A total of 95 anglers (93 adults and two youngsters) participated in last Saturday's 10th Annual Fall Fishing Contest sponsored and conducted by the Great Sacandaga Lake Fisheries Federation on Sept. 10, and, considering the weather we've experienced over the past few weeks, those anglers enjoyed about the finest day one could ask for.

The event was headquartered at the Sport Island Pub and the day was warm, the breeze gentle, the lake relatively flat and the skies blue - perfect for a day of fishing, as evidenced by the impressive number of bass. northern pike, walleyes and trout brought in to the measuring station.

Wayne Dingman of Johnstown took first place in the walleye division of the event with a 20 1/8 incher, followed by Scott Thomas of Middle Grove with a 19 1/2 incher and Jason Dolan of Northville with a 19 1/8 incher.

Forrest Higgins of Glenville took the top spot in the northern pike division with a hefty 35 3/4 incher. Ron Youmans of Tolland, CT took second place with a 33 5/8 incher, followed by Bill Dingman of Broadalbin with a 28 3/8 incher.

Donald Higgins of Glenville took first place in the trout division with a brilliantly colored 18 3/4 inch brown. Don also received a plaque from the GSLFF in recognition of his win in that segment of the event. Second and third places in the trout division went to Dave Paniccia of Schenectady for his 17 7/8 inch and 15 3/4 inch entries.

Gary Godfrey of Northville took the top spot in the bass division with a hefty 18 7/8 inch smallmouth, followed closely by Art Georgelas of Scotia with an 18 1/4 incher and Luke Olson of Northville with an 18 1/8 incher.

Great Sacandaga Lake Fisheries Federation members assisting with and at the event included Randy Gardinier, Bob Nielsen, Rich Miczek, John Fura, Gus Miller, Mike Meilunas, Brian Kedik, Tom Coughlin Rich Kedik, and Bob Sherry.

The GSLFF also extends sincerest thanks to Anthony Lanzi for the generous use of the Sport Island Pub facility for the event's measuring station and headquarters.

No firm decisions have yet been made on a date, details or location for the Federation's annual ice fishing contest but various options are being explored and I'll have that information for you as soon as it's available.

MVAC TOURNAMENT

After several changes of location necessitated by storm damage and related difficulties, the Mohawk Valley Anglers Club decided to hold their Sept. 11 club bass tournament at McMurray's Boat Livery on Great Sacandaga. The event attracted 13 boat teams, with all of them bringing in five fish tournament limits. Those 65 bass weighed a total of 116.19 pounds.

The team of Reed Poultan and Tim Squires took first place honors in the event with five bass weighing in at 12.37 pounds, including the 3.06 pound Lunker of the Day. Chris Colin and Todd Keenan took second place with five bass weighing in at 11.26 pounds and third place went to Jason Coppolo and John Jenkins with a 10.40 pound catch.

The fourth place team was Vince Monini and Brian Ouilette who brought in five bass weighing in at a total 10.38 pounds.

The MVAC's Classic event will be held on Saturday, September 18, at Saratoga Lake. The 10 top scoring teams from throughout the year will compete in this event.

FRIENDS OF THE NRA

A reminder that on Wednesday, Sept. 28, less than two weeks from today, the Foothills Friends of the NRA will hold its 18th annual fundraising banquet. Basic dinner tickets are $35, with other levels of tickets available for those who wish to show their support for the organization in an increased fashion.

The banquet will be held at the Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall, 12 South William Street, Johnstown. The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 7 p.m.

In addition to the dinner the evening's festivities will include a number of raffles, drawings, door prizes, live and silent auctions and more. The proceeds from this dinner will be used to benefit upstate New York shooting safety and education programs, environmental conservation projects, youth programs and range development activities.

For tickets or more information you can call 518-835-2421 or email markrcane@live.com.