The one-day, six-fish, “trolling-only” fishing tournament concluded with a lively weigh-in at Ottoway Park beside the Daniel Reed Pier and boat launch on Route 5, where competitors praised Tournament Director Codey Allen for organizing a successful first-year event.

“What an incredible tournament,” Allen said. “The eastern Lake Erie walleye fishery once again showed why it’s the best in the world.” The fish certainly backed up that claim.

The Ron Morcio team captured first place in the Big Box Division with an impressive 33.05 pounds. Finishing close behind were Bud Marsh’s team at 32.71 pounds, Rob Oram at 29.85 pounds, Reed Carney at 27.88 pounds and Mark Lewandowski at 27.79 pounds.

In the Big Fish competition, Bud Marsh and “Kra-Mar” landed the largest walleye at 7.72 pounds, followed by Ron Morcio and “Who’s Your Uncle” with a 7.60-pound fish. Chuck Pohlman’s team rounded out the top three with a 6.60-pound walleye.

Photo courtesy of Bob Rustowicz Longtime fishing tournament angler and friend of all, Eric Marzec, lost his battle with cancer on the day of the tournament. The loss was deeply felt among competitors, though his closest friends who fished the tournament won first place and second place.

Allen praised the anglers for adapting to changing conditions and putting together remarkable catches.

Many teams relied on classic eastern Lake Erie trolling tactics: running stickbaits and worm harnesses behind planer boards or diving planes, targeting suspended walleye schools over deeper water, and carefully adjusting speed to trigger strikes from roaming walleyes. On Lake Erie, sometimes a tenth of a mile per hour can make all the difference between telling stories about fish — and actually weighing them.

As every angler knows, fishing tournaments are about much more than fish. As the weigh-in concluded, news spread through the crowd that longtime friend and angler Eric Marzec had lost his battle with cancer. The loss was deeply felt among competitors, many of whom considered Eric a close friend.

In a fitting tribute, teams that were made up of Eric’s former fishing partners finished first and second in both the Big Box and Big Fish categories — as if their old teammate had quietly been calling out waypoints from somewhere beyond the horizon.

Anyone who spent time around fishermen knows they never really leave. They just find a better honey hole and keep the GPS coordinates to themselves.

The inaugural Fish716 Walleye Classic proved that fishing tournaments do more than showcase world-class fisheries. They strengthen communities, support local tourism, create lasting memories, and celebrate friendships forged on the water.

Lake Erie produced outstanding walleyes this year — but perhaps its greatest catch was once again bringing people together.

Gotta love the outdoors.

CALENDAR

June 15: Opening Day NYS Black Bass season, 12-inch minimum length, daily bag-five. Season closes Nov. 30.

June 15: Youth Archery Camp, deadline application for camp July 31-Aug. 2; Free, Elma Conservation, Info, Ethan Conrad, 716-474-1290.