The Old Forge Fire Department’s “Almost” Annual Bass Tournament was held Saturday, June 16, with 21 teams participating.
The winners of this year’s tournament were Anthony Sege and Donald (Ringer) Wyman of Woodgate who had a total catch of five bass that weighed in at 16 pounds, 6 ounces.
With a total of five bass weighing in at 14 pounds and 10 ounces were second place winners Richard Tehan and Erik Ashley of Marcy.
Tehan and Ashley also won the award for largest single bass caught with their 5 pound, 1.2 ounce, 20 and 1/4” long fish.Third place went to Lonnie and Billie Castor of Redfield who had a total catch of five bass weighing 14 pounds, 7 ounces.
George and Pam Win of New Hartford won the award for largest Northern Pike with their 4 pound, 14 ounce pike.
“On a side note,” said Billy Tormey, event chairman, “two of our local fishermen, (their names not yet to be announced, although both live on the Hollywood Hills Road), for the second year in a row, have brought the winning fish (so they say) to the navigation dock to be weighed in. However, each time, their winning fish has escaped back into the water during the transfer from their boat to the weighing station. So, the committee is thinking about a new prize category for next year.”
The Old Forge Fire Department would like to commend all of the participants for bringing in over 100 bass and 15 northern pike. All but one was released back into the water.
The OFFD would also like to thank the many local businesses that contributed door prizes for this year’s event, especially D & D Sports of New York Mills, Richard Nelson of Old Forge, and Wilderness Interiors of Old Forge for donating great prizes for the raffles.
Raffle winners were Joe VanValkenburg, who won a spinning rod and reel set; George Winn, who won a bear statue; and Dean Couchman, who was the lucky winner of a custom made spinning rod.
Next year’s tournament is scheduled for Friday, June 15th.
All profits made during the tournament will go to the Old Forge Fire Department Rescue Fund.
