Fall is in full swing, the leaves are dropping, pheasants and flying, and we’ve got (for the most part) another season in the rear-view mirror. The 2023 season was a full one, complete with both a fair share of ups and downs. I wanted to take a look back at the season, and recap both the highs and the lows.
The winter for 2022-2023 was a brutal one, usually we’re able to enjoy getting our boats in all year here on Lake Sharpe in Pierre, but that was not the case with heavy snow grasping us early. We were finally able to get out on the water in early-April, and even then, many of the spots we like to fish were still blanketed in ice.
After one last snowstorm, we were finally ready to dial in and start getting into the rhythm of spring fishing. The temperatures were looking good, and we were putting some really nice fish in the boat.
Then, the bite went south, quickly. The flows greatly decreased from the dam and the runoff from the heavy snowstorms hit in a big way. The river got very dirty, there was minimal flow, and the fish were in a very negative mood. Overall, the bite on Lake Sharpe was nonexistent and stayed this way for several weeks. The bite was so tough, that our first week of Tuesday Night Walleye Fishing League we were able to take home a Top 5 with one good bite!
As this was going on in Pierre, we headed down to Loup City, Nebraska for our first Nebraska Walleye Trail event of the year. This was both Mason and I’s first trip to Sherman Reservoir, and we were very excited to learn a new waterbody and start off the tournament season strong. The weather conditions did not want to cooperate, and 30 and 40 degree temperatures, with winds to their equal, greatly limited the amount of time that we could be on the water.
Despite this, we felt that we found something that had a great deal of potential. On tournament morning, while the rest of the boats ran to troll a community stretch, we ran to a completely different corner of the lake and started pitching jigs and minnows in a relatively small area. We were instantly rewarded, with a fish on the first cast and a bite on the other. We picked up a second quickly, and felt we were in a good spot to round out a solid bag. Unfortunately, the bite died on us just as fast.
We were disappointed with how Sherman went, but we were back and ready to go for the Sharpe Showdown here at home. The river continued to be very dirty, the bite very difficult, and little current to be found. We knew it was going to be a tough tournament, but we put in a major effort in pre-fish to find a bite that we felt very confident about. It was a long run, but we knew it would prove worth it if we were able to get the fish to go.
Taking off Day One, we enjoyed a smooth ride down river and pulled into our area. Shortly after, the fish fired up and we were able to put three good fish in the boat right away. We received the other bites we needed, but weren’t able to execute and get them into the boat. After this, our opportunity was gone, as the winds came up and mud began to blow into the (relatively) clean area that we had found. The bite was over, and the wind and ruined it for Day Two as well.
The bad finishes, poor weather, and nonexistent bites had us down. While we were starting League relatively well, 5th and 9th the first two weeks, this was then followed up by a poor finish further exasperating the low stretch. The bite was slowly starting to pick up, but spirits were still very down.
I turned to the notebook and looked at a couple entries I had from 2021 that pointed me to what I felt had the potential to be a relatively decent bite. I went to explore, and was instantly rewarded.
I stayed on this bite, and put a lot of work into getting things dialed in. I was rewarded, taking the win in our next Tuesday Night League in major fashion.
I was on a hot streak, and it seemed every time I dropped a line into Lake Sharpe, I was pulling a nice over out. There were plenty of slots too! The bite was excellent, and I was having fun again.
I quickly learned that the bite window was short and as fast as things can go up, they can go down again. The next week of League, confident I could emulate the same success, we zeroed! Such is the nature of the game!
I pivoted on bites, and we started focusing on my favorite traditional summer bite on Lake Sharpe. This was still hit and miss, with some days being very good, but unfortunately the next night of League the “boom or bust” ended up a bust.
Our Tuesday Night Walleye Fishing League here in Pierre is broken into quarters, with the first three quarters a three-night scoring tally. The final quarter was one where the momentum started to build again. After two weeks of disappointed, it was time to get hot again.
The next two weeks were consistent, with weights in the mid-7 pound range, good enough for 6th and 7th place respectively. The last week, with strong winds and thunderstorms in the area, we were able to fill a limit with two overs and three excellent slots with 1 hour and 20 minutes to spare. This night was good enough for the second win of the year to end our Tuesday Night League on a high note!
The reason for the success wasn’t because of great pre-fish, in fact, I spent all time not fishing League up on Lake Oahe, which was enjoying an absolutely spectacular bite! After a very tough 2022, the fishing on Lake Oahe was outstanding and the number of slots stood out in a big way. The bite was extremely fast, and the fish were in excellent shape, with many 15-18 inchers.
