About Karl

Hello and welcome to DAKOTAWALLEYE.COM, home of Karl Palmer Guide Services. I am a South Dakota native, 45 years old, born and raised in Miller, SD 75 miles east of Pierre. I grew up fishing in small lakes and ponds. Many of my early days were spent in a belly boat catching bass, panfish and an occasional northern pike. I purchased the belly boat for $35.00 with money earned from my paper route. I still use this belly boat.

My dad built an ice shack for me when I was 12. I spent almost every day after school ice skating and fishing. My dad would drop me off at the lake after school and pick me up at 10 pm. There was always fish to clean when he got there. In 1980 my cousin Dutch gave me a 12 foot boat, I still use this boat and shot a few ducks out of it last fall, 30 years later.

After graduating from Miller High School I went to a 2-year cooking school to learn how to be professional chef. After becoming a chef I worked in one of the state's finest restaurants in Sioux Falls, SD preparing meals for many famous people and dignitaries. Four years later the call of the outdoors was too great and I moved to Pierre. A place known for world renowned hunting and fishing.

A Lund boat was soon in my driveway. Every spare moment was spent on the water refining and honing my fishing skills. It wasn't long before I was guiding on a full time basis. I truly have found my nitch in life. Which is taking people from all over the United States and showing them the tremendous fishing adventures this area has to offer. I really enjoy taking families out fishing and seeing kids catch a lot of fish. They get so excited! I have collected many great memories over the years.

I currently live in Ft. Pierre, and have lived in this area for 24 years. Ft. Pierre is a historic town. You can fish 10 feet from where Lewis and Clark first met the Sioux Indians at the mouth of the Bad River. Within 5 miles of my house there are places where calvary forts and fur trading posts once stood. On the bluff behind my house, wagon wheel ruts from the old Fort Pierre/Deadwood trail are visible. Hundreds of wagons hauled supplies from Missouri River steamboats to the early pioneers and miners of the Black Hills. They traveled just yards from where my place now stands. This is home for the rest of my life. World class fishing is right out my door, I live about 2 blocks from a bait shop, a little less than a mile to a boat ramp on Lake Sharpe and 4 miles to a boat ramp on Lake Oahe. I fish over 150 plus days a year with over 100 of them guiding.

I have been featured in the June 2007 and March 2009 issues of Field and Stream Magazine as one of the nations top fishing destinations and the Omaha World Herald, 11 different issues of Great Plains Game and Fish magazine and on The Ugly Del Show on WWTC radio in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I am a licensed U.S Coast Guard Captain. Ref. # 2987218

I Have 45 South Dakota Trophy Angler Awards, CPR and First Aid certification, a South Dakota Safe Boating Certificate and I am commercially insured. I have placed highly in several local tournaments and entered 2 professional walleye tournaments; the Team Walleye Circuit and the RCL Walleye Tour. Both of these tournaments were on Lake Sharpe. I took 3rd place in the Team Walleye out of over 80 boats and placed 29th out of 150 boats in the RCL.

Thank you for taking the time to check out my site. There are many useful links to check out. If I can be of any help please don't hesitate to . I am here to take care of you from start to finish. I will custom tailor packages to suit your every need from lodging, airport pickup and delivery, multi-boat packages and follow boat packages (your boat tagging along with mine). I will do my best to accommodate you.

Thank you and I hope to hear from you soon.
Karl