Hutch's Guide Service Fishing Reports

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Fishing Report Lakes Oahe/Sharpe Pierre area December 2021

Fishing around Pierre has been excellent for those hardy few who are still at it especially in the Cheyenne river on Oahe. This is more of a holiday greeting post though. I want to wish all of my repeat and new customers friends and readers of my reports a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. A great time of the year right now and even though the country has some problems it is still the greatest place to be. Hope you are all having good health and enjoying lots of family and friends.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA FOR UP TO OCTOBER 9TH 2021

I did take some time off for a little vacation so have been behind on these reports. I will try and finish the year up with a few more especially if things change with the fishing. The bite remains very good on Lake Sharpe in the Pierre area but the Oahe fall bite is still not great. We need some 25 to 35 degree nights to cool the big lake down and bring the deeper fish up and the bank fish out to get a nice bite going. We just have not had that kind of weather yet. The fish that are being caught on Oahe are coming from depts of 25 fow to 40 fow on bottom bouncer crawler rigs or minnows for the most part. Sharpe is making up for that however with limits for just about everyone when the weather is nice. Be aware that when the wind blows hard it makes dirty water south of Pierre and can make for a harder bite when the water muddy up. The main bite on Sharpe is around 5 fow out to 15 fow and although minnows are starting to come more into play I am still using bottom bouncer nightcrawler rigs with either Love blades or a plain hook. Pulling plugs is working too but a lot of floating grass is making that a little harder. As the water cools look for jig minnow or bouncer/minnow plain hook rigs to be the best presentations. I have been guiding some great groups and would like to thank all of you for your business. This year has been an exceptional year both numbers wise and size wise on Sharpe on the walleye fishing. I will also mention the amount of fishermen using the area has to be record setting as just lots of people using both lakes. Hunting season is starting and ranchers that want birds have them. It is starting into fall so jackets coats and cold weather gear should be in your packing bag.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA AUGUST 16TH TO AUGUST 31TH 2021

The Pierre area is having one of the busiest and best fishing years that we have had for many years. The fishing on Sharpe around Pierre is limits for just about everybody every day and real nice fish. An 18 inch average walleye is not uncommon along with numerous over 20 to 28 inch fish being caught. Oahe is even better for those fishermen that know the lake and far less crowded. I have been fishing both lakes and have had limits of fish by noon every day for all my customers on both lakes. The bite on Sharpe around Pierre is mostly 10 fow or less and I have been using propeller blades bouncer/ nightcrawlers. I have found one I like better than all of them. It is a propeller blade called Loves and it is sold by Bill Love(Wyoming) available in Pierre at Dakota Mart. This blade turns better in slow speeds than any I have used. Lots of presentations are working on Sharpe from bouncer minnows and plug pulling all putting limits in the boat. Things get harder if weather muddies up the water though so watch for that . Oahe fish are coming up into shallower water in many areas making fishing just excellent on the big lake also. Knowledge of the lake however is more important as not all areas are easy to get limits. I have fished the big lake more lately and mixed bags(Northern smallmouth Catfish White bass) are more common so if you want to see less boats and catch different species it can be a very good choice. On Oahe I am using spinner crawler/bouncer rigs fishing in around 20 fow but here many presentations are working just like on Sharpe. Be prepared to see plenty of other boats/fishermen especially on Sharpe around Pierre. The Canada border closing, Covid escape, an affluent baby boomer generation have all contributed to Oahe and Sharpe being a busy place. Busy boat ramps; busy motel resorts; and very busy community spots are normal especially on weekends. I have always tried to fish my customers away from crowed areas and still do but it is becoming harder to do with the amount of traffic around now. Fortunately we have a great fishery so lots of fish and lots of water for everyone. Once again I would like to thank all of my both repeat and new customer for your business and the great times we all had. In closing I would like to mention the availability of lots of really good guides and resorts/motels in the Pierre area. Many of the guide boats we see this time of the year are from Chamberlain . Lots of good guides there two but you can avoid a 180 mile round trip drive every day just to catch a walleye by trying the Pierre area. It can get you a couple of hours extra sleep daily an also you have Oahe available to fish. We have the fish here so why not just come here It makes for a lot easier trip and the State Capitol area would love to have you. Lots of other family things are available here also.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA FOR AUGUST 1ST TO THE 15TH 2021

