The third annual Sharpe Showdown will take off from Downs Marina in Pierre onto Lake Sharpe on Saturday, April 26, and a champion will be crowned after two days of fishing on Sunday, April 27. This event is hosted by the Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce, and put on by The Fishing Crew.
There are going to be three major factors that come into this event, which include the spawn, weather conditions, and the current size structure of walleyes in Lake Sharpe.
“The spawn is going to play a major role in this event,” said Tom Sieburg, Owner of Tom Tom’s Guide Service. “This has made for a challenging bite, but you’re also going to see some nice fish come in as well.”
Water temperatures along the reservoir have been ranging from 43-49 degrees, which has put fish in all stages of the spawn.
“On complex systems, such as Lake Sharpe, you often see fish spawning in waves as you move along the reservoir,” said Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “You might see one area that’s holding pre-spawn fish, while another area is in post-spawn conditions. Factor in that fish will spawn at different times, particularly driven by their age and condition, and you’ve got a difficult challenge to pattern fish this time of year.”
Changing patterns has been a common factor among anglers throughout the week, which included the first stop of the National Walleye Tour (NWT).
“You often hear the phrase, ‘here today gone tomorrow’ on the Missouri River, and that’s especially true for this time of year,” continued Harrington. “Fish are moving both up and down the reservoir, but also shallow and deep as well. When you’ve got changing weather and spawning activity, this further exacerbates that situation.”
A relatively warm and comfortable pre-fish leading up to the event was thrown a curveball when cooler temperatures and rain hit the reservoir on Thursday, Day One of the NWT event.
“It was a big swing for those NWT anglers, but you still saw some major weights come across the scales,” stated Harrington. “I’ll admit seeing a 21 pound bag Day One made me extremely excited for our event, because it’s a reminder of what Lake Sharpe is capable of on any given day.”
Another curveball is in store for Sharpe Showdown, which will see warmer conditions but strong winds sweep across the reservoir.
“The high winds is going to play a big role because it will limit a lot of the boats from moving too much during the day,” explained Sieburg. “This will force anglers to spend more time grinding out their top spots, and also make a lot of decisions on where and how to focus even more critical.”
One of the most important decisions is going to be when to put a fish in the livewell and when to send it back.
“This event we weigh our best five fish and we can have seven total fish in the boat,” detailed Harrington. “You’re allowed one over 20 inches per angler, and you’re not allowed to cull walleye in South Dakota. Once it goes in the box, it’s yours for the day.”
Currently, Lake Sharpe has an abundance of fish between 14-18 inches, which makes selecting which fish to keep challenging.
“Patience is going to be key, boxing the right ones in the right order is what it comes down to,” elaborated Sieburg. “I’m confident that if you’re patient, trust yourself, and make the right decisions, it will come out to average out what you need over the two days of fishing.”
The most common weights have been 7-9 pounds, which averages out to about 1.40-1.80 pounds per fish.
“When you’re in this type of event, knowing the weights of your fish is key,” detailed Harrington. “I weigh all my fish in pre-fish to help me make those decisions, and there’s a lot of those fish coming in right about 1.25-1.35 pounds. Those chunky 15-16 inchers make a great fish fry, but the 17-18s are what you need come tournament time. That’s your 1.40-1.80 pounders, if not just a hair heavier.”
A busy week of fishing will conclude with Sharpe Showdown, and Harrington and Sieburg are hopeful their program will hold.
“We’ve been on a great bite, we’re getting those 17-18 inchers among those 15-16 inchers too, and I’m hoping our program holds through Sunday,” concluded Harrington. “Regardless we’re going to have a ton of fun, catch a bunch of fish, and enjoy a couple days on Lake Sharpe!”
Take-offs will begin at 7 a.m. each day, and weigh-ins will begin at 3 p.m. at Steamboat Park in Pierre.
Pre-Tournament Interviews
Nick and Tom shared their thoughts with Chasen Walter with In Through The Outdoors and The Fishing Crew, following Friday night’s rules meeting!
Nick shared his observations on spawn, and how the spawning activity is going to greatly impact the bite.
Tom Sieburg talked all things Lake Sharpe, and gets in-depth in his interview heading into the event.
Many of the statements made by Nick heading into the National Walleye Tour event will also hold true, with slot fish playing a key role in a battle of inches!
