Chautauqua County superstar Josh Larsen will chair the fifth year of his rapidly growing tournament, with the second year in a row since he moved his tournament from Barcelona Harbor in Westfield to Chadwick Bay in Dunkirk. The WNY Classic/Dunkirk Walleye Festival 2025 saw record numbers of entrants last year as a high-quality tournament event, while fostering community support for anglers and non-anglers celebrating events for all on the Dunkirk Harbor Central Avenue Pier. Dedicated to preserving the tradition of sportsmen and women, Larsen’s company, Primitive Patriot Outdoors, is a veteran-owned and operated company. Larsen says, “We are here to give advice, promote the gear we use, and help give others the tools to succeed.” Founded in 2020, Larsen had a vision to create a network to promote conservation, preservation of our public lands, share the ethics of the outdoors, and to be able to raise money to send disabled veterans on dream hunts. Larsen continues, “We strive to help bring the outdoor community together through our unique hosted events such as the WNY Walleye Cup Series, PPO-TV, and the WNY Walleye Classic/Dunkirk Walleye Festival. We also run the Heroes Hunt, a program that helps veterans and first responders find peace through outdoor adventures.” The WNY Walleye Classic/Dunkirk Walleye Festival will run from Friday, June 6, through Sunday, June 8. On Big Fish Friday (June 6), anglers vie for a friendly cash prize.

This tournament is a 1-day competition event set for Saturday (June 7), with Sunday, June 8, the backup day if they can’t fish on Saturday due to the weather. The entry fee is $500 per boat. Visit www.primitivepatriotoutdoors.com on the web for details or contact Josh Larsen at 716-490-4226. The registration deadline is May 24.

Concurrently, from June 7 – 15, 2025, the Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York will run its legendary 41st consecutive annual marathon 9-day walleye fishing contest. This is a one-fish, biggest fish wins contest. The entry fee is $110 per person ($60 member fee, $50 tournament fee) with a possible $100,000 in prizes and cash, plus a choice of daily extra Calcutta registrations that are optional. Visit www.southtownswalleye.com to register. Call co-chairmen Jim Skoczylas (716-796-5372) or Brian Plecas (716-225-7055) with questions.

Then, for military veterans and first responders, the Eastern Lake Erie Charter Boat Association (ELECBA) under the leadership of Captain Jim Steel, will offer the WNY Heroes Day, a 1-day fun fishing event on June 27, 2025, to run from Dunkirk Harbor. Qualified entrants can register at www.wnyheroes.org. If you are a charter captain or want to volunteer your services to help, contact Steel at 716-481-5348. There is no fee for qualified entrants.

The Captain Craig Sleeman family from Rochester, with Team Midnight Express, are often among the top teams with the winning strategy at Lake Erie tournament fishing events. Collin Voss Photo

The NY Walleye Derby 2025 event is worth entering as it runs the entire summer from Saturday, June 28, to Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. Walleye must be caught in New York waters of Lake Erie or the Upper Niagara River to be eligible. Registration cost is $35 via check or money order (must be postmarked by June 17), or $37.89 online. Steel says, “This derby is an “Old School” derby with 185 participants last year, with a first-place payout of $1,300, and $5,200 in total cash payout.” The registration deadline is June 21. Visit https://www.newyorkwalleyederby.com for details.

On July 12-13, the “Walleye Duel at Dunkirk” will move from Bart’s Cove to the Dunkirk Pavilion in Dunkirk Harbor with well-known fisherman and chairman Mark Mohr. This is a 2-day competition event with a 3-fish bag weigh-in each day. The Captain’s Meeting will be held on Friday, July 11, at the Pavilion. There is a $500 entry fee. Contact Mohr at 716-998-9871 for registration details.

Then, on July 17-20, Captain Don Ruppert will run the Sunset Bay Walleye Shoot-Out, this event has become the largest amateur walleye tournament in the entire country. With more than $500,000 in cash and prizes, this contest features a Big-Fish Friday contest (July 18), with a 1-day competition event on Saturday, July 19, with a 6-fish weigh-in bag. If the weather is bad, the “blow day” is Sunday, July 20. To register, visit www.walleyeshootout.com/ or call Ruppert at 716-435-4137. The entry fee is $500/boat.

