For doubters believing Chautauqua Lake walleyes are few, far-between and hard to come by, New York Walleye Association members put on an impressive slide (drift) show last weekend.

NYWA held its Fall In-Club tournament Oct. 2-4 out of Redwood Ranch on Bemus Point. Member anglers were allowed to fish Chautauqua Lake waters only. Each of the 37 entrants could weigh in a three-fish limit of walleye measuring 18 inches or more during a two-day competition.

“A few got six and everyone had fun,” said NY-WA President Bob Zoeller. In fact, seven entrants logged six-walleye totals when it was over at noon on Sunday, Don Nickisher, tournament director, reported.

Bemus Point-area NYWA members were the top four finishers. All successful boaters slide around edges of deep holes west of Long Point for their best catches.

High winds on Saturday forced anglers to throw in a drift sock to slow the rate of speed along the ledges and edges of holes that reached 65-to 70-foot depths at their centers. On Sunday, the winds subsided, but an increased chill added to the general cold-front conditions all walleye anglers faced. Better walleye results came in Saturday’s choppy waters than when light breezes moved through on Sunday.

Drifters worked vertical jigs around these ledge-edges and found their best bites at 25-to 35-foot depths. The Bemus Point bunch scored best with the famed Gotcha lure. Dayton Kane, assistant tournament director, described a Gotcha as “A pencil with a red head.”

Gotchas wrote the book for top finishers in the NYWA tournament. When the contest ended at noon on Sunday, Bemus Point angler Al Cornell Jr. had weighed in six walleyes for a top total of 24.5 pounds. He also took biggest ’eye with a 7.58-pound entry.

Tom Uhl of Bemus Point took second with six walleye weighing 22.5 pounds. Third place went to Chris Kruse, Bemus Point, with five fish totaling 18.5 pounds. Bob Mowry of Alden caught five walleyes that weighed a total of 17.12 pounds.

Kane compared open water conditions to those seen on Lake Erie. Despite the winds, occasional rain, and a steady cold front, catches of larger ’eyes came as a nice surprise.

As for Gotchas, a vertical jigging lure mainly used during ice fishing seasons, area anglers note they can only find them at Hogan’s Hut in Stow or Happy Hooker Bait&Tackle in Ashville.

The weigh-in was impressive, said Nikisher. “They brought in 45-50 fish during the contest. All entrants got door prizes and blind drawings after the tourney,” he added, referring to the club’s fish-fry cookout and awards ceremony on Sunday afternoon.

For anglers still interested in eying Chautauqua ’eyes, go deeper with tackle more akin to ice-fishing season. It’s a gotcha.