New year’s eve 2010: the walleye drop

Wylie Walleye hangs from atop a crane, waiting to take a new year's plunge. Photos by Robert Corkery.

Times Square has a giant silver ball. Port Clinton, Ohio has a walleye. And on Friday night, we went to see a giant walleye plunge from its perch atop a crane down to the ground in honor of 2011. It’s not every day that you get to see a 20 foot long, 600 pound fiberglass fish got dropped. So Robert and I were happy to accept my cousin Kezia’s  invitation to check out the Walleye Madness at Midnight.

Wylie plunges to the ground.

Port Clinton is on the shores of Lake Erie and is known as the walleye capital of the world. A walleye is a prized catch for fishermen in this part of the world and somehow because of this, it now hangs from the top of a crane so as to be dropped and reel in the new year. My aunt and uncle’s house is just across the water from the party, so we hung out at home, periodically checking to see the progress of the fish.

Fireworks accompanied Wylie's plunge.

About 1,000 people were gathered by the time we got to the celebration and bad karaoke was being sung on stage. At the stroke of midnight, Wylie Walleye did indeed take the plunge while fireworks exploded in the sky and the crowd sang “Wylie, Wylie” to the tune of Louie, Louie. It was something to see. I have to say that this was the most unusual new year’s party that I’ve ever been to.

And at the end of the night, Wylie was strapped on to his trailer to go home.

Tagged as: Lake Erie, New year's eve 2010, Ohio, Port Clinton, Walleye drop Port Clinton, Walleye Madness at Midnight