Dunkirk co-angler earns $10,000 last weekend | News, Sports, Jobs

Photo courtesy of National Walleye Tour
Ryan Jossart Sr. is a seasoned veteran angler with an impressive fishing career who won $10,000 in cash as the National Walleye Tour Co-Angler Champion in Dunkirk last weekend.

Let’s give a hearty round of applause to Ryan Jossart Sr. from Racine, Wisconsin, the Dunkirk co-angler who emerged victorious at the Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s National Walleye Tour stop No. 4 in Dunkirk last weekend.

His remarkable five-fish bag on Day 1 weighed in at 31 pounds,15 ounces and he continued his winning streak on Day 2 with 32-08, bringing his total to 10 fish (walleye) at 64-07. This impressive haul, the heaviest among co-anglers, earned him a well-deserved $10,000 in cash.

Jossart has enjoyed much recent success in his fishing career. In May 2024, he teamed up with his son to finish 10th among 99 teams in the Garmin Open at the Lake Petenwell Flowage (Wisconsin), catching 24.41 pounds, good for $900 there. Then, in July 2024, the same team finished 26th among 92 teams with a total weight of 31.28 pounds fishing the Garmin Open in Green Bay.

Jossart’s win involved a combination of skillful lure selection, precise location targeting and effective presentation techniques, all in support as a companion of a professional walleye angler. He fished with walleye pro Chad Yohe of Bradford, Pennsylvania (31-15) on Day 1, and with Grett Gilbertson of Adrian, Michigan (32-08) on Day 2.

Co-anglers, like Jossart, are not just companions to professional anglers; they are integral to the success of the team. They are tied to fish much like the professionals they are paired with from a random draw. In that regard, these guys need to be innovative, adaptable, quick to think about fishing in a new way at times, and quick to adjust to changes on the fly. For all these reasons, the winning co-angler in these big MWT tournaments deserves notable accolades and recognition.

Forward-facing sonar was a determining factor for the NWT winners. It allows anglers to see fish, structure and bait in real time, ahead of the boat, rather than below it. Traditional sonar shows what you passed over. Forward-facing sonar lets the angler see targets (fish) in front from 50 to 150 feet ahead. Anglers can adjust their cast or change the path of the boat before spooking the fish. Above that, FFS allows anglers to see how the fish react to the lure or the bait. Whether they follow or turn away or come to it and strike. So, they can fine-tune their lure choice, speed and presentation. Bottom line? FFS cuts down on fishing in unproductive water.

While trolling stickbaits and spinner/worm rigs is the preferred method for many of us locals to walleye fish eastern Lake Erie, the walleye pros and co-anglers have taught us that casting can work, too, especially with the right sonar equipment.

Gotta love the outdoors.

CALENDAR

Aug. 15-16: Innovative Outdoors Walleye Challenge (Dunkirk), $500 entry, Jim Steel, 716-481-5348;

Aug. 17: Chautauqua Lake Bassmasters 2025 Bass for Cash Open II, 6 a.m.-2p.m., Prendergast Boat Launch. $200 entry. Tournament director: 716-708-0330.

See FISHER, Page B2

Aug. 22-23: WNY Walleye Assoc.; Lake Erie Walleye Tournament; $250 entry, Fish Donkey format, Rick Malik, 716-548-8219 or Ron Kucinski, 716-545-5925.

Aug. 30: Labor Day Shoot, Hanover Fish & Game, sporting and 5-Stand, NSCA registered, 780 Overhiser Road, Silver Creek, New York, 716-934-4028.