It was a record-breaking year for the 2017 Moose Lake Walleye Classic. Around 102 teams took to Moose Lake for the fishing competition with their eyes on the over $18,000 prize.
It was a record-breaking year for the 2017 Moose Lake Walleye Classic.
Around 102 teams took to Moose Lake for the fishing competition with their eyes on the over $18,000 prize.
This year, taking first place was Trevor Moar and Mark Holzwarth, with the record breaking 40.66 lbs over the two-day event.
"We love fishing. It takes you to different lakes and makes you go somewhere new. Up here, this event is just so well run, it's a whole different experience," said Moar.
Both fishermen are from southern Alberta. Moar is from Calgary, and his fishing partner Holzwarth is from Lethbridge.
"We love everything; the competition, the quality of fish, and the community. It's a win-win. Just the whole package makes it a pleasure to come here," noted Moar.
This is the sixth year the tournament has been hosted in cooperation with the Elk Point Lions Club.
George Hahn, organizer, said this wasn't the best year in terms of turnout, but the fishing was top notch.
"This was our best year ever for top weights," he said. "I think the late spring meant the fish were all concentrated in Franchere Bay."
Previously, the boats would launch out of Vezeau Beach, but because of high water levels they had to find an alternative method, using other launches in the area.
"There were a few issues with high water levels," Hahn explained. "But besides that, everything else ran smoothly."
People travel from outside of the area, and even the province, to take part in the tournament, which also acts as a fundraiser for the Elk Point Lions Club.
The classic is part of the Western Canadian Walleye Trail. Fishermen who are members take part in some or all of the four tournaments through the organization.
This year, first prize winners took home over $18,000 to share. Second place became the proud new owners of a boat and $5,000, while third place accepted a cheque for $11,000.
Scores are calculated using the four best fish weights per day. In the end, they're tallied and used to determine the winner.
It was a close call for first and second place. Moar and Holzwarth weighed-in with 40.66 lbs, while their competition Chris Bahrynowski and Dean Swityk came in with 39.84 lbs.
Taking third was Jordan Leskow and Bob Hein with a weigh-in of 38.6 lbs.
