HAMBURG, N.Y., – January 6, 2023 – Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York Inc. (STWA) (www.southtownswalleye.com) announces its 39^th Annual Walleye Derby from June 10^th through June 18^th 2023, on the waters of Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara River.  With more than $100,000 in cash and prizes at stake, anglers throughout Western New York and multiple states will participate in the nine day event in search of a walleye worthy of the top prize. Current sign-ups are being accepted at the STWA Clubhouse or online at https://southtownswalleye.com/derby.

  “This year we are proud to welcome back the West Herr NY Walleye worth $1500 to the lucky angler who catches the walleye closest to the drawn weight that we will select prior to the event. Something new for 2023 is the Derby Daily Walleye that is worth $1000 a day for the heaviest fish caught on each day during the nine days of the event, only one cash prize of greater value can be won for the main Derby, contestants cannot win more than once, this excludes our popular calcuttas, we feel this is just another great way we can expand winning opportunities to our participants. There also is the Joe Leonarcyk memorial prize sponsored by Ultimate Outdoors of WNY for the smallest walleye caught during the Derby worth $250, he was a valued member of the Ultimate Outdoors fishing team and this prize honors his memory, he just loved to fish.”, said Jim Skoczylas, Vice President of the STWA and Derby Co-Chair.

 “The Derby Committee has worked very hard this year to bring more excitement and value to our sponsors and our contestants. Each month some great early bird prizes will be awarded at the club to several lucky people who get signed up for the Derby early from great sponsors such as Scotty, Garmin, Striker, Coleman, Ultimate Outdoors of WNY and WavePro with prizes totaling over $3000 in all. You must attend four of our six meetings at the club from January through June in order to qualify for the five drawings, contestants can only win one prize. These are some great giveaways and we think that people will really appreciate the opportunity to win.”, said Brian Plecas, 2^nd Vice President of the STWA and Derby Co-Chair.

  If you are interested in signing up in person and purchasing one of this year’s STWA Derby lures produced by Kilam Custom Baits and want to check out some great outdoor items and fishing gear you can stop by the WNY Sport & Travel Expo from March 10^th to the 12^th at the Erie County Fairgrounds, 5600 McKinley Pkwy, Hamburg, NY 14075. Visit the STWA booth on the main floor and speak with some of our members to get everything you need for this year’s Derby.  Don’t miss out on the action.

  Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving fishing opportunities in the region for all individuals. With a clear focus on kids, community, conservation and philanthropy, our various programs support these pillars for a strong future generation of outdoorsmen and women and our fishery. To learn more about the club, please visit us at www.southtownswalleye.com or stop by our facility located at 5895 Southwestern Boulevard, Hamburg, NY 14075, Tel.: 716.649.8202, meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 7:30pm and are open to the public.

HAMBURG, N.Y., – July 11, 2022 – Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York Inc. (STWA) (www.southtownswalleye.org) held its 38^th Annual Walleye Derby from June 11^th through June 19^th 2022, on the waters of Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara River, with more than $100,000 in cash and prizes at stake, anglers throughout Western New York and multiple states participated in the nine day event in search of a walleye worthy of the top prize.

The Derby concluded with an awards picnic held at the STWA Clubhouse on July 10^th at 1pm with close to 200 people in attendance both in person and live online, the main prizes were awarded to the top 145 fish that weighed in after the nine day event. Top honors for the winners went to the following top adult and youth participants within each division.

Adult Winners 2022:                                         Youth Winners 2022:

1^st – Roy Hryckowian – 11.65 lbs.                1^st – Mackenzie Schumaker – 6.70 lbs.
2^nd – Gordon Anderson – 10.90 lbs.             2^nd – Landon Smith – 6.42 lbs.
3^rd – Joseph Mecca – 10.65 lbs.                   3^rd – Edward Walter – 6.40 lbs.
4^th – David Matyas – 10.48 lbs.                     4^th – Hunter Swoope – 6.36 lbs.
5^th – Chad Beyer – 10.07 lbs.                       5^th – Wyatt Simonick – 5.22 lbs.
6^th – Wayne Ochal - 10.04 lbs.                      6^th – Lucas Dusenberry – 5.08 lbs.
7^th – Josh Lundstrum – 9.63 lbs.                   7^th – Emma Dusenberry – 4.00 lbs.
8^th – Lawrence Kania – 9.60 lbs.                   
9^th – Randy Tyrell – 9.60 lbs.                         Lakeshore Hardware Youth Lifetime License Winner:
10^th – Andrew Millville – 9.55 lbs.                  Mackenzie Schumaker

