Day One of the 2025 South Dakota Governor’s Cup is in the books and it was Beau Schilling and Ben Beadle that stole the show with a massive 31.05 pound bag! The mega bag was highlighted with an 11.36 pound big fish.
“I was expecting some big weights, but this was something truly spectacular,” said Nick Harrington, Owner of Lip Ripper Fishing. “Beau is one of the most talented young anglers in the sport, and his talent was on full display today.”
Despite the tremendous bag, the lead is far from safe heading into Day Two. There were numerous big fish that crossed the scale, with multiple fish over 10 pounds. Max Sheets and Gerrick McComsey hold the second spot with a 27.91 pound bag, which was anchored by a 10.57 pound big fish. Michael Warren and Travor Diegel also had an 11 pounder, 11.27 pounds, which put them in third place with 27.20 pounds.
“Live scoping has become such a major factor in tournament fishing, particularly on Lake Oahe here in South Dakota, and it’s no surprise to see the top live scopers at the top of the leaderboard,” continued Harrington.
Jackson Hilton and Jack Oberg brought in 23.04 pounds for fourth place, which also featured an 8.83 pound big fish. Rounding out the Top Five is Samantha Schilling and Chad Schilling, with 22.51 pounds and a 7.62 pound big fish.
The rest of the Top Ten includes Wayne Wilcox and Owen Wilcox with 22.45 pounds. Tyson Keller and Duane Hjelm brought in 22.30 pounds. Paul Steffan and Dave Steffan hold eighth with 21.34 pounds. Josh Moret and Joe Lower had a 20.57 pound Day One. Jeremy Gehrke and Jason Gehrke round out the Top Ten with 20.48 pounds.
Day One South Dakota Governor’s Cup Top Ten Standings:
- 1st: Beau Schilling/Ben Beadle 31.05 pounds
- 2nd: Max Sheets/Gerrick McComsey 27.91 pounds
- 3rd: Michael Warren/Travor Diegel 27.20 pounds
- 4th: Jackson Hilton/Jack Oberg 23.04 pounds
- 5th: Samantha Schilling/Chad Schilling 22.51 pounds
- 6th: Wayne Wilcox/Owen Wilcox 22.45 pounds
- 7th: Tyson Keller/Duane Hjelm 22.30 pounds
- 8th: Paul Steffan/Dave Steffan 21.34 pounds
- 9th: Josh Moret/Joe Lower 20.57 pounds
- 10th: Jeremy Gehrke/Jason Gehrke 20.48 pounds
The day saw changing weather patterns, with a storm system moving through in the morning following take-off. Temperatures remained low, failing to reach above 70 degrees on the day. The changing weather, fluctuating winds, and cooler temperatures played a major role in patterns anglers had been focusing on. Overall, it was a tough day for Nick Harrington and Mason Propst.
“Today was a tough bite, the changing weather conditions had fish in a very negative mood for what we were looking to do,” elaborated Harrington. “Fish were extremely tight to bottom, often buried, and when they bit it they barely would just pick up the bait. If you didn’t get them when they first grabbed it, they spit it and were gone.”
Despite the tough bite, catching fish wasn’t the challenge, with numerous walleyes entering the boat.
“We caught a ton of fish, lots of fish just short of that 15-inch tournament minimum, and some really nice smallmouth bass too,” detailed Harrington. “The goldeye bite was particularly on fire it seemed too.”
While Day One wasn’t ideal, the boys remain confident in their pattern.
“We were on the right fish, we just couldn’t get them to go,” concluded Harrington. “Things can change on a dime on Lake Oahe, and we’re hopefully due for some positive regression.”
The 2025 South Dakota Governor’s Cup Champions will be crowned following Day Two, with take-off beginning again at 7 a.m. Sunday, July 20. Complete Day One results are available at TheFishingCrew.com with full coverage on The Fishing Crew Facebook page.
