2023 LEWT Championship ~ 9.29-9.30.23
Tournament & TOY RESULTS
As the ice moved off the lake and ramps opened, LEWT anglers began the springtime chase of giant walleyes here on Lake Erie. The LEWT season was set, with eight locations from west to east, (Magee East, Bay’s Edge, Sandusky, Huron, Lorain, Ashtabula, Geneva, and Fairport) and anglers were ready to compete after a long winter break. The troubled conclusion of the 2022 season left many anglers ready to get back out there and show the world what true, honest, hardworking tournament anglers were all about.
LEWT anglers broke records all season with fields close to or exceeding 100 boats at every event. The Fairport Championship was no exception, hosting 78 LEWT teams, 14 Open Division teams and 4 Kayak entries. 96 total boats competing for a chance to be called LEWT Championship Champs.
As the sun rose over Lake Erie, south winds and calm seas greeted the field, a welcoming sight for once in the championship. After the National Anthem, LEWT anglers pointed their bow toward open water and let it rip, leaving nothing but wake trails in the distance.
Coming off a strong win in Geneva, top dogs (AKA – Old Dogs) Ryan Buddie and Jason Kopf looked for a top finish to seal the deal in the Vic’s Sports Center/SA Comunale Team of The Year race. They led the pack, but only had a few position cushion on the Kisels (Alex and Gary) who were ready to steal their 2nd (3rd including a tie in 2020 with Michael and Red Mochan) title in the last five years.
Gary and Nicholas Zart are always a threat but sat in striking distance in 3rd place. 2022 TOY Steve Hendricks and Brian Ulmer somehow found a way to follow up a monumental season in 2022 and were sitting closely in 4th place just a few points back. Long time Ranger/Vic’s Pros Scott Gietgey and Jay Gullet rounded out the top 5.
With that line-up in the rearview mirror, Buddie and Kopf knew they couldn’t coast to a TOY title- they would need to earn it and earn it they intended to do.
Vic’s Ranger Pro Ryan Buddie and Jason Kopf brought just north of 32.5# of Lake Erie gold to the scales on Day One to lock in the lead on a very tight field that averaged 5-fish for 25.09#. Long-time LEWT anglers Dave Fry and Lonnie Hanchonsky trailed with 31.29#, followed by Edgar Trent and sub-Erik Hunter with 30.20#. Devoted casting anglers, Jimmy and Nate Bowman, busted out the trolling gear and put 30.07# in the boat for their best five. Bill Warren and Marvin Flannery locked in the top 5 list with 29.97# for their bag.
The pack was so tight that the next 10 teams trailed by less than one pound – leaving the door wide open for any angler having a solid Day Two to make a move. One Lake Erie giant would change an average day of tournament fishing to championship day, and everyone knew it.
Teams set their sights on day two to make some moves up the leader board. Fisherman’s Central was rewarding the most improved team with $250 for the highest jump from Day One to Day Two.
Marvin Marner and Ryan Raines put together a 15th place bag with 28.29# anchored by a 7.92# big fish which took the $2800 Big Fish award of the day. The team also captured the DB Marine Big Fish Friday Title.
A broken trolling motor took Gary and Alex Kisel out of the mix, causing them to be late returning to port disqualifying them on day one and ending their season. An incredibly sad ending to yet another great season by the Kisel’s.
The world works in mysterious ways and somehow things just always find a way to work out. Day Two greeted us with calm south winds and a flat lake to close out the season. It was what these guys deserved after a long tough year. 2022 TOY leaders Steve Hendricks and Brian Ulmer kicked it off and put the Ranger 622FS Pro V10 Verado to the test as they left the harbor headed back to the west in search of their best five fish.
As the day went on a slight northeast breeze gave the lake that walleye chop and high pressure put the fish feedbags on. Many teams came back to the scales with smiles and rumors of better bags than the day before.
Day Two boasted great fishing for the entire field as most teams came back with five fish averaging 5.21#. The Zart’s were no exception to the rule and had the 5th best bag of day two with 30.50#. Finishing 12th place overall and the first team out of tournament money, the Zarts were able to finish 3rd place in the TOY race and take home $2,000 of bonus money courtesy of Vic’s Sports Center and Ranger Boats.
Aaron Gavlak and Chris Kosciewicz increased that day one total of 24.76# with the third biggest Day Two bag, a fantastic 30.62#. Gavlak and Kosciewcz jumped from 42nd after day one to finish 22nd overall with 55.38#. This jump of 20 places on day two was good enough for the Fisherman’s Central Comeback Bonus and the team won $250 for their efforts. Thank you Fisherman’s Central!
Marion Erb and Jason Hershberger sat in 21st place after day one with 27.53#. They increased their day two bag to 29.75# and jumped into the 11th place pay position good enough for $550.
Bill Adkinson and Joe Tenebria dropped from 8th place on day one with 29.82# to 10th overall with 57.36#. Bill and Joe made $650 on the day. These guys have stuck it out all year and found a way to rack up a top 20 TOY standing in only five events. Excellent fishing guys!
One of LEWT’s favorite father & son teams is Merf Miller and Jon Mark Miller. The father son duo managed 10-fish on the weekend for 57.68# and 9th overall for a $1050 paycheck.
Merf takes his time, doesn’t allow stress to impact his day and loves to fish with Jon Mark, who is 6 years old.
Memories that can’t be easily forgotten are being made by both father and son, solid work!
Randall Gaines and Leroy Mast made sure to save the best for last and put up their best numbers in the championship. The team locked in 8th place with 58.12#, good enough for $1150 and 17th place in the TOY standings. Congrats on a great season gents.
Edgar Trent and Eric Hunter(sub) dropped from 3rd on day one to 7th overall on day two with a total bag of 58.94# and $1250 in prize money. Edgar normally fishes with his wife Vicky, who took the event off due to injury.
ET is a proud supporter of the LEWT with his construction business and is one of the most pleasant guys to be around. Thank you, Edgar, and congrats on a 9th place TOY finish.
Josh Crum and Jordan Barth are one of those teams that always finds a way near the top of the pack. This event was no different, finishing in 6th place overall with 59.05# and $1350 in prize money. The duo also landed 16th overall in the TOY standings… solid work as always guys.
Now for the top LEWT Championship Top Five list. In 5th place we have 2022 TOY Champs and Malco/Presta Pro’s Steve Hendricks and Brian Ulmer. The team did what they always do and that’s find the right bite and put them in the boat on tourney day.
The reigning TOY Champs boated 59.46# earning them 5th place overall for the event and 3rd place in the SA Comunale/Vic’s Sports Center TOY race. They brought home $4,500 on the day for yet another great season.
4th place overall we have Vic’s pros Mark Wilmot and Bill Dudas. No strangers to the winners circle, these guys put together another top finish with 59.79# of walleye and another paycheck. Making $4,600 on the day for their efforts, these two capped off a great season and a 6th place finish in the TOY race. Congrats, guys!
In 3rd place and their best finish of the season, we have long-time LEWT anglers David Frey and Lonnie Hanchonsky. One of three teams to break the 60# marker on the weekend, landing 60.93# for 3rd place overall. They took home $2,120 on the event and secured a 23rd place TOY finish.
In 2nd place we find Jimmy and Nate Bowman. These guys won the Bay’s Edge Jigging Event this year and put up 62.56# in this Championship. Casters by nature, these guys busted out the trolling combos for this event and found a bite off Cleveland to solidify their 2nd place finish. They made $7,770 on the day – not bad for a couple of casters.
On the Open side of things, we paid out 2 spots for the 14 entries. Team Chipmunk, Jacob Detweiler led his crew to a 2nd place finish with a 1-day total of 29.36#. The crew took home $2,380 on the day.
Capturing the crown in the Open Division we have Captain George Kuhns with Flashy Sportfishing. They were able to put together a 30.32# limit and the best Open Division bag of the day. Team Flashy Sportfishing took home $3,120.
The Open division is all about teamwork, family, and good old fun by allowing more than two anglers on a boat. Open Division anglers are able get the LEWT experience and spread the cost out over more than two anglers.
Congrats to all our open teams and we hope to see you next season!
The Kayak division sounds like a record on repeat. Crazy Kayak Man, Chuck Earls, takes the day yet again making his 6th straight title.
Chuck continues to do it on a kayak with 5 fish for 11.46 lb., no easy task. These guys do not have the luxury of traveling 10-20-30 miles to find the fish. They have to fish near the port and figure out ways to put fish in the boat on any given day.
Chuck continues to put the puzzle together and sit atop the kayak division, congrats Chuck.
