Photo courtesy of National Walleye Tour After two hours of intense and respectful competition, the Pro Champion emerged as David Hoisington from Warren, Pa., who took home $15,000 in cash and a fully equipped Ranger 620FS, plus $10,000 in cash for his Ranger qualification. His total catch of 69 pounds, 2 ounces earned him title to the “Happy Gilmore Cash.”

On Friday at 3 p.m., the Dunkirk City Pier at the foot of Central Avenue was buzzing with anticipation.

Whether you were an angler or a visitor, the air was charged with the thrill of the competition as each team awaited the crowning of the next National Walleye Tour event winner.

After two hours of intense and respectful competition, the Pro Champion emerged as David Hoisington from Warren, Pennsylvania. This young man’s skill and dedication were evident as he took home $15,000 in cash and a fully equipped Ranger 620FS, plus an extra $10,000 in cash for his Ranger qualification. His total catch of 69 pounds, 2 ounces was a testament to his prowess and earned him the title of the “Happy Gilmore Cash.”

The Co-Angler Champion was Ryan Jossart Sr., from Racine, Wisconsin, with 31 pounds, 15 ounces on Day 1 and 32 pounds, 2 ounces on Day 2 for a total tally of 64 pounds, 7 ounces and $10,000 in cash.

Congrats to both champions and to all 146 anglers who visited Dunkirk for this exciting competition.

Duane Hjelm from Pierre, South Dakota, was charging from behind and was among the favorites in the top five to go home with the Angler of the Year. He tallied a total of 66 pounds, 12 ounces for a gracious second place.

Among locals are Craig Sleeman from Fairport with 31 pounds, 12 ounces and 28 pounds, 15 ounces for a total of 60 pounds, 11 ounces and 21st place, qualifying for a trip to the final championship. Great stuff Craig.

Chad Yohe from Bradford, Pennsylvania, brought home 31 pounds, 15 ounces and 27 pounds, 9 ounces for a total of 59 pounds, 8 ounces and 29th place, and a ride into the final championship competition. Shawn Disney from Bradford, Pennsylvania, with 29 pounds, 6 ounces and 28 pounds, 15 ounces for a total of 58 pounds, 5 ounces and 36th place, and another local from West Seneca, Charlie Klaus, with 31 pounds, 6 ounces and 26 pounds, 6 ounces for a total of 57 pounds, 12 ounces, and the 40th place, the last spot for entry to the championship round.

Dylan Nussbaum from St. Marys, Pennsylvania, in first place for Angler of the Year after two sessions earlier in the year, dropped to 49th place with 30 pounds, 5 ounces and 25 pounds, 5 ounces for a total of 55 pounds, 10 ounces, not making the final cut.

So many pro anglers said, “What an incredible fishery,” or, “I have never fished a walleye fishery like this one, so many fish, so many ways to fill your limit,” or, “It’s so fun to be back in Dunkirk, the people here and the city have done a great job. We love fishing here.”

Comments like these went on and on for more than 50 anglers. Amazing.

Experienced professional walleye anglers understand the wind and its effects. A relatively strong wind from the east or the south, like it was on Friday, anglers would usually expect walleye to gravitate toward upwind structure and downwind shorelines. Downwind shorelines are in Canada, where anglers were prohibited from fishing, and upwind structures are on the New York shoreline, where water temperatures were a bit unstable due to the wind direction. It was a challenging fishing situation that required an understanding of wind-blown bait and structure dynamics to prioritize optimal fishing zones. The baitfish follow the wind-blown plankton at a variable speed. Trollers need to match that speed; casters do not. It’s hit or miss for casters … but then to catch up and move in front of the fish pocket without spooking the suspended fish in this deep water.

Locating new thermal breaklines is another key, and presentations that hold baits or lures where the fish are located are an additional key. Strategic boat placement and holding position in the deep-v fiberglass boats used by most pros (Ranger, Lund, Warrior, Nitro, etc.) are built for big water stability in wind and chop. However, the wind adds to the degree of difficulty for the anglers. With electronics like the Hummingbird Solix/Helix or Garmin LiveScope, and others, for pinpointing suspended walleye, and bow-mounted trolling motors like the Minn Kota Ulterra or Garmin Force, and others, with spot-lock for holding position automatically, especially over the thermal breaklines, the only thing left is to find big fish among the millions of 5-pound cookie-cutter fish schools. The mid-lake rollers are tough for any angler with an east or south wind.

The Friday weigh-in was so important to these professional walleye anglers. It not only determined the Dunkirk champions, but it also set the field for the 2025 Championship in Marinette, Wisconsin, which is a three-day format. The NWT entry cost to play this fishing game for real is not free. The entry cost for the pros is $2,000 per event — there are four events, and $650 per event for co-anglers. Qualification for the year-end championship is simple. The top 40 pros and top 40 co-anglers from the Angler of the Year point standings after the fourth regular season event in Dunkirk qualify for the championship. If the pro-angler and co-angler field is not even, NWT follows down the points list until there is a full field of 40 pros and co-anglers. Top 40 pro anglers will NOT have an entry fee to pay to participate in the championship. The top 40 co-anglers’ entry fee is $500 to participate in the championship.

All the action of the Dunkirk NWT final-day live stream weigh-in can be reviewed on the Outdoor Team Works website (https://www.nationalwalleyetour.com) and social media channels. Championship day takeoff was also live streamed and is available for review on the National Walleye Tour Facebook page. What a tournament. Congratulations to all the anglers and the City of Dunkirk for their sponsorship.

Gotta love the outdoors.

CALENDAR

Aug. 8-10: Sportsmen’s Rendezvous, Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds, 501 Erie St., Little Valley, 10 a.m. start Friday, 8 a.m. start Saturday and Sunday. Info: 716-474-7251.

Aug. 14-17: Traditional Archery Shoot, Hawkeye Bowmen, 13300 Clinton St., Alden; hawkeyebowmen@yahoo.com.

Aug. 15-16: Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge (Dunkirk), $500 entry, Jim Steel, 716-481-5348; https://innovative-outdoors.com/.

Aug. 17: Chautauqua Lake Bassmasters 2025 Bass for Cash Open II, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Prendergast Boat Launch. $200 Entry. Tournament Director: 716-708-0330.