Fishing Classic Intro -- Day 2

Dattilio’s Record Laker Leads Trout Division in Fishing Classic
Stewart Remains on Top in Salmon Division, Walleye Still Missing in Action

Vincent Dattilio of So. Burlington, VT., holds his record-breaking 15 lb. 12 oz. lake trout he caught Saturday morning. With him are his teammates Chris Peacock (l) and Jim Dattilio (r).

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A LITTLE HISTORY…

In 1986, this tournament began as the first spring tournament on Lake Champlain, which was sponsored by the American Lung Association.

The Plattsburgh Rotary Club took over sponsorship of the tournament from the American Lung Association in its third year.

That was 1989 and was steered by the Rotary Club's Past President Tim Ayres until 1995 when Joan LaPier and Bonnie Black replaced him as co-chairs. When Joan became Club President, she was replaced by Dennis Cregan who co-chaired for three years.

In 2005, Jack Prim stepped in as Bonnie’s co-chair for the year. Since 2006, Bonnie has chaired the Tournament and the committee.

PLATTSBURGH, NY __Day Two competition in the 25th annual Rotary International Fishing Classic on Lake Champlain dawned with rainy skies, but it didn’t dampen the spirit of many anglers.

In fact, Vince Dattilio of So. Burlington, Vt. raced to the top of the lake trout division with a record-breaking 15 lb. 12 oz. laker he caught Saturday morning. It’s the second year in a row for a record breaking laker. Dattilio’s fish is 2 ounces heavier than last year’s record-breaking 15 lb. 10 oz. trout hauled in by Spencer Hathaway from Willsboro. (More Results)

It’s going to take a nearly 8 lb. fish to push William Stewart of Ballston Lake, NY, out of first place in the salmon division in the. After the first day of competition, Stewart remained on top of the leader board with a 7 lbs. 11.5 oz. salmon.

Anglers will be out again for the third and final night in search of the elusive walleye. Only two walleye have been weighed in so far in the tournament. Milton, VT, resident Patrick Church is leading the two-man race with a weight of 5 lb. 2 oz. He’s slightly ahead of Burlington’s Ben Boileau whose 4 lb. 7.5 oz. walleye took the early lead Friday morning. (More Photos)

At the beginning of day two competition, team “Here Fishy Fishy,” comprised of Roland and Lena-Jean Poland of New Hampton, NH, shot into the lead in the team competition with 872 points as a result of 15 lb. 5 oz. lake trout and a 5 lb. 0 oz. salmon. Poland held the lead in the lake trout division for about an hour this morning until Dattilio’s record breaking laker pushed Poland into second place.

Bonnie Black, tournament chair, said it was another spectacular day for the tournament in spite of scattered rain. “We certainly thought today would be a washout, but the weather held – for the most part. When the news came in that we had another record-breaking laker weigh-in this year, everyone was ecstatic. It shows that the fishery is coming back after a number of years.”

The number of anglers registering for the tournament this year exceeded 530 and a study stream kept Rotarians at the weigh stations busy throughout the day.
All weigh stations will open again Sunday at 8 a.m. Weigh stations will close today at 6 p.m. (except the weigh station next to Clare and Carl’s Dockside next to the Plattsburgh Boat Basin which will close at 8 p.m.). The weigh stations will all close at noon on Sunday, and the final awards ceremony will be held at Clare and Carl’s Dockside that afternoon at 3 p.m.

Updates on the tournament standings will be heard every hour on Marine Channel 68 between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. and updates will be recorded on the Fishline (toll-free number: 1-877-519-7942) after 8:30 p.m. each day with the top five catches in each category.

The Annual Rotary International Fishing Classic is sponsored in part by the Adirondack Coast Visitors and Convention Bureau and Monaghan Medical Corp.
This year’s tournament began at midnight on Friday, June 5 and ended on Sunday at 12 p.m. The tournament headquarters and primary weigh-in site were located at Clare and Carl’s Dockside, adjacent to the Plattsburgh Boat Basin. Hometown Radio WIRY (1340 AM) airs live updates throughout the weekend.

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