Ice-out on Oahe depends entirely on the wind and weather, but generally occurs during the last week of March or first part of April. Last year, rumors of open water on the lower reaches of Oahe were a little deceiving, as the bays always put on a good layer of ice and only the channel area remained open at times.

Palmer prefers to hit the lake on a warm, sunny day with little wind. Of course, those days are rare at this time of year, which can make planning a trip tough. "I fish when I can," he stated. "But I love those first nice days after ice-out. I set up from dawn to dusk, but my best action is from 10 in the morning to about 3 in the afternoon."

Spring pike fishing is very relaxing. There are no big secrets to catching them -- just put in the time and have patience. Palmer prefers the biggest smelt he can find on a quick-strike rig. "I let the weight of the smelt take the bait down," he offered, "and I rebait and recast every hour. This is also the one time of year when I am a firm believer in scent. These fish are roaming around looking for an easy meal, and that is just what I want to offer them.

Guide Karl Palmer doesn't pull up into just any bay -- he spends hours boating and graphing before he finds what he's looking for, and the extra effort pays off in spades when it comes time to fish. But he always cautions anglers that fishing for big pike is still a tough bite.

"I think a good muskie or pike scent helps them find the bait; it certainly doesn't hurt. I like to place my bait in the channel where it approaches a shallow shelf. Pike use these channels like roads, and so you want to put your baits on and along the channel."

At Oahe, Palmer pointed out, low-water conditions actually make the fishing easier. "The bays are more defined now," he said, "and a lot of unproductive water can be eliminated. There are a million bays on the lake, but they are not created equal. I look for a bay that has a good channel and easy access to deep water.

"The perfect bay is next to deep water with a 12- to 16-foot channel leading onto a shallow shelf. When I find a good bay that produces, I stick with it and let the fish come to me. These fish stage in deep water -- and when the dinner bell rings, you had better be ready."

Because of the sport's laid-back simplicity, spring pike fishing gains in popularity every year. "It gets busy on the weekends and some of the accessible bays get a little crowded," said Palmer. "I like to have several bays scoped out that have all the right depth conditions, then beach the boat and cast from shore. From there on it is a waiting game."

Palmer doesn't pull up into just any bay -- he spends hours boating and graphing before he finds what he's looking for, and the extra effort pays off in spades when it comes time to fish. But he always cautions anglers that fishing for big pike is still a tough bite. "You are fishing for a fish of a lifetime and they seldom come easy," he observed. "It can take a few hours to get a bite, or it can take a few days. It's a big waiting game, but when you hook up with a fish of this caliber, all of the waiting is forgotten and it is worth every minute."

The SDDGFP's John Lott agreed. "The thrill of catching a 20-pound pike gets the attention of every angler in the state," he said, "but not everyone who fishes the lake is going to go home with one; the odds are definitely in the fish's favor. But set the hook into one of these brutes, and you're hooked for life."