The bite continues to be very good on Sharpe and a little harder on the big lake Oahe. On Oahe many of the walleye are deeper making finding and catching them harder but if you are looking to catch more of a mixed bag (northern, smallmouth & catfish) it is still a good choice. It also offers less boat traffic so finding spots without lots of boats is easier. Thirty to fifty fow is a good starting depth with minnow or leech rigs probably the best choice of baits but crawlers are still working. These same depths are also producing bass and catfish with a few northern pike mixed in catches. Lake Sharpe offers excellent walleye fishing around Pierre with mostly crawler/spinner rigs producing the best results. Ten fow is a good starting point. Be prepared to fish around a lot of boats with at least half of them driving 150 miles round trip from Chamberlain to catch a fish. This has been happing every year now for a while and when they put the 15 inch minimum length on the walleye in Sharpe (September 1) that gets even more Chamberlain guides driving their clients to Pierre to fish. There are a lot of very good guides in the Chamberlain area for sure however we have a lot of very good ones right here in Pierre so if you are looking for a guide that is not going to get you up at 430 in the morning and drive you 150 miles round trip to catch a walleye you might consider staying in Pierre when you are going to fish here. Lots of very good guides and resorts here also. One other thing that I notice every year is on Sharpe it is not uncommon to drive for 15 miles and never see another boat and then come across 25 boats in one area. Once in a while I will fish around this kind of traffic mostly just to show my customers what is going on but for the most part I usually can find nice fish away from all the traffic. Both myself and my customers find fishing alone more fun. That being said just about everyone is catching nice fish around Pierre this year. An easy 17 inch avg is common with more 21 inch and 28 inch (thrown back) fish mixed in many bags than in years past on Sharpe. Hot is still the word so early starts to beat the heat along with lots of water and sun screen are good. I would like to thank all my repeat customers and new customers for coming up a having lots of fun and keeping me busy. Just great people Thank all of you.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA FOR JULY 18TH THRU JULY 28TH 2021

Record setting hot weather. That is the main topic. Early morning outs to beat the heat are in order. Generally speaking the bite is still very good for experienced anglers but the hot weather is pushing the fish deeper on Oahe and making the fishing a little tougher some days. I have been on the water and still doing limits of walleye every day but working a little harder some days to do that. I am still fishing around 10 fow to 20 fow on Sharpe but going deeper on Oahe. For the deeper fishing the bait has been night crawlers/bottom bouncers on plain hooks but shallow it is still spinner crawler rigs. Many presentations like leeches or minnows and jigging raps are working especially deeper. I think heeding the heat warnings on some of these 100 plus days is good. Heat stroke is bad and can be fatal so watching out for it is essential to any trip out. Actually we have had low humidity most days around Pierre so with the wind blowing over the water it is not as noticeable when fishing but when you clean fish on shore get ready to experience what record setting heat is. Lots of water and lots of common sense are needed. Looks like maybe we are getting a little break next week but it is still going into August so plenty of hot weather a head. Over all fishing has been easier on Sharpe for real nice average's on walleye but for combinations of northern smallmouth and big walleye (over 25 inchers) Oahe gets the edge. It can be a harder fish though. Still a lot of boats around so on weekends expect to see busier ramps etc. even in this heat. Remember to pull boat plugs at ramps as GFPS is running boat checks periodically and writing tickets for failing to do so .Actually to stop the spread of evasive species it is a good thing tickets or not. Thank you to all of my recent customers both repeat and new. I had a great time with all of you.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA JULY 12TH THRU JULY 17TH

