Submitted Photo
A happy Gordy Anderson holds the big winning single fish of the day for Captain Tom Miranda’s Team Pole Dancer Sportfishing in the pre-fish Thursday event of the 2024 Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout in Hanover. The big fish was good for $1,750 in the pre-fish fun event. The main event will take place today.
With each passing day, new technology is always on the horizon, and this week is no different. At the 2024 Lake Erie Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout fishing tournament, a new pre-fish mini-competition event was added to ramp up the excitement. Anglers were given the chance to compete with each other while pre-fishing on the Thursday before the Big-Fish Friday event and the Main Tournament Event today. While this pre-event was a one-fish event, the thrill of finding a secret spot to catch at least six hungry big fish and win the Main Event or Big-Fish Friday event when the real thing starts was the goal.
So this year, thanks to sponsor “Doc’s Tackle,” a new software application called “Fish Donkey” took the spotlight at the tournament. Angler teams vying to use the app registered in a friendly low-cash pre-tourney competition event for $100 per team. Some 35 teams of the 148 teams registered for the Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout event participated in using the Fish Donkey, where the length of the fish determines the winner. Honesty is never in question as the fish are measured using a cellphone camera and a CPR measuring board (Catch, Photo, Release). The image is transmitted to a database that identifies the placement of each fish and updates the results for every team that is registered instantly.
“It was fun watching my phone blow up all day long with fish being entered through the app,” said Master Captain Tom Miranda of Team Pole Dancer Sportfishing.
Randy Jaroszewski was in with an excellent 27.75-inch fish; then Mike Russel hopped in with a 28-inch walleye. Two teams were tied at 28.25 inches: John Ferdinand and Tommy Harrington. Mike Russell entered with a 28.5-inch walleye to tie Scott Addison. These two teams were tied and in first place.
“Then, with just 10 minutes left in the derby, we landed a 29-1/2 inch monster, which secured first place for us,” Miranda added.
Photo courtesy of Captain Tom Miranda
The “Fish Donkey” software app uses a photograph of a tournament-provided measurement board and a photo of the fish to combine into a database that updates all the registered anglers with an instant update of who is winning.
Only the first three places paid, so Team Pole Dancer with Captain Tom Miranda took home $1,750. Captain Scott Addison and his Team Fishtician won $1,050, while Captain Mike Russel and his Team Erie Obsession won third place for the $700 cash prize. As Miranda’s team came in to win in the 11th hour of this fun pre-fish event, the anticipation for a good finish in the six-fish bag Main Tournament today was clear.
“Our team is focused and ready,” Miranda said. “Fingers crossed.”
With a record number of fishing teams registered for the 2024 Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout, hotels and rental quarters in Hanover, Irving, Dunkirk, Fredonia and nearby areas have been busy with angler-guest travelers that are part of the fishing tournament. The competition will be tight for all teams, as walleyes become elusive from day to day. Record numbers of summertime walleye are swimming in Eastern Basin Lake Erie this year, making the weigh-in events on the main stage near Cabana Sam’s Beach Club restaurant exciting each day. Winners and losers are separated by mere fractions of an ounce.
The “Main Event” is today with a shotgun start at 7 a.m. and return time at 3:30 p.m. with angler fishing team “cooler drop” near the main stage by 4:30 p.m. The live stream “Weigh-In Show” will begin at 5:30 p.m. on the main stage. The event is open to the public. For the anglers that did well, the Breakfast of Champions will be on Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
Gotta love the outdoors.
Submitted Photo
Master Captain Daryl Glasner with Team CEO Sportfishing is ready, willing and able to take a spot on the Main Stage with a big check at the 2024 Sunset Bay Walleye Shootout taking place today near Cabana Sam’s at Sunset Beach. Fishing teams from 26 states are reportedly entered in the contest.
CALENDAR
July 27-28: Bart’s Cove Walleye Dual-2, Integrity Walleye Series (IWT-2), Dunkirk Harbor, three fish bag/per day, two days, $500 entry/team. Info: Mark Mohr, 716-998-9871.
Aug. 2-4: 20th annual Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club Walleye Tourney, $300 entry/team, Dunkirk Harbor, NCCC club weigh-in each day; three fish bag/per day, three days; Info and registration, contact Zen Olow, 716-640-2776.
Aug. 16-17: Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge, Dunkirk Harbor from HQ at the Clarion Hotel Gazebo, $500 entry/team; info, contact Jim Steel at 716-481-5348 or visit https://innovative-outdoors.com.