News
Fishing Line /By Will Elliott
8/5/08
Lake Erie
Two schools of walleye thought to come from trollers are working waters between Sturgeon Point and Barcelona Harbor.
Capt. Dan Dietzen heads west out of Dunkirk Harbor and sets up over 60-to 70-foot depths while most other boaters start chugging out deeper. Popular depth preferences fall between 80-to 110-foot waters.
"I set the downriggers at 60 to 65 feet and run mostly harnesses and Renoskys," Dietzen said of his successful outings.
Capt. Doug Stein heads west out of Buffalo Harbor.
"I'm working the line," he said, referring to the International Line.
Bait and walleye schools move daily, but both drifters and trollers have had limit catches with some frequency.
Bass schools also draw some thought and planning. Capt. Frank Campbell has pulled numbers of four-pounders from 10-foot depths, but he notes his runs often find big and small smallies out in 40-foot depths.
Perch numbers off Cattaraugus Creek have been so-so, but video trollers see good numbers of ringbacks off Dunkirk Harbor. Not many boaters have set anchor there as yet, but it might be a worthwhile run.
For more info click here
Bluefish kind for local seas in day, big striped bass rule the night
8/5/08
When fishermen say the summer doldrums are setting in, that doesn't translate to zero fish. As we melt into August, it simply means that some species are erratically lazy in feeding habits or may have changed their address to deeper, cooler zones.
In fact, the ratio of New York-size keeper fluke to shorts is steadily increasing. The king of the local seas for daytime anglers is still the bluefish. At night, big striped bass are heralded.
Porgies complete the current big four popularity contest. But anglers also can count on sea bass, triggerfish, kingfish and weakfish.
The guys at Jack's Bait and Tackle on City Island are always happy to oblige with info. Blues averaging eight to 12 pounds are all over the western and mid Sound. They are gorging on "tons of bunker," ranging from within a couple hundred yards of the City Island docks to Manhasset Bay and Hempstead, Huntington and Northport harbors.
Blues are busy scaring porgies into shallow waters, to depths, say, of 10 to maybe 25 feet. Best hunting grounds for porgies now are east beyond Bayville, but anglers also are reeling them up from rocky bottoms around those oft-mentioned points - Mattinecock, Prospect and Sands.
Fluke can be found at 20 to 30 feet around those same points (add Hewlett and Barker's to that favorites list), as well as rocky shorelines or in deeper waters around Throgs Neck Bridge.
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DEC Takes Aggressive Action to Halt Northern Snakehead Fish Invasion of Catlin Creek
8/5/08
Implementing an aggressive protocol for responding to invasive species, DEC plans to treat Ridgebury Lake and Catlin Creek above County Route 6 in Wawayanda (Orange County) with an aquatic pesticide in August. The action is designed to eradicate an invasive fish called the northern snakehead, to protect clean water, and to restore a healthy and productive fishery.
"All of us at DEC realize those who live at or near the site of this invasion will sustain some losses, including a temporary loss of the fish population and the temporary disruption of the peaceful atmosphere of the lakefront during the restoration activities. We appreciate the patience and cooperation of local residents and town officials," said DEC Regional Director Willie Janeway.
Special temporary emergency rules regarding the use of an aquatic pesticide, with Rotenone as the active ingredient, were enacted by DEC specifically to take action against the northern snakehead. DEC notified shoreline landowners of a proposed action plan in July. This week, landowners are being sent additional information including details on several changes made to the eradication plan based in part on public input received since then.
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High fuel costs take toll on carp tourney
7/8/08
WADDINGTON The high cost of fuel and airfare is taking a bite out of the 3rd Specialist Tackle Carp Challenge.
"We've got fewer entrants this year because the cost of the flights from Europe to the U.S. is so high that we had a few teams drop out," said Peter R. Henwood. "We've also had a few drop out from the U.S. and Canada because of the price of gas. Of course, it's frustrating, but what can you do? If people can't afford it, they can't afford it."
Mr. Henwood, a summer visitor from England who lives most of the year just outside London, owns the Riverview Hotel on Route 37 in Waddington and Specialist Tackle, a bait and tackle company based in the United Kingdom with shops throughout Europe. Specialist Tackle runs the Carp Challenge.
Sixteen two-angler teams have signed up for this year's tourney, compared with last year's 27. The number of European teams has been cut in half, from last year's eight to four this year.
"The American and Canadian teams are down more than that," Mr. Henwood said.
The tourney, which begins Wednesday morning and runs through 10 a.m. Saturday, began two years ago with 26 teams.
Each team is scored based on the total weight of its catches. Top prize is $10,000 and the prize for the biggest fish is $3,000.
Each team pays a $1,000 entry fee.
For more info click here
Central New York fishing report
7/3/08
Fishing Forecast
Bass seem to be spread out from a few feet of water out to 15 to 20 feet. Some are still spawning, just finished spawning or are post-spawn. This means that many different methods will work to catch fish.
