National Walleye Trail Lake Sharpe Pierre South Dakota And Personal Memories

The past week been following the practice for the lst event sounds like the contestants are finding the walleyes are in the middle of the spawn so a lot of small fish being caught, hard to find the larger females. Like me perhaps many of you have memories of fishing Lake Sharpe. One of mine is I was fishing a tournament on Sharpe the weekend after Easter. The boundaries were from dam to Antelope Creek. The Bad River was flowing with muddy water at the halfway point clouded the water from the Bad River Entrance south which cut the fishable area in half. A number of notable anglers competing plus the locals, no one found a walleye to weigh in. The prizes were given by drawing. That evening after the event a bunch of us were sitting outside our motel rooms, relaxing headed home in the morning. Within a block was another motel like ours the night before was full of tournament contestants which had left. Ron and AL Lindner stayed at this motel and on their way home fortunately. As we sat and enjoyed the evening, a explosion came from the motel and a huge fireball in the air. Later we found out there was a gas leak, and the motel exploded right in the middle killing the motels owner. Thankful it did not happen the night before the casualties would of been far worse

I have very fond memories of fishing on Sharpe.

33 years ago on Good Friday I caught this 32.5” walleye out there.
Me and a friend were 19 at the time and ran out there with his dad’s Lund Rebel with a 40 hp Evinrude.
I don’t think we were there 10 minutes and the fish bit my jig and minnow.

I had heard lots of small fish could be had for the tourney as well. Someone will find them and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.