Whoa. That was something else. My October Challenge with Walleye Warrior is complete and to say I under performed would be a nice way to put it. Let’s breakdown how the month went and take a look at my thought process as the challenge went on.
PreFish
I spent a great deal of time prefishing through September, figuring out where my possible bites are and doing my best to get them as dialed in as possible.
I first took a look at my notebook. Last year, the bite at the Oahe dam tailrace was absolutely off the charts. Nearly every night I would go there and every night I would catch fish. I didn’t take specifics, but based on last year’s notes and numbers I can estimate I was averaging about 18 inches for my top 4 fish each night. Take into the fact we caught some big overs too and allow for some tough nights and that’s 8.92lbs each night. Say I fish that 15 times you’re looking at 133.8lbs right there. Great place to start right?
Well last year, when the sun went down and I scanned the water with my headlight I would see giant schools of smaller fish and the average night of fishing we’d catch probably 30-40 fish each night all the way from 12 inches to mid 20s. Tons of those 14-18s. Well this year, I scan and all I see is bait!! I don’t catch ANY fish at the dam in prefish. 0. Zilch.
Yikes. Okay no problem, this is why I put in so much time prefishing and exploring various bites. I know I can’t rely on this. I fish Farm Island, I fish the Causeway, I fish inside LaFramboise Island and I’m not catching a lot of fish, but they’re pretty decent sized.
Head east to Brookings and pop a real nice over and some 15-18s in the smaller lakes and sloughs I’m planning to fish. We then find a nice bite for 15-18s on the upper end of Lake Sharpe pulling bottom bouncers, we’ll be good!
Game Time
Week 1
October begins on a Tuesday, I decide I’ll fish the Causeway in Pierre the first three nights and get some fish on the board. At this point in prefish, it’s not super fast but I’m pretty much guaranteed 1-3 fish a night in the 14-18 inch class. I can live with that night.
First night-nothing. Yikes, ok. Second night-get broken off by a real nice one, probably an over. Well that’s not good. Grab my other rod and make the next cast-18 incher. Ok that’s better. Pull another 14.5 incher out later, alright we’re in action. I’ll go hit my river bite on Friday and we’ll be in the game.
Well Friday rolls around and we’re looking at winds sustained 20-25mph gusting over 40. Well this doesn’t sound fun, you know what I’ll run down to Fort Thompson there’s always fish to be caught in the Big Bend tailrace. Run down there, it gets dark and bam-17 incher. I’m measuring the fish and my card flies away on a direct flight to North Dakota. Well I thought I’d lose it but not till like the 14-15th. Whatever, we’re good. Next cast, bam 17.5 incher. Welcome to the party boys and girls we’re gonna whack em tonight. 0 bites after. Ok…….
Saturday rolls around. I’ve got a great average size, but lacking the numbers. I’ll hop in the boat, go hit 4 it’ll be good. Mother Nature goes-yeah alright. High wind warning-winds sustained 30mph gusting to 65. What in the…..alright well let’s go try to hit a big one in the tailrace in the evening. I cast all night, nothing. Wade sends me an 8lber, alright there goes my lead. Let’s give this 15 minutes-BAM 6lber. Again, welcome to the party boys and girls.
Sunday, finally feeling good I decide I’ll take advantage of the calm day (only sustained at 20mph and gusting to 30 you know) and hit the river. Lake Sharpe is now chocolate milk thanks to the wind, one bite in 5 hours and of course lose it. Bye-bye momentum I never liked you anyways.
Week 2
Week two kicks off, I decide let’s go hit some more big ones in the tailrace. I’ll fish that every night this week. Well let’s just fast forward through that cause there ain’t much to talk about there.
Ok here we go, weekend #2 I’m going to spend 6 days in Brookings I’ll go get some more of those big ones. Mother Nature: “Yeah, alright dude. Snowstorm.” Head to the lake I picked that big over up in prefish. All I get is an 18 incher. That’s cool, look how much fun I’m having!
Friday rolls around, you know what let’s run to Flandreau we can get them in the day and they’ll be less affected by this 30 degree temperature drop (yeah it was wicked). Yep, thats smart we whack them. 17-20.5 inchers we can work with that! Let’s go back to the big fish lake. Nothing. Ok no biggie.
Oh is 30mph winds and sleet not enough, I’ll raise you to 40 and add 3 inches of snow. No big deal, we’ll run back to Flandreau. Second cast, boom 4.5lber. Well that’s fun, let’s go hit the numbers lake tonight and add to that. Oh really, you can’t catch fish when your line is freezing to your eyelets. Funny. That didn’t pan out.
Sunday, its gonna be nice today-37 degrees. Ok, let’s break out the cutoffs and hit Flandreau. Hook about 308lbs carp, that’s fine let’s hit the big fish lake again. Strike 3, you’re out. Awesome.
Week 3
Alright, we got this. Let’s go hit the tailrace hard. Ope, let’s just speed through that cause it ain’t exciting. Weekend 3 let’s go. Friday night-4 decent ones out of the tailrace. That’s a nice start.
Saturday rolls around and Bob Propst is on just an absolutely insane bite in Mobridge all week long. Each day just another awesome picture. Mason and I decide we have to go up there and just whack em. Heck, it will be so good let’s bring the photographer.
We get to the spot, I drop down literally not 3 minutes later just a piggy laying on it. Boom-set the hook. Get a couple turns, it pops up. That’s no fun. Two minutes later, Mason sets into one. Gets it halfway up, pops off. No worries, we’re on them. Look here’s another bite for me-ope let me lose that real quick. Yeah you get the idea. Well this is 0 fun. Luckily we’ve got a photographer here to document this mess.
Oh are your feelings hurt? Don’t worry nobody’s getting any good ones. Boats run in, boats run out. Boats run out, boats run in. Yeah don’t worry they ain’t going for anyone.
Well let’s go to the tailrace try to pick up another 4. Yeah, don’t worry that won’t happen. How about Sunday? Oh let’s drop another 25 degrees and blow 30. Right, forgot that was a thing.
Week 4
Well this ain’t looking good. Oh good news, my buddy Chris Seylar is over there just absolutely whacking them. 17s, 18s, 19s, overs oh yeah we’re gonna get them.
I head on out there, naturally there’s like 3 trillion people fishing Stone Bridge on Poinsett. Where’d they come from, isn’t there only like 800,000 in South Dakota? Ok well let’s start catching fish. Well 4 16-19s that isn’t too bad. Lots of little guys too. Chris says to me as we’re doing this, “yeah this bites going down hill quick.” Thanks dude, love your words of encouragement.
Well we’re pretty far behind right now, let’s go hit my favorite lake in the entire area. Don’t worry we don’t need a bite I just wanted to remember all the nice fish I’ve caught here. Cool. Okie dokie.
Well it’s garbage time now, great time to go catch a bunch of fish around Pierre. Okie dokie, they like minnows I guess. Don’t worry this didn’t work in prefish or week 1. All good. Let’s go hit the tailrace and try to hit 2 14lbers and get back in the fight. Well a 14 and a 15…..incher won’t work. Alright, I thought 2 state record caliber fish would be a fair ask….guess not.
Well……53.45lbs. Didn’t I say 130 was like bench mark? Nah, that’s crazy talk. Don’t worry Dad took the under so he’s happy. Thanks Dad.
My friends…..my October fishing summed up!! If you made it this far, I hope you at least got some chuckles! Good fishing! (unless you’re me)
(no picture because no fish….you know)
