Capt. Vince Pierleoni of Newfane, Niagara County, along with his Thrillseeker team, consisting of wife Stephanie Pierleoni, Nick Glosser of Newfane and Chris Dexter of Melbourne, Florida, have done it again. They won the 2022 Sodus Bay/Wayne County Pro-Am over the weekend of July 16-17. It was the team’s 12th Pro-Am win and 16th win in major tournaments.
“We sensed a migration of mature kings moving into the Sodus/Oswego area after they fished Oswego and finished second there,” said Charter Captain Vince Pierleoni. “We’ve been chartering out of Sodus all week and had good salmon action, so we put our effort into scouting for the best big fish water.”
“Everything went as planned on Saturday and most of our fish were caught with cut baits. On day 2 the currents and temperatures changed and we had to be a lot more resourceful to reach our 12 fish limit. We ended up with eight kings, two steelheads and two very important brown trout (after a late pull) which we caught in the last 20 minutes to seal the win. On day 2 most of our fish were caught with DW spoons.”
The Thrillseeker team led from start to finish, scoring 537.75 points based on 10 points per fish and one point per pound for up to 12 tournament-legal fish per day. Boston Angler finished second with 533.20 points while Cold Steel finished third with 529.50 points.
The Great Lakes Lures team accepted the trophy for first place in the amateur division of the Sodus Pro-Am. They competed against 34 other teams and finished with a total score of 339.75.
Chris Lockwood and his son Seth wanted to fish the tournament and he mentioned it to Jason Oakes who fishes on his 26 foot baha called the Get-A-Way. Oakes said yes, and with Teresa Philbin, Kevin Ackerman and Lockwood’s son, the team was complete.
A little side note on history: Oakes bought the Get-A-Way boat from Dane Brown, who chartered from Sodus Point for decades.
“We drove straight from Sodus on the first day,” said Chris Lockwood. “We fished indoors to start the day. We picked up a fish and then decided to go deep. The team headed for 500 feet of water.
“We found fish from 60 to 80 feet over 500. We kept it simple with a four rod spread. We came through the pier head at 1:45 a.m. with our seven fish.”
They reached the weigh-in with a first place finish, scoring 181 points.
“On Day 2, we decided to repeat our strategy from Day 1,” Lockwood said.
The team fished directly from Sodus Bay, looking for variations in temperature.
“It was calm and we didn’t find fish until later in the morning,” he said.
They caught fish and their rank on day 2 was 3rd place. However, their two-day total beat second-place Pure Mayhem by 39.8 points.
The team used Great Lakes Lure Blinkers, Meat Rigs and Flasher Flies.
“We love to fish and competing against other teams is the pinnacle of the Pro-Ams,” Lockwood said.
Both father and son also fish at the LOC Derby.
Wayne County Youth Derby ends
The Wayne County Youth Fishing Derby ended on July 29. Over 150 fish were recorded this year and some surprisingly large fish were caught in Wayne County in Port Bay, Sodus Bay and the Erie Canal.
The Derby is hosted each year by the Wayne County Soil & Water Conservation District and the Wayne County Federation of Sportsmen Clubs.
“The most important part of the Youth Fishing Derby is that it provides families with an opportunity to spend time together in the great outdoors,” said Maxine Appleby, representative of the Soil & Water Conversation District. “Getting kids started fishing early is a valuable lesson. Waiting on the water for a bite, sometimes for hours, is an opportunity for children to learn that patience and perseverance are the keys to success. It may take some time or a few trips, but eventually their patience and perseverance will be rewarded, just like in life.”
The public is invited to this year’s McDonald’s Awards Ceremony on August 7 from 12pm to 2pm at the Sodus Bay Sportsmen’s Club in Sodus Point. Hot dogs and refreshments will be served. There will be a 50/50 raffle, gift basket bids and more. Meet DEC conservation officers and learn about invasive species in the water.
All registered anglers will receive a Derby t-shirt and prizes.
Special thanks to Nancy Wilkes of McDonald’s, Humbert Farms, Joey’s Northside Grocery, Captain Jack’s Goodtime Tavern, Cornerstone Realty Associates, Dynalec Corp., Termatec Molding, V&C Development, Johnson Forest Management, Dates Excavating, Fishin Magician Charters, David & Sue Williamson, Lake Breeze Fruit Farms, Ashley Insurance, Torque Auto, Sodus Bay Outfitters, KC Bailey Orchards, PJ’s Unisex Salon, Mack’s Body Shop, Finger Lakes Aquaculture, Franklin House Tavern, Lyons National Bank, Rubino’s on the Bay, Katlynn Marine, Farm Bureau von Wayne County, Clingerman Taxidermy, Fowler Marina, Reclaimed Madness, Sodus Bay Sportsmen Club, JJ’s Dog House, Hughes Marina, Grantley Bait & Tackle, Jarvis Bait Farm, Davenport’s Livery, Bay Bridge Bait, Krenzer Marina, CountryMax Palmyra, Wayne County Soil & Water Conservation District, the Wayne County Federation of Sportsmen Clubs and Plano Tackle.
DMPs go on sale on August 1st
Hunters holding a deer management permit are permitted one antlerless stag per permit in addition to each deer that may be taken with a regular hunting license or bowhunting and muzzleloading privileges.
DMPs may not be used on legally consecrated deer (at least one antler 3 inches or longer).
DMPs may be used in any open season and only in the Wildlife Management Unit for which they were issued.
Hunters can transfer or receive up to 2 DMPs from other Hunters (see below).
The DMP application period ends on October 1st.
You can apply for DMPs from August 1st at all license issuing offices, by telephone or online.
DMPs are available to all hunters aged 14 and over who purchase or hold a regular hunting license (12 years for junior bowhunting license holders).
A non-refundable application fee of US$10 applies to all applicants. The fee is waived for lifetime license holders purchased before October 1, 2009, junior hunters, and junior bowhunters.
You can apply for up to two DMPs. Both must be applied for at the same time. The application can be made for DMPs in the same WMU or in different WMUs.