3rd annual Fish For Life tournament set July 24 at Deep Creek
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Pennsylvania and Northern West Virginia will host its third annual Fish For Life tournament Saturday, July 24 at Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. The team event is divided into walleye and bass divisions, but anglers can only enter one division.
The Yough Walleye co-sponsors the event and provides technical support, including electronic scales for the weigh-ins.
The idea of a benefit fishing tournament was the brainchild of Scott and Debbie Gates.
Debbie, who is a cancer survivor, wanted to give something back, so she began to raise money for the society through raffles at work and a donation jar at S&S Bait and Tackle at Chalk Hill, which is owned by her husband, Scott.
They were trying to think of ways to raise more money when the idea of fishing tournament came up, as Scott is an active walleye tournament angler.
The inaugural tournament was staged at the Youghiogheny River Reservoir.
The field consisted of 16 walleye teams and 19 bass teams. Participants caught a total of 40 bass and 16 walleye.
Participants had good success at first light but lost the bite as pleasure boat traffic increased.
Jim Gynn and Dave Jenco took top honors in the walleye class, and Jake Fazenbaker and John Brewer were the top bass anglers.
The 2009 tournament was contested on the Monongahela River out of Washington County’s Tenmile Park at Fredericktown.
Anglers faced threatening skies and dodged a brief shower but the day was dry for the most part.
Twenty bass teams were in the field, along with five teams of walleye anglers.
The bass were biting well, as 52 bass were weighed in, while only four legal walleye and sauger were accounted for.
The biggest catch of the day was a legal northern pike, which won the trash fish pool. Other large trash fish included a couple large channel cats and a hefty drum fish.
Three bass teams limited out, and two were one shy of a limit.
The duo of Larry Layton and Shannon Brown took honors in the bass category with six bass weighing 11.25 pounds.
They also won the bass “lunker” pot with a 4.65-pounder.
The team of Alex Merkosky and Justin Leasure took first place and the lunker pot in the walleye event with one walleye, weighing 1.48 pounds.
Gates said, “We expect a lot bigger turnout at Deep Creek.
“Walleye entries were down on the river, but at Deep Creek I would be disappointed if we didn’t get at least 40 boats. If we get 15 bass boats, that would be wonderful.”
Gates went on to say that walleye fishermen have been taking limits regularly at Deep Creek, noting that the bass bite should also improve as the water warms up.
“I think the fishing should be good,” Gates said. “The main thing is getting the fishermen there.”
Prize money is based on the number of entries. In a field of 50 boats, first place would pay $1,500; second $1,000; third $750; fourth $500 and fifth $250.
Entry fee is $100 per team if paid in advance and $105 the day of the tournament.
Applications are available at S&S Bait and Tackle in Chalk Hill, Woodlands World in downtown Uniontown and Cap’n Al’s at Dunlap Creek Lake.
For more information contact Gates at 724-323-3477.
Supporting sponsors include S&S, Woodlands World, Cap’s Al and Sons, Canabait, Commonwealth Marketing Group, Gilleland and Merkosky, Ruben Johnson, Ultra Pure Water Conditioning and Lash Sporting Goods.
Persons wanting to donate in memory of a loved one or interested in becoming a sponsor can also contact Gates or mail donations to Fish For Life, P.O. Box 321, Chalk Hill, Pa. 15421.
For a day of fun on the water and a way to support this worthy cause consider joining the field on July 24.
Fishing picking up
Gates noted that the water level at the Yough Dam is coming down earlier than usual.
However, fishing has been slow at the dam with little activity, while trout fishermen are working the Youghiogheny River from Confluence to Ohiopyle, where they have been taking limits on live bait, mostly nightcrawlers.
Bowhunter shoots
Fairbank will host a series to 3-D bowhunter shoots.
The shoots will be on Saturdays with future dates being Aug. 7, Aug. 21, Sept. 11 and Sept. 18.
The cost to shoot the 30-target course is $ 8 for adults and $4 for youngsters under 12.
Herald-Standard Outdoors Editor Rod Schoener can be reached online at rschoener@heraldstandard.com.