29-pound Chinook takes $4K top prize in fishing derby

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 16 August 2015 at 12:00 am

Holley man catches second biggest fish in derby, wins $700

Photos by Tom Rivers

CARLTON – Paul Czarnecki holds a 29-pound Chinook salmon that won the Orleans County Fishing Derby, which started Aug. 1 and continued until Aug. 16.

Czarnecki is a charter boat captain and owner of Tri-State Charters. He took Georgia Barkdoll of McConnellsburg, Pa., out fishing and she reeled in the 29-pound fish, which won the $4,000 grand prize in the fishing derby.

Barkdoll was unable to attend today’s awards ceremony at the Carlton Recreation Hall. Czarnecki said the fish was caught about 300 feet below the surface of Lake Ontario just off the shore from Point Breeze.

Bill Silpoch of Holley holds a 26-pound, 8-ounce Chinook, which won the $500 prize for first place in the salmon disvision and also another $200 for biggest fish caught by an Orleans County resident.

Silpoch, a senior building maintenance worker for Holley Central School, caught the fish on Friday at about 5 p.m. off Point Breeze. He was fishing on the Intimidator Sport Fishing charter owned by Mike Lavender.

Silpoch said he takes about three charters a year with family, including his sons, ages 11, 10, and 7. The winning fish was the biggest one he’s ever caught. It was about a 20-minute battle to land the salmon after it was hooked.

Mike Ayotte, former owner of Captain’s Cove in Carlton, caught the biggest rainbow trout at 12 pounds, 14 ounces. Ayotte now lives in Port Charlotte, Fla. Each of the division winners received a $500 check for first place.

Jared Wise, 17, of Rochester was fourth in the lake trout divsion with this fish that weighed 15 pounds, 0 ounces.

There were 644 participants in the derby, which is organized by the Albion Rotary Club. There were $8,800 in checks given to the top five anglers in four fish divisions, plus the grand prize winner.

Stan Allen, one of the derby volunteers, reads off the winning number for a prize held by Bill Downey, president of the derby. The Albion Rotary Club has been organizing the derby for more than 30 years.

For more information on the leaderboard and the derby, click here.