The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
ANGLERS HAUL IN WALLEYE
Avon Lake fisherman on winning team
Lake Erie’s walleye population is several hundred pounds lighter as 63 teams of anglers hooked the heaviest they could lure off Lorain.
After a high-wind delay on May 4, the Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit Team Walleye Tournament started May 5 and ended May 6 with anglers showing off their largest fish.
Once the weather settled down, the teams dialed in their fishing methods by the afternoon of May 5. The conditions were stable the next day, leading to the “what if?” baskets for anglers left wondering, what if they had the same catch a day before, said Jeff Kelm, Cabela’s Masters Walleye Circuit master of ceremonies.
Among 63 teams competing, on the second day, 17 teams brought in bags of five fish totaling at least 40 pounds in
“These guys are hammers. They’re extremely good.”
— Ali Shakoor of Dearborn Heights, Mich
weight; another 19 teams brought in five fish totaling at least 30 pounds.
That translated to a weigh station with a stream of anglers holding up lunkers as long as their arms.
The day one leaders were Ali Shakoor of Dearborn Heights, Mich., and Brian Zarembski of Avon Lake, who had 44 pounds, 10 ounces, of walleye.
Their day two catch was 44 pounds, six ounces, not the largest of the day, but enough to keep them atop the scoreboard. Their plastic crate with five walleye was the last one on the scale and the group of anglers erupted with cheers when the final number came in.
Standing in line, watching the competitors hold up walleye after walley, Shakoor admitted thinking “that we were in trouble.”
“We watched guys catch fish and we fished against all these guys before,” he said. “These guys are hammers. They’re extremely good.
“As we came across the stage … I didn’t think we had done enough to win, actually,” Shakoor said. “I was really surprised about the weight that flashed across.”
Shakoor, a self-described adopted Ohioan, is a biologist pursuing a doctorate in the study of walleye. His fishing partner Zarembski is co-owner of Erie Marine Sales in Sheffield Lake.
Zaremski’s formula for success: “I think it’s all about fish migrations, knowing where the big fish are moving to, water temperature, bait fish. That all matters for finding where the big fish are at.”
Being a local angler helps knowing some areas where the fish will hang out at, he added.
On May 5, anglers Bret Berkey of Aurora and Matt Lecon of Dalton posted 42 pounds, 13 ounces of fish, good for third place after one day of fishing.
The pair agreed not to get too excited about the catch. “There’s a lot of boats left,” Berkey said.
On May 6, they caught five fish combining for 45 pounds, nine ounces, and the team moved up a place in the standings.
“We just did our thing,” Berkey said. “I don’t know. We just fished and had fun. We jammed the radio all day and just had fun. That’s all we could do.”
Lecon admitted “the anxiety was high” as they stood in line waiting to weigh their fish.
“I didn’t realize our bag was as good as it was,” Lecon said.
He credited Berkey for his confidence in their catch. The team has fished together quite a bit the last five years, but it was their first time together in big tournament, Berkey said.
“I think it worked out real well together,” Lecon said.
There is no MWC Walleye Tournament schedule set yet for 2019. But Lorain could be a site to return to, Kelm said, and anglers already have asked if the contest will come back.
“We love to spread the wealth, but you’ve got to listen to the anglers and they like coming here, so there’s a real chance that we do,” he said.
Kelm credited the Lorain Port Authority for its help staging the event at Black River Landing and Black River Wharf. Several anglers also expressed their thanks to the community for welcoming the tournament.
As for the caught fish, they will be processed with the meat donated for charity.