Big winds almost cancelled the Trophy Bassmasters 12th and final club tournament of the year this past Sunday on Lake Erie as 25 to 30mph winds with 5 to 7 foot waves were forecast and the predictions were right on. When the 9 members and 3 guests arrived at the Mizurak boat ramp on Erie’s south shore between Catawba Island and Marblehead point it was obvious that the turbulent waters and bass boats were not going to mix well. The 2 options that presented themselves were to cancel the event or go to a more protected area. West Harbor, a large protected embayment on Catawba Island, was chosen and the tournament was relocated and started about ½ hour late. When the day concluded 7 ½ hours later, the catches were meager but everyone was safe. All of the anglers reported catching numerous fish but few reached the 14” minimum length limit.
The big winner for the day was Mike Baumlein as he captured first place and Big Bass with only 3 keepers. His total weight was 7.55lbs which included the 3.67lb Big Bass. Second place went to Chris Swygart. He also had 3 keepers that totaled 5.74lbs. Bringing 2 keepers to the scales for third place was Boyd Downey. His total weight was 5.27lbs. As a club the catch was only 14 bass weighing 29.07lbs. All were released alive. As a side note, one of the guests for the day’s competition was Kenton High School’s 2002 Homecoming Queen, Stacy Waddle. Stacy showed her fishing abilities as her catch of 2 bass and 3.85lbs would have placed her 4th amongst the seasoned anglers. This being the last tournament of the year brings an end to the Mr. Bass point race. Boyd Downey took the top spot narrowly edging Jim Miller and Nick McCullough.