It’s Big Fish Friday for Lake Erie anglers (2024)

Jim Steel, director of the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge, set to open with the “Big Fish Friday” event today at the Clarion Hotel Pavilion. Weigh-in begins at 5 p.m. Submitted Photo

In this fantastic fishing summer of 2024, local businesses have been treated to visitors attending and participating in more than 10 Lake Erie walleye fishing tournaments from the shores of Chautauqua County. The boat ramps are too crowded, especially if you are a fisherman attempting to launch from Dunkirk, where parking is limited. If you are a small business owner, though, you can only say one thing: “Thank you!” Although not all the anglers fishing at these tournaments are long-distance travelers, many are fishermen folks from one, two, and three hours away. They need a hotel room or a campsite. They need to shop for food, fuel and water. It all adds up to help our local economy, and the fishermen cannot wait to return here the next time. That’s a win-win for all of us.This weekend, starting today, the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge will kick off with its Big Fish Friday event, followed by the main fishing contest 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 contestants and their families, and limited camping is available in the lot next to the hotel.

What some anglers like about this tournament is the unlimited fishable waters. ALL THE WATERS of Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara River are legal tournament fishable; this includes Canadian waters. All of the other tournaments this year have been limited to the New York State waters of Lake Erie, and we have all questioned the relatively small size of the average catch of the walleyes brought to the scale — no run of fish more than 10 pounds.

Most fish weigh five to eight pounds, which is very different from the old days of the late 80s, 90s, and 2000s. The big question folks have is why and what happened?

Well, for one thing, we have the highest number of walleyes ever in our NYSDEC history of record keeping in Lake Erie. There is more competition for the forage base. More fish, same forage base, less to eat for each fish. For the other, this has been a weird year of rain, wind and unusual storms from the east and south. The wind directions that cause lake turnover and rolling seas. Some theorize that the bigger size fish from the western basin of Lake Erie never got here. They stopped off in eastern Ohio and are there now. It will be interesting to see if anyone from this tournament runs that far west!

We will know soon, by the end of today – Big Fish Friday — as we watch the certified official scales at the weigh-in event that will take place at the Clarion Hotel Pavilion. The official Big Fish Friday fishing hours are 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with the weigh-in set for 5 p.m. The weigh-in is open to the public. For the main event, fishing hours are 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a shotgun start from the general area of the Point Gratiot Lighthouse just outside Dunkirk Harbor. The Big Fish Friday event is not part of the official tournament payout structure, but is an extra event open to contestants registered for the main event set for Saturday. We reported earlier that the captain’s meeting was yesterday, Thursday, but that was incorrect, and I apologize for that error. The captain’s meeting for this tournament takes place today at 6:30 p.m. at the Clarion Pavilion.

WNY Walleye Cup Championship director Josh Larsen says the competition is close to earn the title. Submitted Photo

In addition to managing and directing the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge, The Steel Group also runs the annual NYS Walleye Derby, the annual Veterans Fishing Day from Chadwick Bay; they are president and treasurer (respectively) of the Eastern Lake Erie Charter Boat Association (ELECBA), they participate in the 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 TV 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 offers sportsmen and women in a fun, exciting and positive image.

The show airs on several internet forums, and it is expanding to local cable access, with the ultimate goal of airing nationally.

The main event of this tournament will also be utilized to identify the WNY Walleye Cup Series Champion. Six of the top 10 Lake Erie walleye tournaments for this year are included in the individual totals for each angler and his team. The six are the WNY Walleye Classic, Barts Cove Duel 1 (weather canceled), Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout, Barts Cove 2, Con Club Tournament, and the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge. Rules are that contestants 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 combines them for the total score. The entry fee of $100 is paid out to the top three places. Payout is 100 percent with a first-, second-, and third-place split of 50/30/20 for the top three. Right now, the standings are close, with Captain Bob Rustowicz and Team “Forever Fishin” in first place with 102.24 points; close behind in second place is Captain Rob Oram with “Team I-con” at 101.75 points, and in third place is Team “Dances With Fish” with Captain Ron Diluba. Team Kra-Mar, Team Mac Attack and Team Nicks Sporting Goods are just a little behind any of the top leaders, and anything can happen in this final tournament of the year to change the championship overall standings. We’ll keep you posted.

It’s Big Fish Friday for Lake Erie anglers (2024)

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