South Dakota Fish

[Wallijig]

One of my fishing buddies took a outdoor writer out fishing. He wrote article on their SD fishing adventure.

https://www.siouxcityjournal.com/sp...cle_648bb64b-ab4d-5bc4-8fb2-560b4b41d2cf.html

 

[Wallijig]

Here's follow up article on their bass fishing trip:
https://www.siouxcityjournal.com/sp...cle_52966aba-35c8-53c2-961a-dda2951a2201.html

 

[Wallijig]

We are starting to get some had water around my place now and not having to drive north anymore.
Had fun last night. ;D ;D ;D
Got only 2 eyes, but they both were over 28"

 

[Wallijig]

Another Hardwater SD fatboy from this weekend :

 

[BOB350RX]

how thick is the ice up there now? that ice is realy clear, very nice eyes though!!!! weve had 50 plus degree days down here... yuck im ready for some snow...

 

[Wallijig]

Down in SE SD where I am fishing I have been fishing on 3" on small sloughs in shallow water. Lakes are open yet with edges just froze. This week we are not supposed to get above 30* with lows around 0* so we should have most everything icefishable by weekend.
Up in NE SD they have been on ice since before thanksgiving, hear they have 6" on small sloughs and lakes are around 3". They are to be below 0* most of week, so lake should be more fishable there after week also.

 

[Wallijig]

Man this moon getting full is sure turning on the eyes. :lol:
One of my best evenings yet.
Caught and released a 27" and 29" eye. Broke line on another hawg.
Hooked a 21" bad so I kept it also caught a 19" that looked like a football. figured why not keep that one to long as getting knife dirty.
Here they are:

Here' picture of 27" I released it's to right of my foot. the 21" is in front of foot.
29" flopped back down hole before I got chance to get picture.

 

[BOB350RX]

man those are some nice fish, makes me really want to go back to south dakota... i had a ball in burke, sooo much nicer than ohio.

 

[Wallijig]

Come one over. You know in may places in SD there are shortages of workers. help wanted signs everywhere. specially up n NE where we have some of the best hunting and fishing in the state. The Aberdeen area is beggin for workers to come to town. Also the in the south Mitchell is also short on workers. Was in news other day some big manufacturing places are having hard time finding workers.

 

[BOB350RX]

would be really nice to do so but the housing crap has me pinned in a house here that i cant sell for what i paid for it, i noticed that when i was out there alot of work out your way thats for sure.

 

[Wallijig]

Well another buddy got a dandy the other day.
in the 14lbs range

 

[Wallijig]

with this unusual warm weather we have been having this winter is being hard on ice, but we are still able to get some hardwater eyes.
Here's my buddy Cory with dandy.

 

[earl60446]

Wow
Those are some impressive fishing reports, I am not into the hard water fishing but how about steering us to some of the good fishing lakes in the south east part of the state for some next year fishing come the soft water period.
Tim

 

[Wallijig]

Wow
Those are some impressive fishing reports, I am not into the hard water fishing but how about steering us to some of the good fishing lakes in the south east part of the state for some next year fishing come the soft water period.
Tim

Actually majority of those fish come from SE SD. It's where I live.
If just want to catch and release can not beat Twin Lakes in Minnehaha co. It has great number of eyes in the 16"-26" range. plus not unheard of to get one over 28". Musky are found in couple lakes in area. 81 ponds have the bigger ones (over 40") in it. Island lake was more recently stocked with most in the 30"s inch in range. both those lakes are great small mouth fisheries also. Lake Thompson would be one the of best chances to catch a limit of eyes. One of the largest lakes in state with one of the best populations.
Here's a link to SD Game, Fish, and Parks with lake maps, access points, stocking and netting reports
https://gfp.sd.gov/fishing-boating/tacklebox/default.aspx
Also great resource is local bait shop forum:
https://forum.dakotaangler.com/index.php

 

[earl60446]

Wow
Those are some impressive fishing reports, I am not into the hard water fishing but how about steering us to some of the good fishing lakes in the south east part of the state for some next year fishing come the soft water period.
Tim

Actually majority of those fish come from SE SD. It's where I live.
If just want to catch and release can not beat Twin Lakes in Minnehaha co. It has great number of eyes in the 16"-26" range. plus not unheard of to get one over 28". Musky are found in couple lakes in area. 81 ponds have the bigger ones (over 40") in it. Island lake was more recently stocked with most in the 30"s inch in range. both those lakes are great small mouth fisheries also. Lake Thompson would be one the of best chances to catch a limit of eyes. One of the largest lakes in state with one of the best populations.
Here's a link to SD Game, Fish, and Parks with lake maps, access points, stocking and netting reports
https://gfp.sd.gov/fishing-boating/tacklebox/default.aspx
Also great resource is local bait shop forum:
https://forum.dakotaangler.com/index.php

Thanks for the info, a true gentleman.
Tim

 

[Wallijig]

I got my bro-inlaw into ice fishing this yr. he got his boys into there first ice eyes.
They each got their limited as well as dad of these dandies. Plus all limited out on perch.
Think I have a couple more boys hooked on fishin'

 

[JasonLester]

Man those are some nice fish. We're driving through in May for a motorcycle trip. We're headed to Montana and we unload the bikes and ride to AK. SD is nice. Been there the last couple years...unfortunatly never seem to have time to fish.

I may have to change that in the future

 

[DuraCraft]

Well I'll be a suck-egg mule!! Man, those are nice! I had no idea SD had such fish! Seriously! And here all this time, I have been wanting to go to South Dakota to hunt pheasants! Hmmm, some day, some day.

 

[Wallijig]

Feels great to be back out in boat again!!
Most of the lakes are ice free now and walleyes are on the bite!!!
I got 7-8 eyes over 22" like this one and lost count of 14"-19" eyes. With spawn about to happen fish are on a big feedin frenzy get one about every cast and it's a BLAST!!!!!

 

[Wallijig]

Spawn is in full swing and fish are about jumping in boat.
Caught some 17" eyes and this 23" male. As you can tell by floor in my boat he's milking.

Also pulled about 80 of these dandy perch out to join us for fish fry.