The 52nd Annual South Dakota Governor’s Cup will take place this weekend, July 18-19, launching onto Lake Oahe out of Spring Creek Recreation Area north of Pierre.
Tournament Schedule
The event weekend begins with a rules meeting at the Ramkota Hotel and Convention Center, with doors opening at 4 p.m. CT and the Calcutta and rules meeting taking place at 6 p.m. CT.
Take-offs will then begin at 7 a.m. Saturday, July 18, at Spring Creek Recreation Area. Weigh-ins will then begin at 3 p.m., also at Spring Creek Recreation Area, before anglers head back out to do it all again on Sunday, July 19. Awards will take place following the conclusion of weigh-ins Sunday.
The Lieutenant Governor’s Cup will take place Saturday, July 18 from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Spring Creek Recreation Area marina and bay. This event is open to youth ages 5-16, and is limited to 150 participants.
Fishing Conditions
Summer is at full power on the prairie, and anglers have spent the week pre-fishing in 100 degree heat with strong south winds. Tournament weekend will bring more of the same, with temperatures into the upper 90s and low 100s expected throughout both days of fishing.
Wind should play less of a factor, with a continuing south breeze between 10-20 mph forecasted for both days. Consistent conditions, albeit hot, should help set up for a better bite for anglers that can find a good pattern.
Despite the heat, there are quality fish to be caught in the system. Excellent numbers of fish between 17-19 inches, or those “slot” fish, or fish less than 20 inches, will play an important role in rounding out anglers’ bags.
Trophy caliber fish remain present in the system in good numbers, with many “over” fish between 20-23 inches. Those fish larger, the 27-30 inches, will be critical for determining who sits atop the leaderboard after two days of fishing.
Anglers to Watch
The field consists of 200 two-person teams, which will be led out by last year’s champions Beau Schilling and Ben Beadle. Beau and Ben set a tournament record in 2025 with 61.51 pounds for a two-day weight. After a massive 31 pound bag on Day One, Schilling and Beadle never looked back on their way to the victory.
Learn More: 2025 South Dakota Governor’s Cup Shatters Record Tournament Weights
The 2025 second place team, Beau’s father and sister, Chad and Samantha Schilling will head out on to the water as Team 110. The Schillings weighed 48.30 pounds for 2nd place in 2025.
The biggest question heading into the 2026 event is if the similar quality of fish are going to cross the scales again, and recent events on Lake Oahe point toward more of the same.
Lake Oahe is a trophy walleye factory, and anglers have a legitimate chance to catch a fish up to 12 pounds or even bigger. Recent events on Lake Oahe throughout the 2026 season have shown similar quality of fish crossing the scales.
The 2025 National Walleye Tour (NWT) event fishing out of Mobridge saw Jason Stahl at the top of the leaderboard after two days of fishing, with a 46 pound 12 ounce bag. Stahl brought both a 32 and 30 inch walleye across the scales, and he’ll head out for the Governor’s Cup with his partner, Jeremy Roe, for Team 71.
Learn More: Lake Oahe Slugfest Ends with Jason Stahl National Walleye Tour Champion
The NWT Co-Angler Champion for the Lake Oahe event, Rick Darling, summed it up best when asked his thoughts on the reservoir.
“The big fish that are here, you just know coming in you’re going to have to have two fish that are 30 inches to compete and they’re there,” said Darling. “The number of big fish we caught pre-fishing and in the tournament is just incredible.”
The big walleye also presented themselves just last week at the Tom and Matt Hill Memorial Walleye Tournament fishing out of West Whitlock Recreation Area. In total, 334 walleye were weighed with the largest walleye being 12.88 pounds and the largest youth walleye coming in just shy of 10 pounds, at 9.90 pounds.
The winning team had a weight of 27.42 pounds, which was anchored by a 10 pound walleye. That team was led by Sam Souter, who will roll out Team 117 with his partner, Wyley Petersen.
Darrell Peters won the 2025 Tom and Matt Hill Memorial before following up with a 4th place finish in 2026, and he’ll roll out with his daughter Kadence for Team 153.
Dusty Carroll was right behind the Peters with a 5th place finish, and he’ll roll out with his partner Greg Carroll as Team 4.
As always, any of these teams wishing to win the 52nd Annual Governor’s Cup are going to have to beat Tyson Keller and Duane Hjelm. Launching as Team 55, the combination of Keller and Hjelm is one of the winningest teams in Governor’s Cup history. Tyson Keller found similar success just this year, fishing out of Mobridge in the Denny Palmer Memorial.
Looking elsewhere through the field, Paul Steffen and Dave Steffen will launch Team 173 and Max Sheets and Gerrick McComsey head out Team 178. Dalton and Harry Decker, Casey Buechler and James Walti, and Michael Warren and Trevor Diegel round out historic names to watch throughout the Governor’s Cup.
An under the radar team looking to continue the youth movement is Gunner Neddo and Dylan Dodson. Gunner captured a 5th place finish in 2025, and launching Team 55, these young anglers are looking to make their names known on the leaderboard.
Teams to Watch:
- Beau Schilling and Ben Beadle
- Chad Schilling and Samantha Schilling
- Jason Stahl and Jeremy Roe
- Tyson Keller and Duane Hjelm
- Paul Steffen and Dave Steffen
- Max Sheets and Gerrick McComsey
- Casey Buechler and James Walti
- Michael Warren and Trevor Diegel
- Sam Souter and Wyley Petersen
- Darrell Peters and Kadence Peters
- Dusty Caroll and Greg Carroll
- Dalton Decker and Harry Decker
- Gunner Neddo and Dylan Dodson
Individuals wishing to follow along can watch The Fishing Crew Facebook page, as well as find results at TheFishingCrew.com. Weigh-ins will occur at Spring Creek Recreation Area, below Dock Side at Spring Creek, and individuals are encouraged to check out the event!
Stay tuned to Lip Ripper Fishing for more details and results for the South Dakota Governor’s Cup!