Now for the Champs…
Ryan Buddie and Jason Kopf not only topped the field on day one with 32.51#. They followed up on day two with a strong 31.86#, second best on the day. Their two-day total bested the field with 64.37#, two pounds better than the Bowman’s second place effort.
With their second consecutive 1st place finish, Buddie and the “Bird Dog” Jason Kopf slammed the door on the TOY title, ending up 46 points higher than Hendricks and Ulmer.
These guys have maintained top finishes in the eight LEWT tournaments they fished, they finished: 5th, 11th (jigging only), 2nd, 7th, 16th (sub), 6th, 1st, and 1st.
An outstanding achievement that rivals past finishes by the Gary and Alex Kisel in 2019-2020, Cole Carlson and Ryan Yonkers 2021 TOY, Steve Hendricks and Brian Ulmer 2022 TOY, and the ten straight checks cashed by Lucas Hahn and Gordon Hahn over the span of 2020-2022.
The days of being a weekend warrior in the LEWT are over. These guys take this seriously and give everything they have to be named the Big Water Ohio State Walleye Champions.
The LEWT is a household name if you’re a walleye fisherman, and these guys carry with them a reputation of being the best of the best. Our angler’s fish national lever circuits and compete at the highest level.
To be named TOY of the LEWT you know you earned it amongst some of the best sticks that fish Lake Erie. We can only tip our caps at a very deserving year.
Congrats Ryan Buddie and Jason Kopf on being the best of the biggest season the LEWT has ever had. The “Old Dogs” put together a fantastic season and in the championship brought home $24,830 and $8,000 Ranger Cup Bonus totaling $32,830 in the championship.
2023 LEWT Geneva GOTL OPEN ~ 9.2.23
Tournament RESULTS
Every year the LEWT sets a destination for the Geneva State Park public boat ramp for a couple of reasons; the beautiful facilities and the fantastic summertime fishing.
DB Marine originated the GOTL event and the LEWT has been honored to carry the torch since 2019. Gribble and his crew do an amazing job getting the word out to local businesses and charter captains to bring much needed excitement to what was previously a lull in the tournament action.
This year shows that the LEWT is growing “out east” as we hosted our first ever 100+ boat field east of Lorain.
The GOTL hosts “Big Fish Friday”, the only event of the season that gives anglers a chance to cash in on their pre-fishing efforts. Going back-to-back, Bryan Fisher and Mike Miller brought in the winning fish, this year a 9.03# summertime hog. They bested the rest of the field by .10 of a pound to take home over $4,000 in cash and the “Big Fish King of the Hill” title for the second straight year.
We also want to congratulate Mike and Heather on the birth of their new daughter, congrats Mom and Daddy Miller.
At the weigh-ins for BFF, the B’laster Fall Brawl crew kicked off the first sign-up party of the season. DB Marine will serve as a Fall Brawl Weigh Station for the second year in a row serving all of our eastern anglers. The crowd enjoyed a cookout and meet and greet with friends along with Bajio Sunglasses, Lincoln Electric, and Hook & Drag. This party was brought to you courtesy of DB Marine and B’laster Products. Thank you to all who came to hang out!
As the sun popped up over the horizon and Saturday’s event kicked off, Lake Erie was flat. Every boat in the field was ready and waiting for the 7:00am send-off time to put those pre-fishing plans to the test before the high winds arrived around mid-morning.
Anglers tossed around game plans and gambled if they should make the long run to what they believed to be healthier fishing grounds, or if they should stay local and grind out the big fish in what has been an epic bite straight north of Geneva. Boats screamed North and East into the sunrise and the field was fishing.
As the sun got high, Mother Erie let everyone know that she rules the day. Winds picked up strong out of the west and built up that familiar “Lake Erie Chop.” Teams that made long runs east into Pennsylvania waters started to think about having to shorten their fishing time just to be on the safe side of making it back in time.
As always, the LEWT crew set up a mini-festival in the parking lot with Malco-Presta, Hook and Drag, the B’laster Fall Brawl prize Vic’s Sports Center Ranger 622FS Pro, DB Marine prize tent, and the LEWT cookout. Crowds gathered in anticipation to watch the anglers weigh in.
Riding one of the biggest “legal” heaters the LEWT has ever seen, Vic’s Ranger Pro Ryan Buddie and Jason Kopf continued to do what they do best and fished the conditions to post a tournament best 33.83# for their best 5-fish. Buddie and Kopf reported that they used all Dipsy’s about 12 miles straight North of Geneva pulling double willow worm harnesses to catch their big bag.
Buddie and Kopf have finished at the top of the pack many times but haven’t been able to seal the deal on previous occasions. The team finally put all the puzzle pieces together and will take home $15,495 on the day for besting out the 110-boat field and capturing the LEWT Team division title.
LEWT regulars Duane and Devon Phillips nearly stole one from the field with 32.96# as they reportedly cashed in on the same program as Buddie and Kopf. They used the Dipsy/worm combo targeting smelt balls of bait to find their walleye.
The key was the small willow blades mimicking that slender profile of a smelt. The father son duo captured Big Fish on the day (**after Tie-Breaker highest tourney bag) with an 8.66# slug. They also cashed in on the receipt match sponsored by DB Marine and will earn their new Tekota’s for free by being the highest finishing DB shopper. Duane and Devon will earn $5,500 on the day.
In third place overall we have our first “Open Division” team.
Team Contender with Captain Joseph Dugan took home the open title with 32.68# of Lake Erie gold. The crew was so excited to have taken first place and won cash prizes totaling $9,805. We know they will be back.
The Open Division was designed to encourage new anglers and get big boats in the mix. By allowing charter style boats and unlimited anglers the field has become diverse and promotes the sport.
Watching the faces of the Contender crew after taking home the win was priceless. Congrats guys.
In 4th place overall and 3rd place in the LEWT Team division we have Mike Robertson and Mark Brumbaugh. The team followed up their Ashtabula title with a solid 3rd place finish by pulling stick baits behind Offshore Tackle boards. They fished about 17 miles straight north of Geneva and bagged 32.65# for their best five ‘eyes.
Last event, Robertson said he hadn’t fished out east this far, so he learned a lot to get the win. I think that Roberston and Brumbaugh are starting to get the hang of this eastern deep-water bite. The veteran team will take home $1,275 on the day.
Places 5, 6, and 7 are all teams in the Open Division. Team High Fives with Captain Dennis Caserta snagged 3rd place by a tiny .12 margin to cash in his second straight 2nd-place Open Division result and 5th place overall. The crew earned $3,395 on the day.
Team Chipmunk with Captain Jacob Detweiler and crew brought in 32.48# to take 3rd place in the Open Division and 6th place overall. They will bring home $1,193 on the day.
Team Yoder with Captain Bill Yoder brought 32.35# of ‘eyes to the scale good enough for 4th place in the Open and 7th place overall. The team will make $950 on the day.
In 5th place we have Marion Erb and Jason Hershberger. They managed to bring in a solid 32.15# bag running a very similar pattern on the day, Dipsy’s and worm harnesses 17-miles straight north of Geneva. Erb and Hershberger took home $900 on the day.
Finishing out the top 5 for the Open Division we have 4 J’s fishing team. The 4 J’s with Captain Jeremy Gerger brought 31.82# to the scales to grab the last money spot on the open side of things. 4 J’s crew earned $525 for 5th place.
Team DTF captured the open division big fish title with a 7.58# fatty good enough for $700.
New daddy Tyler Berthold along with his tourney partner Jeremy Lisy brought 31.62# to the scales as a reward for their long run to the east. The team stuck with their pre-fishing game plan and had to shorten their day due to the weather.
It still paid off as they were able to capture 6th place in the LEWT and 11th overall good enough for $825. Congrats to Sam and Tyler on the birth of their baby boy. The LEWT family is getting BIG!
Marc Spano and Bob Brenner sported the new LEWT logo hats while up on stage collecting their $775 paycheck. The team explained that they used a slightly different technique to catch their fish. They used 8-oz. bottom bouncers to target fish on the bottom with crankbaits.
That creative tactic bagged them 7th place in the LEWT and 12th overall. Nice work fellas.
Rounding out the final two paid spots we have Scott Gietgey and Jay Gullet in 8th place and Quality Mark and Aaron Humbert in 9th place. The two teams actually tied with 30.64# and the tiebreaker was the big fish – 7.08# for Gietgey and Gullet and 6.51# for Quality Mark and Humbert. The teams will take home $600 and $400 on the day.
The Crazy-man, Chuck Earls did it again. He bested the seven-kayak division with a grand total of 9.73# good enough for $850. Chuck has won the last five kayak divisions, but Brad Tilton is fighting! He was able to capture the Big Fish title with a 4.17# walleye and take the pot.