For shallow water fish (2 to 5 feet), try floating worms, Senco style baits, flipping jigs, spinnerbaits and topwaters. For the 6- to 10-foot range, try tube jigs, lipless crankbaits, rubber worms, crankbaits, minnows or crabs. For deeper water, use deep-diving crankbaits, plastics, drop shot rigs, crabs and minnows.
Search for fish in shallow, hard-bottom areas, around weed edges (inside and outside), in pockets in mats of vegetation and off points. Cover water searching for active fish. Fishing a lipless crankbait (like a Rat-L-Trap) in 5 to 10 feet of water over weedbeds is a great technique for catching and locating bass.
Once fish are found, slowing down and fishing with rubber worms, tube jigs or minnows should produce a few more fish.
Lake Ontario
Brown trout are still biting farther off shore in the 20- to 80-foot depth range. Spoons in a variety of colors are working well at this time. Salmon fishing has been good one day and poor the next. Search in 130 to 300 feet of water for temperatures in the 40- to 50-degree range. Flashers and flies, and magnum spoons in black and green glow have been producing fish. Bass fishing has been good in 20 feet of water for anglers using live bait.
Salmon River
The river is pretty quiet at the moment but there's a chance a few Atlantic salmon or Skamania strain steelhead may begin to show up. Northern pike are being caught in the estuary on spinnerbaits, stickbaits and minnows.
Oswego River
Bass are biting well on crayfish all along the river from Oswego to Fulton. Bass are also being taken along the break wall in the harbor. Walleye are hitting on the west side up to the Utica Street Bridge on nightcrawlers, leeches and bucktail jigs. Sheepshead (freshwater drum) and carp are hitting throughout the river. Use crayfish for the sheepshead and corn and dough balls for the carp. Panfish are biting around the Marine Museum and the Cost Guard Station on worms, minnows and jigs.
For more info click here
Fishing Line /By Will Elliott
7/3/08
Lake Erie
The walleye fireworks have been going off well before the Fourth of July.
Southtowns Walleye Tourney entrants keyed mainly on Barcelona Harbor for the bigger 'eyes during that contest, but ports eastward continue to increase in number and size of walleyes.
Boaters out of Cattaraugus Creek have been heading west toward Dunkirk Harbor and setting suspended rigs 20 to 40 feet down over 60-to 80-foot depths for walleyes headed east and feeding well off bottom. Downrigs will take a few fish, but side-diver rigs with worm-harness terminal tackle tops all takers so far this season.
Black and purple spinner blades do well at first light and evening hours; watermelon, with either a silver or copper back, gets the most mentions for the mid-day sun.
Perch patrollers have headed deeper but still cluster most between Cattaraugus Creek and Evangola State Park. Schools of emerald shiners the most popular live bait species have out to deeper water and fishermen can no longer rely on dipping bait at launch sites. But those fatheads and smaller golden shiners can connect when ring-backs run rampant. Opinions vary widely on successes with salted emeralds, but they can work at times and would be worth a try each time out.
Trollers say they're seeing more anchored perch anglers; perchers say they're seeing more walleye trollers. Both species hold at virtually the same depths, perch near 50-to 70-foot bottoms and walleye suspended some 20 to 40 feet down over those same depths.
Bass bust up baits live or artificial closer to shore, working rock structures at mid-20s to mid-30-foot depths along the Hamburg and Evans shoreline. When winds kick up too much for the open-water bass bite, casters can move inside the Buffalo Harbor breakwaters at and around the North and South Gap currents.
Niagara River
Upper river pike still move in and around the Strawberry Island estuary. Lower river suspended moss can be a problem, but vertical jigs get through the goo and often can be big on smallies.
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Party boat fishing on Long Island: Ahoy!
7/3/08
If you think party boat fishing is for rookies only, think again. Pay-to-play vessels offer the chance to learn new fishing tricks from an experienced crew or preview waters you've yet to fish. They are also ideal for introducing youngsters and novice anglers to the pleasures of fishing.
"Think of these trips as inexpensive, close-to-home mini-vacations, says Desmond O'Sullivan, of the Celtic Quest in Port Jefferson. "Meet new people, taste the sea breeze, share laughs and exchange tall tales. If you take home a few fillets for dinner, well, that's just gravy."
What it costs: Party boat fares vary depending on trip length and distance to the fishing grounds. Expect to pay $40 to $50 for half-day trips, $60 to $90 for full-day adventures. Many boats discount children's and senior citizen tickets. Tip 15 to 20 percent, adding extra for fish cleaning. The optional pool ante, usually $2, goes to the angler hauling aboard the day's biggest fish.
For more info click here
Fishing Line /By Will Elliott
6/10/08
Lake Erie
The walleye night bite is just about right but the dayside hit is still amiss.
Night trollers can connect along the Hamburg shoreline, over the Evans-Angola Bar west of Sturgeon Point and around Van Buren Bay Point west of Dunkirk Harbor.
But daytime walleye reports are lean or none. Perhaps it could be tight-lipped anticipation of the Southtowns Walleye Association (SWA) Tourney, which begins on Saturday.