Two weeks later, on Friday, Aug. 1 to Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club will host their 20th Annual Walleye Tournament from the club located at the southwest end of Dunkirk Harbor. Under new tournament leadership committee with chairman Chris Surma (Zen Olow retired), this event has changed from a 3-day to a 2-day competition, with the captain’s meeting set for Thursday, July 31, at the NCCC Clubhouse. Final details are still not in, but last year, this was a 3-fish bag per day, and it has been one of the most popular fishing contests of the year for competitors. The contest picnic grounds at the club, located at the foot of Mullet Street, feature affordable food, with hot dogs, sausages, salads, and garments for all in attendance. Contact Suram at csurma@yahoo.com.

Then on Aug. 5, the Eastern Lake Erie Charter Boat Association (ELECBA), with support from the Chautauqua County Visitors Bureau and other supporters, VIP Day 2025 kicks off at sunrise with Tim Horton’s coffee and munchies at the Clarion Pavilion. Invitees are then welcomed to a fishing excursion on Lake Erie, followed by a luncheon and seminar presentations with discussions on essential issues for Lake Erie and Dunkirk. Representatives from local legislative posts, the New York State Conservation Council, outdoor content creators, charter captains, and others will have meaningful discussions on issues of concern.

A few days later, on Aug. 7-8, the national walleye stage comes to Dunkirk with the Cabela’s National Walleye Tour event. This is a professional angler TV event with the weigh-in open to the public. Bring a chair–many more details to share on this event as the summer evolves. Note several local professional walleye anglers will fish for this title.

On August 15-16, Captain Jim Steel will chair the Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge from Dunkirk Harbor at the Clarion Pavilion. This event features a “big fish” Friday event, and a 1-day competition event with a 6-fish bag on Saturday, Aug. 16, with the option for a Sunday “blow day” if weather interrupts the Saturday competition event. There is a $500 entry per boat. To register, visit https://innovative-outdoors.com/ or contact Steel at 716-481-5348.

Then on Aug. 22-23, the newly formed WNY Walleye Association under the leadership of Ron Kucinski, will conduct their late-season walleye competition event featuring the use of the “Fish-Donkey” software format that encourages catch, photo, and release. Contact Rick Malik at 716-548-8219 or Ron Kucinski at 716-545-5925. There is a $250 registration fee.

Last, on Sep. 20, the Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York will host their annual 1-Day Lake Erie walleye competition event. There is a $35 entry fee. Contact Paul Sanchez for registration info at 716-548-8219 or Steve Haak at 716-225-0229.

With each of these tournament competition events, good sportsmanship and good competition is expected by the individual tournament competitors. Each tournament has specific rules for the number of rods deployed, fish handling procedures, fish cooler handling, locations where fishing is allowed and not allowed, and the use of types of permitted ice (block, crushed, etc.). Each of the tourneys also features extra optional Calcutta events that may include big fish of the day, big bag of the day, fish caught on a sponsor or special lure, and more. Some of the events require polygraph testing at the option of the tournament committee or chairperson. Each event has a registration deadline, so don’t wait to enter.

Anglers catch Lake Erie walleye mostly using deep-water techniques, including trolling, drifting, or casting, but trolling is the predominantly accepted method of finding fish in this expansive walleye fishery. The new kid on the block for fishing is Forward-Facing Sonar, a recent electronic fish-finding innovation that can identify fish locations where anglers can cast to the fish. Just a few miles off the shoreline of Chautauqua County, it has been reported that more than 50 million catchable (adult) Lake Erie walleye reside during the summer months. The deep, thermally stratified waters of Lake Erie beckon anglers to fish the suspended walleye schools feeding on smelt and alewife forage not far from shore. Daily walleye bag limits with 20 to 26 inches common, weighing 3 to 6 pounds, typical. Trophy fish exceeding 30 inches and 12 pounds are rare these days, with so many catchable walleyes crowding each other a bit out there. Lake Erie walleye anglers can harvest 6 fish/day, 15 inch/minimum.

Gotta love the outdoors.

Outdoors Calendar:

May 10: Chautauqua Lake Bassmasters 2025 Walleye Open, Long Point Boat Launch; $100 entry. Tournament Director: 716-708-0330

May 13: Junior Olympic Archery Program for youth 5 – 16 yrs of age, 6PM start, West Falls Conservation, 55 Bridge St., West Falls, NY.

May 17: Ribbons and Bows 3D Archery Shoot, 8AM-2PM, $20, Hawkeye Bowmen, 13300 Clinton St., Alden, NY; Info: Deb Frederiksen, defrederiksen85@gmail.com.

May 18: NYS Archery Shooters Association (ASA) 3D Archery Shoot, West Falls Conservation, 55 Bridge St., West Falls, NY. Info: Mike Cummings, 716-655-5030.

NOTE: Submit Calendar items to forrestfisher35@yahoo.com.