Photo courtesy of Josh Larsen Team Midnight Express with Captain Craig Sleeman, left, and teammates Justin Wekenmann from Eden and Jeff Maskulinski from Elma took home the 6th Annual WNY Walleye Classic Championship in Dunkirk Harbor.

The 6th Annual WNY Walleye Classic was nothing short of incredible as fishing tournaments go. With the weigh station on the Central Avenue Pier in Dunkirk Harbor, onlookers enjoyed another exciting weekend of walleye fishing competition, as 40 teams, including five of the top professional walleye teams in the country, battled for top honors on Lake Erie.

Day 1 on Friday featured relatively calm conditions, allowing anglers to employ either trolling or casting/jigging techniques without fighting the waves. Captain Ashton Laird with Team Lime Lake Marine surged into the lead with an impressive six-fish limit weighing 39.07 pounds, anchored by a 7.72-pound big box walleye. Close behind was Team 5-Alive, featuring professional angler Dylan Nussbaum and his father, with 38.26 pounds and a 7.74-pound kicker big fish. In third place was NWT walleye pro Craig Sleeman from Phelps, New York, with Team Midnight Express, pegging 36.09 pounds, including a 7.48-pound big fish at the weigh station.

The largest walleye of Day 1 belonged to Team One More Eye, composed of Roy Stearns and Lavern Anderson, whose 7.78-pound trophy helped propel them to sixth place with 35.41 pounds on Day 1.

Saturday’s scheduled competition was postponed after strong winds and rough seas prompted a Small Craft Advisory from NOAA. Tournament Director Josh Larsen made the decision to cancel fishing for the day and move Day 2 competition to Sunday.

When anglers returned to the water Sunday, the competition intensified. Craig Sleeman and Team Midnight Express mounted a remarkable comeback from third place, weighing a Day 2 limit of 38.25 pounds with a 6.91-pound big fish. Their two-day total of 74.34 pounds earned them the tournament championship.

The victory was anything but easy. Team 5 Alive’s Dylan Nussbaum and his father brought 35.85 pounds to the scales on Day 2, including a 7.54-pound big fish, finishing with a two-day total of 74.11 pounds — just 0.23 pounds shy of the championship title. A heartbreaker. When Craig Sleeman returned home, he shared, “I was cleaning up the boat and washing things down inside the live well. There was a 9-inch perch in there! One of our fish must have spit it up, it might have weighed a half-pound.”

Good thing two fish didn’t spit up their lunch! So exciting.

Team Lime Lake Marine, leaders after Day 1, slipped to seventh place on Day 2 but secured third place overall with a strong two-day total of 72.81 pounds.

Team One More Eye once again captured big-fish honors on Day 2 with an impressive 8.85-pound walleye, the largest fish of the tournament. Their consistency using trolling methods earned them fourth place overall with 71.16 pounds.

Interestingly, Craig Sleeman said, “The tournament showcased the effectiveness of multiple fishing approaches, with five of the top ten teams relying primarily on jigging with forward facing sonar and five utilizing trolling techniques with down-scan sonar. While the strong winds on Day 2 shifted fish locations, the most successful anglers adapted quickly, relocated active schools, and continued to trigger strikes.”

Craig Sleeman shared, “On Day 1, we located our fish in 40-50 feet of water, but on Day 2, we had to search to find them again. They had moved all the way out to 78-80 depths, suspended 30-50 feet from the surface. We used 3/8-3/4 ounce “Big-Eye” jig heads made by Mike Yarema from https://i1baits.com in combination with 6′-10″ medium power, extra-fast tip from Douglas Rods. Our Daiwa Tatula reels were loaded with 10-pound braid and a 15-pound Soft-Steel fluorocarbon leader. On the jig heads, we added a custom-made plastic tail from P-Plastix LLC (see Facebook) in Detroit, Michigan, that mimicked a color that combines an emerald shiner and smelt, those in 3-inch and 4-inch sizes. Early in the day the larger tails worked well, as the sun rose, we switched to the smaller tails, same color, when the fish got finicky.”

Sleeman runs a Ranger 621 boat with a 400 horsepower Mercury 4-stroke for main propulsion. Sleeman added, “I normally fish with my family, but this time my brother had family related events, so my friends Jeff Maskulinski from Elma and Justin Wekenmann from Eden joined me. We have fished many times before.”

Tournament payouts included $8,000 for first place, $4,000 for second place, and $2,000 for third place. Additional prizes were awarded for daily big-box and big-fish categories, rewarding anglers for exceptional catches throughout the weekend. There were prizes for many other categories with 100 percent payback.

Beyond the competition itself, the tournament once again demonstrated the tremendous value that competitive fishing brings to Dunkirk and the surrounding region. Anglers, families, sponsors, and spectators filled local hotels, restaurants, marinas, fuel docks, and shops throughout the weekend, providing an important economic boost to the local economy. Events such as the WNY Walleye Classic continue to showcase Dunkirk as one of the premier walleye fishing destinations on Lake Erie while generating significant benefits for area businesses.

Tournament Director Josh Larsen expressed his appreciation to Chadwick Bay Marina owner Peter Smith for his unwavering support throughout the event, particularly in assisting competitors with minor boat repairs, fuel needs, and valuable local knowledge that helped ensure a successful tournament weekend.

Larsen added, “This has been the most exciting day of my life as the tournament came to a close on Sunday. I have to share that I am a bit overwhelmed with the tournament as it went, the weigh-in was so amazing, and the local support, including the crowds, is growing every year. I predict that next year will be even better.”

Larsen received high praise from competitors for the professional tournament demeanor.

As the popularity of competitive walleye fishing continues to grow, the WNY Walleye Classic remains a shining example of how great fishing, dedicated anglers, community support, and economic development can all come together to create a winning weekend for everyone involved.

Gotta love the outdoors.

Outdoor Calendar:

June 11: Southtowns Walleye Association, monthly meeting, 7 p.m. start, 6 p.m. tournament registration start (last sign-up day), 5895 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg.

June 12-13: FISH716 Walleye Classic, Barcelona Harbor, NY, $500 entry, Calcutta’s, Big Fish Friday, main event is June 13, visit FISH716.com to register, or call chairman Cody Allen: 716-352-0443 or 716-581-3054.

June 13: Get Outdoors & Get Together Day, New York State, visit https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/outdoors-day.

June 13: Teach-Me-To-Fish, NEW LOCATION, Westwood Park (relocated from Tifft Nature Preserve), 175 Pavement Rd., Lancaster, NY; Free, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., open to all ages, prizes for 15 & under; Info: (716) 662-3290.

June 13-14: Archery Shooters Association (ASA) Qualifier, Allied Sportsman, 12846 Clinton St., Alden, 10 a.m. start, $30 entry, Info, John Floriano: 716-725-5822.

June 13-21: 42nd Annual 9-Day Southtowns Walleye Tournament, Lake Erie, $110 entry, $100k prizes; Info: https://www.southtownswalleye.com/.

June 14: Ellington Rod and Gun, “Don’t Know Partner Trap League,” 1045 Hagerdon Hill Rd., Ellington; Info: 716-287-3987.