Bass anglers, especially around Van Buren Point, have been hitting into a few, scattered 'eyes while working the shallows for smallmouths. The day bite has come at depths of 15-40 feet. For trollers, the green minnow-type baits (Rapala, Thunderstick, etc.) have worked best.
Surface temperatures of 54-57 degrees, about 4-5 degrees below normal, may account for the lack of walleye action, but it has not slowed the bass bite and perch will hit, if you can find them.
Last-minute Southtowns tourney entrants have until 9 p. m. Friday to sign up. Register in person at the Armor Fire Hall in Hamburg. For complete details, call the office (649-8202).
No complaints about the bass bite. Any rocky shoal or ledge about 15 feet deep holds at least a few smallies right now.
Perch schools continue to hold deep. Best area has been 57-foot depths west of Sturgeon Point. Perchers have to dip emerald shiners on site before fishing with them. Warming temperatures have these shiners moving away from shore. A few nice not always limit catches have come in with the small golden shiners available at many area bait shops.
For more info click here
Angling in Essex County
6/10/08
Decisions, decisions. What to fish, where to fish? Essex County is a great place to begin your Adirondack fishing adventure, and there are plenty of fish and fishing holes.
Fishing season. It's a season that starts early, with some fantastic ice-out trout fishing in late April or early May, and ends late, with outstanding fall fishing for bass, trout and walleye. You can catch a different species each day of the week. You can fish a different water every day of the season. And the next. And the next.
Here are several of the best fishing spots Essex County has to offer:
¯West Branch of the Ausable River: This water is so beautiful and the surrounding mountains so spectacular it would be a great place to fish even if it wasn't loaded with trout. But it is, and that's why hordes of hard-core flyfishers make their annual pilgrimage to the Ausable each season. There are 35 miles of water, ranging from classic pools to faster pockets and riffles holding browns, brookies and rainbows. The browns attract the most attention, likely because it's entirely possible to catch one or more topping the 20-inch mark. You can cast into pools with historic names like Frustration Pool, Fox Farm Stretch, Pump House Hole and Betters Pool. And five miles of water is dedicated as a special "No Kill" area where artificials only are to be used. Hatches start in early May with the Hendricksons and run well into October with Caddis and Isonychia.
For more info click here
Water released from upstate NY reservoir to cool trout
6/10/08
ALBANY, N.Y. - Trout can't take the heat, so New York officials have ordered emergency releases of cold reservoir water to cool off the Delaware River, renowned for some of the best wild trout fishing east of the Mississippi.
Officials in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware agreed Monday night to increase the flow out of the Cannonsville Reservoir after a heat wave raised the river temperature to 80 degrees in some stretches.
Water temperatures above 70 degrees place trout under significant stress. Pete Grannis, New York's Environmental Conservation commissioner, says the higher flow was to continue until cooler weather arrives Wednesday.
For more info click here
Calm Before Storm?
6/2/08
Last year at this time, the Central New York fishing community was buzzing about fish kills connected to the VHS virus and a new set of controversial restrictions governing the sale of bait.
The bait-sale restrictions are still in place and those who violate them risk getting a ticket costing the angler up to $250. In fact, the state Department of Environmental Conservation is considering making the bait restrictions a little tighter.
So far this spring, though, there hasn't been a single VHS case confirmed anywhere in the state.
For more info click here
Fishing Line /By Will Elliott
6/2/08
Lake Erie
The bass bite has been better than whacks from walleyes this past week. Credit the cool waters, north winds or other variations in spring weather, but boaters are having much more fun with small-mouths than big 'eyes right now. Charter captain Tim Braun works the Buffalo Harbor and Smokes Creek to Myers Reef areas of Lake Erie whenever wave action allows him to get out of Erie Basin Marina. "We've been killing them in 10 to 22 feet in the open water," Braun said Wednesday after a great day earlier in the week. "We caught and released at least three over 20 inches and one that weighed 6.2 pounds so far this week." Any round goby-like lure with boggle bass works, but Braun prefers the new GobieLicious Strike King tube jig with a green-pumpkin top and purple bottom. Day-side walleye trollers have limited success; night chuggers do well one night and take a boat ride the next evening. Walleye have been on the move, hitting bait schools on the move from Myers Reef to the head of the river. Southtowns Walleye Tournament entrants make runs from ports at Buffalo to Barcelona in search of 'eyes the right size. For complete details on this tourney, visit southtownswalleye.org.
Niagara River
For upper river anglers, perch remain the mainstay at the foot of Ferry Street and Ontario Street accesses. The northern pike action went south, but smaller baits and lighter lines work well on bluegills and the occasional crappie schools around docks and channels along Grand Island. Bass numbers continue to improve in lower river waters, with a few lingering steelies and the odd lake trout still chasing smelt along drifts that should be strictly bass and walleye lanes at Lewiston, Queenston, Stella Niagara and the forts at the mouth of the river.
For more info click here
Shreve Wins LOC Derby in Spectacular Fashion with 28 Pound Salmon
6/2/08
By Bill Hilts, Jr.
