The 3rd Annual Sharpe Showdown is in the books, and the weekend capper proved to be just as close as the National Walleye Tour (NWT) event that took place the Thursday and Friday before.
After two very, very windy days of fishing it was Ryan Thompson and Matt Lyon that brought 19.14 pounds across the scales, anchored by a 5.16 pound walleye from Day One. They were followed by Kevin Merrill and Tim Agenda, with two consistent bags for a total of 17.35 pounds. Third place was Brad Saathoff and Josh Spies, bringing 17.09 pounds.
High winds and rain greeted the anglers for the first day of fishing, and while the rain subsided on day two, the wind did not!
“I grabbed myself a Cold Snap CS One suit literally at the rules meeting on Friday night and let me say I field tested it quite well,” joked Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “Between the rain, wind, and waves we were taking it was the most comfortable and dry I’ve been in those conditions, and I was quite impressed! There was one spot that the water snuck it, but once I mastered the complexity that is zippers, I really was comfortable!”
This resulted in a changing bite due to spawning conditions changing even more.
“The biggest takeaway to me was seeing how dependent we are as anglers on consistent weather patterns and winds,” said Tom Sieburg of Tom Tom’s Guide Service. “It was interesting to see how much fish behavior and movement was dictated on wind conditions.”
While the winds were the story, the spawning conditions played an even greater role on the bite.
“We literally hit the middle of the spawn with this event,” said Nick Harrington of Lip Ripper Fishing. “Friday we had two spawned out, or ‘spent’ saugers, and four walleyes that were still holding eggs. Sunday I literally had a 19 ¾ inch sauger dropping eggs in my hand.”
The wind and spawn made for an ever-changing bite, and while catching fish was not the problem for many, catching the right fish was.
“We have had so many fish in the boat the last nine days, and there are so many shorts and fish between 15-17 inches,” continued Harrington. “Finding those right fish was a challenge, and then once you did they’d move on you yet again.”
The busy week of fishing was felt by the anglers, with many NWT anglers making their first trip to Lake Sharpe and experiencing the challenge the fishery can bring.
“Lake Sharpe is a numbers factory, and it’s a great place to come and test your abilities on both patterning fish, and most importantly mental fortitude,” stated Sieburg. “This waterbody can grind on some of the toughest anglers on planet Earth.”
It was a grind for Harrington and Sieburg, who were able to bring consistent bags to the scales each day for a 13.38 pound total, but weren’t able to find the big over they needed.
“Each day we had our five fish relatively early and dedicated the rest of the time to targeting one of those fish that can propel a bag up the leaderboard,” concluded Harrington. “Unfortunately, we never got that big bite, but to have a limit of fish in the box and the opportunity to take that gamble is all you can ask for on Lake Sharpe.”
Sharpe Showdown Top Ten:
- 1st Place: Ryan Thompson/Matt Lyon 19.14 pounds
- 2nd Place: Kevin Merrill/Tim Agenda 17.35 pounds
- 3rd Place: Brad Saathoff/Josh Spies 17.09 pounds
- 4th Place: Josh Freeseman/Justin Cole 16.98 pounds
- 5th Place: Lorin Skipper/Justin Skipper 16.79 pounds
- 6th Place: Harry Decker/Dalton Decker 16.47 pounds
- 7th Place: Chase Suiter/Barry Seyer 16.45 pounds
- 8th Place: Kenny Edgmon/Steve Fahey 16.42 pounds
- 9th Place: Ryan Weekly/Travor Diegel 16.40 pounds
- 10th Place: Max Sheets/Tyson Keller 16.26 pounds
Complete results are available through The Fishing Crew, and a complete write-up detailing both events will be available in the coming week.
National Walleye Tour Results
The first event of the National Walleye Tour season kicked off the week, and it was Bobby Crow who was able to bring a monster bag on Day One to propel himself to a victory! Find out the full story from Lake Sharpe, and see the results from the first event of the NWT season!