This led up to our Super Bowl, the South Dakota Governor’s Cup. I had never felt so confident going into a Governor’s Cup. The bite we were on, was lights out. We were consistently catching 17-23 inch fish and getting the occasional big one as well.
What had me so excited wasn’t the fish we were catching, but more so how we were catching them. All the fish we were getting were in less than 30 feet of water, with many significantly shallower. The Governor’s Cup is historically a deep-water bite, so to be finding these fish so shallow played directly into our strengths. Unfortunately, this all changed the Friday before.
We pulled into our spot on Day One, and all the bait that had been keeping our fish shallow, had slid out to 30-50 feet. Right behind them was our fish, and we watched our bite fall apart right before our eyes in prime time. The pre-fish was excellent. The execution was excellent, we didn’t lose any fish tournament time. The bite just fell apart on us, through no control of our own.
This was certainly a major disappointment for me, just because everything had been set up so perfectly for us to not only get a Top 10, but also contend for a win as well. I have a full detailed write-up of how the Governor’s Cup went, 2023 South Dakota Governor’s Cup Tournament Recap, that discusses all aspects of the event.
Following the Governor’s Cup, it was time to wrap up our time on Lake Oahe and head down to Nebraska, for the Merritt Open and Nebraska State Championship through the Nebraska Walleye Trail. This was my first time on Merritt Reservoir in Valentine, and it’s one of my new favorite waterbodies.
We enjoyed an awesome bite, with slots and some big ones too! Pre-fish was a great deal of fun, and we were extremely excited about how we could do in the tournaments. The Thursday and Friday before the bite was terrific, and just like at Sherman Reservoir as the field ran to troll a community spot, we went the other direction and dropped down bottom bouncers.
Just as the Governor’s Cup, the bite fell apart. The fish weren’t there, they were tight to the bottom and unwilling to bite. We once again watched a terrific bite fall apart on us when we needed it. After a disappointing Merritt Open, we failed to execute getting two big ones in the boat right away in the State Championship that cost us our opportunity.
This was another very disappointing event, but the important thing was we did it our way. We fished our own bite. We didn’t go with the crowd. We fished the way we do best. That’s what leads to wins and makes these events fun.
This concluded the 2023 tournament season and let to a fall of fun fishing and practice. The bite on Lake Sharpe was very good, and both pitching jigs and bottom bouncing resulted in good fish. Fall is one of the best times to fish Lake Sharpe, and this past fall proved that again.
Now, we’ll still get out and enjoy a fun bite as the weather permits. November and even December can produce excellent fishing on Lake Sharpe, and we’ll be sure to take advantage of these opportunities as they present themselves.
Overall, it was a really up and down 2023. The highs were high, with some of the best stretches of fishing of my career. The disappointments stung especially hard, as we knew how close we were to breaking through and making it our best year ever. Now, it’s time to set our sights on 2024!
Shout Out to Our Supporters
It takes a lot to go through a full season, from top-notch equipment to time and money, we’re fortunate to have terrific supporters that help us out on the water. We’d like to give a special shout out to many of the supporters that power us throughout the season.
JB Designs Custom Rods
Josh Bible builds top-notch rods, there is no other way to put it! JB Designs Custom Rods take your fishing to the next level and the only way to experience it is to use one! You’ll be sure to find JB Designs Custom Rods in our Lund rod lockers when it comes tournament time!
Beech’N Baits
Carlee Beecher is a highly talented lure painter, and her custom baits are constantly putting extra fish in our Lunds! Just like Josh’s rods, if you’re looking to take your fishing to the next level be sure to check out Beech’N Baits for a fully customized presentation!
Mack’s Lure
Both Mason and I love to bottom bounce, and there is no better bait for bottom bouncing than the Mack’s Lure Smile Blade! They offer more than just Smile Blades though, all of our snell components come from Mack’s Lure and there is something for anglers of all species too!
Allie Ellingson Photography + Design
Allie is an outstanding photographer and graphic designer, which is why Allie Ellingson Photography + Design is the official branding partner for Lip Ripper Fishing. Allie is constantly making us look good, from our photos to our logos and everything in-between.
Follow Along All Season Long
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Support the 2024 Season
We’re making plans right now for the 2024 season and if you’d like to be involved, we’d love to have you! When you support us, you’ll have your business in front of thousands of tournament anglers, guide clients, and tens of thousands of individuals on our website and social media platforms. If you’re looking for more information, check out our 2024 Media Guide.