Todd Shreve of Dover, Pennsylvania, a construction estimator by trade, won the 12th Annual Spring Lake Ontario Counties (LOC) Trout and Salmon Derby in spectacular fashion by reeling in a 28 pound, 11 ounce king salmon on the final day of the contest to earn a check for $12,500 and the Grand Prize trophy. He was fishing out of Point Breeze in Orleans County with his fishing partners Mike Geiger of Wellsboro, PA and Steve Gerloff of Douglassville, PA.
After spending some time fishing in Wilson, Geiger took his 22 foot Wellcraft (aptly named "This Is It" after his wife told him it was his final boat purchase) to a favorite spot off Johnson Creek west of Point Breeze. Terry Williams, owner of North of the Ridge Campground in Orleans County, was credited with the "secret" location.
For more info click here
Fishing Line /By Will Elliott
5/22/08
Lake Erie
Nasty weather cold rain and high winds have dampened spring fishing runs. Night trollers have had few chances to get on the water and into good post-spawning 'eyes.
Day-side trollers have started seeing fair numbers of walleye on runs around Myers Reef.
Perch continue to do their yo-yo cruises into shallows followed with runs to deeper waters. A depth of 54 feet seems to be a deep-side holding ground for ring backs on the run.
For the few boaters who could get out this past week, Evangola has become the hot spot once again. A few patchy schools of perch appear in spurts around the Catt; on rare occasions perch move into the creek. But the bread-and-butter, bucket-catch numbers remain out deep.
Bass anglers have begun moving in closer to work shoreline rock structures, despite the recent chill. Both bottom-bumping jigs and live bait work well on bass. With bass chubs, try to set the hook as quickly as possible to keep the hook as close as possible to the lip for easier catch and release.
For more info click here
Free days out to lure anglers
5/22/08
There are very few adults or kids who don't like fishing -- one of the most popular recreational activities on the planet. Thus it is hard to fathom the fact that there has been an actual decrease in the number of people buying fishing licenses, yet it happened in a number of states.
The reasons for the decline in participation in many activities, including fishing, are complex. Most adults today have far less leisure time than adults did 20 years ago. Many children also don't always have a relative who can introduce them to fishing and the great outdoors. There are certainly more reasons for the problem, and now hopefully some there are cures.
The Department of Environmental Conservation has been holding "free fishing days" for a number of years now. The basic idea of this event held annually in June is that there is a two-day grace period for nonfishing folks to go out on the water without having to purchase a fishing license.
For more info click here
Perch haul on Lake Erie is cat's meow
5/14/08
Lake Erie may not be the perch factory it was 25 to 50 years ago, but some days on Erie can still be bountiful and beautiful.
Native Americans named Erie "The Cat," which aptly describes what often goes on while anglers strive to bring in buckets of larger-sized ringbacks. Like a cat, this fishery can be sneaky, disappearing and then showing up when and where least expected. Erie's erratic perch production would make T. S. Eliot proud.
That's what fishing partner Ken "Mach" Maciejewski and I faced one afternoon in late April when we headed out from Cattaraugus Creek in search of perch schools that Rick Miller at Miller's Bait & Tackle told us were hitting out in deep waters off Evangola State Park.
Years ago, say some time in the 1950s to '80s, we would have been cruising the shoreline as pre-spawn perch gathered in 5-to 10-foot shallows as they cruised around to feed and find good spawning beds.
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Pike peaks in region's waters
5/14/08
May is one of the busiest months in the outdoors. There are so many activities that are at their prime, everything from striper fishing in the Hudson to trout fishing in area waters, as well as spring turkey hunting. May also marks the opening of the fishing season for pike, and we are fortunate enough to have many excellent destinations in our area.
Every year I catch at least a pike or two on the fly rod while pursuing other species. Although these fish are usually in the 5-pound class, they provide a lot of sport before they are released. One of these days I hope to latch onto one of the real monsters that roam the waters of the Capital Region.
Each spring pike fishing gets under way on the first Saturday in May for northern pike, pickerel, and tiger muskellunge, all of which can be found in a relatively short distance from Albany. The season for true muskellunge starts later, but we really don't have purebred muskies around here anyway.
For more info click here
HILTS: Hunting and fishing action kicks into high gear
5/1/08
It's one of those weeks where you have to pick what you want to do, with so many different outdoor activities kicking into high gear.
If you're into hunting, the spring turkey season opens on Thursday in all of upstate New York. If you like competitive fishing, the Spring Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Derby (www.loc.org) begins on Friday and Niagara County is where you want to be for that event. If you want to fish for a cure, the First Annual Lewiston Steelhead Challenge being coordinated by Cystic Fibrosis will be run on Thursday, with a reception to kick things off on Wednesday evening. And if it's just some fun you're looking for, the annual Lewiston Smelt Festival is this weekend, expanding to two days Friday and Saturday.