The LEWT will travel west to Fairport on September 29-30th for the LEWT Team Championship, Open and Kayak Event.
DB Marine will host this event as always on our east end events. We hope to see everybody out there and remember…
SAVE your receipts for DB Marine and post them on social media’s tagging, the LEWT and DB Marine for your chance at a receipt match up to $500.
We will feature a (TWO DAY) LEWT 2-man Division, (ONE DAY) Open Unlimited Angler Division and Kayak Division. The event will be held at the Fairport Port Authority Village boat ramp.
2023 Vic's Ashtabula OPEN ~ 7.22.23
Tournament RESULTS
I think for the first time this season Mother Nature was playing nice and allowed us to get in our regularly scheduled event on Saturday with calm seas, and a slight 1-2 foot chop on Lake Erie.
Anglers showed up in droves, giving us our biggest Vic’s Sports Center Ranger Boats tournament to date. With over 60 boats in the Lake Erie Walleye Trail division, over 20 in the “Open Divisions” and a handful of kayak anglers, we had 88 boats on the day.
We used Lakeshore Park and Lake Shore Bait and Tackle‘s boat ramp for the first time in LEWT history. They were great hosts in the park, which turned out to be a beautiful venue along the shore of Lake Erie.
With 62 boats making up the Lake Erie Walleye Trail team division, the field was set to pay out nine spots. The open division hosted 21 boats and paid out three spots. The five kayakers would be gunning it out for a winner take all pot. In total anglers would be chasing over 30K in prize money on the day.
The field was split as they left Ashtabula Harbor with teams heading east, west, and straight north towards the Canadian border. As the summertime waters in Lake Erie get hotter and fish move east and deep to try to live along the thermocline, anglers have to adapt their efforts to stay in the game.
Anglers used an arsenal of spoons, stick baits, crank baits, worm harnesses, on leadcore, wire, and diving devices to try and target walleyes that could be 40 feet down or deeper.
As teams made their way in, the first team to the stage was Marvin Marner and Ryan Raines who checked in at 1:00pm so Marvin could attend a scheduled wedding. They had a huge bag which ultimately resulted in a 39.02# mark that set the stage early leaving anglers with a huge uphill battle to take the lead.
Rounding out the top 10 although not earning a check, we have Charlie Klaus and Kyle Kokanovich with 31.10# and an 8.89# big fish. These guys have worked hard and just due to field size they were the first team outside check range.
In the top nine, and the first check, we have always consistent Gary and Alex Kisel with five fish for 31.26# and an 8.18# big fish. This ninth place finish leaves the team in second place overall for team of the year points and in a fantastic position to make a run at the SA Comunale/ Vic’s Sports Center TOY bonus money in the championship.
Finally finding their way back into the top 10 you have Joe Gibson and Bryan Beck finishing eighth with five fish for 31.46# anchored by a 7.56# big fish.
These guys have had ups and downs this year and were finally able to make it back into the top 10.
In seventh place, we have Rodger Riggs and Darin Zabrowski, who have been consistent throughout the course of the year and find themselves sitting in fourth place overall for Team of the Year. These guys bagged 31.50# of Lake Erie walleye and a 7.44# big fish to take seventh place on the day.
Ryan Buddie and Jason Kopf, the “old dogs,” did what they do best and finished sixth place weighing in five fish for 31.85# anchored by an 8.15# big fish. The team accumulated 190 team points to solidify their lead in TOY so far this season. It’s close, but leading going into the final two events is always better than trying to play catch-up.
The “GOAT” and “Kid Walleye” Gary and Nicholas Zart mustered up a top-five finish with five fish for 34.47# and an 8.14# big fish. Gary stated they had the best day on the water they’ve had all year. Gary and Nicholas use a combination of Dipsy divers and crawler harnesses to get beats deep and handle fish quickly, reporting that they handled over 150 five to six-pound walleye on the day. It was filtering through fish that allowed them to get a couple kickers that set them above the pack.
Quality Mark Ebbanga and Aaron Humbert are continuing to surprise the field weighing in another five fish for 34.55# and fourth place overall. This odd couple just seems to keep getting better and better and their finishes increase higher upon the leaderboard.
We’re starting to see “just have fun” Mark turn into “I want to win” Mark, and partner Aaron Humbert is there to guide him to victory.
Mike Miller and Bryan Fisher when they’re out east always seem to do damage. Miller won the Vic’s Open in 2019 and took the GOTL Big Fish Friday last season with B-Fish. Miller always starts to shine as you head east – he just seems to understand how to fish deep. The team brought in 35.44# anchored by a 9.60# big fish and accumulated 196 team points for the Team of the Year race, good enough for third place overall on the day.
Marvin Marner and Ryan Raines ultimately finished second with their 39.02# bag and the tournament best 10.24# BIG fish. These guys reportedly fished specific structures out east and worked these spots to get the bites.
They would not give more details on their baits or their tactics but let’s just say they fished clean, getting all the big bites to the boat.
If you guessed in the morning how the day was going to shake out, I don’t think anybody would say you would have two bags near 40 pounds, but that’s just how it played out.
Mike Robertson and Mark Brumbaugh weighed five fish for 39.95# anchored by a 10.23# slug that just barely missed big fish by a droplet of water. The team has been in the game for a long time and were due for a win. Judging by their faces and expressions, they both were excited to be back on top of the leaderboard.
The team fished deep structure targeting baits in the lower portion of the water column and used offshore snap weights to pause sides and stall out baits creating reaction strikes.
The duo brought home $5,500 for the LEWT Division and another $1,920 in the side pot for a total of $7,420 in LEWT Earnings on the day. Mike Robertson owns a Ranger 622FS Ranger Cup qualified boat giving the team an extra kick of $8,000 for winning bringing their total up to $15,420 for the win. It pays to own a Ranger Boat!
In the Open Division, we paid out the top three teams on the day. In 15th place overall we have Andrew and Adam Weaver with five fish for 28.03#, but they were first place in the Open Division. The team won $4,000 for first place in the Open Division, first place in big fish (Open Division), and first place in the Open Division side pot.
In 19th place overall and second in the Open Division we have team High-Fives with Captain Dennis Caserta with five fish for 26.88#, good enough for second place in the Open Division and $1,200.
In 20th place overall and third place in the Open Divisions we have Special Delivery Sport Fishing with Captain Matthew Messenger. The team’s 26.82# earned them second in the Open Division side pot as well, winning a grand total of $1,120. Messenger‘s team Special Delivery is always a contender once we get out east and it’s always nice to see these open boats come out and tournament fish on the LEWT series.
We thank all Open Division Teams and hope to see you in Geneva.
The Kayak Man, Chuck Earls, bested the five kayak division with a total of 11.51# and a big fish of 3.16# for a grand total of $650. Chuck has won the last four kayak events; who is going to step up and beat him?
LEWT will return to Geneva on September 1 for Big Fish Friday and September 2 for the GOTL Geneva event.
This event is hosted by DB Marine and we will use DB Marine for the B’laster Products Walleye Fall Brawl Sign Up Party along with big fish Friday weigh-ins on September 1. We hope to see everybody out there and…
Remember to save your receipts for DB Marine and post them on social media’s tagging, the LEWT and DB Marine for your chance at a receipt match up to $500.
LEWT Geneva will feature a LEWT 2-man Division, Open Unlimited Angler Division, and a Kayak Division. The event will be held at the Geneva State Park boat ramp. Dock rental should be done through Geneva Marina.
For more info please visit LakeErieWalleyeTrail.com
2023 LEWT/MWC Lorain ~ 6.17.23
Tournament RESULTS
Saturday, June 17th: The LEWT and the MWC anglers filled the ramp down at Lorain’s Black River Landing, aka “Grumpy’s.” Over 120 teams registered to compete for the two-day event but Mother Nature had other plans.
Friday was a blow day so Championship Saturday turned into a one-day shootout. The lake had some residual rollers from the day before, but the skies cleared and allowed for a beautiful morning send-off. We would like to thank Jeff Kelm and his wife Ilene for a prayer and our National Anthem prior to send-off.
The current 3rd place TOY team Steve Tyszko and Christopher French led the field as boat #1 out of 123 boats for send off. Steve and Chris have been in TOY title contention heading into this Lorain event.
The conditions were tough and strong north winds changing water temps left anglers “pre-fishing” on tournament day. Steve and Chris were unable to put the package together as they have consistently done for the last several years. They dropped to 12th in TOY points and will look to improve their finish at Ashtabula and Geneva.
Lorain Champs Steve Skupien and Wally Neumann finally were able to put it all together this year and get the win they have waited for their whole lives. This is the first 1st place finish for this team and it couldn’t have been a bigger one, winning both the LEWT and MWC events with a total bag of 32.04#.
