The fifth week of the Tuesday Night Walleye Fishing League season in Pierre is complete and it was a big one for the Lip Ripper Fishing boys! Week Five saw Nick Harrington and Mason Propst capture their first victory of the season, bringing 12.20 pounds to the scale to take home the win!
It was a perfect evening to fish, with temperatures in the upper 70s, a slight breeze, and a mix of sun and clouds. Fish on Lake Sharpe continue to transition into their summer patterns, and while still fully not developed many of these patterns are beginning to continue to emerge more and more with the warming weather.
“We know what we like to do when the summer patterns take hold on Lake Sharpe and in pre-fish I was able to find a stretch that seemed to be holding a good number of fish,” said Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “We pulled in and were instantly rewarded with a 19 3/4, after that we knew it was going to be on.”
After about 40 minutes of fishing, the boys had a 20 1/2, 19 3/4, 16, and 15 3/4. The bite really slowed and waiting for the fifth fish proved to be stressful.
“After a couple empty passes I started to deviate from where we were, but I had a feeling that stretch would produce at least one more time for us so I didn’t waste much time letting it rest,” continued Harrington. “That pass we had a really solid 18 and at that point we knew we were in pretty good shape overall.”
After putting the fifth fish in the box, the boys had three more to work with as they attempted to make upgrades.
“We knew for sure we had to get rid of the 16 incher, mainly because it was a sauger, and we felt if we could upgrade the 15 3/4 we’d be alright too,” said Mason Propst, Owner of Mason Propst Fishing.
The sixth fish indeed proved to be an upgrade, a 23 1/2 incher that weighed 4.2 pounds.
“The second that one hit the net we knew we had it,” continued Propst. “At that point it was 8:15 and we figured we had about a half hour to work on putting together a mega-bag.”
Shortly after, the boys were able to get a 17 incher, and then ultimately a 17 3/4 right after.
“It as exactly 8:30 when Mason put the eight fish and final upgrade in the box, we aren’t due back in until 9:30 so that was when we put it on the trailer and the anxious wait began,” laughed Harrington.
The boys’ 12.20 pounds put a healthy gap on the field, winning by over 3 pounds. Throughout the pack, overall weights were extremely tight.
Tuesday Night Walleye Fishing League Week Five Top 5:
- 1st Place: Harrington/Propst 12.20 pounds
- 2nd Place: Anderson/Zilverberg 9.00 pounds
- 3rd Place: Laube/Menning 8.20 pounds
- 4th Place: Metzinger/Zilverberg 7.60 pounds
- 5th Place: Florentz/Weglite 7.00 pounds
“Overall I couldn’t have drawn up a better night on Lake Sharpe,” concluded Harrington. “I’m grateful to have this opportunity and proud when we’re able to put it all together like this.”
Casting for Recovery Donation
Each week throughout the Tuesday Night Walleye Fishing League season, plus Sharpe Showdown, for each pound the boys bring to the scale $1 will be donated to Casting for Recovery South Dakota.
Current weights/donations:
- Tuesday Night League Week One: $3.85
- Sharpe Showdown: $12.94
- Tuesday Night League Week Two: $6.79
- Tuesday Night League Week Four: $4.80
- Tuesday Night League Week Five: $12.20 x WIN DOUBLE=$24.40
Total Current Donation: $52.78
South Dakota Missouri River Summer Fishing Outlook and Report
Memorial Day means summer is here, which also means that summer fishing patterns are upon us as well. Summer always sees an increase in boat traffic, fishing pressure, and brings a different style of fishing than anglers were targeting throughout the springtime. We’ve got everything you need to know to help make this a great summer out on the water!