Lewiston never smelt so good
"The smelt are running heavy," said Dr. John Whiteman of Lewiston/Youngstown at the Niagara River Anglers Wild Game Feast over the weekend. He had just been out on his dock the night before and was impressed with the large schools of smelt making their way up river along the shoreline. Timing is everything and it looks like it will coincide nicely with the Lewiston Smelt Festival, set for Friday and Saturday.
Alan Hastings at The Silo Restaurant in the Village of Lewiston is chairman of the festival and he was quick to point out that they will be expanding their activities to two days this year. Friday night is the Niagara River Anglers smelt dip and fry at Lewiston Landing. Hastings has made arrangements for more than 500 pounds of smelt to be cooked up over the two days and area restaurants will also be participating in the festival by cooking up the tasty baitfish. They will have live music both Friday and Saturday evenings starting around 5 p.m. each night.
For more info click here
Lake Ontario Spring Action Kicks Off With LOC Derby.
5/1/08
The grand daddy of all spring fishing derbies will help to kick off the Lake Ontario fishing season this May 2nd through the 11th when the Lake Ontario Counties Spring Trout and Salmon Derby explodes with some ferocious angling action in this popular great lake. The derby, run by Empire State Lake Ontario Promotions, will be offering over $30,000 in cash prizes plus over $10,000 in merchandise prizes, including a $12,500 check for the largest fish caught overall in the 10-day event.
"After several excellent years of spring fishing along the lake, we're excited by what the prospects are for 2008," says Dave Chilson, president of ESLO Promotions. In addition, a $100 cash prize is awarded to the big fish each day in each specie category for the first nine days of the derby. Of course, all the fish must be caught from Lake Ontario.
The Derby has weigh-in stations all along the lake from the Niagara river to Henderson Harbor.
For more info click here
White perch population exploding in Oneida Lake
5/1/08
The Oneida Lake Association's annual meeting is set for 7pm Wednesday at Cicero-North Syracuse High School. A variety of topics, including the white perch explosion, will be discussed. For more information, visit www.oneidalakeassociation.org
For more info click here
Fish released into water for fishing season
4/20/08
OSWEGO, N.Y. -- It was quite a site Friday morning at the Oswego Harbor. Sixty thousand fish were dumped into the water for fishing season. Every year, the state DEC releases fish into pens in the harbor as part of an enhanced stocking program.
The small trout and salmon are fed and taken care of by volunteers from the Eastern Lake Ontario Salmon and Trout Association before being let loose.
"It's important for this fishery. This fishery is a big big industry in New York State and a big industry in Oswego County," said Jerry Bresadola, ELOSTA director.
For more information, click here
Hey, Big Mouth
4/20/08
Saturday and Sunday morning outdoor programming is dominated by bass fishing shows that feature slick-casting hosts riding around in fancy bass boats that boast the latest and greatest engines and equipment.
Some of their rods and reels cost more than a new aluminum boat. While it makes for good footage and a booming national industry, all this is not necessary to consistently catch nice-sized largemouth right in your back yard.
There is so much productive water in our state, and you don't need a jacket with a list of sponsors on it to head out to your local watering hole and put a bend in the rod with a fat big mouth.
Most bass fishing is done along the shoreline anyway, and by hiking around and getting your feet wet, or by car topping a canoe or rowboat, you are fishing the same productive water.
For more information, click here
America's 10 Most Endangered Rivers 2008
4/20/08
WASHINGTON, DC, April 17, 2008 (ENS) - Diminished by drought, impounded by 11 hydroelectric dams, and the subject of a U.S. Supreme Court water battle between the states of North and South Carolina, the Catawba-Wateree River today was named the most endangered river in the United States.
The Catawba River begins its 300 mile run to the Atlantic Ocean high in the Blue Ridge mountains of western North Carolina, and flows through the Charlotte metropolitan area before reaching South Carolina, where its name changes to the Wateree River.
The Catawba River near its headwaters in North Carolina. A real estate development is planned for this stretch of the river. (Photo courtesy River Club Lifestyle)
This river supplies drinking water to more than a million people along the way and supports the water needs of numerous coal and nuclear power plants. Duke Energy's renewal of its federal license to manage the Catawba is set to expire this year.
"Water will be the oil of the 21st century," said Rebecca Wodder, president of American Rivers, the conservation group that issues the annual ranking of the country's most endangered rivers.
For more information, click here
National registry set to ID recreational anglers
4/20/08
Starting next year, thousands of Long Islanders who wish to fish for striped bass would have to register with the federal government.
The requirement would end a maritime tradition in the Northeast, where for the most part recreational anglers have not needed the government's permission to pursue their passion for saltwater fishing.
The national recreational registry, which would apply to all fishing in federal waters three to 200 miles offshore and striper fishing in state and federal waters, has drawn mixed reactions from Long Island's recreational fishing community.
For more information, click here
April means it's time for trout
4/7/08
This week always seems to be a magical one for fishing folk. Saltwater fans are going out for blackfish, ling, the elusive cod and since Tuesday in New York waters for winter flounder, too (New Jersey's flounder season's been open for a couple of weeks already).
