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Pictured, from left, are: Ron Kozub, Randy Jaroszewski and Will Curtin of Team Ice Breaker, which won the first ever WNY Walleye Classic with a six-walleye total weight of 45.63 pounds including the heaviest walleye on Sunday at 9.52 pounds.
The first ever Western New York Walleye Classic is in the books.
Look for this event to be around for a long time, judging by the success of the first tournament. It wasn’t all peaches and cream though. Saturday was the scheduled event, but tournament directors Joshua Larsen and his partner Lindsay Schrantz listened to the weather forecast for Saturday and saw that Small Craft warnings were issued, so the event was postponed until Sunday.
It was a good call and the right call.
Forty-two teams fished the main event Sunday with 128 fish being weighed in. The total fish weight was 546.83 pounds with the average weight of the walleye being 4.27 pounds and the average weight per team entering fish was 12.72 pounds. The first week of June can be tough for a lot of anglers with most of the fish caught being males. Twenty-eight teams weighed in their fish.
First up was Team 43 Fishtician led by Scott Addison. They had one fish that weighed 7.94 pounds.
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Pictured is Team Reel Mania, from left, Sam Burgio, Captain Mark Lewandowski, Ricky Deubel and Ron Stanek holding the second-place Big Fish at 9.50 pounds.
A new team named “Screaming Lisa” had a 7.24-pound total with several fish.
Team Szymo had an 8.20-pound walleye that had a DEC jaw tag.
Captain Jim Steel weighed in an 8.05-pound walleye. The Steel family operates the digital read-out scales for this event as well as the Shoot Out at Sunset Bay and his tournament “Innovative Outdoors” in August. His state-of-the-art scales are state certified so if anyone brings in a state record it will be legally certified.
Boat 44 led by Aaron Teijeria finished in fourth place for main event Big Fish prize with an 8.91-pounder. His red-headed son started fishing with dad and uncle Kaz when he was almost as big as that walleye.
Teams were allowed to bring in a maximum of six walleye with a 22-inch size limit.
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Pictured, from left, are: Captain Jeff Bognar, Mike DiBlasio, Dan Sullivan and Roy Hryckowian with a total weight of 31.08 pounds.
Short fish brought to the scale had the runt eliminated and a half-pound deduction from their total weight. Each team paid $500 per team to enter, plus an additional $100 to fish Big Fish Friday.
Here is how they placed:
¯ Darren Hurlburt — Team Rubber Duck with two fish for 5.68 total.
¯ David Levan — Team End of the Line with three fish for a 7.11 total.
¯ Rob Brown — Screaming Lisa with two fish for a 7.24 total.
¯ Sam Burham — Team Penn Demic with two fish for a 7.32 total.
¯ Addison with one fish at 7.94.
¯ Colton Kneer — Team Limit Takers with three fish totaling 10.58.
¯ Jim Taggart — Team Fish Missel with three walleye totaling 11.24.
¯ Thomas Miranda — Team Pole Dancer with a four walleye totaling 13.40.
¯ Marshall Sterns — Team Primitive Patriots with five walleye totaling 15.14.
¯ Jim Steel — Team Dream Catcher with three walleye totaling 15.79.
¯ Robert Spoon — Team Rippin Lipps with five walleye totaling 15.87.
¯ Andrew Scymanowski — Team Szymo with three walleye totaling 18.04.
¯ Pete Szklanka — Team Triple Threat with six walleye totaling 20.07.
¯ Chuck Pohlman — Team Catch the Best, the Big Fish Friday leader, with five walleye on Sunday totaling 20.20.
¯ Barcelona native Captain Jeff Phillips — Team Knot Right with five walleye totaling 20.62.
¯ Teijeria — Team Body Count with five walleye totaling 21.15.
¯ Craig Sleeman — Team Midnight Express with six walleye totaling 21.83.
¯ Just missing out of the money was Bryan Dusenbury — Team Buffalo Harbor Outfitters with six walleye totaling 22.13.
Lots of familiar names in the top 10 starting with Justin Wekenmann — Team Eye-Con with six walleye totaling 22.63.
¯ Rick Kackmarski — Team Missing One with six walleye totaling 23.33.
¯ Dennis Pillad — Team Salty Dog with five walleye totaling 23.75.
¯ Bob Rustowicz — Team Forever Fishin’ the third place Big Fish Friday winner finished seventh with six walleye totaling 23.87.
¯ Darin Baron — Team Fishin’ Tradition with six walleye totaling 26.35.
¯ Kyle Kokanovich — Team Ship of Fools with six walleye totaling 26.35.
¯ Local talent Captain Buddy Marsh — Team Crazy Eyes with six walleye totaling 28.36.
You had to total over 30 pounds to make the top three.
¯ Jeff Bognar — Team Nicks Sporting Goods with six walleye totaling 31.08.
¯ Mark Lewandowski from Lancaster — Team Reel Mania with six walleye totaling 33.13, good for second place.
Randy Jaroszewski — Team Ice Breaker came in with six walleye that were all big. His heaviest fish took the big fish prize, beating out the second-place walleye caught by Lewandowski which was 9.50, by 2 ounces at 9.52. The six-walleye total was 45.63 pounds.
Randy commented that his team fished in about 35 feet of water using stick baits with lead core, or snap weights, and sometimes straight stick baits. They caught 10 walleye total plus 10 sheephead and numerous bass. The second-place team reportedly was right next to him. Jaroszewski wanted to thank his sponsors: Garmin, Bay Rat lures and many others.
This was a great tournament with great personnel. When Pigs Fly BBQ was a great location with some awesome food. Southtowns Walleye derby is next from June 12-20. Then the Sunset Bay Shoot Out, The Con Club Derby and Innovative Outdoors. Look for coverage in the Sportsman’s Journal and tell your friends.
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