Tournament fishing /By Will Elliott
Walleye tourney is 25 years old
Going fishing is fun. Add a measure of fair competition and the enjoyment expands in both the quest and the after-angling boast fest.
This year, the Southtowns Walleye Association (SWA) marks a quarter century of these enjoyable outings with its 25th annual walleye tournament set for Friday at midnight through June 21 at 4 p. m., which is Father’s Day and the first day of summer.
Fathers, mothers, elders, and a good number of fortunate kids have entered and won the SWA Tournament over the past 24 years. Contests have seen years of steady storms, prolonged sunny-calm days, limit catches, and days or a week with just one fish caught, which was enough to win the top prize one year.
During the walleye season, several anglers have caught ’eyes weighing in at and well above 14 pounds. But, as the stories always go, none yet have taken “the big one” while officially entered in the two dozen years of SWA competition.
This year, added to the money and merchandise prizes, there will be a special prize for the largest walleye officially weighed in at 14.01 pounds or larger. That fortunate fisher will take home a $10,000 prize from Emerling Chevrolet/ Ford.
With or without a 14-pounder on the board, entrants will take home a total of $22,000 in money prizes, plus valuable merchandise and drawing prizes presented during the awards picnic at the Armor Fire Hall Grove on June 27.
Top overall entry pays $4,000, second place wins $2,000, and third heaviest wins $1,000, with prizes paid for the 200 top ’eyes to tip the scales. Kids count too. Youths can sign up in a Junior Division.
Bob Witulski, tourney coordinator, said, “We’ve worked hard to make this anniversary tournament a major draw and a success all around.” Witulski, Jim Tunney and dozens of SWA members have set up sign-in sites and weigh stations all along the Lake Erie shoreline. For a list of locations and entry details, go to southtownswalleye.org.
For last-minute entrants, SWA officials will be at the Armor Fire Hall, 4932 Clark St. in Hamburg on Friday evening to take registrations until 9 p. m. For more details, call the club office Monday to Friday, 10
a. m.-2 p. m., at 649-8202.
Other outings
Many other derbies, contests, and/or tournaments are planned for June and July around Western and Central New York and in nearby Canadian waters. Here is a partial list of upcoming events.
• The Oneida Lake Fourth Annual Summerfest Walleye Tournament will launch out of Oneida Shores Park from 7 a. m. to 3:30 p. m. next Sunday. For directions and entry details, call Tom Means at (814) 362-1423 or (814) 331-3122.
• The 444 Walleye Tournament, first of three in a Top Gun Walleye Tournament Series, runs June 19-21 out of Port Colborne. For info on this and other slated tourneys, call Chris MacEachern (905) 834-1617 or visit pcdcc.com.
• To enter the Wagon Wheel Annual Opening Day Smallmouth Bass Contest June 20, register daily at the restaurant after 2 p. m. at 7201 Niagara Falls Blvd. in Niagara Falls.
• Lake Ontario Counties (LOC) Derby Summer Salmon Event offers anglers competition out of several ports for both salmon and trout. Derby weigh-ins go from June 20 to July 19. For this and all other LOC scheduled events, go to loc.org.
• The Cystic Fibrosis BassEye Challenge offers area anglers and noted celebrities a try at catching both bass and walleye out of Buffalo Harbor. BassEye doings are set for July 9-10. For details, call 686-9400 or go to basseye.org.
• New York Walleye Association Amara-Can teams of 2-4 anglers gather at Dunkirk Harbor to register July 10 for the July 11-12 competition. To enter, check with Bill Benk (692-7670) or Dayton Kane (875-8872).
• Can-Am Walleye Classic brings entrants to Sugarloaf Harbor Marina in Port Colborne on July 25-26 to try for the largest ’eye weighed in each day. For details, call the marina (905) 835-6644.
• The Fifth Annual Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club (NCCC) Walleye Derby is set for July 31 and Aug. 1 out of Dunkirk Harbor. Joe Jemiolo, derby coordinator, has all the details at 337-2782 or check with the NCCC Clubhouse (366-8836).
Many other small and larger contests welcome competitive anglers throughout the warm weather season. Bountiful fishing on Western New York’s many accessible waters make for enjoyable win-or-lose outings this coming summer and fall.
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