SWAN LAKE, NY — On Sunday June 24, fishermen and friends gathered at Swan Lake for one of many bass-fishing tournaments to be hosted at lakes around the area on Sundays throughout the summer. Nineteen boats and 38 anglers launched and competed as the sun rose on the expansive 7.6-square-mile lake, which spreads itself among four main bodies of water, divided by bridges and narrowing channels. Friends and conservationists alike competed for overall weight and, of course, heaviest single bass caught. The first-place team was Randy Caruso and Randy Caruso Sr., with a combined weight of 15.3 pounds of fish. They were closely followed by the second-place team, Bill Payne Jr. and Mike Isfan, who caught 14.64 pounds of fish and who also caught the “lunker,” or heaviest single bass, which weighed in at 6.77 pounds. Among everyone who competed and weighed in fish, a grand total of 196.06 pounds of fish was caught. More results and tournament photos can be found on their website (listed below).

The idea of catching the heaviest fish certainly appealed to those competing, but beyond the tournament itself, a greater cause was being served. Jonathan Sunshine, who coordinates the Sunday bass tournament series, liaises for the Catskill Clean Water Fund (CCWF). The fund is run through the Swan Lake Fire Department and serves to raise money to clean and maintain the lake.

CCWF was formed in June 2010 to combat and attempt to eradicate invasive weed species such as water chestnuts from Swan Lake and other public and private waterways. According to Wikipedia, the water chestnut is also known as a “water caltrop,” derived from the Chinese word for horn. The chestnut is very difficult to manage due to the fact that its “seeds can remain viable up to 12 years, although most germinate within the first two years.” It should not be confused with another species, the Chinese water chestnut, which is edible and is found in various Chinese style dishes.

CCWF used funds to eradicate the water chestnut almost completely in Swan Lake via a chemical agent that targets this plant. According to their website, “Funds contributed over the last six years have enabled the DEC to perform the needed measures to eradicate a significant portion of this problem with minimal impact on other plants and wildlife.” Currently, their sights are set on a species of cattail that threatens the health of the lake by choking out oxygen levels, blocking sunlight on the surface of the water and making it difficult for both bass and plant life.

Sunshine shows a great deal of passion for the health of the lake as well as being able to support others’ ability to enjoy it. He mentions that several of the small parks nearby are maintained by volunteers. Nancy Levine leads a group of these volunteers in planting flowers and maintaining the overall grounds of a park located between the boat launch and the old Stevensville hotel. The park boasts an array of trees and bright flowers and gives visitors a panoramic view of that end of the lake.

This fund does not serve to aid only Swan Lake, however; the Sunday bass tournament series also aims to raise money for other lakes that can use a cleanup. Sunshine, who has been fishing since approximately 1963, asks that anyone with an accessible pond or lake contact him via their website. The tournament seeks to add more locations to its yearly roster, both to provide variety to its competitors, and to raise funds and awareness for the necessary cleaning and maintenance of the environment.

If you care about the beautification of the lakes in Sullivan County and would like to contribute but are not a fisherman, you can contact the Catskill Clean Water Fund directly via mail at 26 Broadway Ste. 901, New York, NY 10004, or by calling 242/425-1999. Although Swan Lake is privately owned, you can visit some of its parks, which are maintained by volunteers and further add to the beauty there.

Currently there are between two and four tournaments scheduled each month this year at many locations including Lake Huntington, Toronto Reservoir, White Lake and more. The next one will be at Lake Superior in Bethel on July 29.  Tournaments are open to any licensed men, women or children, provided anyone under 18 is accompanied by an adult and registration is required for all participants. For more information about the tournaments, or if you have a body of water that can be used to schedule a fundraiser, contact Jonathan Sunshine at Sundaybasstournamentseries.com.