Chairmen Mark Mohr and Joel Ruggerio received an offer from Bart’s Cove to hold its two-day walleye contest at its facility on Lake Erie. The BCWI is patterned after the former Amera-Can derby which was a two-day walleye event. In the BCWI, anglers are allowed to bring three walleye of any legal length to the scales. Entry fee is $500 per team with optional calcuttas for big fish and big box each day. This tournament is by invitation only. It also is for New York waters only. All boats depart out of Dunkirk Harbor at 6 a.m. with a return deadline at 3:30 p.m.

Coolers are dropped off at Bart’s Marina and sealed. The weigh-in started at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, 28 out of 32 teams weighed in their walleye. The weather on Saturday started off with some rollers providing rough fishing conditions, but as the day progressed, the sun came out, the lake laid down and it turned out to be a nice day.

First up was Team Forever Fishin’, led by Captain Bob Rustowicz. Bob set the bar high with a three-walleye total weight of 20.24 pounds with their heaviest fish weighing in at 7.9 pounds. The second heaviest box on Saturday was by Pete Smith of Team Reely Jerkin it. At 19.14 with a big fish at 7.78 pounds, third place was Kyle Kokanovich with a 18.72 total and a big at 7.54 lbs. Fourth place was taken by Dennis Young, aided by a big fish weighing in at 8.78, which was the second heaviest fish of the day. The fifth and final spot was taken by Dennis Alguire with a 17.20 total.

History has showed us that a lot can change the next day. Some teams do great the first day and not so hot the next. The fish move, the crew partied too hard the night before, the boat breaks down. You get my drift.

OBSERVER Photo by Gene Pauszek From the left are Tom Brunn, Gregg Shelvay and Bob Rustowicz, and brothers Dennis, Ron and Jeff Alguire, who placed first and second respectively in the first Bart’s Cove Walleye Invitational held on Saturday and Sunday.

Teams weighing in total weights of 15 pounds or more included: Dave Levan, at 15.48, Dave Shareno at 16.82, Mark Mohr at 16.78 and a big fish at 8.06 pounds, Chuck Pohlman at 15.56 with a big fish weighing 8.96 pounds, which took the big fish prize on Saturday, Jeff Bogner with a 16.50 total, Ron Duliba with 15.52 pounds, Buddy Marsh with 15.16 Pete Szkalanka with 15.22, Steve Ball with a 16.12, and Colton Kneer with 15.44.

Other potential threats were Thomas Kramer weighing 13.00, Dan Korzenski at 12.74, Rob Ebersole at 14.88, Dwayne Bobik at 13.54, Dan Hanley with 12.54, The G man, led by Gregg Marzec, with 12.76, Aaron Tejererase of Team Body Count with his son who started fishing in competition at age 6 along with his uncle Kaz. They weighed in 13.82 lbs. Others included Gary Marcenkowski at 9.24 while Wally Paciorkowski had 11.30 total, Adam Costickh tallied 13.76 and Barry Ball had a 9.38 total. Paul Port had 13.58, and Gerry Bielicki had 10.76 pounds.

Each team is a potential threat if it lands a couple of big fish on Sunday. The folk/rock band the Mamas & the Papas had a hit song in 1966 called Monday- Monday… Can’t Trust that day. Well this time it was Sunday, Sunday. The shotgun start at 6 a.m. was followed by thunder and lightening provided by a different mama. According to the fishermen, there was a storm coming from Pennsylvania and another that settled in around Brocton. Not much fun. A few anglers reported taking videos of waterspouts in their area and one angler reported thunder so loud they thought they were hit. This contest is a Go-No-Go event, which is up to the decision of the captain, so most of the teams headed out and stuck it out.

There were 23 coolers in line at 5:30 p.m. All eyes were on the scale when Bob Rustowicz stepped up and produced a 7.54 big fish and a total weight of 15.54 pounds. Later, Ron Duliba produced an identical total weight with a big fish at 6.68 pounds. Buddy Marsh had a 17.44 total, but the room got quiet when Dennis Alguire produced a 7.46 big fish and a total weight of 18.54 lbs. It was a difference of a few ounces that separated first and second place, but Forever Fishin’ looks like his team might be Forever Winning, taking first place for two years in a row. Bob and his team of Tom Brunn and Gregg Shelvay reported fishing off DJ’s Camp Grounds in 60 feet of water using lead core line presentations of Renosky stick baits in orange color patterns. Team Alguire with brothers Dennis, Ron and Jeff, reported fishing just west of Dunkirk in 95 feet of water with a variety of color patterns of Renosky stick baits, also on lead core in 6 to 10 colors.

Both teams had mutual respect for each other. In fact, all the teams were great sportsmen and congratulated the winners. They included Team For Your Eye’s Only led by Captain Chugger, taking fifth place, and Pete Smith of Team Reely Jerkin It placing fourth. Peter Szkalanka of Team Triple Threat took the third spot, then Al Guire at second and Rustowicz at first. Most of these teams will square off in a three-day battle next weekend at the Con Club Walleye Derby, held about 100 feet away from Bart’s Cove. This event will have a complement of 100 teams . Look for coverage in the Sportsman’s Journal in the OBSERVER.

Photo 2) l to R Tom Brunn, Gregg Shelvay, Bob Rustowicz and Brothers

Dennis, Ron and Jeff Alguire placed first an second in the First annual Bart’s

Cove Walleye Invitational held on Saturday and Sunday.

Photo 1) Bob Rustowicz Gregg Shelvay and Tom Brunn took first place on