Steve and Wally had a bite going off of island structure by the Hen and Chick Islands. The duo used worm harnesses high in the water column targeting fish that were up eating bugs.
They won $11,820 for their efforts on the LEWT side of things. They also qualified for Nitro Gold cash for another $8,000! Holy cow what a day $19,820 for winning the LEWT! Congrats!
The LEWT paid out 15 spots for this 100+ boat field and just missing the cut was Ryan Buddie and **Sub Lucas “The Yeti” Hahn in 16th. Ryan and Lucas’s top 20 finish still gains them much needed TOY points. Ryan and normal partner Jason Kopf sit in the poll position with 748 points after Lorain heading into Ashtabula and Geneva.
Mark Wilmot and Bill Dudas have been working hard to stay in the top of the pack this year and pulled off another paycheck Saturday. Wilmot and Dudas landed 26.14#, good enough for 15th place.
Quality Mark and Aaron Humbert have been putting together a string of nice finishes this year and Lorain was no different. Mark and Aaron were able to put together 27.05# for 14th place and another award. Quality Mark always donates his earnings to a good cause selected by the LEWT.
This will be the first paycheck donated to the LEWT’s new Ohio Future Anglers Foundation. This 501.c3 nonprofit is being founded to get involved with Ohio’s youth and get kids out fishing!
Thanks Quality Mark!
Reining TOY Steve Hendrick and Brian Ulmer edged out 13th place with 27.06#, which kept them at the top of the pack for that coveted TOY title. If you look up consistency over the last few years, you’d see these guys’ names. They always manage to grab a top spot no matter the conditions or location.
We also want to mention that Hendricks’ title sponsor Malco Automotive and Presta Marine were on site donating boat and auto cleaning products to all anglers in attendance.
Thank You to Malco and Presta
Long timers Mike Robinson and Mark Brumbaugh entered Lorain as a single entry team this year due to life getting in the way. These guys have been fishing events since the LEWT’s inception, and to see them was a treat and to watch them do well was not surprising. Mike and Mark have been placing and winning tournaments for decades.
It was reported that they figured out a deep worm bite at the weather buoy good enough for 27.11# and 12th place.
In 11th place we have Karl Elsner and Robert Haskell. Karl and Robert netted 27.13# on the day, anchored by a very respectable 8.00# big fish. These guys came all the way from NY to fish the LEWT and earned $500. Thanks for fishing our joint event with the MWC.
Rounding off the top 10, we have local heavy hitters Sammy Cappelli and Tony Kerrick. Sammy and Tony stuck to the game plan and brought 28.01# on tournament day.
Sammy used his Lowrance Electronics while running from a storm during prefish to find a school of walleye that nobody else was fishing. A totally random find attributed to being able to mark at speed with his new HDS Pro Lowrance units. Electronics matched with Bandit’s 120′ back using snap weights did the damage as Sammy and Tony earned $750 on the day.
In 9th place we have Wayne Butz and Joe Sommers with 28.07#. Wayne and Joe hopped over and fished the LEWT in conjunction with the MWC earning them $1,000 on the LEWT side.
The LEWT really appreciates the MWC anglers joining our club and fishing with us we hope to bring you another LEWT/MWC event next year. Great job guys.
LEWT guns Erick Williams and David Lander(sub) put yet again another top 10 finish together, finishing 8th with 28.08#. Erick only has three events under his belt this year and sitting in 35th for Team of the Year. These guys will look to jump in the standings with their next event points. Erick and Dave took home $1,050. Great work guys!
Bill Adkinson and Joe Tenebria earned top 7 honors as they were able to find 29.00# and get them to the scales, earning $1,150.
We hope to see these guys back soon mostly because Jason was able to figure out how to pronounce Joe’s name on stage!
Well the old GOAT (Gary) and the Walleye Kid (Nicholas) Zart managed to do it again with a 6th place finish good enough for $1,250. This top finish landed these guys in 9th place overall for TOY and sitting really good heading out east.
The charter captains do what they do best and adapted to the changing water conditions, using Lowrance Electronics to find and target fish in Canadian waters. They fished outside Pelee Island in 18-30 FOW using redneck weights and worm harnesses at 1.1 -1.5 mph. Zart reports that he matched gold blades to mimic the bug hatch.
Larry Kammerer and Ali Shakoor is another one of those teams that headed in town for the MWC and linked up with the LEWT to fish the joint event. Ali is no stranger when it comes to fishing the LEWT and has done well in the past not only on Erie, but in the LEWT.
Ali and Larry fished the weather buoy with worms deep with bottom bouncers to catch their fish. Ali reports that if you weren’t catching the fish you needed for the event you needed to be deeper. Ali and Larry landed 29.10# anchored by an 8.09# big fish good enough for $1,350 and 5th place overall.
Rob Lester and Randy Cline have been on a roll this year and sit in 10th place for the TOY title after a 4th place finish in Lorain. Rob and Randy fished the weather buoy and towards Pelee Island with worms up high in the water column targeting fish eating bugs. These guys were able to put a pattern together that proved to last through tournament day. Rob and Randy cashed a $1,450 check and took home some well deserved hardware for their 30.10# of walleye.
Vic’s Sports Center Ranger Pro Scott Geitey and Jay Gullett boated 31.06# for their best 5 fish. Papa Scott and Jay are now a solid contender for TOY as they sit in 3rd place overall with 690 points. Scott and Jay earned $4,230 on the day with 3rd place overall.
Moving into eastern events, Scott looks to advance his position and make runs possibly into PA with his V10 equipped Ranger 622 FS Pro.
MWC/ LEWT team Adam Hume and Mike Karner were able to nearly do it again as they won this event in 2020. The team placed 2nd overall and took home $4,200 in LEWT winnings and $500 in Ranger Cup bonus cash for their efforts. Adam and Mike boated 31.11# on the day.
Nate and Mervin Troyer were able to capture the Big Fish title on the day weighing a 8.13# midsummer giant. The team was casting and jigging a split tail minnow on a jig head on structure. It’s cool to see that jigging is still cashing checks on Erie. They took home $1,700 for big fish.
Kayak man Chuck Earls bested Brad Tilton and Nasty Nate Leuders who both had nice bags with his own 12.31# bag. Chuck wins his 3rd straight Kayak event and took home big fish as well. The Kayak division hopes to grow as we move into warmer months and water conditions.
The LEWT moves out Ashtabula next for the Vic’s Sportscenter open. We will feature an Open Division and a LEWT 2-Man Division. The event will be held at Lake Shore Park hosted by Lake Shore Bait and Tackle. All Open division/big boats can launch at any Ashtabula Marina, as we know it’s shallow at Lake Shore.
Stay tuned for more details for this year’s 2023 B’laster Fall Brawl at this Fall Brawl kickoff party and pig roast sponsored by Branch BBQ. 2023 will be the Biggest Brawl EVER with more great ideas to come this season.
2023 LEWT/MWC Lorain ~ 6.17.23
Tournament RESULTS
Saturday, June 17th: The LEWT and the MWC anglers filled the ramp down at Lorain’s Black River Landing, aka “Grumpy’s.” Over 120 teams registered to compete for the two-day event but Mother Nature had other plans.
Friday was a blow day so Championship Saturday turned into a one-day shootout. The lake had some residual rollers from the day before, but the skies cleared and allowed for a beautiful morning send-off. We would like to thank Jeff Kelm and his wife Ilene for a prayer and our National Anthem prior to send-off.
The current 3rd place TOY team Steve Tyszko and Christopher French led the field as boat #1 out of 123 boats for send off. Steve and Chris have been in TOY title contention heading into this Lorain event.
The conditions were tough and strong north winds changing water temps left anglers “pre-fishing” on tournament day. Steve and Chris were unable to put the package together as they have consistently done for the last several years. They dropped to 12th in TOY points and will look to improve their finish at Ashtabula and Geneva.
Lorain Champs Steve Skupien and Wally Neumann finally were able to put it all together this year and get the win they have waited for their whole lives. This is the first 1st place finish for this team and it couldn’t have been a bigger one, winning both the LEWT and MWC events with a total bag of 32.04#.
Steve and Wally had a bite going off of island structure by the Hen and Chick Islands. The duo used worm harnesses high in the water column targeting fish that were up eating bugs.
They won $11,820 for their efforts on the LEWT side of things. They also qualified for Nitro Gold cash for another $8,000! Holy cow what a day $19,820 for winning the LEWT! Congrats!
