CLEVELAND, Ohio — There has been a lot of interest in the Lake Erie walleye fishing derbies this year, in part because there were extremely rich prizes in both the 11-year-old Fall Brawl and the first-year Walleye Slam.
Each started on Oct. 15 and ended on Nov. 28, and a disqualification has created a lot of turmoil. It is all about the polygraph tests the big winners are required to take.
Disqualifications are not uncommon in the Fall Brawl. One winner was disqualified for not having his boat registered with the Ohio Division of Parks and Watercraft. Others have failed the lie detector test over the years.
For Clevelander Jake Runyan and his Pennsylvania walleye tournament partner Chase Cominsky, who treasure their reputation as honest anglers, disqualification was not an option. After one of them flunked the Fall Brawl lie-detector test, Runyan said they are consulting with an attorney.
That’s because, like a majority of walleye anglers in this year’s derbies, they entered both events. Runyan’s 12.770-pound walleye that was at the top of the Fall Brawl list on closing day was also the winner in the Walleye Slam, hosted by the Cabala’s store in Avon.
Fall Brawl creator and 11-year director Frank Murphy was the first to have the tests administered, and disqualified Runyan and Comisky. Murphy awarded an expensive Ranger Boat to second-place Ronald Masal and his 12.65-pound walleye.
When host Erie Outfitters of the Walleye Slam had a polygraph test given to Runyan and Comisky at a Toledo site, both passed.
“I knew we would pass the Walleye Slam test,” said Runyan. “And I knew we had to get legal counsel and fight our disqualification in the Fall Brawl. “Our reputation means the world to us and we would never cheat.”
The young pair had teamed up for 2021, agreeing to share everything from prize monies to fishing expenses.
“It wasn’t just the loss of a very expensive boat we had rightfully won,” said Runyan. “It was having our names drug through the mud, and smeared on social media and among walleye fishermen around the area.”
On the final weekend of the derbies, Runyan and Cominsky teamed to win the Lake Erie Walleye Trail Championship based in Cleveland, and by a huge margin.
The walleye derby entrants are enthusiastic, attracted by the low $30 entry fees and the chance to win big prizes. Some of the anglers are the top names in walleye fishing in this area, and beyond, hoping for a little luck and one humongous walleye. The Fall Brawl attracted 10,574 anglers this year, while the Walleye Slam in its first year had 7,355 entries.
Whether the derbies can weather this storm — and the litigation to follow — remains to be seen. What already has happened, according to the Toledo Blade, is that Murphy has sold the Fall Brawl derby to Jason Fischer of Big Water Walleye Championships, director of the Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournaments.
Happy holidays, steelhead trout fishermen! Enjoying one of the warmest Christmas days, Northeast Ohio steelhead trout anglers need only to ask Dan Pribanic of Chagrin River Outfitters about the holiday week coming up.
“If good steelheading is on your holiday wish list, you’re in luck,” said Pribanic. “Conditions pretty much across the board are favorable when it comes to both river conditions and numbers of fish in the system.
“It’s not often that we find ourselves with available time and great conditions. Pick a river over the next week and go wet a line. The egg bite has been on fire and the nymph bite as the water clears will pick up as well. The swung fly bite remains strong, even in the cooler water temps, so don’t be afraid to hit the big rivers and swing a run or two.
“Brighter flies with a little flash tend to wake up the big trout in the cold water. Fish flies low and slow and you should be rewarded with a grab or two.”
For newcomers or first-timers who would like to get out with a guide, call Chagrin River Outfitters. Guides are in short supply through the end of the year, but January steelheading can be fun and they have plenty of guides available. As long as the weather is mild, and the rivers stay open, that is.
Steelhead trout spread out in Ohio rivers: Steelhead trout can be found throughout Northeast Ohio from the Vermilion River to Conneaut Creek. The wide open waters of Lake Erie are clear of ice and providing a special treat.
Shoreline anglers are casting from the beaches to the break walls for steelhead, suspending typical river flies while casting from the sandy shore. Spinning tackle anglers are doing the same with casting spoons, heavy in-line spinners and minnow-style diving plugs.
Spinning tackle fishermen are are scoring in the rivers with spawn sacks, jig-maggot rigs and plastic salmon eggs, all worked under stick floats.
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