2024 Open Season | Bragging Rights: Pierre angler hooks record walleye 

Years of learning the secrets hidden within the depths of Lake Oahe brought a Pierre, South Dakota angler his ultimate prize last November.  

Setting out by himself in his boat from Swan Creek at Akaska, SD, on Saturday morning, Nov. 11, 2023, Keith Pazour, 44, had only been on the immense lake about 20 minutes when he got action on his line. “I pulled into one of my favorite spots and checked the depth finder. This walleye hit my crankbait like a freight train. It kind of drug me around, and I said to myself, ‘What did I catch here?’ After reeling it in, I dug out my hand scale and knew I was tapping a record.” He got the fish on ice and called Game, Fish and Parks officers. He drove 45 minutes with his walleye to the ramp at West Whitlock Bay to meet for an official weighing at the bait shop. 

“The whole town of Gettysburg already knew I had a record walleye by the time I got to the ramp,” Keith said. South Dakota Game Fish and Parks’ personnel met Keith there and confirmed that it was a South Dakota record. Caught on a crankbait, the silvery walleye weighed 17 lbs. 13.92 oz. It was 33 1/8 inches long and 22 inches in girth.  

That same record had been broken just three weeks earlier by North Dakota resident Aaron Schuck, who also caught his record-breaking walleye from Lake Oahe. Schuck’s fish was roughly the same length but it weighed 16.5 pounds, or more than a full pound less than Pazour’s. Prior to Schuck’s catch, the South Dakota walleye record had stood for 21 years. 

Even though he had the feeling it was a record, when they verified the size, “I was just floored and couldn’t say much, a little overwhelmed. I’m getting it mounted right now. I don’t like killing big fish, but this was an exception. Most of the time, I catch and release.” 

“My wife Erin, with our daughters Trinity, 17, and Gracie, 10, came out from Pierre for the weigh-in,” Keith said. “Driving home, the phone wouldn’t stop ringing. I got calls to do two podcast interviews. I’m just a normal guy who caught a really big fish.” 

There is no prize money for catching the record fish, but in the angling world, bragging rights mean a lot. And it’s a tribute to those who instilled the love of fishing in him.  

Keith grew up fishing with his grandpa Leonard and his uncles. They were all dedicated anglers, traveling all over the Missouri River when Keith was young. “I really felt that grandpa was with me that day, guiding me to this big walleye.”  

He explained, “Oahe is a big body of water and it takes years to figure out the fish migration, how the fish travel the system and where they like to hang out. It’s not so much looking at a map but at features of the lake. It also makes a difference if the dam is holding water or letting some out. Water temperature plays a key role. Some fish will be in 10 feet of water in the morning and by 3 p.m. will be at 50 feet.” 

Keith believes it is easy to catch a lot of fish and people can have a lot of fun. Some go for bass, some for catfish. Targeting the bigger ones takes time and luck.  

“I am a walleye snob,” he said. “That’s what I enjoy. It’s a little harder fish to catch, depending on the time of the year and what the fish are going after.” 

He’s learned to ‘match the hatch,’ seeking to sync the bait used with the fish the walleye chase. The deep water lake herring are a favorite of the walleye, so he digs out the biggest crankbaits he can find. That seems to work.  

From his experience, he knows the bigger fish are intent on chasing the lake herring, starting in early to mid-June. He knows that as he’s seen one walleye with herring sticking out of its mouth when caught. That demand can go all the way into October or until the lake ices up. The lake herring are greasy and can be up to 13 inches long.  

When fishing, Keith maintains a high level of organization and insists on everything being just right. “I’m pretty superstitious, I guess. There are certain routines. I can’t put water in the live well until I catch a fish. As soon as I put the pliers back in place, a rod will go off.” 

Everyone in the family loves fishing. Keith knows there are bigger walleyes out there and he and his family will fish to find the next one. Keith enjoys traveling and chasing big walleye through the summer. He’s had a big one at Winnipeg and on Lake Francis Case. He’s passing on the tricks he has to his daughters while having a lot of fun doing it.  

His grandpa passed on in 1997, but Keith continues to feel his presence when out fishing. “I dug his fishing boat out of the barn and fished out of it for two years with great luck. The walleye boat I have now is a 20 ft. Triton. I feel the luck transferred to it and grandpa likes this boat.” 

“My mind is always working, trying to figure the fish out,” Keith said. “I love the hell out of it. I love the chase. Catching is fun, but the chase gets me going. It’s not relaxing. My kids call me intense. Most weekends, from sunup to sundown, I’m out fishing.”  

“Walleye are a challenge. They have a tiny brain about the size of a walnut. But they can fool me and drive me nuts. Their eyesight is incredibly good, and the bait has to look perfect. The challenge is to figure them out. I do have fun trying to do that.”