The LEWT paid out 15 spots for this 100+ boat field and just missing the cut was Ryan Buddie and **Sub Lucas “The Yeti” Hahn in 16th. Ryan and Lucas’s top 20 finish still gains them much needed TOY points. Ryan and normal partner Jason Kopf sit in the poll position with 748 points after Lorain heading into Ashtabula and Geneva.
Mark Wilmot and Bill Dudas have been working hard to stay in the top of the pack this year and pulled off another paycheck Saturday. Wilmot and Dudas landed 26.14#, good enough for 15th place.
Quality Mark and Aaron Humbert have been putting together a string of nice finishes this year and Lorain was no different. Mark and Aaron were able to put together 27.05# for 14th place and another award. Quality Mark always donates his earnings to a good cause selected by the LEWT.
This will be the first paycheck donated to the LEWT’s new Ohio Future Anglers Foundation. This 501.c3 nonprofit is being founded to get involved with Ohio’s youth and get kids out fishing!
Thanks Quality Mark!
Reining TOY Steve Hendrick and Brian Ulmer edged out 13th place with 27.06#, which kept them at the top of the pack for that coveted TOY title. If you look up consistency over the last few years, you’d see these guys’ names. They always manage to grab a top spot no matter the conditions or location.
We also want to mention that Hendricks’ title sponsor Malco Automotive and Presta Marine were on site donating boat and auto cleaning products to all anglers in attendance.
Thank You to Malco and Presta
Long timers Mike Robinson and Mark Brumbaugh entered Lorain as a single entry team this year due to life getting in the way. These guys have been fishing events since the LEWT’s inception, and to see them was a treat and to watch them do well was not surprising. Mike and Mark have been placing and winning tournaments for decades.
It was reported that they figured out a deep worm bite at the weather buoy good enough for 27.11# and 12th place.
In 11th place we have Karl Elsner and Robert Haskell. Karl and Robert netted 27.13# on the day, anchored by a very respectable 8.00# big fish. These guys came all the way from NY to fish the LEWT and earned $500. Thanks for fishing our joint event with the MWC.
Rounding off the top 10, we have local heavy hitters Sammy Cappelli and Tony Kerrick. Sammy and Tony stuck to the game plan and brought 28.01# on tournament day.
Sammy used his Lowrance Electronics while running from a storm during prefish to find a school of walleye that nobody else was fishing. A totally random find attributed to being able to mark at speed with his new HDS Pro Lowrance units. Electronics matched with Bandit’s 120′ back using snap weights did the damage as Sammy and Tony earned $750 on the day.
In 9th place we have Wayne Butz and Joe Sommers with 28.07#. Wayne and Joe hopped over and fished the LEWT in conjunction with the MWC earning them $1,000 on the LEWT side.
The LEWT really appreciates the MWC anglers joining our club and fishing with us we hope to bring you another LEWT/MWC event next year. Great job guys.
LEWT guns Erick Williams and David Lander(sub) put yet again another top 10 finish together, finishing 8th with 28.08#. Erick only has three events under his belt this year and sitting in 35th for Team of the Year. These guys will look to jump in the standings with their next event points. Erick and Dave took home $1,050. Great work guys!
Bill Adkinson and Joe Tenebria earned top 7 honors as they were able to find 29.00# and get them to the scales, earning $1,150.
We hope to see these guys back soon mostly because Jason was able to figure out how to pronounce Joe’s name on stage!
Well the old GOAT (Gary) and the Walleye Kid (Nicholas) Zart managed to do it again with a 6th place finish good enough for $1,250. This top finish landed these guys in 9th place overall for TOY and sitting really good heading out east.
The charter captains do what they do best and adapted to the changing water conditions, using Lowrance Electronics to find and target fish in Canadian waters. They fished outside Pelee Island in 18-30 FOW using redneck weights and worm harnesses at 1.1 -1.5 mph. Zart reports that he matched gold blades to mimic the bug hatch.
Larry Kammerer and Ali Shakoor is another one of those teams that headed in town for the MWC and linked up with the LEWT to fish the joint event. Ali is no stranger when it comes to fishing the LEWT and has done well in the past not only on Erie, but in the LEWT.
Ali and Larry fished the weather buoy with worms deep with bottom bouncers to catch their fish. Ali reports that if you weren’t catching the fish you needed for the event you needed to be deeper. Ali and Larry landed 29.10# anchored by an 8.09# big fish good enough for $1,350 and 5th place overall.
Rob Lester and Randy Cline have been on a roll this year and sit in 10th place for the TOY title after a 4th place finish in Lorain. Rob and Randy fished the weather buoy and towards Pelee Island with worms up high in the water column targeting fish eating bugs. These guys were able to put a pattern together that proved to last through tournament day. Rob and Randy cashed a $1,450 check and took home some well deserved hardware for their 30.10# of walleye.
Vic’s Sports Center Ranger Pro Scott Geitey and Jay Gullett boated 31.06# for their best 5 fish. Papa Scott and Jay are now a solid contender for TOY as they sit in 3rd place overall with 690 points. Scott and Jay earned $4,230 on the day with 3rd place overall.
Moving into eastern events, Scott looks to advance his position and make runs possibly into PA with his V10 equipped Ranger 622 FS Pro.
MWC/ LEWT team Adam Hume and Mike Karner were able to nearly do it again as they won this event in 2020. The team placed 2nd overall and took home $4,200 in LEWT winnings and $500 in Ranger Cup bonus cash for their efforts. Adam and Mike boated 31.11# on the day.
Nate and Mervin Troyer were able to capture the Big Fish title on the day weighing a 8.13# midsummer giant. The team was casting and jigging a split tail minnow on a jig head on structure. It’s cool to see that jigging is still cashing checks on Erie. They took home $1,700 for big fish.
Kayak man Chuck Earls bested Brad Tilton and Nasty Nate Leuders who both had nice bags with his own 12.31# bag. Chuck wins his 3rd straight Kayak event and took home big fish as well. The Kayak division hopes to grow as we move into warmer months and water conditions.
The LEWT moves out Ashtabula next for the Vic’s Sportscenter open. We will feature an Open Division and a LEWT 2-Man Division. The event will be held at Lake Shore Park hosted by Lake Shore Bait and Tackle. All Open division/big boats can launch at any Ashtabula Marina, as we know it’s shallow at Lake Shore.
Stay tuned for more details for this year’s 2023 B’laster Fall Brawl at this Fall Brawl kickoff party and pig roast sponsored by Branch BBQ. 2023 will be the Biggest Brawl EVER with more great ideas to come this season.
2023 Huron Pro-Am ~ 5.21.23 ~RESULTS
On Saturday, May 20th, the Lake Erie Walleye Trail was at Huron to host its first ever Pro-Am event. A field of 80 LEWT teams had the opportunity to opt-in and take a registered co-angler out and show them the ropes. 40+ “Amateur” anglers from Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana and Canada all registered, eager to experience what a LEWT event is all about.
It was only a matter of time before Mother Nature began throwing us curve balls with unstable weather and irritable walleye. The walleye on a post-spawn feed pattern left them scattered and hard to find. Anglers struggled to say the least, trying to find a consistent bite while pre-fishing during the week. Anglers searched from the islands to Fairport Harbor in search of that big fish bite. Some of the normal watering holes were still giving up fish, but not in the quantities a tourney angler is looking for – causing anglers to broaden the search.
Saturday’s weather looked to be a blow-day with a springtime storm pushing across the lake. The LEWT called the event an official blow-day in advance, giving anglers a chance to change travel arrangements. We lost several anglers due to scheduling, leaving the LEWT field at 80 Pro Teams, 40 Amateurs, and 5 Kayaks – still a great field.
Although the lake was still rolling a bit, Sunday’s send-off went off at the normally scheduled 6:30am time slot. It’s always interesting to see which direction anglers head off in searching for those five key bites. Typically there is consistency and a pattern on where anglers believe they can win. This event’s anglers headed east and west in big numbers proving that the fish were scattered. We heard of reports of fish being caught from the Sandusky Bay, to north of North Bass Island, all the way to Fairport Harbor.
B’laster Products, Malco Automotive, Presta Marine, Branch Sauce, Hook and Drag, Off Shore Tackle, the Ohio Division of Wildlife, The Erie County Board of Health “Click it or Ticket” Huron Police Chief Terry Graham, Deadeye Crankbaits and the B’laster Walleye Fall Brawl filled the Huron City launch site making weigh-ins look like a mini festival. Just before 3:00pm the anglers started back down river to check in and began lining up at the bump tanks waiting for the scales to open.
