(LAKE ERIE) A 30-year-old Streetsboro man, James Atkinson, has won the 2019 Lake Erie Walleye Fall Brawl, catching the biggest fish and winning a $100,000 Warrior boat.
He did it on his first attempt at the Brawl with just two days left in the competition, fishing on Black Friday morning off the East 72nd Street Marina in Cleveland. He hooked a 12.395-pound, 31.5-inch Walleye on a lure he painted himself.
More than 8,000 fisherman participate in the annual fishing derby.
The Brawl began 2010, with 50 guys. It now runs from October 18 through December 1, has dozens of sponsors, events and a food drive. There’s a kids division, a scholarship contest and bonus prizes from sponsors. And the event expects to raise $5,000-$7,000 to donate to police organizations.
© 2019 iHeartMedia Photo Courtesy Facebook
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