Bolles Harbor and Beyond

When it comes to fishing Lake Erie, the main question is always, who is willing to make a long run to find the bigger fish to win the tournament?  That was mostly the case again this year launching out Bolles Harbor.  Bolles Harbor is a nice launch and great parking to hold the event.  The club members  do not have to make a long run out of the launch to catch fish, however, if they want to shoot for the larger walleyes and win the tournament it would be a trip towards West Sister Island and beyond.
The weather started off a little shaky on tournament morning .  The teams that fished Breast Bay had rain and hail that filled the bottom of the boats and of course our friend, the wind, in the morning.  The teams that ran out towards West Sister and beyond had some rain and wind and a lot of dark clouds.  However, by the end of the day it laid down and became a great day to be out.
When it can to the end, 27 boats brought in 88 fish to the scales, three more boats than the previous trip to Lake Erie in 2013.  It was a decent day and everyone enjoyed the outing.  Look for the top 10 to share techniques and location on where they caught fish.  The question has already arisen about next year, are we fishing Port Clinton and are we going to be able to fish in Canadian waters?
Where the club fishes next year will be voted on by the membership and the Board will discuss the Canadian water issue for 2015.  The question will always remain, are you willing to make the run to win a tournament?

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Disabled American Veterans Walleye Tournaments

 

The Brant and Fields Commemorative Walleye Tournament was held June 15, 2014. Thirty-three teams participated. Rainy, cold and windy conditions Saturday  changed to calm, sunny and 80 degrees Sunday for the tournament. The team of John Maholic, Bradford, PA, and Matt Clark, Mount Jewett, PA, cleaned up with the big basket of the day and biggest fish.DAV 061414 winners

They brought a full basket to the scales weighing 11.72 pounds including a big fish of 4.70 pounds. With that catch they took home $4,459.00. A very generous donation to the Alan Ward Whopper Walleye pot of $2000.00 came from the Warren Elks Lodge 223. Their involvement has increased the big fish payout tremendously. Their Exalted Ruler, Jeff Frailey, said they would like to continue their participation.

In the afternoon before the teams returned to the scales, National Professional Anglers Association member Brent Long put on a fishing clinic for 13 children. He covered PFD safety, knot tying, bait and casting. Using poles baited with  plastic minnows, they had the opportunity to cast for some plastic fish. The clinic ended with a book and brand new fishing pole for each of the children.

The day ended for the fishermen with 116 fish for 160.62 pounds. There were 19 limits and 5 blanks. Total payout for the day was $7,651.00.

View Results

LEWT Huron 2014 Championship

Huge weights, and a new champion is crowned at the Cabela’s, Crown Battery, Sharpnack Direct, Lake Erie Walleye Trail (LEWT) “Championship” tournament, hosted by Erie Outfitters of Sheffield Lake Ohio.

The final event of the 2014 season kicked off with 10-12 teams still within striking distance of the prestigious 2014 LEWT Team of the Year award. The two day championship event held at Huron Ohio would decide the 2014 battle for Lake Erie Walleye Supremacy!

The first day of the tournament was sunny and calm as the team of Ronnie Rhodes and Joe Whitten brought in a monster bag of five fish weighing 49.23# to take nearly a seven pound lead going into Sunday. On day two anglers were met by cloudy skies that were in no time giving way to rain. No problem for Rhodes and Whitten as they added another 44.36 pounds for a two day total of 93.59 pounds, as they cruised to their second victory of the 2014 campaign. Second place went to Jason Kopf and Rodger Riggs with 10 fish and 82.14 pounds. In the third spot Robert and Anna Lester had a two day total of ten fish and 78.54 pounds.

Winners - Ronnie Rhodes and Joe Whitten

Winners – Ronnie Rhodes and Joe Whitten

Randy Eyre and Corey Miller used a strong sixth place finish at the Championship to capture the coveted 2014 LEWT Team of the Year title. LEWT sponsor Smooth Moves is awarding our Team of the Year anglers a pair of Smooth Moves Ultra Suspension seats. Tournament host “Erie Outfitters” is also supplying embroidered Team of the Year jackets to each of our winning team members.

