Fishing Tips

Pick water with a consistent bite, book a licensed local guide who supplies the boat, sort your licence and lodging, and reserve early.

Roughly 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the water. What the day actually looks like, from the booking call to your fillets packed for the drive home.

For $100 on top of the trip rate your boat follows Wade’s to the same spots — you fish your own rig with 35 years of local knowledge leading.

Fly private straight into Mobridge, or come commercial through Bismarck, Aberdeen or Pierre. Drive times, and how pickup works.

Underrated smallmouth, pike big enough to test a net, and catfish that eat better than you would expect. What else is swimming out there.

Lake Oahe walleye are travellers — stacked on the north end in spring, working south through summer, deeper by fall. Where they move and when.

The Lazy A Ranch sleeps eight, $225 a night for up to 5 guests and $325 for 6 or more, with an evening fish fry on multi-day stays. Plus the rest of the Mobridge options.

Less than you would think. Your licence, layers, a sack lunch and a cooler for the fillets — Wade brings the boat, rods, tackle and bait.

Anyone 18 or older needs a South Dakota licence, even on a guided trip. What it costs, where to buy it, and the rules for kids.

Full days run $550 for two anglers, $625 for three and $700 for four — per trip, not per person. No deposit, and fish cleaning is included.