But it's the fly fishermen who are really in their element. Trout season opened in New York State on Tuesday and at 8 a.m. tomorrow will commence in New Jersey.
Of course, Roscoe, N.Y. - aka Trout Town, USA - heralded the New York season with its usual First Cast festivities in Junction Pool. But since it's always a bit cool for early fishing in Catskill and Adirondack ponds, here are some tips for more amenable angling closer to home.
For more information, click here
Fly-Fishing: It's April, and possibilities are limitless
4/7/08
o, how's your trout season so far?
Sure, I'm being facetious. Today is April 3, but a Department of Environmental Conservation regulation does not a season make.
The creeks are swollen and
frigid, the only bugs around are a few midges flitting over the water and early stoneflies along the bank. A few skilled (or lucky) bait fishermen have probably already proved, as they do every year, that trout do eat when water temperatures are still in the 30s, but by anyone's standards, opening day fishing is slow fishing.
For more information, click here
Dirks: How to make trout tremble
4/2/08
For the diehard trout angler, today is not April Fools' Day. The first day of trout season is filled with as much tradition as the first day of hunting season. In this column, we continue our series on the best early season tactics for trout.
Ted Patlen is a New Jersey native, but his love for trout fishing always brings him to his favorite northern New Jersey and Catskill waters.
"I've been tying since I was a kid in the 1950s and learned to fly fish back then with a worm and a wet/nymph dropper," he said.
Fennick's Blackus Biggisus
Here's how to design the fly-fishing pattern created by John Fennick, as modified by Jeff Phelan of Westbrookville.
Thread: Black 6/0 or 8/0
Hook: Standard nymph/wet hook in size 8-10 (3x long, curved shank)
Head: Gold beadhead
Weight: Medium wire wrapped along the hook shank
Body: Black eyelash yarn with silver sparkle with brown mottled turkey for the shell case. You can build up a tapered body by using black medium chenille and then wrapping the eyelash yarn on top of that.
Tail: Turkey Biots (2)
Since then, Patlen has won several international fly-tying competitions and has fished waters from Baja to Europe to all the Scandinavian countries. But like most early season anglers, Patlen still has to come up with ways to get lethargic trout to his net.
Patlen stresses that you fish when the fish are feeding. Water temperatures usually don't rise until late morning through early afternoon, so spending more time fishing in that period is most productive. Patlen focuses most of his attention on what he calls the "soft" water.
Soft water would be like the bottom end of a pool or soft current that is tight against a bank, and backwashes. Patlen looks for places that will generally warm up the fastest on cold, early spring days and still offer fish protective cover. This advice on where to look for early season trout applies to both fly and spinning anglers.
While knowing where to find early season trout is key, what kind of fly to offer is the next trick.
Jeff Phelan of Westbrookville has the answer. One of Phelan's good friends and fishing companions was the late John Fennick. Fennick knew the Neversink River like the back of his hand. A lifetime of trout fishing brought Fennick to design a fly he called the Blackus Biggisus.
"John would fish the Blackus Biggisus as a single fly, casting it across and downstream," Phelan said. "Then he'd just jerk the rod and jig the fly. I always fish it pretty much the same way but cast it upstream and across and let it sink. I always weight my Biggisus heavier than John did," Phelan said.
According to Phelan, this is a great fly to have during the early season. When I saw the Blackus Biggisus, I immediately understood that it was a fish-catching fly. It has all the buggy features a fish would want to see as it sweeps through the bottom of the stream. Phelan added a beadhead to the Biggisus recipe, which makes it an even deadlier pattern.
For spin fishing, one of my favorite combinations is to take a standard Mepps or Blue Fox type trout spinner and add a tandem and unweighted streamer or bucktail to it. This is a trick I learned when I was a teenager from an angler I met on the Esopus who was out-fishing everyone.
To make this rig, you add about 12 to 18 inches of 4- to 6-pound fluorocarbon line tied on to the bend of one of the treble hooks on the spinner.
For streamer or bucktail, I prefer to use an unweighted Muddler Minnow, Blacknosed Dace, or a Red & White Bucktail. Casting and retrieving the spinner with the streamer in tow is a highly effective combination for trout. For early season fishing, use the slowest possible retrieve that still turns the spinner blades.
Whatever tactic you prefer, now's a great time to work off that cabin fever with some early season trout fishing. Be sure to check the state regulations on the water you plan to fish before you go.
DirksOutdoors on WTBQ
On Saturday, Ted Nassivera Sr. and Ted Jr. of TSN Turkey Calls will join me in a double-barreled show on turkey hunting strategies for spring gobblers.
Catch the show from 7-8 a.m. every Saturday on WTBQ.com or 99.1-FM or 1110-AM.
dirksoutdoors@hotmail.com
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Grannis Marks Opening Day of Trout Season with Visit to Recovered River
4/2/08
ALBANY, NY (04/01/2008; 1305)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today marked the opening day of the 2008 trout season by returning to the scene of an environmental mishap to highlight the recovery of the Hoosic River and a newly protected shoreline for potential fishing and paddling access.