Rhodes and Whitten also brought in the largest walleye of the tournament at 11.33 pounds to win the first place Big Fish cash prize. Second place cash went to Randy Cline and Robert Kitts for an 11.22 pound walleye.

Randy Cline and Robert Kitts cashed in on the $150 Medina Plating Early Bird award that goes to the top finishing team that entered all four events before the Early Bird deadline.

2014 LEWT Team of the Year, Randy Eyre and Corey Miller

2014 LEWT Team of the Year, Randy Eyre and Corey Miller

LEWT title sponsor Sharpnack Direct pays a cash prize to the highest finishing LEWT angler who owns a vehicle purchased from Sharpnack. Randy Cline also won this $150 cash award.

Using a random drawing, four teams were awarded vouchers for a free electronic mapping chart from LEWT sponsor Navionics. This is a great prize. The $50 J&J Roofing Loyalty cash was also given via random drawing.

The top three teams in the Team of the Year race will receive bids to represent the WBSA/LEWT at the Cabela’s National Team Championship event in 2014, sponsored by The Walleye Federation.

Over two days the 46 teams brought 432 walleye to the scales that averaged 6.49 pounds. Teams mentioned fishing from Kelley’s Island clear over to Lorain. The winners used Reefrunner crank baits to pull their winning bag, while the rest of the teams reported using a mixed bag of crank baits and crawler harnesses.

For more information about WBSA/LEWT, and full results on our tournaments and Team of the Year standings, please visit www.wbsa.us

The Western Basin Sportfishing Association is a social based club for anglers that fish in the Western and Central Basins of Lake Erie and its tributaries. Membership is open to anyone interested in fishing, no matter their location or skill level. Our goal is to present information in a manner that will help sustain and improve fishing in one of the greatest inland sport fisheries in the world. Scientific information, fishing techniques, locations and presentations are presented at our meetings by expert and knowledgeable speakers and tournament anglers from our group. These anglers are very open with techniques, and will help any member that is trying to learn new methods.

Please support our 2014 LEWT sponsors: Cabela’s, Crown Battery Systems, Sharpnack Direct in Willard, Magee East Campground and Marina, Medina Plating, Ranger Boats, Waldo Peppers Restaurant, Smooth Moves, Worldwide Marine Underwriters, Reef Runner Lures, Vic’s Sports Center, Erie Outfitters, Navionics, Rednek Outfitters, Hi-Way Bait Tackle and Lodging.

Neubauer, Tourangeau Score Comeback Win and Over $150,000 in Cash and Prizes At Cabela’s National Team Championship

Neubauer, Tourangeau Score Comeback Win, 30,000 Cash and TWO New Ranger Boats with Evinrude Outboards At the 2014 Cabela’s National Team Championship

Green Bay, Wisc.—May 31, 2014—Michigan’s Ross Neubauer and Jamie Tourangeau overcame a 9-pound, 10-ounce final day deficit to score a dramatic comeback victory at the 2014 Cabela’s National Team Championship.

“This is unbelievable,” Tourangeau, of Escanaba, said while clutching the coveted Cabela’s NTC trophy seconds after claiming the crown in front of a cheering crowd gathered in the shadows of Green Bay’s legendary Lambeau Field. “We were so far behind, we thought we were fishing for second place.”

A three-day event held May 29-31, the Cabela’s NTC is widely regarded as the pinnacle of grassroots walleye tournaments. It is comprised of two-person teams that qualified through competition in local tournaments organized by walleye clubs sanctioned by The Walleye Federation.

During the first two days of competition, the full field of 237 teams from 20 states and provinces across North America battled on the walleye-rich waters of Green Bay and the Fox River. Each team was allowed to bring their best five fish to the scale each day. Competition was fierce, as only the top 25 teams advanced to the final round on day three.

Neubauer and Tourangeau, who qualified through the Great Lakes Sport Fishermen club out of Escanaba, sacked a respectable 31 pounds, 3 ounces on day one and 29 pounds, 9 ounces on day two to enter the final round in second place with 60 pounds, 12 ounces. They trailed Wisconsin’s Adam Adler, of Oconto Falls, and Ryan Dempsey, of Oneida, who had a commanding lead with 70 pounds, 6 ounces.

