HAMBURG, N.Y., – June 22, 2025 – Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York Inc. (STWA) (www.southtownswalleye.com) held its 41st Annual Walleye Derby from June 7th through June 15th 2025, on the waters of Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara River, with more than $75,000 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 June 22nd at 12pm with close to 150 people in attendance, the main prizes were awarded to the top fish that were 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 2025:
1st – Karl Clapp – 9.88 lbs. - $5,250
2nd – Luke Goodberry – 9.52 lbs. - $3,375
3rd – Albert Raro – 9.42 lbs. - $1,875
4th – Chad Beyer – 9.41 lbs. - $1,125
5th – Jeremy Wilson – 9.32 lbs. - $1,050
6th – James Burke – 9.26 lbs. - $975
7th – John Woelfe – 9.20 lbs. - $900
8th – Richard Misner– 9.20 lbs. - $825
9th – Michael Minter – 9.06 lbs. - $750
10th – Mark McMahon - 8.91 lbs. - $750 (Derby Daily Walleye Superseded)
Youth Winners 2025:
1st – Adam Goodberry – 7.67 lbs.
2nd – Lucas Dusenbury – 7.34 lbs.
3rd – Joshua Dabolt– 6.86 lbs.
4th – Gabby Rizzo– 6.65 lbs.
5th – Bentley Geedy– 6.60 lbs.
6th – Claire Nowak– 6.49 lbs.
7th – Wyatt Simonick – 6.33 lbs.
8th – Landon Duffy– 6.33 lbs.
9th – Landon Smith– 6.13 lbs.
10th – Emma Ballesteros – 6.04 lbs.
2025 Derby Lure Winner: Lakeshore Hardware Youth Lifetime License Winner:
David Matyas – 7.59 lbs. Adam Goodberry – 7.67 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.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.