The resurgence of the river is one of the many recent advances DEC has made to improve fisheries and fishing across the state. (Details below)
Seven years after a spill of copper sulfate killed thousands of fish in the Hoosic River, Commissioner Grannis announced the completion of an environmental benefits project that was part of the state's settlement with Oak-Mitsui Inc. The company paid a $190,000 fine and funded the Rensselaer Land Trust's (RLT) purchase of two parcels totaling about 33 acres along the river downstream from the company's Hoosick Falls plant, including nearly a mile of shoreline.
Working with the RLT, DEC is pursuing plans to build a parking area, a canoe/kayak launch and improve access points along the newly protected shoreline. In addition, the transaction includes terms that keep the two parcels in agricultural production. The Hoosic downstream of Hoosick Falls is a warm-water fishery for smallmouth bass, rock bass, bluegill and pumpkinseed, along with occasional brown and rainbow trout. Upstream of Hoosick Falls, the river is predominately a brown and rainbow trout fishery that has produced trophy-sized trout annually.
For more information, click here
How to get hooked on fishing
4/2/08
nterest among youths in hunting, fishing and many other outdoor pursuits is on the wane as electronic games, the Internet and a lack of physical stamina keep kids indoors.
A few years back, New York wisely switched the opening day of the Southern Zone firearm deer season from Mondays to Saturdays in hopes of increasing participation.
We suggest that a switch also be considered for the trout opener, pegged since time immemorial to April 1, perhaps by some Albany bureaucrat who figured all anglers were fools.
For more information, click here
Trout season to begin
3/31/08
Although it officially began 11 days ago, the real start of spring for many outdoors enthusiasts is Tuesday, the opening day of trout season.
Anglers are usually impatient to wet their lines as April 1 approaches, said Al Carpenter, owner of Al's Sport Store in Downsville.
"Cabin fever starts to set in," Carpenter said.
Although fishing tends to be better once the water starts to warm up, many anglers like to get out just to say they fished opening day, he said.
But conditions are better now than in some years.
"The east branch (of the Delaware) is in pretty good shape right now," Carpenter said. "I'm expecting it to be a pretty good opener."
For more information, click here
Experience the wonder of opening day along our streams
3/31/08
Opening days in sports are special. Fishing is no different.
"The true fisherman approaches the first day of fishing with all the sense of wonder and awe of a child approaching Christmas," wrote Robert Traver in Trout Madness.
For New York trout fishermen, Christmas Day on inland streams and tributaries of the Finger Lakes is Tuesday. Two local tournaments mark the holiday: The fifth annual Riedman Foundation Opening Day Derby at Powder Mills Park and the 47th annual Naples Creek Rainbow Trout Derby in Naples.
While the Naples derby targets wild rainbows returning up stream to spawn, Powder Mills is a put-and-take event. Some 2,500 trout from the park's hatchery will be stocked Monday in Irondequoit Creek, including some 5-year-old brown trout in the 10-pound range, manager Ron Mitchell said.
For more information, click here
Trout fishing starts Tuesday
3/30/08
BROOME COUNTY, N.Y. -- It may be too soon to leave the jacket at home come Tuesday, but nonetheless, people gearing up to go fishing are excited to get rid of their cabin fever.
"The snow's melting and just being able to get outside and get out of the house again," said Brian Wales, Marathon resident.
"We've constantly had all this rain and ice and things like that and I'm ready to be out there in the streams," said Ed Westermann, Endicott resident.
But before hitting the streams, it's important to follow local and state guidelines.
For more info click here
Lake opens for fishing next week
3/30/08
CITY OF NEWBURGH Washington Lake and Masterson Park will open for fishing Apr. 1.
The lake is open 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. everyday, and you can't fish from the shore. Boat rentals for city residents cost $6 for one person, $10 for two people in a boat and $14 for three. It's $10 for one, $18 for two and $26 for three people in a boat for non-residents.
Masterson Park is open 8 a.m - 4 p.m. everyday, and you need a permit. The Recreation Department sells them from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m. at the City Activity Center, 401 Washington St., in Newburgh. Those older than 60, veterans and disabled people don't have to pay.
For more info click here
Here's something to trout about
3/30/08
Opening day of trout season might be on April Fools' Day, but the Eldred Preserve isn't foolin' around with its opening day festivities.
Preserve restaurant chefs will cook fresh trout on the banks of the ponds for you to sample, and fishing industry guests will be on-site in the morning.
Liberty's Thunder 102.1-FM will be broadcasting live from 6-9 a.m., so get there early, catch some big fish and brag about it on the air.
For more info click here
Dirks: Chasing trout early in season
3/26/08
With trout season in most areas of the Hudson Valley opening next Tuesday, many anglers are getting ready.
The trout are still a bit lethargic because water temperatures are typically hovering in the mid-30s and 40s .
Anglers who do well in the early season are those who show the most skill. Regardless of the cold water, trout will bite, but it takes the patient and persistent angler to coax them into action.