A quick up date for the lakes. Fishing is great and crowds are great. Along with the Gov cup and of 150 teams and lots of other fishermen around this week it is A Busy Place. Look for full boat ramps and plenty of boat traffic on Oahe. I will give more of an update on Oahe after the Gov Cup but for right now lots of fish coming in and a lot of big fish. I have been guiding on Sharpe to try to stay away from the crowds and the fishing there is very good with limits of walleye by noon or one every day. I am catching the fish on spinner/crawler rigs in around 10 to 14 fow but just about everything is working. It is not uncommon to have a 17 inch avg on Sharpe so nice fish there this year. The big lake fish are for the most part deeper with a lot of overs being caught down to 30 fow to 50 fow so it will be interesting to see the results from the Cup. Right now I think 21 lbs. for 6 fish is in the lead with a couple of 7 lb. fish in that weight. Lots of very good teams competing every year so I look for some real nice weights. Plenty of hot weather around so plenty of water sun screen and bug repellent in your boat makes for a better safer trip. Boat checks are common so plugs out when leaving the ramps along with all the proper equipment required will save you some dollars. I will mention this once in a while as every day I have been going by groups of 10 to 15 boats all piled up together. We just keep going and have been catching a lot of fish in areas where we never see another boat. For me and my customers it is a nicer experience. It does require a little more effort but when you find nice fish away from the big groups of boats it is worth it at least to many of us. Finding groups of boats is not hard but finding fish can be. Most very good anglers prefer to find their own fish as part (for me the better part) of the fishing experience. Once again thanks to my recent customers both repeat and new. Glad we could catch so many fish.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA FOR JULY 1ST THRU JULY 11TH 2012

Took a little time off over the fourth however the fishing on both Sharpe and Oahe remains very good Limits for most boats going out is common. I have been on the water with some new and repeat customers and have been sending all of them home with full possession limits of walleye along with some to eat while here. The big lake Oahe has slowed down a little with the fish scattered. Some good catches are still coming shallow on spinner presentations along with fish being taken deeper down to thirty fow on bouncer plain hook rigs so with fish every were it is a little harder to locate them. I am still fishing with crawler spinner or crawler plain hooks when deeper. Most baits from minnow leeches and pulling plugs are working so take your pick. The governor’s cup tournament is next week end so will see how that goes but lots of real good teams and lots of fish so I expect some really nice results if the weather cooperates. Sharpe is still going strong and getting a 16 inch average limit is the norm. Here I have been fishing shallow following weed lines with nightcrawer/spinner rigs in 7 fow but the last two times the fish were a little deeper so fishing was in around 14 fow producing nice limits daily. They are preforming routine boat checks in different area's so having all the required equipment and plugs out of boat is a money saver. Weather is summer so lots of water sun screen and bug spray are essentials .Once again I would like to thank all of my repeat and new customers for their business. Great people and great times.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA FOR JUNE 24TH THROUGH JUNE 30TH 2021

Great weather lately and great fishing. The bite around Pierre both on Sharpe and Oahe is just about as good as it gets. I guided repeat customers and some new customers to limits daily and full possession limits to take home along with fish meals while here. In some areas we worked weed beds trolling spinner/crawler rigs along the edges in around 8 fow and in some areas we had to get down to 20 to even 30 fow to get the fish so as far as depth goes depths vary with the area you are fishing. All baits from leeches, minnows, chubs and pulling plugs are working so take your pick especially if you are comfortable with a method of fishing you like. It should work. Like to thank the repeats and new customers that are came for their business and hope to see all of you again. Once again I will mention that maybe due to the covid scare or maybe just the baby boomer generation arriving there are a lot of people using the Lakes and Pierre has defiantly been discovered as a destination. Be prepared for busy boat ramps busy resorts and motels and busy campground. Booking trips a head of time is a good idea. Summer is here so sun screen lots of water bug spray and in some areas a pair of sweat pants to slip on if you are wearing shorts and encounter biting fly's. I hope everyone has a great 4th of July and has a fun time celebrating how lucky we all are to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA FOR JUNE 15TH THRU JUNE 24TH 2021

