Submitted Photo
Bart’s Cove Walleye Duel-1 Tournament co-chair Bob Rustowicz said, “We were on some good fish all week.” The management team was mad they were forced to cancel the tournament due to the nasty weather.
The nasty weather forced the cancellation of the Bart’s Cove Walleye Duel-1 this past weekend. “Mother Nature said no, no, no,” said Bob Rustowicz, co-chairman. “We were on some beautiful fish all week, and my team was confident we would do well for the Duel.”
Bart’s Cove Walleye Duel-1 was a new walleye fishing tournament for 2024 and was paired with Bart’s Cove walleye Duel-2 set for July 27-28 later this month. The two tournaments form a new Lake Erie walleye competition series entitled the “Integrity Walleye Series.” Contact Mark Mohr at 716-998-9871 for more on the Bart’s Cove walleye tournaments.
“Heavy rain, tornado warnings, lightning and heavy wave action contributed to the cancellation of our weekend tournament,” co-chair Mark Mohr said. “There were no broken windshields, submerged motors or injuries. All of the registration and Calcutta monies was 100% refunded to participants. Everyone wants a chance to compete; it happens yearly in one of the tournaments.”
“It is what it is. We have a great group of guys, which matters most,” competitor Rob Ebersole said. “We’re all competitors and love to fish, but we respect the decision. We enjoyed our time together at breakfast on Saturday and are grateful for the full refund we received.”
His positive attitude reflects the sportsmanship of all the competitors.
Photo courtesy of Chris Kempf
Ed Belbas, a military veteran who fished with the WNY Heroes event last Friday at Dunkirk Harbor, passed away later that same evening. Belbas was a well-respected first-mate with Captain Jim Plinzke of FishHunter Charters.
Several other competitors, including Ryan O’Neill, Dan Hanley, Ron Kasper and Daniel Kerney, echoed the sentiment of Rob Ebersole. Kasper summed it up, “You can’t beat Mother Nature.” Their unanimous agreement with the cancellation decision demonstrates the unity and understanding among the competitors.
On a sad note, I received a note from Jim and Diane Steel of Innovative Outdoors, who organized the recently held 8th annual WNY Heroes Fishing for Fun Tournament for military veterans. Diane Steel shared that longtime volunteer, military veteran, and captain’s assistant Ed Belbas asked if he could come out and fish as a veteran instead of working as a volunteer. Steel said, “Of course, you can fish, Ed.”
He had always been allowed to fish but always chose to help ensure the event was a success as a volunteer worker. Ed fished and had a great day on the water. Later that night, after Ed returned home, he talked about the fun he had with his daughter, Theresa. Ed then suddenly passed away. Belbas was a longtime Eastern Lake Erie Charter Boat Association member as a charter captain and a first mate for Captain Jim Plinzke of FishHunter Charters. In addition, Belbas was a teacher, football coach, NYSDEC Hunter-Safety instructor, and retired as principal of North Tonawanda Schools.
Speaking for all who knew Belbas, Captain Jim and Diane Steel said, “Thank you for serving your country. Thank you for spending your last day here with us. May God bless you, hold you close, and keep you at peace.” Their statement represents the way everyone feels about this tragedy. RIP, Ed, and thank you for your selfless contributions to so many over so many years.
CALENDAR
July 4: Firecracker Sporting Clay Shoot, Hanover Fish & Game, 780 Overhiser Road, Forestville. $50 cost for 100-bird shoot. Visit www.hanoverclays.com for more info.
July 9: Erie County Trappers, Potluck Family Picnic, 12580 Jennings Road, Patti Wattengal. Bring a dish to share.
July 11: WNY Walleye monthly meeting, 6:30 p.m., at Knights of Columbus, 36 Pierce Ave., Hamburg.
July 19-20: Sunset Bay walleye Shootout, $500 entry, $500K prizes, six-fish bag/one day, Info: Captain Don Ruppert, www.walleyeshootout.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.