with results as some days there is an early bite and some days the fish seem to be more active in the afternoon. Some of this is also current related. For the most part experienced anglers are getting limits but a lot of smaller fish are being caught. Fish are pre spawn for the most part making the bigger females harder to come by. Jig and minnow/ Jigs and Gulp are the main presentations but pulling plugs in some areas down river can be productive when the walleye move up to 10 fow or less. Oahe has had a lot less pressure for the walleye but Northern bank fishing has been putting out fish with and occasional walleye. Dead smelt sets in shallow water bays or creeks would be the best bet. It is early yet and we need more spring weather to really get things going especially on Oahe but that should be here soon. I will start doing reports on a more regular basis now as I will be on the water from the 15th on weather permitting.

Hutch

Hutch's Guide Service Pierre SD

March 5th to 9th, 2013

I haven't been fishing but I am sure getting ready as this next weeks weather report has a lot of 50 degree days a head and the first day of spring is just around the corner. Talking to some of those fishermen friends of mine that have been out the bite around downtown Pierre is very good for the few boats that are on the water. Some bigger walleye being reported on jigs/minnows ( I know of two over 7 lbs.) mostly around the bridges or stilling basin. Most ice houses are out now on Oahe as shoreline water starts to make for there removal a smart thing. I am hearing reports of walleye being caught on Oahe threw the ice in around 30 fow mostly in the back of the Cheyenne river but check ice condition real close before accessing the main lake as warmer temps are going to make many areas dangerous. I will start putting out these reports on a more frequent basis as spring arrives and I start to get on the water.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

February 19th 2013

For all of my Nebraska Iowa customers I will have my booth at the Omaha Sports show Feb.21, 22, 23 & 24th so if you are coming around look me up. I will have a copy of all the current information that is available on Oahe as Geno Adams the head biologist for the area has provided me with copy's at the Rapid City show and you are welcome to look them over. I haven't looked but this info might also be posted on the GF&P'S web site. Haven't been around Oahe for a week so I am out of touch with the current bitebut I am up on snow pack in the basin. It is around 70 to 80 percent (not good) and Oahe is 27 feet down from normal pool. The biggest months for run off water are coming up however so every one is hoping for a lot of snow/rain in March April and May. GF&Ps also along with all of us hope for a smelt run this spring and rising water can help that. Money has also been allotted to keep most of the major boat ramps in service so access to Oahe should be good in 2013. The numbers of fish in the lake look good and reports from ice fishermen up and down Oahe do not seem to indicate a lot of stressed fish with the fish being caught looking healthy for the most part. The bite last week was slower around Pierre but up around Akaska and Mobridge good in around 35 to 40 fow. If you booked a trip with me last year (2012) and haven't contacted me in 2013 please do so to verify dates etc.

Hutch's Guide Service

Hutch

Just a quick note to any of my Rapid City customers. I will have my booth at the Rapid City sports show this week end (Feb 8th 9th and 10th) and will be doing a seminar there on Saturday the 9th so if you are in the area stop by. I haven't been fishing but talk around PIERRE is after the cold front last week the bite is off. Before that fish were being caught in the stilling basin and down around Joe Creek through the ice. Heard the bite up around Akaska was good at swan creek in as deep as 37 ft. and up around Mobridge some of the guys are doing will. The open water fishing around Pierre is spotty with just locals out as boat ramps can get real slick in the cold so not many boats around. The Oahe water level is down from full pool around 27 foot. We still have plenty of water but a wet March/April would be very good.

Hutch"s Guide Service

Hutch

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Month by Month Guiding Breakdown

April/ May

Both of these month's produce excellent walleye fishing along with great smallmouth/ Northern/ Catfish. Weather is a factor so many times we have to stay off big water because of high winds etc. but this is a great time to go after the big northern and catfish in the back of creeks/bays to beat the weather. Also fishing on Sharpe below Dam keeps you out of wind and produce's nice limits of walleye. Jig fishing when water temps cold along with btm. bouncer presentations as water warms most common .Boat traffic can be much more around the Pierre area.

June

By far the busiest month on both lakes.( School out and just traditionally start of summer season] so book early if possible to get best guides/lodging. The fishing is excellent for all species. Weather can still be a factor. We are usually fishing with Lindy or btm. bouncer's.

July

Best all around month for both fishing and weather especially family trips Walleye fishing at seasonal peak especially in high water periods on Oahe. and Sharpe good two. Btm. Bouncer presentations most common.

August

Same as July but there can be hotter weather. If there is a breeze it is not to bad as big lake water temps keep heat down. Fish can be a little deeper but still great fishing.

September

Very good on the walleye fishing with fall weather great toward end of month. As water cools jig fishing starts to come into play again.

October / November

Fishing is still good but weather coming into play again Jigs work best especially in colder water. Combination Hunting /fishing trips most common. Just a note: You can catch fish in all the months above tolling or casting plugs and we do that often. But I have found that guiding people over the years most prefer live bait hover fishing better so I spend more time with btm/bouncer/crawler/minnow/leeches than the plugs but pulling plugs is always a good alternative and sometimes can be the best.

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Kent Hutcheson
E-mail: fishinghutch@aol.com
Cell Phone: 605-220-2844

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