Jim Steel, director of the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge, kicks off the Big Fish Friday event today at the Clarion Hotel Pavilion. Weigh-ins begin at 5 p.m. Submitted Photo
In this fantastic fishing summer of 2024, local businesses were able to enjoy visitors who participated in more than 10 walleye fishing tournaments on Lake Erie from the shores of Chautauqua County. The boat ramps are too crowded, especially if you are an angler trying to launch from Dunkirk where parking is limited. However, if you are a small business owner, there is only one thing you can say: “Thank you very much!” While not all anglers who participate in these tournaments are long-distance travelers, many are fishermen who live one, two, or three hours away. They need a hotel room or a campsite. They need to buy groceries, fuel, and water. All of this helps our local economy, and the fishermen can’t wait to come back here next time. It’s a win-win for all of us. This weekend, starting today, the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge begins with the Big Fish Friday event, followed by the main fishing competition tomorrow. Jim and Diane Steel of the “Steel Outdoors Group” have negotiated special room rates at the Clarion Hotel Marina and Conference Center for registered participants and their families, and limited camping is available in the parking lot adjacent to the hotel.
What some anglers like about this tournament is the unlimited number of fishable waters. ALL WATERS of Lake Erie and the upper Niagara River are eligible for tournaments; this includes Canadian waters. All other tournaments this year have been limited to the waters of Lake Erie in New York State, and we have all questioned the relatively small size of the average catch of walleyes brought to the scales – no run of fish over 10 pounds.
Most of the fish weigh between 2.5 and 4.5 kilograms, which is a big difference from the old days of the late 80s, 90s and 2000s. The big question people are asking is why and what happened.
Well, for one thing, we have the highest number of walleye in Lake Erie in the history of NYSDEC records. There is more competition for the food base. More fish, same food base, less to eat for each fish. For another, this has been a strange year with rain, wind, and unusual storms from the east and south. The wind directions causing lake upheaval and rough seas. Some theories are that the larger fish from the western basin of Lake Erie never made it here. They stopped in eastern Ohio and are there now. It will be interesting to see if anyone from this tournament makes it that far west!
We’ll know soon, at the end of today – Big Fish Friday – when we watch the certified official scales at the weigh-in event that will be held at the Clarion Hotel Pavilion. Official fishing hours for Big Fish Friday are 6:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with weigh-in scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Weigh-in is open to the public. For the main event, fishing hours are 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with gun launches near the Point Gratiot Lighthouse just outside of Dunkirk Harbor. The Big Fish Friday event is not part of the tournament’s official payout structure, but is an additional event open to competitors who registered for the main event on Saturday. We previously reported that the Captain’s Meeting was held yesterday, Thursday, but that was incorrect and I apologize for that error. The Captain’s Meeting for this tournament will be held today at 6:30 p.m. at the Clarion Pavilion.
Josh Larsen, director of the WNY Walleye Cup Championship, says the competition for the title is tight. Submitted photo
In addition to managing and directing the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge, the Steel Group also hosts the annual NYS Walleye Derby, the annual Veterans Fishing Day in Chadwick Bay; they are President and Treasurer (respectively) of the Eastern Lake Erie Charter Boat Association (ELECBA); they attend seminars at the 2024 WNY Sport and Travel Show in Hamburg and the Greater Niagara Fishing Expo in Niagara Falls, and that’s not all. They host a television show in its fourth season called “Experience NY Outdoors TV.” Experience NY Outdoors is dedicated to filming fishing, hunting and other outdoor sports and activities to showcase what New York State has to offer athletes in a fun, exciting and positive way.
The show is broadcast on several Internet forums and is currently also offered on local cable television. The goal is a nationwide broadcast.
The main event of this tournament is also used to determine the WNY Walleye Cup Series champion. Six of the top 10 walleye tournaments on Lake Erie this year are included in the individual totals for each angler and their team. The six are the WNY Walleye Classic, Barts Cove Duel 1 (canceled due to weather), Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout, Barts Cove 2, Con Club Tournament and the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge. Rules state that competitors must compete in at least three events. Walleye Cup Series Director Josh Larsen uses the certified box weights for the top three tournament finishes and adds them to the total score. The $100 entry fee is paid to the top three finishers. The payout is 100 percent, with first, second and third place split 50/30/20 for the top three finishers. Right now, the standings are tight, with Captain Bob Rustowicz and team “Fishing forever” in first place with 102.24 points; close behind in second place is captain Rob Oram with “Team I-con” with 101.75 points and in third place is Team “The man who dances with the fish” with captain Ron Diluba. Team Kra-Mar, Team Mac Attack and Team Nicks Sporting Goods are just behind the leaders and in this last tournament of the year anything can happen that could change the overall championship standings. We will keep you updated.
I love the fish-rich nature!
Outdoor calendar:
August 7-18: Erie County Fair, Hamburg, NY; Visit the Conservation Building to see live fish and animals and get ideas for building nests in bluetit nest boxes.
August 16-17: Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge, Dunkirk Harbor from Headquarters in the Clarion Hotel Gazebo, $500 entry/team; info: Jim Steel, 716-481-5348 or visit https://innovative-outdoors.com.
August 17: NYS Hunter Safety Training, Cattaraugus Rod & Gun Club, 7732 Route 353, Cattaraugus, NY, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., register online at https://register-ed.com.
August 18: NYS Hunter Safety Training, Jamestown Rifle and Pistol Club, 2882 Busti-Stillwater Rd., Jamestown, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., register online at https://register-ed.com.
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Josh Larsen, director of the WNY Walleye Cup Championship, says the competition for the title is tight. Submitted photo
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Jim Steel, director of the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge, kicks off the Big Fish Friday event today at the Clarion Hotel Pavilion. Weigh-ins begin at 5 p.m. Submitted Photo
