“PREFERABLY” is the active word here, as many walleye anglers have been fishing this year and have caught their limit every time. For many anglers, more fish is always better than the biggest fish. That has never happened to me in the last 60 years I have been fishing Lake Erie from the shores of Chautauqua County. It has been an incredible year for filling the freezer and sharing the catch with friends and neighbors. On the other hand, the hardest time to catch big fish has been when you have been in a tournament. There are so many walleye in the eastern basin of Lake Erie right now that it is overcrowded, or so it seems. The 9-, 10-, 11- and 12-pounders are nowhere to be found. Most fish are 2 to 7 pounds. There have been no complaints from anglers, but a few experts have figured out how to catch the biggest walleye in competitions. Read on.

Bob Rustowicz and his ancient fishing team, “Fishing forever”, were crowned champions of the 2024 Western New York Walleye Cup Series following the results of the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge last weekend.

The 2024 WNY Walleye Cup Championship Series was replaced when the old sponsor of the Lake Erie Walleye Champion Series decided to pull out. The new series received much praise from participants; it was well organized thanks to the hard work of Josh Larsen, owner/director of Primitive Patriot Outdoors and the WNY Walleye Classic/Dunkirk Walleye Festival event. The championship will use six of this year’s ten Lake Erie Walleye tournaments for scoring, with 1 point and decimal fractions in individual totals counting for each captain and his team. The tournaments included were the Walleye Classic, the weather-cancelled Barts Cove Duel 1, Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout, Barts Cove 2, Con Club Tournament and the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge. Director Josh Larsen used each of the 24 teams’ certified box weight counts to determine the top angling teams by points for the championship crown. Captain Bob Rustowicz and “Fishing forever” took first place, second place went to captain Rob Oram with “Symbol,” while “The man who dances with the fish” with captain Ron Diluba took third place. In addition to the crown, “Fishing forever” took home $1,200, “Symbol” received $720 and “The man who dances with the fish” I brought $480 to the bank.

“Congratulations to the teams that participated in the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge,” said Larsen. “The Innovative Outdoors tournament concludes the first annual WNY Walleye Cup Series. We had 24 teams registered. We had a blast hosting this series. It is a very exciting series with tough tournaments and fierce competition for the WWCS Cup. Congratulations to everyone and thank you for participating. Let’s make the series even bigger next year.”

Submitted photo: Chuck Szpylman won first place in the New York Walleye Derby with his 9.98-pound, 31-inch walleye from Lake Erie, earning him $1,300.

In a similar competition, but held over a longer period of time, the winners of the New York Walleye Derby were crowned this past weekend. The tournament ran from June 29th to August 11th and covered only the waters of Lake Erie in New York State. The event was run by the Steel Outdoors Group, the same efficient points team of Jim and Diane Steel who are also the leaders of the Innovative Outdoor Walleye Challenge.

“185 people registered for the $35 participation fee,” Said Jim Steel. “The top nine winners are quite happy with the results.”

First place went to Chris Szpylman with his 9.98-pound, 31-inch walleye, which brought in $1,300. Tim Hughes took second with a 9.14-pound monster, a $1,000 prize. Bernie Turner took third with 8.26 pounds, which brought in $800. Fourth was Josh Pfeiffer with 8.22 pounds, $550; fifth was Jay Bruecckl with 8.20 pounds, $450; local walleye mentor Tom Miranda took sixth with 8.14 pounds, $350; Peter Szklanka took seventh with 8.06 pounds, $300; ​​Timothy Marien took eighth with 7.74 pounds, $250; and Gorden Anderson finished ninth with £7.50, $200.

I love the nature rich in fish.

CALENDAR

August 24: NYS Hunter Safety Course, Springville Field & Stream, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 8900 Chaise Road, Springville. Online registration: https://dec.ny.gov.

August 29: NYS Hunter Safety Course, Ripley Rod & Gun, 6:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m., plus an additional half day, 9820 Rod and Gun Club Road, Ripley. Register online: https://dec.ny.gov. Attendance required for both days.

August 31: Labor Day skeet shooting, NSCA-registered event of choice, Hanover Fish & Game, 780 Overhiser Road, Forestville. Registration begins at 8 a.m., shooting begins at 9 a.m. Info: https://hanovercalys.com.

September 1: Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club family picnic, members only; 1 N. Mullet St., Dunkirk.

September 1: Hunting season for gray, black and fox squirrels begins in WNY.

September 6-7: WNY Walleye Association Lake Erie Walleye Tournament. Contact: Ron Kucinski: 716-545-5925 or email: [email protected].

September 9-22: 2024 early antlerless deer hunting season in New York State, see specific wildlife management units.