MAYFIELD — The Fulton Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce has announced the 14th Annual Walleye Challenge fishing tournament is canceled, “due to the unusual and historically warm weather conditions.”
Lou Stutzke, owner of the Fuel-N-Food, who helps organize the annual event, said there were about 2,000 people signed up to participate in the event, scheduled for Feb. 18 on the Great Sacandaga Lake, but he understands why it had to be called off.
“The winter is just not cooperating this year,” Stutzke said. “It’s going to be back in the 40s next week.”
He said one of the major factors in the decision was the risk involved with inconsistent water levels on the lake.
“We have some decent ice, but we don’t have decent ice all the way around because the water level is up eight feet,” Stutzke said. “So, there’s eight feet of water that only has three inches of ice, and some spots don’t have any ice on them.
“They will after this weekend, and I don’t want to be naysayer that says stay off the ice, but you’ve got to remember this type of contest requires machines to be on the ice, because you’ve got to bring in your fish [in] every hour, and most fishermen use side-by-sides, and those are the heaviest machines, and they’re the most bound to break through.”
The cancellation was informed by the unanimous recommendation of the 32 agencies working with the Fulton County Emergency Management Team, including the Fulton, Montgomery and Saratoga county sheriff’s departments, state police and other state agencies.
“We’ve been in the planning mode for the Walleye Challenge for over a month now,” said Steve Santa Maria, coordinator for Fulton County Emergency Management Services. “We’re erring on the side of caution. Everybody in the group realizes the importance of this event for the tourism dollars that it brings. It was not a decision that was made lightly.”
Santa Maria said the fatal snowmobile accidents recently that led to the deaths of Garrett McIntosh and Todd Wheaton, which occurred on Peck Lake, were certainly on the minds of some of the members of the emergency management team, but so were the accidents last year following the Walleye Challenge.
“I know there are spots on the Great Sacandaga Lake where they are drilling ice, but it’s not consistent,” Santa Maria said. “When lake levels go up and down, that’s what helps to create the pressure ridges that we see from time to time. Basically, what happens is the ice fractures and shifts, and they can open right up, and there will be water along those ridges. For example, last year is where we had two of our more serious incidents just after the Walley Challenge.”
A snowmobile went through some thin ice created by a pressure ridge
According to a regional chamber news release posted to social media, the Walleye Challenge fishing prizes, including the hourly monetary prizes and door prizes, will be raffled and announced at Lanzi’s on the Lake on Feb. 18 at noon.
“Food and drink will be available, with live music from Steve Cowles and Diane Eames,” reads the news release. “If you did not get your tag certified mailed, please pick it up Fuel N Food, (3006 State Highway 30, Gloversville) as it will be needed to pick up your prize.”
