Thursday and Friday, June 27-28, 2013
The 12th Annual Greater Niagara BassEye Celebrity Challenge kicked-off the summer at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, NY. Captains, anglers and guests experienced the hometown minor league baseball field which was a once and a lifetime opportunity along with the views of the city. The party this year resembled Margaritaville. Guests enjoyed live music from Heard of Buffalo, gourmet grub, great beer, and a series of exciting auctions. The tournament was sponsored by Rich Products Corporation, Buffalo Bisons and Robert-James Sales.
In attendance was event founder, Bob Rich of Rich Products Corporation. He was recognized for his leadership and steadfast support of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. WKBW TV’s Linda Pellegrino and 97 Rock’s Rob Lederman served as emcees for the evening saluting Bob and Mindy. "With their leadership, we are creating tomorrows for those living with CF," said Gia Coone, Executive Director of the CF Foundation in Western New York.
Friday morning captains and anglers gathered for the blessing of the fleet and departed from the NFTA Small Boat Harbor for one cause. This catch and release tournament placed some of Western New York’s best and most competitive anglers in a 32 boat competition. NFL Hall of Famer, Jim Kelly a Buffalo Bills legend joined us again this year for the fight. "This is what it is all about. It’s about healthy kids and finding a cure for a disease and bonding with people," said Bob Rich.
Later that afternoon captains, anglers and guests enjoyed a Dockside BBQ while the Grand Champion Angler was crowned. The Grand Champion Angler for the 2013 BassEye Celebrity Challenge was Greg Zaepfel from Zaepfel Development. Greg was guided by Grand Champion Captain, Jim Rores. It did not stop there for Greg and Jim. Zaepfel Development was then awarded as the Grand Champion Team. Greg Zaepfel, James Zaepfel and Ron George had great stories to share and smiles on their faces after a great day on the lake “catching a cure” for cf.
The commitment and support is critical to our success and we can’t say thank you enough to our sponsors, captains and anglers for another fabulous year!
For more information about the Greater Niagara BassEye Celebrity Challenge please contact Gia Coone at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at
gcoone@cff.org or (716) 204-2535.
LARGE
Grand Champion Angler- Greg Zaepfel
Captain to the Grand Champion Angler- Jim Rores
Grand Champion Team Angler- Greg Zaepfel
Grand Champion Team Angler- James Zaepfel
Grand Champion Team Angler- Ronald George
Captain to the Champion Team- Jim Rores
Grand Champion Female Angler- Shelley Rohauer
Captain to the Grand Champion Female Angler- Jim Plinzke
MEDIUM
Runner-up to the Grand Champion Angler- Ronald George
Captain to the Runner-up to the Grand Champion Angler- Jim Rores
Runner-up Team Angler- Jim Camarre
Runner-up Team Angler- Dave Lysiak
Runner-up Team Angler- Veikko Mielonen
Runner-up Captain- Eric Graves
SMALL
Most Bass Releases- Mark Halter
Captain to the Most Bass Releases- Mike Mogensen
Most Walleye Releases-Dante Caselli
Captain to the Most Walleye Releases- Mark Kessler
Largest Bass- Veikko Mielonen
Captain to the Largest Bass- Eric Graves
Largest Walleye- Don Damrath
Captain to the Largest Walleye- Herb Schultz