As teams started to weigh-in, it was obvious that Mother Erie didn’t give up her bounty easily on tourney day. Huron historically has been one of those events that can boast bags well over 40-lbs. In fact, in 2021 you needed 39-40# to make the money line. Today was not one of those days as 80 teams weighed in 337 fish with an average 3.91#, proving very difficult fishing. Nonetheless, the LEWT anglers all fought it out to be the top 12 boats, top 5 amateurs, or the #1 Kayak and cash a Lake Erie Walleye Trail paycheck.
Adding some new faces to the top 15 this event, we have Shane and Shawn Wassam and Brian Markham and Adam Sakarowsky. These guys both being Early Bird teams have fought hard and always hung in there to finally bring home some top team hardware coming in 15th and 13th respectively.
2022 LEWT TOY Steve Tyszko and Christopher French continued their consistent streak landing them in 14th place, keeping them right where they need to be for that coveted Team of the Year Title. Congratulations to these guys for a top 15.
Mike Miller and Brian Fisher along with co-angler Ken Carpenter edged out the competition with 26.36# for the 12th place check. These guys put the work in, having a consistent pattern nailed down during pre-fish that held true during derby day. These guys could just not get that last bite that would replace one small fish in their bag. The team reported that they fished specific structures making turns and repeatedly hitting the “spot on the spot.”
Steve Skupien and Wally Neuman along with co-angler Eric Brasish wondered if they were going to be fishing Sunday. Motor issues sidelined their boat and they needed to borrow a rig in order to get on the water. These guys managed to find a boat and get out there on game day. Luckily they did because they were able to put together a 11th place finish with 27.07# of fish they found west of Huron.
Robert and Travis Zajkowski remained consistent and found a way to pull off a top 10 finish with 27.63#. These guys follow up a Magee East 1st place finish with another top-10 on the year. This will keep them in the hunt for the TOY title. The team up north made $500 on the day.
Rodger Riggs, Daren Zabroski, and Co-angler Khaden Berry stuck to the game plan and were able to put together a healthy 28.36#. The team reported that Khaden, a youth angler, is a fantastic stick and will be a dangerous addition to the LEWT field as he grows older and makes his own team. Riggs and Zabroski made $750 on the day.
Scott Geitgey and Jay Gullet joined up this year to make a dynamic duo, finishing 8th place on Sunday with 28.47#. These guys have finished amongst the top of the field in the last three events and currently sit in 9th place for the TOY Title. Geitget and Gullet took home $850 on the day.
Ryan Buddie and Jason Kopf…..I should just put their name on the top of the leaderboard for every event. Co-Angler Jason McElwain couldn’t have drawn a better two anglers to fish with. These guys just continue to get it done, day in and day out. Buddie and Kopf headed east and managed 28.67# for their best five bites and took home 7th place and a share of the 2023 TOY Lead. They made $1,300 on the day.
Co-Angler Jason McElwain took home 5th place on the Amateur side of things. Jason took home a prize package from Cisco, Off Shore Tackle, and NFP Customs.
Thomas Nordyke Sr. and Jr. find themselves at the top again with 29.40#. They have a comeback event from the tough day in Sandusky to find themselves in the top 20 for TOY. They took home $1,000 on the day.
Eric Stull and Randy Stull were the first team to break the 30# mark and set the bar for the top five. Stull and Stull anchored their bag with an 8.51# healthy Lake Erie walleye. Only fishing two events so far this season, these guys look to make a move at the TOY title with a solid top-5 finish and $1,200 paycheck.
Edgar and Vicky Trent are amongst the best people to be around and proud supporters of the LEWT. When they walk up to the stage with a heavy basket I can’t help but smile. They weighed in a 7.50# big fish and added 4 to it to make 30.90#. They hosted Ian Danielson as their co-angler, who said Edgar and Vickie really know what they are doing out there.
Edgar and Vickie made $1,880 on the day and Danielson took home custom rods from HDS Rods matched with Okuma Coldwaters and Off Shore Tackle Boards.
Josh Lewis and Jeff Hunter broke the top 3 with a 33.04# bag. They fished with youth co-angler Dylan Lewis who thought at the beginning of the week he couldn’t fish as he broke his wrist playing baseball. Dad let him fish and these guys led the big fish spot for a while with 10.18# slug.
Dylan won a $500 gift certificate from Cisco Fishing Systems, a Lakewood Lure Locker, a Warrior Lures gift card and a set of Off Shore boards while Dad and Jeff brought home $2,125.
Frank Broskey and Don Lint had some much needed good luck this weekend with a very strong 2nd place finish. They hosted my favorite angler of the day Eric Hoskins. This man walked up on the stage smiling from ear to ear and weighed in the biggest fish of the day, a 10.48# giant worth $1,300 and the Big Fish title! Don and Frank said that this was the first fish of the day and Eric never even acted like it was a big fish. It just surfaced behind the boat before they netted it and they all were in shock. Hoskins took home 2nd place in the amateur division and an HDS-9 Live provided by Lowrance. Lint and Broskey managed to put 4 more fish in the boat for 34.27# and took home $6,460.
Gary and Alex Kisel continue their dominance in the LEWT circuit by adding yet another 1st place finish to their resume. They had a top-8 finish in the TOY standings in 2022 and are making noise in 2023 with three straight top 10 finishes and are tied for 1st in the TOY standings.
These guys fished with Drae Prentice who came all the way from Canada to fish the LEWT Pro-Am. The team was able to edge out Lint and Broskey’s weight by .21 of a pound and have 34.48# overall.
Gary and Alex were reported to fish East of Cleveland to find their best five. The Vic’s Sports Center Ranger Boat team will take home $17,320 on the day!
Lake Erie Kayak Crazy-Man Chuck Earls fished at the Huron Lighthouse to find his 2nd straight tournament best bag. Chuck weighed in 3 walleye for 8+lbs good enough for 1st place edging out Adam Patrick. Chuck heads into his hometown with the steam rolling.
We want to make a special thank you to LEWT anglers Ryan Buddie, Joe Gibson, and Tyler Berthold for hosting the annual kids fishing clinic. Additionally, the NPAA Future Anglers Foundation and Erie Outfitters donated over 100 rod and reel combos for the future of our sport. It was awesome to see all the youth anglers out for weigh-ins.
What an awesome experience the LEWT Pro-Am was for us. We have been told it was one of the best LEWT events to date. We will look to add more of these next season and appreciate everyone who made this day special. We will see you all in Lorain in conjunction with the MWC June 16-17. LakeErieWalleyeTrail.com for more details.
Stay tuned for more details for this year’s 2023 B’laster Fall Brawl at this Fall Brawl kickoff party and pig roast sponsored by Branch BBQ. 2023 will be the Biggest Brawl EVER with more great ideas to come this season.
2023 Sandusky ~ 4.29.23 ~RESULTS
Sandusky is always one of those stops on the tour that is risky. Post-spawn fish matched with late April unpredictable weather usually makes for a difficult time when patterning those big Lake Erie walleye. This week was no different.
Anglers were met with unpredictable weather and that uncertainty if Mother Nature was going to allow us to fish. Timing was on our side and an early spring front passed through Friday allowing for the “Small Craft Advisory” to pass by nightfall giving the lake just enough time to settle for send off.
The morning was dark, rainy, and cold, but 98 LEWT boats and 6 LEWT kayaks filled with anglers from PA to MN began lining up at the Shelby St. launch at 4:30 am ready to go. One by one boats were checked and put in. Soon red and green navigation lights filled the bay. As 6:30 am arrived the morning gray overcast skies gave us just enough light to safely send off from the courtesy docks. 2022 Team Of The Year Steve Hendricks and Brian Ulmer set us off waiting to clear the no wake zone before letting the new Vic’s Sports Center Mercury V10 Verado powered 622 FS PRO eat up that residual Lake Erie chop.
Due to the early start and still slightly angry Lake Erie, teams started returning back to port around 2:00pm, they had enough and were all ready for some warm food and a break from the weather. It was almost like the tourney gods were looking out for us because the sun decided to come out and dry things out just in time for teams to weigh in. The grill was rolling, food was ready and weigh-ins were set to get started.
Edgar and big fish Vicky Trent, owner of ET construction, a LEWT series sponsor, were first to the bump tanks. Edgar and Vicky had a very heavy bag and set the stage immediately with 28.07#, good enough for 9th place after all was said and done.
The LEWT paid out 14 spots for this field and north of $31,835 in cash and prizes. In 14th place we find Robert Scott and Bill Holley, these guys deserve it and have worked hard over the last few years seemingly always falling just shy of the bubble. Not this time, Robert and Bill landed 27.12#, good enough for a top check cashing finish.
Long time LEWT anglers Francis Ball and PJ Kerr bump it up a notch to 13th place with 27.31 lbs for their best 5 fish. The team was able to land a 7.15 lb big fish that helped bring them into the money. They are currently sitting in a good position to make a run at the top teams for the TOY title, these guys are dangerous and know how to make a run, look for them in future events.