2022 Derby Lure Winner: 
John Wolfe – 7.78 lbs.

West Herr NY Walleye Winner:
Bill Joe Defazio – 8.60 lbs.

Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving fishing opportunities in the region for all individuals. With a clear focus on kids, community, conservation and philanthropy, our various programs support these pillars for a strong future generation of outdoorsmen and women and our fishery. To learn more about the club, please visit us at www.southtownswalleye.org or stop by our facility located at 5895 Southwestern Boulevard, Hamburg, NY 14075, Tel.: 716.649.8202, meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 7:30pm and are open to the public.

HAMBURG, N.Y., – January 13, 2023 – Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York Inc. (STWA) (www.southtownswalleye.org) will be holding its Annual Outfitters Fair on March 4^th, 2023, from 9am to 1pm, cost is $35 to book your table. This annual event has become a popular swap meet for the Southtowns, with items from fishing, hunting, boating and outdoor equipment for sale. Note that no ammunition or firearms are allowed to be sold.

We look forward to another enjoyable event for our buyers and sellers. Please visit the STWA website or Facebook page for the latest event calendar and updates.

Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving fishing opportunities in the region for all individuals. With a clear focus on kids, community, conservation and philanthropy, our various programs support these pillars for a strong future generation of outdoorsmen and women and our fishery. To learn more about the club, please visit us at www.southtownswalleye.org or stop by our facility located at 5895 Southwestern Boulevard, Hamburg, NY 14075, Tel.: 716.649.8202, meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 7:00pm and are open to the public.

HAMBURG, N.Y., – March 14, 2022 – Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York Inc. (STWA) (www.southtownswalleye.org) exhibited at the 2022 WNY Sport and Travel Expo located within the Erie County Fairgrounds, Hamburg, NY. During the the four day event, the club actively promoted its membership opportunities, the 38^th Annual Walleye Derby, general club information, upcoming events and was active with its popular youth trout pond.

This year’s focus for the club is to assist in raising funds and public awareness of the Life Ring initiative to save lives along the Niagara River. There currently is not any life saving measures in place along the river, yet every year lives are lost in the swift and unpredictable currents. The club’s goal will be to purchase a minimum of 50 life rings that will be installed by the City of Buffalo starting from the Peace Bridge and moving down steam towards Niagara Falls in various locations to aid in reducing the risk for further loss of life.

With sponsorship from Buffalo City Council member Joe Golombek Jr., the club has partnered with the Buffalo Professional Firefighters Local 282, the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association and the East Side Angler’s Association on this life saving initiative. At the show, booth staff solicited show attendees and businesses alike to make a five dollar minimum donation towards the purchase of a life ring to help save a life.

The outpouring of support from our local sportsmen and women was unwavering and the club raised a substantial amount of funds to purchase several life rings. The symbolic paper rings purchased during the event were placed on the wall of the booth showcasing the amazing show of support and will be transferred to the STWA clubhouse and placed on the walls to honor those that have donated to this great endeavor.

If you are interested in donating to this worthwhile cause or learning more, please contact us on our website at https://southtownswalleye.com/resources/life-ring or stop by the Southtowns Walleye Association clubhouse every third Thursday of the month to learn more in person on how you can help.

Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving fishing opportunities in the region for all individuals. With a clear focus on kids, community, conservation and philanthropy, our various programs support these pillars for a strong future generation of outdoorsmen and women and our fishery. To learn more about the club, please visit us at www.southtownswalleye.org or stop by our facility located at 5895 Southwestern Boulevard, Hamburg, NY 14075, Tel.: 716.649.8202, meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 7:00pm and are open to the public.