| | Henderson Harbor, New York – May 20, 2006- Masters Walleye Circuit anglers were handed a tough beating by mother nature Saturday in the MWC Eastern division tournament in Henderson Harbor, Lake Ontario, NY. Strong 20-25 mph WSW winds  pounded anglers to and from the launch and made fighting and netting fish very difficult. “It was a rough ride getting out there and even worse getting back. The passenger side windshield broke in my lap which made for a long and wet day.” exclaimed one fisherman. Furthermore, rain started to fall around 11 am, adding further discomfort to the already rough conditions.
Despite the rain, wind and waves the MWC fisherman were still able to catch some nice fish. Dan and David Hodak brought in 2 walleyes weighing 15.93 pounds to take the day 1 lead. The Hodak’s weighed in early and were unavailable for comments.
Not far behind in Second place is the team of Shawn Hannah and Peter Lewis with their 2 walleyes that weighed 15.37 pounds. “We caught 2 fish, and of course we wish we could of come in with a limit. But with the conditions the way they were we are definitely happy sitting in second.” said Hannah.
Taking the 3rd spot is the 2004 Henderson Harbor Tournament champions Robert Hollingsworth and Jim Navis with their basket of 2 walleyes weighing 13.90 pounds. “We  caught 2 nice fish today and we’re happy. We had some engine trouble through-out the day which had an effect on how we fished. But these 2 fish were the best ones we caught all week.” said Hollingsworth.
Most of the fisherman made a run north up to the Chamont Bay area in their attempt to catch fish. “Water temperatures in the Chamont area (56-58) are a little warmer than the rest of the lake (50-52) and may be a good reason for more fish to be concentrated there”. said one local charter captain. Chamont bay is also relatively sheltered from the westerly winds, making it more fishable.
Many of the 65 boats fishing were forced to throw out their drift socks while trolling to keep their speed down to a minimum. “We were trying to keep our speed around 1.5 [mph] but with the waves the way they were we would surge from 1.2 all the way up to 2.4.” said angler Peter Lewis.
Wind and waves are a welcome site to some walleye fisherman but not when your fishing on one of the great lakes. “We really didn’t get to see the potential of this great walleye fishery. We know the fish are out there and we know these guys can catch them. This weather making things very difficult” said tournament director Kristine Houtman. Which definitely seems to be the case. Last year the MWC anglers produced a nearly 7.5 pound AVERAGE with the smallest fish weighed being a respectable 5.95 pounds.
Forecasts are not looking too promising. The wind is supposed to be picking up a little more and the rain is supposed to continue as well. Day 2 of the tournament is limbo until tomorrow morning, when tournament officials will make the final decision whether it is safe enough for the anglers to compete. Stay tuned to www.walleyecentral.com for updates and www.liveleaderboard.com for photos and live weights if mother nature co-operates. |
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