Returning champs Steve Hendricks and Brian Ulmer finished like they usually do right there at the front of the pack in the money, 12th overall with 27.32. Hendricks and Ulmer are off to a good start with two top 20 finishes earning 374 team points good enough for 3rd place in the TOY race.
In 11th place we found long-time tourney angler Rodger Riggs and his partner Daren Zabrowsky. Riggs and Zabrowsky brought 27.42# for their best five, setting the bar to earn a Sandusky paycheck. Riggs and Zabrowsky are in 8th place for TOY after two events.
10th place we have Series Title Sponsor the Quality Mark Inc. boat driven by captain Mark Ebbenga and partner Allen Weaver. Mark earned his first piece of hardware with the LEWT.
Quality Mark donated their days winning to a charity of choice. This week’s winnings will be donated to the “Kids fishing day” to be held at the May 20th LEWT. We will buy tackle and fishing rod/reel combos for children in attendance. Thanks Quality Mark.
In 9th place we have the previously mentioned Edgar and Vicky Trent. Edgar explained that they made a long run and fished outside Cleveland to fill their five fish tourney limit and cash a $950 check.
2019 TOY Gary and Alex Kisel locked in their 2023 run at the team of the year title with a 6th place finish. The father son combo brought in 29.76# good enough for another top finish and $1200. This finish puts them in second place for the TOY race with 380 points.
In the lucky number 7 slot we have Brain Hance and Von Buhrman. The team landed 29.16# good enough for $1100 and another top 10 award. This team is always up in the pack and it would be my assumption that they will get a “W” in the very near future. Their top 10 finish landed them in 10th place overall for TOY.
Long time duo Mark Wilmot and Bill Dudas were able to wrangle up 28.34#, good enough for some extra tackle money and 6th place overall. Dudas and Wilmot are sitting in 10th place overall for TOY as well after another strong finish.
The always tough to achieve, LEWT top 5, was rounded-off by Travis Smith and TJ Phillips. They broke through and put it all together landing 29.97# good enough for 5th place and $1300. TJ explained that the team used NFP Custom Bandits along Cleveland to find their bites. TJ and Travis’s bag was anchored by a 7.25# big fish.
Steve Tyszko and Christopher French continued their always consistent performance with our first Sandusky team over the 30# mark. They finished 4th place with 31.52# and took home $1600. Steve reported that the team fished Huron for their bites.
Father and Son combo Duane and Devon Phillips. Duane and Devon worked the Cleveland shoreline as well and managed to get the 5 right bites for 32.23 lbs. The family combo has earned 354 team points after two events and 7th place overall in the TOY race. They earned $1900 on the day.
The “Old Dogs” Ryan Buddie and Jason Kopf let everyone know that they mean business this season with their second straight top finish. Buddie and Kopf are now 10 points ahead of the pack in the TOY race with 390 points overall.
Buddie and Kopf reported adjusting on the fly to fishing conditions as explained on stage by “trusting their Lowrance electronics.” They pulled new Berkley Deep Hit Sticks along a deep water structure to secure a 32.43# bag. Buddie explained the slim profile and unique rattle was the difference for them in the stained water. Buddie and Kopf made $6,210 and an additional Ranger Cup Bonus of $500 for owning a Vic’s Sports Center Ranger Combo, for their 2nd overall and 2nd in the Side Pot.
Locals Bobby Greene and Matt Wieland bested the field with 33.98# on the day. Greene and Wieland are both local charter captains and fish on a Clemons Boats sponsored Yarcraft. Greene and Wieland fished east of Vermillion to find their bites. They had great fishing all day using WNC Reapers, Flickers, and Bandits behind LEWT Series Sponsor Off-Shore Tackle Boards to get the job done.
Couldn’t be more happy for these guys as they put the work in and it finally paid off for them. The duo took home $11,340 on the day and will receive a bonus from Yarcraft. The LEWT is founded with Ranger Boats and Vic’s Sports Center, but that doesn’t discount all the boat manufacturers who recognize our anglers as some of the nations best and reward them for fishing the LEWT.
Rob Cline and Randy Cline were not able to put together 5 of the right bites but they were able to find 1 of the right ones. Rob and Randy managed to get an 8.50 post spawn slug in the boat and take home the big fish award on the day. Big Fish paid off $1600 on the day.
Last but not least the Lake Erie Walleye Trail Kayak Division innovator Chuck Earls put it all together and bagged 5 fish for 24.76#. A very impressive bag to get while on a kayak. Chuck bested the six yak field and was the only one who caught a limit. Catching fish on a kayak is tough in itself, but doing it on Lake Erie is exponentially more difficult. Congrats Chuck and keep leading the way for the division.
The Sandusky event had four disqualifications. A team was reported to be late to check in and was disqualified. Three additional teams were found after an angler protest was made to have communicated while on the water. The violation of the rules was accepted by all four teams. It is of the utmost importance to read the rules and understand that every tournament is different and has its own set of rules. I thank the LEWT anglers for working hard to maintain the integrity of the circuit.
The next stop in the LEWT series is Huron Ohio where we will host our first ever Pro-Am Event. An amateur “Am” angler will team up with an experienced LEWT Team “Pro” to form a three man team. This team will fish the standard two man rules and the amateur angler will get to experience a LEWT tourney day. They will learn from the best, fish with the best, and hopefully experience that win like the best!
Ryan Buddie, Joe Gibson, and Tyler Berthold will host a kids fishing clinic and the NPAA and Future Anglers Association will be giving out fishing poles to kids in attendance while supplies last. This will be a great event and we hope to see you all there. Kids fishing clinics and cookouts are free so please come out and experience the Quality Mark Inc. LEWT and B’laster Fall Brawl.
We will also be announcing the details for this year’s 2023 B’laster Fall Brawl at this Fall Brawl kickoff party and pig roast sponsored by Branch BBQ. 2023 will be the Biggest Brawl EVER with more great ideas to come this season.
2023 Cast & Jig Open ~ 4.15.23 ~RESULTS
For years we have been waiting for a beautiful spring day to hold the annual Jigging Open, sponsored this year by HDS Custom Rods. Well, 2023 Mother Nature and the Fish God’s were listening. The Islands were 100% fishable, the seas were calm and the 70+ degree sunshine weather made a guy look for his bottle of sunscreen. At 5:00am, 63 boats started their check-in at Mark’s Bay’s Edge Bait and Tackle Shop and headed anywhere from Detroit, Michigan to Cleveland, Ohio waiting for “lines in” at 7:00am.
The story of the day was LEWT Sponsor, Lowrance Active Target. The historical “jig” fish (males up on the reefs and structure of the islands) are just not big enough for what is now the leading trend in rod-in-hand walleye fishing. We knew local heavy hitters Jimmy Bowman and crew along with Mike Defibaugh and his team of Diffy’s Deadbeats were going to be tough given the favorable conditions to target and pick off individual fish. These guys have proven over the years why in this event we call them the Teams to Beat by learning the Active Target system and using it to its max potential.
At 3:30, teams started making their way back to Bay’s Edge for weigh-in, all looking to finish in those top seven paid spots on the weekend. The average five-fish bag right now weighs in anywhere from 15-18# respectively. This time of year, being able to target those bigger pre-spawn & post-spawn females is going to land you tourney day results. The last paid spot on the day went to Team Troyer led by captain Nate Troyer with 30.05#. Team Troyer walked away with $600 for 7th place.
In 6th place team “NIM” and captain Mike Miller fished and bounced around from the rocky structure of Cleveland’s west side to Vermillion looking for fish. Mike and crew spot hopped and managed to figure out bottom fish using his Lowrance Active Target. Team “NIM” made $700 for the day bringing in 30.49#.
5th place on the day was an always consistent team of Mike Defibaugh and Diffy’s Deadbeats. Mike and partner, Charter Captain and dangerous stick Mitch Shipman, gave the crowd a mini-seminar as they explained how their Lowrance Active Target helps them cast directly to fish of choice. Mike even explained that they often don’t cast to fish they feel are too small for what they are targeting, thus not wasting valuable time. Diffy’s Deadbeats hauled in 31.42#, good enough for 5th place and $850.
One of the nicest guys on the tour, Aden Yoder, has been rounding up top finishes at the last few events with partner John Hershberger. The team found themselves in 4th place with a stout 34.00# bag anchored by the day’s best 9.42# giant. These guys targeted structure out deep to “ice fish” and target bigger suspended walleye. With Bay’s Edge Big Fish Bonus and 4th place the team took home $1870.