Fishing around the Pierre area on both Sharpe and Oahe has been excellent. Everyone is catching walleye, smallmouth, northern and even catfish. I have been on the water most days with either repeat (mostly) or new customers and have been coming in with limits of walleye every trip. Many days we are done early with full limits and have been getting off the water to beat the heat. In some areas we are catching the walleye in 10 fow or less. Some days in certain areas the fish are starting to move deeper so catching them around 20 fow is not uncommon. I have been using spinner/crawler rigs on bottom bouncers but just about all baits, leeches, minnows and plugs are working as the bite is very good. This year is a very busy year with a lot of boats on the water so expect to see ramps and areas of both lakes being used. Courtesy at ramps and on the water is especially important with the traffic that is around. Every year I mention at least once that to most experienced anglers hunting the walleye is as important as catching and eating them. It is not hard to find other boats on the water but it can be hard to find walleye. To me and a lot of anglers that is the best part of the sport The Hunt. I love to catch walleye and I love to eat them but I would not be guiding for them if finding them wasn't so much fun and rewarding. If you really want to be at the top level of all fishing learn how to find the fish. It takes time but most sports require practice to excel and so does fishing. It is summer now so light clothing sun screen lots of water and insect repellant are in order. I would like to thank all of the great customers that I took out and hope to see you again next year. Make sure to pull plugs before leaving ramps as they are enforcing the plug removal law that was put in force to prevent the transporting of invasive species.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA FOR END MAY TO JUNE 14TH 2021

The fishing on both Oahe and Sharpe has been excellent both number and size wise. I have been guiding both lakes and doing limits of fish daily with and average size on Sharpe around 17 inch's on the walleye and really around the same on Oahe. Oahe is better for catches that include northern and bass right now. I have been finding the walleye still shallow catching most on spinners/nightcrawlers or pulling plugs in around 6 to 7 fow. Many areas have fish even shallower. It doesn't hurt to look deeper some days especially in calm weather as I have caught them out to 20 fow a few days .Since the covid issue being around we have seen numbers of fishermen and boats increase and the lakes have been as busy as I can remember. Maybe another factor is the baby boomer generation has arrived but lakes are busy places. An escape to the outdoors seems to be a side benefit to this covid era for many people. If you are coming fishing you can expect lots of other boaters at ramps and on the water but I think most experienced anglers are doing well. Summer is here so lots of water sun screen and bug spray in your boat well make for better trips. A pair of sweat pants in the boat especially if you like to wear shorts out really helps if you get in areas that have biting fly’s. I keep a bottle of horse stable spray in my boat and if you spray that around every so often it does help. They are writing tickets for not pulling plugs when you trailer so avoid a fine by remembering to travel with plugs out. Thank you to all of my repeat customers for coming along with a few new ones.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA MAY 26TH THRU THE 28TH 2021

Just great fishing going on around Pierre with most boats (a lot) catching plenty of limits of fish. I finished guiding the Roses with Scott and Ann bringing along his brother Gene and wife Janet to full limits of walleye plus one day of catfishing/northern fishing. They had their full limits of walleye in the first to days hence the catfish trip. Then went on to guide Terry Nelson and son from Ida Grove Iowa to full possession limits of walleye. We caught all the walleye on nightcrawler/spinner rigs or pulling plugs in around 8 fow. We caught the northern /catfish in around 4 fow on smelt rigs. Lots of fish and lots of fun for both of these groups . The fish this year have a real nice average size on both Sharpe and Oahe and I look forward to a very good year here. Some hot weather a head this next week so remember sun screen and water. Bug spry in the boat can help. I use horse stable spray and if you spray it periodically it does help. I know Bermuda shorts are comfortable to wear in the summer months but if you are going out in them bring along some sweat pants or long pants to slip on if flies get biting. Spending a day slapping flies isn't that much fun.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA FOR MAY 18TH THRU MAY 24TH 2021

Fishing is in full spring swing with the bite great all up and down the Oahe/Sharpe systems. I guided the Ken McQueen group to full possession limits of walleye along with the Dennis Wilke group to the same getting these two repeat customer groups some great fishing. I am now starting to guide the Rose group another of my repeat customers and the first day was a success with full limits of walleye. All three of these groups are real favorites of mine and are certainly an example of why I have a had long guiding career. With all of these groups we caught the walleye and bass on either nightcrawler/spinner or minnow/spinner rigs or pulling plugs (trolling) in anywhere from 5 fow to 12 fow. Water temps are in the mid 50's getting the fish more active. In most areas especially on the big lake(Oahe) I am looking for warm stained water. The amount of fishermen and boats in our area is as many as I have seen around. Be prepared for busy boat ramps and if fishing in community areas you are not going to be alone. That being said I think most boats are taking plenty of fish. Remember to pull your plugs when leaving boat ramps as they are writing tickets Actually if it will contain the spread of invasive species it is not a bad lay. Sun Screen Bug/fly Spray and plenty of drinking water are all things to remember to load aboard for a better trip. I haven't mentioned this for a while so as a quick tip If you put your nightcrawlers in cold water removing them from that black Canadian dirt cleaning your boat is a lot easier. If you just put what you don't use back in the dirt at the end of the day they are fine. I am certainly lucky to have so many nice repeat customers as mentioned above and want to thank all of them for their business.

