The Fishing Crew has announced their 2025 tournament schedule, which features an event on each of South Dakota’s major Missouri River reservoirs.
The season will begin with the Cedar Shore Walleye Tournament, April 12-13, fishing on Lake Francis Case out of Chamberlain. This traditional early season tournament will now be a two-day event, with both Saturday and Sunday counting towards the total weight for all anglers.
“We have a couple changes for Cedar Shore this year, we’re going to be having the tournament a week later and also make it simply a two day event,” said Curt Underhill, Tournament Director for The Fishing Crew. “Based on what we experienced last year this makes it both simpler and safer for anglers to participate in.”
The schedule will then move up the river to Lake Sharpe in Pierre for the 3rd Annual Sharpe Showdown. This event is hosted by the Pierre Chamber of Commerce and will take place April 26-27.
“This will be the Saturday and Sunday following the National Walleye Tour event,” continued Underhill. “We’re excited to have Lake Sharpe on full display this year.”
The two non-walleye events will take place around Sharpe Showdown, with a date for the Lake Oahe Pike Masters yet to be announced. The 3rd Annual South Dakota Governor’s Bass Cup will take place on Lake Oahe May 31-June 1.
“The Governor’s Bass Cup is a fast growing event that gets bigger every year,” said Underhill. “If you’re a bass angler that hasn’t yet been on Lake Oahe, you need to get signed up and experience it!”
The season will conclude with the 51st Annual South Dakota Governor’s Cup, which will take place July 19-20.
“Last year was a historic event, now we begin working on the next 50 years of the Gov Cup,” concluded Underhill. “We’re extremely excited for this year and hope everyone is able to join us!”
The season will cover all three major reservoirs in South Dakota: Lake Francis Case, Lake Sharpe, and Lake Oahe, and target walleye, bass and pike.
Registration for all events for The Fishing Crew begins January 1, 2025. Complete information can be found on TheFishingCrew.com.
The Lip Ripper Fishing boys are still finalizing their 2025 schedule, which is focused primarily on The Fishing Crew schedule.
“These are some of the biggest events each year when it comes to walleye fishing in South Dakota,” said Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “The South Dakota Governor’s Cup is the crown jewel event in the state, and Sharpe Showdown has become my personal favorite event each year.”
The tentative plan is to fish, at minimum, Sharpe Showdown and the South Dakota Governor’s Cup. Additional options for the schedule are Cedar Shore Resort Walleye Tournament and the National Walleye Tour event in Pierre.
“Right now, I’m planning on both Sharpe Showdown and Gov Cup,” continued Harrington. “Cedar Shore is always an interesting event, and obviously the bulk of the questions have revolved around NWT in Pierre, and honestly I just haven’t decided if I’ll be fishing in those or not.”
In addition to the larger events, the boys plan to compete in the Pierre Tuesday Night Walleye Fishing League as well.
“League is my favorite time of the year,” concluded Harrington. “There’s no better way to spend a Tuesday in Pierre than out on the water and I’m excited to do another fundraiser this year as well!”
Individuals interested in tournament walleye fishing across South Dakota can find schedules, results, and analysis on the Fishing Tournament News page.
