HAMBURG, N.Y., – June 29, 2026 – Southtowns Walleye Association of Western New York Inc. (STWA) (www.southtownswalleye.com) held its 42nd Annual Walleye Derby from June 13th through June 21st 2026, 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 June 28th at 12pm with more than 200 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 2026:
1st – Woodrow Rickard– 9.61 lbs.
2nd – Corey Hughes – 9.29 lbs.
3rd – Patrick Bohen– 9.29 lbs.
4th – John Woelfle– 8.96 lbs.
5th – Steve Haak– 8.94 lbs.
6th – Timothy Hughes– 8.83 lbs.
7th – Mark Schumer– 8.79 lbs.
8th – Wayne Ochal – 8.74 lbs.
9th – Richard Kacmarski – 8.62 lbs
10th – David Ristau - 8.56 lbs.
Youth Winners 2026:
1st – Olivia Rizzo – 7.74 lbs.
2nd – Landon Smith – 7.51 lbs.
3rd – Wyatt Simonick – 6.88 lbs.
4th – Lucas Dusenbury – 6.88 lbs.
5th – William Egnatchik – 6.87 lbs.
6th – Riley Sturgeon – 6.64 lbs.
7th – Gabriella Rizzo – 6.58 lbs.
8th – Bentley Geedy – 6.48 lbs.
9th – Lexi Smith – 6.47 lbs.
10th – Michael Schaller – 6.31 lbs.
2025 Derby Lure Winner:
Dennis Ball – 7.44 lbs.
Lakeshore Hardware Youth Lifetime License Winner:
Olivia Rizzo – 7.74 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.