Rossford Walleye Roundup reaches record 44 teams

The Bass Pro Shops 2021 Rossford Walleye Roundup, scheduled for April 2-3, 2021, has a record 44 registered teams as of March 10. And the fishermen donate their catches. This year, Helping Hands of St. Louis in East Toledo will be getting all the fish to use for their meals they provide.

The event is open to all two-person teams. Payouts are based on the number of entries and registration is on track to pay out over $20,000 to the winning teams.  Registered anglers are coming from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York and Wisconsin.

“I have been a tournament angler since the mid-1990s,” said Dan Byers of Zeeland, Michigan.  “I have traveled all over the country and competed at all levels.  The Rossford Walleye Roundup is one of my very favorite tournaments to compete in.  

“The friendly hosts of Bass Pro Shops, the great choices for hotel accommodations, all of the community volunteers and the great Lake Erie all combine to create a phenomenal experience.  We are truly excited to be part of this event and hope that it is successful for many years to come.  We will be part of it every year.”

Tournament fishing hours will be 7 a.m.-3 p.m. each day. Michigan and Ohio waters of Lake Erie are open for tournament fishing. No Canadian waters are permitted. The two-day event will launch from Cullen Park with activities, final weigh-in, and awards at Bass Pro Shops in Rossford. Entry fee is $500 per team consisting of two anglers. 

“The weigh-ins are pretty interesting to watch,” said Beth Genson, director of the Rossford Convention & Visitors Bureau, “There’s a lot of excitement that builds up, especially on the second day.”  

Weigh-ins will start at the staging area outside of Bass Pro Shops as soon as the boats arrive back from Cullen Park, approximately 4:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. Bleachers will be set up for observers and Country Lane BBQ will be on site on Friday evening.

“I’ve fished my tournaments over the years. The Rossford Walleye Roundup is by far the best run tournament. Bass Pro Shops and the Rossford Convention & Visitors Bureau really put the tournament fisherman first,” said Ray Edwards of Brighton, Michigan who is a previous first place winner of the tournament.

The payout is 100 percent of all registration fees plus additional cash prizes for the Largest 1-Day Bag Weight and Big Fish Purse. The Rossford CVB will distribute the walleye catch to Helping Hands of St. Louis charity from teams that choose to donate their catch.  In addition to Bass Pro Shops and the Rossford Convention & Visitors Bureau, sponsors include; Hollywood Casino-Toledo, Cabela’s, Tracker Boats, Cisco, DiSalle Realty, ATS Printing, Offshore Tackle, GenoaBank and the City of Rossford. For details and registration visit www.RossfordWalleyeRoundup.com. For questions, contact Beth Genson, Executive Director, Rossford Convention and Visitors Bureau at 855-765-5451 or bethgenson@visitrossfordohio.com.