“We stuck to our game plan,” said Neubauer, of Iron Mountain, explaining that he and Tourangeau trolled gold-colored crankbaits behind planer boards to target walleyes suspended around 15 feet down over deeper water off a sand point between Peshtigo and Sturgeon Bay.

Weighing in ahead of the leaders, Neubauer and Tourangeau brought a 28-pound, 13-ounce five-fish limit to the scale for an 89-pound, 9-ounce total weight. As Adler and Dempsey took the stage with a limit of their own, the walleye world collectively held its breath. Adler and Dempsey needed 19 pounds, 3 ounces for the win. And considering they had brought in baskets weighing more than 30 pounds apiece to the scale on both days one and two—and led the field the entire tournament—the odds of victory were definitely in their favor.

But this day would be different. Adler and Dempsey’s final weight tallied 18 pounds, 13 ounces for an 89-pound, 3-ounce total—leaving them just six ounces short of claiming the championship. “Today we played it safe and it cost us,” said Dempsey.

Neubauer and Tourangeau were stunned. Besides ultimate bragging rights in the walleye world, they claimed the $30,000 first-place cash prize, along with a $60,000 Evinrude E-Tec powered 620 Ranger boat. They also won a second Ranger and E-Tec combo through the Ranger Cup contingency program, pushing their total winnings over $150,000.

In all, the Cabela’s NTC paid out $121,000 in cash to the top 50 teams and $14,600 in Cabela’s gift cards to the remainder of the field. In addition, the top 25 teams earned the title of “Cabela’s All-Americans” and received commemorative rings marking their achievement.

Another $1,000 in Cabela’s gift cards was awarded for big-fish and big-basket honors. On day one the Chevrolet Big Basket Award went to Adler and Dempsey for their 39-pound, 8-ounce bag. They also pocketed the Evinrude Big Fish Award for the 9-pound, 3-ounce trophy that anchored the impressive weight. On day two, the Ranger Boats Big Basket Award went to Wisconsin’s Kevin Adams, of Shawano, and Pat Schuette, of Manitowoc, for their 31-pound, 1-ounce catch. Day two Pepsi Big Fish honors went to Wisconsin’s Phillip Weigel, of West Salem, and Adam Woodhouse, of Stoddard, for the 10-pound, 3-ounce beauty that ended up big fish of the event.

A total of 1,969 fish weighing 7,221 pounds, 2 ounces crossed the stage during the three-day Cabela’s NTC event, of which the vast majority were released alive back into the Green Bay system.

Adding to the excitement, the event was streamed live on the internet and filmed for national television, to air the first week of August on “Americana Outdoors” on NBC Sports and the Pursuit Channel. Exact dates and airtimes will be announced at walleyefederation.com.

The event offered a number of family-friendly activities. A Kid’s Fishing Clinic was followed the day one weigh-in; youngsters met NTC competitors and received free rod-and-reel combos courtesy of Cabela’s and The Walleye Federation. On Saturday, Ranger Boats and Evinrude motors presented a TESTRIDE event at Metro Boat Launch, offering the chance to test-drive four new, fully-rigged, Evinrude E-Tec powered Ranger boats.

Weigh-ins were also just a short cast from Cabela’s brand-new 100,000-square-foot destination retail center at 1499 Lombardi Avenue in the Village of Ashwaubenon. With a Wisconsin Sportsman’s Hall of Fame showcasing trophy animal mounts and other memorabilia honoring the state’s outdoor heritage, plus aquariums and an incredible selection of outdoor gear, it provided the perfect place to spend time between take-offs and weigh-ins.

Cabela’s NTC sponsors include Chevrolet, Ranger Boats, Evinrude, Geico, MotorGuide and Pepsi. The Walleye Federation, based in Ponca City, Oklahoma, manages and produces the event, including the qualifying process. For details, visit walleyefederation.com, or call (580) 765-9031.

For Final Results CLICK HERE

For pictures of the event CLICK HERE