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FISHING REPORT FOR LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA FOR MAY 1ST TO MAY 18TH 2021

I got behind on these reports and will try to keep up to date at least weekly. It has been a colder spring making water temps low for the early spring bite. That being said the bite on the river has been over all good around the Pierre area on Sharpe. Mostly jig and minnows or plastics until recently. I did some trips with mostly repeat customers getting fish but in most cases working hard for the fish in the lower than average water temps. Just recently we are having warmer nights/days so the warming water is getting a nice bite going. I guided a real nice father/son trip Jeff and son Ryan to full possession limits of walleye some catfish and bass to take back home to the Chicago area then did a repeat customer trip with the Lynn Derby group of Golden Girls to nice limits of walleye and 2 northern pike and a bunch of nice catfish to take home. We caught the walleye in around 7 fow on night crawler/spinner rigs and the catfish/pike on smelt. Over all with the warmer days/night I expect the bite for all species to be at a full spring peak. One thing I will mention is pull the plugs on your boat even if you had it stored when coming in. I had a customer get a 150$ ticket for his plug in and he had just taken it out of storage in Iowa. Also we have lower water levels on Oahe this year so there are danger areas that were not there in the higher water. Also boat ramps with some real hazards. Bush’s landing is closed until the end of May and lots of rocks at little bend until they get the low water ramp open. It looks like another great year on both lakes with nice numbers of fish and lots of bait. Be prepared to see plenty of boats/fishermen at boat ramps and on the lake as plenty of people have discovered these great fishery's. I think the outdoors is a great way to escape the declining (I hope) covid problem. A few flies starting to come out so bug spray and sun screen are good items to bring along.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA UP TO EASTER WEEKEND APRIL 2021

Weather was nice fishing was good and the boat were out. Lots of boat/fishermen on the water and I think for the most part everyone caught some fish. The community spots were very busy but if you didn't want to fish around other boats and know the river the nicer catches came away from the crowds as usual Mike Kulm was over again and he and friends really caught nice fish in around 20 fow using jigs/minnows or jigs/plastic and that is what is the presentation that most boats are using. They did not fish around any other boats so if you are willing to spend some time looking you can avoid the crowds and do well. This time of the year weather is the big factor so cross your fingers, if you are coming over and hope for those beautiful spring days. Checking the forecast for the days you are targeting is just good sense. Good sportsmanship calls for releasing as many of the females full of eggs as you can in my opinion but GFPS set limits of 4 fish per person with no season close so apparently they are not concerned. Northern fishing on Oahe has been good with smelt rigs the bait most anglers are using. I hope everyone had a great Easter.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE /SHARPE PIERRE AREA MARCH 1ST TO 9TH

Just a quick update about early spring fishing around Pierre on Sharpe. Once again I had some friends over fishing for a few days during a great week for the weather (in 60 and even 70 degree days) Mike Kulm and friends spent three days fishing the open water below the dam down to antelope creek. They worked for the fish but managed limits of nice walleye pitching mostly jigs/minnows in different depths from 10 fow to 25 fow. One thing they commented on was the number of boats out on the water. Lots so if you are coming to fish expect boat traffic especially in the community spots that hold fish this time of the year. They actually pulled out of one of these because of lots of boats and went south and did well so if you know the river you can find fish were boat traffic is light. Once again I will mention that this time of year a lot of the walleye are pre spawn females so even though the state allows you 4 fish of any sex it is just great sportsmanship from my view point to limit females to maybe two per limit and throw back the nice spawning fish when possible. I know that is hard to do some days but with the amount of early spring pre spawn fishing now it seems to me protecting females to spawn is a good idea. Granted there are opposing views but this is mine and everyone is entitled to a four fish limit of any sex so the state still must think this isn't necessary. Minnesota closes its season to protect spawning but they have always had more fishing pressure than we have had here. I have wondered in recent times if our GFPS are looking at this and am sure they feel it is not necessary. I talked to former head of GFPS John Cooper a couple of years ago and he was the one that told me he just kept a few females if necessary but that he just targeted milking males, especially when the spawn started and I think that is very good advice. The ice on Oahe is very thin some places so caution is the word. I think we are going to see more big fish in catches this year and am looking forward to a great fishing season.

