Kisels going for 3 straight in Huron LEWT tournament

The father-son team of Gary and Alex Kisel will try to win the Lake Erie Walleye Trail stop in Huron for the third straight year. The Kisels, from Macedonia, Ohio, won last year's event by weighing five fish totaling 34.48. Two years ago, their winning bag weighed 41.19 pounds. The tournament gets underway at 6:30 a.m. Saturday with the first of three flights heading out to the lake via the Huron River. The weigh-in begins at 2:30 p.m. "Fishing's been fantastic," LEWT tournament director Jason Fischer said. "I wouldn't expect to see anyone come in without a five-fish limit." There will be a free cookout afterward, and the public is invited. "Anyone can come down," Fischer said. "We'll have a lot of vendors. It's a good time for everybody. It's neat to see even if you don't like fishing." A total of 76 boats are entered, as well as seven kayaks and 33 amateur co-anglers for this pro-am event. The number of entrants is down slightly due to other tournaments on the lake. "There's a lot of traffic on the lake with the national events coming to town, so we're seeing a little decrease, but 76 is still good," Fischer said. "Guys only have so much money and time." LEWT will donate walleye to the Victory Kitchen in Sandusky. Prize money should total about $30,000. After the weigh-in, at about 4:30 p.m., a fishing clinic for children will be held. Berkley fishing pro Ryan Buddie and Tyler Berthold will offer tips and tricks to catch fish. Free kids rod will be given away while supplies last, courtesy of Erie Outfitters and the NPAA. The Huron stop is the third on LEWT's eight-event schedule. The season championship will begin in Sandusky on October 11. Michael and Ian Hostetler won LEWT's first tournament March 30 at Magee East. The brothers brought in five fish weighing 37.25 pounds and won $7,400. Gerald Franklin Sr. and Gerald Franklin Jr. were a close second with five fish weighing 37.14 pounds. Tyler Berthold and Joe Gibson took third with five fish weighing 37.12 pounds. Randy Cline and Raymond Irving caught the biggest walleye at 9.93 pounds. The Cast & Jig Open was held April 20 at Bays Edge in Port Clinton. A team led by Joe Gibson won with a bag weighing 29.83 pounds. The weather this weekend looks favorable, and Fischer expects a good turnout in Huron. "Huron's one of the best venues in the state," he said. "The ramp is spacious, it's clean. The city is more than accommodating. They do a great job across the board — not to mention Huron is simply a good place to fish."