Team “NIM #2” led by captain Joe Gibson was able to capture the self-proclaimed “English Title” and take away 3rd place putting in a giant bag of 34.97#. The support staff of Bryan Fisher, Megan Fisher, and Frank Broskey put on a clinic all day targeting fish suspended in deep water east of Vermilion. They spot hopped in the morning and settled back in on their original idea to finish out the day. For 3rd place Gibson and crew took home $1200.
Now, the top two spots led by Amish teams is no surprise. These guys are rod-in-hand specialists. That, matched up with Lowrance Active Target, makes them very dangerous. In 2nd place Team Weaver with captain Merlin Weaver brought in a near best 36.10#. Team Bowman was able to edge them out for the win with 36.23#. These guys are good; so good that I even named him publicly as the team to beat going into the event.
Team Weaver and Bowman both had similar tactics targeting suspended fish and casting at them with everything but the kitchen sink. Captain Jimmy Bowman explained that his team used individual Active Target units to each target fish in their own section of the boat. Team Weaver’s 36.10# of walleye brought in $3,870 on the day for 2nd place.
Captain Jimmy and crew landed 1st place and $7,080 in tourney winnings, plus matched up with $8,000 in Ranger Cup Money by using a Vic’s Sports Center Ranger 622 FS Pro. The team totaled $15,080 in cash on the day. Congrats Team Bowman!
The Cast & Jig Open event has grown to be one of the most fun events on the year. Mark’s Bay’s Edge is a great venue and will continue to host us annually. Look for us to host a trolling event in the near future.
Additionally, we announced the early registration for this year’s B’laster Fall Brawl. We will open registration at the Huron Event and Mark’s new Dead Eye Custom Trolling bait will be the official Fall Brawl Bait of 2023. More info to come.
We will see you at Sandusky April 29th. Registration is still open for Sandusky; we hope to see you there.
2023 LEWT Magee East ~ 4.2.23 RESULTS
Would it be the start of a LEWT Season or a Magee East Event without a blow day? Mother Nature always plays a factor when it comes to Lake Erie fishing in the spring. As April Fool’s Day would have it, Mother Nature was laughing inside as she sent winds from the south over Lake Erie on tournament day. The problem was that the winds were 50+ MPH gusts, making Saturday’s send off a blow date. Mother Nature only laughed for a little while because as Saturday’s sun set, the wind was already laying down, giving us an opportunity to fish Sunday.
102 LEWT Teams and 6 LEWT Kayak Teams jammed Magee East’s boat launch well before daylight. Anglers getting ready for the new season were eager to get the party started after a long, busy off-season. The winds were going to allow us to fish, but it was anyone’s best guess where any fishable water would be.
Send off went smooth as TOY Steve Hendricks and Brian Ulmer ripped off to the East in the Vic’s Sports Center Ranger 622FS Pro. Three flights of teams split as each team’s instincts sent them in all different directions in search of clean water and that best bite, all looking for their chance at the LEWT’s opening day trophy and $33,000 in prize money.
As the scales opened at 3:30p, we soon found out that Mother Nature had her way with 33 LEWT teams and five out of six Kayak anglers turning in their boat boards with no fish in the fish bag. Muddy water was the word on the streets as teams traveled near and far trying to find fishable water.
Last year’s top team Steve Hendricks and Ulmer let everyone know why they took the 2022 LEWT Title as they were able to find water out east and put together five fish for 32.55#. Hendricks and Ulmer ultimately landed in a very respectable 3rd place finish.
With 102 boats in the field, the LEWT paid out 15 places. Rounding out the top 15 was Rodger Riggs and Daren Zabrowsky with 24.50#.
Erick and Ed Williams edged out 14th place bringing five fish for 24.67#. The Williams’ always finds a way to bring in a quality bag despite the conditions.
Father & son combo Thomas Nordyke Sr. and Jr. were able to put it together netting 24.79# with a hard-earned five fish, good enough for 13th place.
In the Quality Mark Inc. wrapped Ranger 621FS Pro team “2nd place mustache” Tyler Berthold and Jeremy Lisy landed five fish for 24.95# and 12th place.
In 11th place, consistency kills with Tim Johnson and Jason Zsebik bringing in five fish for 26.47# in the Adventure Finance North River.
Rounding out the top ten was new LEWT Team David Mattson and Justin Bergsgaard. finding that upgraded quality fish averaging just over 5# for a total of 27.38#, taking home $750 and 10th place.
Josh Crum and Jordan Barth brought 27.85# of fish to the net, earning them 9th place and a very nice $1,000. Crum and Barth have been long time LEWT anglers and always find themselves amongst the top finishers.
One of the eldest LEWT anglers, Aaron Humbert, fishing with substitute angler Rob Cline, rounded up 8th place with 28.59#. When the bite gets tough, knowledge of the lake will prevail.
Humbert, who normally fishes with his children throughout the years, is now teamed up with LEWT Title Sponsor, Quality Mark, who was snowed in in Minnesota. Humbert and Cline will take home $1,100 for their efforts.
Quality Mark has made a pledge for the season to give back and the QM Team(s) Berthold/Lisy and Humbert/Cline will be donating half of their winnings to charity. More details to come.
7th place Kansas team Taylor Trogstad and Chad Rohr were able to cap off a monumental week of vacation by bringing 28.96# to the scales anchored by a 11.23# Lake Erie pre-spawn mega-giant! This fish also won the Big Fish Award for the day for a heavy $1,580. The Kansas team “netted” $2,780 for their efforts.
6th place was secured by LEWT regulars Gary and Alex Kisel. This team has had ups and downs over the years, but they’re on the upward swing. They followed up an 8th place 2022 TOY standing with a 6th place to start 2023 with 29.71#, good enough for $1,300.
The “Old Dogs” Ryan Buddie and Jason Kopf picked up where they left off in 2022 earning a top 5 finish. Lowrance/ Mercury Pro Ryan Buddie said he used his Lowrance Electronics marking while on plane in the gas-sipping Verado 400, covering water and finding the right stuff to make a move. The Buddie/Kopf team used that old school magic to find a great bite east of Kelly’s Island to land 31.49#, good enough for 5th place and $1,400.
Frank Broskey and Don Lint snuck inside the top 5 finishing 4th with 32.15#. Lint and Broskey have proven that consistency is key and bested their 10th place TOY finish in 2022 with a top 4 finish to start things off in 2023. Lint and Broskey earned $1,500 on the day.
Previously mentioned Steve Hendricks and Brian Ulmer remained the dominant force on the circuit with 32.55# and a 3rd place finish along with 2nd place in the Side Pot. This team has hardly had a bad day in the last three years cementing their TOY status in 2022 by pulling off a top 3 finish to kick things off in 2023. Hats off to this team for doing it day in and day out, impressive. Hendricks and Ulmer will take home $4,140 for the day.
Has anyone ever heard of these newbies on Lake Erie Gary and Nicholas Zart? Me neither, but the new team managed to scratch out 5 fish for 34.05#. All jokes aside, having the day-in and day-out charter knowledge assisted the Zart’s in dialing in a program that proved to put fish in the boat. Small adjustments make a huge difference on a tough day and that’s what experience gives you.
There isn’t a single person that’s on Lake Erie more than Nicholas Zart. The Zart’s will take home 2nd place overall and 1st place in the Side Pot, good enough for $7,410. The Ranger Pro will also earn an additional $500 in Ranger Cup Money for the top Ranger Boat finish.
The “Team Up North” got us on the water just as they did on the field this year. Michigan locals Robert and Travis Zajkowski stuck to the gameplan and fished Michigan skinny water to bring in a tourney best 38.29#. The team explained that they used structure and baits high in the water column to catch the tourney’s biggest walleye. The team targeted 10-ft or less of water and explained that on a tough day, they were culling fish to make their 5 best. The “Up North” team will take home $8,700 for 1st place.
The “Investigator” “007” the list goes on, if you know you know. Kayak angler Nate Lueders was the only Kayak Fisherman to catch a fish on the day. Nate grinded out the muddy water near Turtle creek to finally get one in the yak, good enough for $845 and 1st place in the Kayak Division! Good Job Nate.
Hats off to our anglers who continue to prove why the LEWT is the best event in the land. Continued support and great fishing makes being a LEWT top team something to gloat about. It’s great seeing new faces in the mix and anglers from across the country. Great job everyone.
The LEWT will be back in action at Bay’s Edge April 15th for a jigging only event. This is an “Open” event and anglers can fish with a team and up to 9 rods.
This event is a great way to get big boats involved as you can leave from any port you choose – lines in at 7:00am with check-in and weigh-in at Bay’s Edge no later than 3:45. The LEWT Sandusky event will follow at the end of April.