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FISHING REPORT LAKES OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE AREA FEB 2ND AND 3RD 2021

Another quick update on late winter fishing around Pierre with Jim Randash Mike Kulm and Dave from Bowman ND sticking around for what probably will be their last trip till March. They tried to fish the big lake today but the boat ramp at Little Bend was iced over from fog and drizzle so they back tracked to Sharpe and caught a nice limit of 12 fish in around 20 fow on mostly blades/jigging/ raps. Jig/minnows. They fished Oahe again yesterday keeping 8 nice fish and releasing a real nice 10 lb. 30 incher that Mike caught. Boat Ramps are real close to being done and any bad weather puts them unserviceable. All these fish are real healthy walleye with an abundance of bait fish in both lakes. We have a very healthy fishery on both Sharpe and Oahe and from my view point 2021 is looking like a great fishing year. Remember if you are going out in the winter months on open water it is better to travel with another boat especially on Oahe as a break down with no other boats around can make for big trouble. The bite around Pierre really is decent for those that want to go through the extra work that boat fishing requires this time of the year. Normally ice fishing would be the norm but this year the mild winter so far has presented opportunities for open water fishing so those hardy few going out are doing well.

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FISHING REPORT LAKE OAHE/SHARPE PIERRE SD AREA FEB 1ST 2021

A quick winter update for the hardy fishermen wanting to venture out. No ice all the way up to around Charlie Creek so open water on Oahe. The boat ramps are open around Pierre so my friends from Rapid City Jim Randash and Mike Kulm along with Dave from ND came over for a few days of winter fishing. Day one on Oahe they put in at Little Bend and kept 8 nice fish then day two went on the river (Sharpe) and got limits (12) of nice walleye. On Oahe they lost a real big fish and heard of an 11 lb. and a 13 lb. fish being caught and released. They caught all of the fish on either Jig/minnow or Jigging raps and plastics. The fish were deeper on Oahe (40 fow) and around 20 fow on Sharpe I will mention if you are going out it is better to go with another boat as break downs can be dangerous this time of the year. A mild winter so far but this next week looks nasty. I have heard of a lot more teenage size walleye being caught than I have for a long time so this spring should be really interesting.

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FISHING REPORT LAKE OAHE/SHARPE JANUARY 2021

I just had 3 good friends/fishermen stay at my house and fish Oahe for two days and Sharpe for one day so I thought I would just do a little update on their trip for those of you that are still wanting to fish. Jim Randash Mike Kulm from Rapid along with Dave from North Dakota caught an avg of 11 keepers a day and also released an 11 I/2 lb and an 8 1/2 Lb plus walleye along with losing a couple of other big fish at the boat. The fish they caught and kept were all healthy and in good shape with all there overs each day.. They had to break thin ice going out of spring creek so as far as open water fishing goes it is probably about over on the big lake. They fished up around the Cheyenne and caught just about all of these fish on plastics (jigs pitched) in around 30 fow. The last day Monday they fished Sharpe around Pierre keeping only 7 keepers but the bite for the hardy fishermen has been ok most days on the river. I am not pushing this late open water fishing for everyone as a boat break down can be dangerous. If you go out go with another boat for obvious safety reasons These guys are all very good fishermen just looking for one last shot at some bigger fish before ice fishing takes over and are willing to put up with all the extra work involved. I am waiting until Spring due to a fact called age and putting 150 days on the water already this year or maybe just getting to be a woss. Any way there should be good fishing next spring and I would not be surprised if someone puts a new state record up maybe both on walleye and smallmouth. These guys also caught and released an almost 7 lb. smallmouth too. I hope everyone had a great holiday season and look forward to seeing many of you next spring.

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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: [email protected]
Cell Phone: 605-220-2844

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