Photo courtesy of Chautauqua Lake Bassmasters
The Chautauqua Lake Bassmaster “Bass for Cash” tournament from Long Point State Park Marina was a big win for John Callison and Danny Jones with a 21.88-pound bag (five fish), including a 6.27-pound big fish.
This past weekend, at Long Point Marina near Bemus Point, New York, glistening fishing boats started arriving well before sunrise to register for the Chautauqua Lake Bassmasters “Bass for Cash” Open. The competition started live in the water at 6 a.m., and fishing continued until 2 p.m. Some 24 teams registered to compete in the Chautauqua Lake Bassmaster series event. The $200 entry fee includes the “big fish” entry.
The weigh-in was exciting, but after the final bell, John Callison and Danny Jones took home top honors with individual trophies and cash with their 21.88-pound bag (five fish). Their bag included a 6.27-pound big fish kicker that was also the tournament’s largest fish and was good for extra winnings. Steve and Jamie Hughes were in second place with 21.67 pounds, and in third place were Dave Levandowski and Nick Carpenter with 21.05 pounds of bass. The top three finisher weights were very close, separated by hundredths of a pound difference. Congrats to all participants for a great tournament and to the top finishers.
The Chautauqua Lake Bassmasters compete next on Aug. 25 at Prendergast Launch, Sept. 8 at Long Point State Park, Oct. 13 at Long Point and their finale of the year is Oct. 20 with a “Walleye Open” tournament from Bemus Point Launch on Chautauqua Lake.
To learn about the Chautauqua Lake Bassmasters, visit https://www.facebook.com/chautauqualakebassmasters.
The 17-mile-long Chautauqua Lake, a true gem in the northeast, is highly touted as a fishing hotspot. Its 13,000 acres feature a diverse landscape of shallow and deep water, with weeds and lily pads, rocky drop-offs, and old steamboat pilings sunken deep below — good structure in many forms. The lake is home to both species of black bass, with largemouth and smallmouth species that can tilt the scales at record weights. The sheer beauty and diversity of Chautauqua Lake make it a must-visit for any fishing enthusiast.
Photo courtesy of Chautauqua Lake Bassmasters
Healthy largemouth bass were weighed and released alive in close competition at Long Point State Park Marina last weekend. The top three competitors in the Chautauqua Lake Bassmaster “Bash for Cash” tournament were separated by less than 12 ounces.
Get ready for more thrilling fishing action on Chautauqua Lake this Saturday, July 20, with the “Better Half Tour” that will kick off from Long Point State Park Marina. The Better Half Tour, established for couples and mixed team bass anglers, is a competitive, friendly, “Catch, Photo and Release” bass fishing tournament circuit. The 2024 season introduced new tournament features with five tournaments (four in Ohio) including increased payouts and great sponsor prizes at every tournament.
The Better Half Tour was established for male/female bass angling teams as a family-friendly bass fishing tournament circuit. Teams consist of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, best friends, neighbors, and even brothers and sisters fishing for fun, cash and prizes. The entry fee is $105; for more info, visit https://betterhalftour.com/.
Gotta love the outdoors.
CALENDAR
July 18-21: Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout, $500 entry, $500K prizes, six fish bag/one day, Info: Captain Don Ruppert, www.walleyeshootout.com.
July 20: Better-Half-Tour bass fishing tournament, Long Point Marina, $105 entry fee, visit: https://betterhalftour.com/.
July 27-28: Bart’s Cove Walleye Dual-2, Integrity Walleye Series (IWT-2), Dunkirk Harbor, three fish bag/per day, two days, Info: Mark Mohr, 716-998-9871.
Aug. 2-4: 20th annual Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club Walleye Tourney, $300 entry, Dunkirk Harbor, NCCC club weigh in each day, three fish bag/per day, three days of fishing. Info and registration, contact Zen Olow, 716-640-2776.