In the next two columns, we'll examine the early season tactics of some of the best trout anglers in the Hudson Valley. They are mostly fly anglers, so along the way, I'll throw in my favorite tactics for those of us who also use spinning gear.
Bert Darrow of Tillson has established his reputation as a prolific fly-fishing instructor, guide and book author. In 2005, when Darrow published his book, "Bert Darrow's Practical Fly Fishing," he finally organized more than 25 years of his trout fishing knowledge for the rest of us. Darrow fishes all over the world but spends most of his time plying Catskill waters.
For more info click here
Trout and Salmon Season Opens April 1
3/26/08
Albany, N.Y.) AP - New York's freshwater fishing season opens on April 1 with the start of trout and salmon season.
State environmental commissioner Pete Grannis, a longtime trout fisherman, says the state's bureau of fisheries stocks waters near urban centers as well as in the wilderness to meet the needs of New York's anglers.
Best early season fishing can usually be found on Long Island, the lower Hudson Valley, and western New York, which tend to warm up earlier than other parts of the state. Other good bets are smaller tributaries to major trout waters.
Environmental officials say early season anglers can improve their success by fishing deep and slow and using natural bait such as worms and minnows where permitted.
For more info click here
Editorial: State must send message to perch poachers
3/26/08
Anyone who has ever fished in this part of New York knows how plentiful the yellow perch are, and how, even when the other fish aren't biting, perch always seem to be. That might not always be the case if the state doesn't do more to keep dishonest fishermen like the ones from Fort Ann arrested twice this winter, from taking more than their daily limit (50) of perch.
Not a month after they along with two other men were arrested on Lake George with nearly 500 of the small but tasty panfish, Patrick Collins and John Fisher got reeled in again last Friday after a state environmental officer spotted them yet again. This time their haul, for just the two of them, was 430.
Though the men denied it, it would appear, based on the number of fish in their possession, that they were indeed planning to sell some to restaurants, where they reportedly bring $1.20 per pound whole. Thus, in addition to being charged with taking more than their daily limit with penalties of $250, plus $100 for every fish over the limit possible they were cited for possession with intent to sell, which carries a fine of up to $500.
For more info click here
Powder Mill Park fish hatchery announces spring derby schedule
3/22/08
The Fish Hatchery at Powder Mill Park will host a variety of fishing derbies this spring beginning the Riedman Foundation Opening Day Trout Derby 7 a.m. to noon April 1 at the weigh station at Powder Horn Lodge. There is a $5 registration fee. Advanced registration is required. Forms may be downloaded at: www.rbj.net/PDF_Files/derbyform08.pdf. Awards will be presented afterward. Proceeds benefit the fish hatchery, 115 Park Road. Stop in for a registration form or call the park for details: (585) 586-1670.
For more info click here
Fly-Fishing: Limited time forces a new approach to fly-tying
3/22/08
I vaguely remember a time when my only responsibility was to show up for work every day.
When I wasn't at work, I could tie flies anytime I wanted to, right in the living room of my apartment. (I could take my flies and go fishing just about any time I wanted, too.)
Now, I have kids and a house, a job and some freelance work on the side, a spouse who works the opposite schedule of my own, I'm in a couple of organizations and I'm taking a class, to boot. Suddenly, it seems every minute of my life is gobbled up long in advance.
Now, I have to carefully plan when and where I tie flies. Actually, the "where" part has been decided for me at my workbench in the basement. "When" is when I can catch a lull in the endless schedule of soccer games and (kids') homework, cooking dinner and painting ceilings, (my) homework and fishing articles.
I'm not complaining. I know I'm lucky to have the kids, the spouse, the house and everything else. I'm just saying they don't leave many hours in my life for patiently transforming feather, fur and hooks into clever little fish-catchers.
For more info click here
Ice Fishing: Putting the wraps on a quality season
3/22/08
There's still ice on a few lakes and North Country ponds, but I'm not going to recommend trying to walk on it.
Looking back on the 2007-08 ice fishing season, I'd have to say it was one of the best we've had in some time, both in terms of fish caught and overall good weather conditions. And as I reviewed my ice fishing reports, one thing became quite clear we had our best hard-water fishing and catching, all within a few miles of the Capital Region. Before we take a look at what happened on the ice this year, lets look at a few of the end-of-the-season catches.
In the last tournament of the year on the Great Sacandaga Lake, hosted by the 701 Fish & Game Club, the 46 anglers who competed had to be a hardy bunch, because the weather that day was just plain ugly. But those who braved the winds and heavy rain caught fish.
http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/mar/20/320_IceFishing/
More to learn about fly-fishing
3/13/08
Joe Triolo didn't start fly-fishing until he was in his early 40s. At 59, he considers himself a relative newcomer to the game.
"I'm not an old purist," says the friendly owner of Up the Creek fly shop in Pittsford. "I feel I'm progressive with the whole fly-fishing aura."
Triolo's desire to hook the next generation of fly anglers and his deep appreciation of The Fish Hatchery at Powder Mills Park have led him to conduct an annual fly-tying demonstration and casting clinic at the park in the weeks leading up to the Riedman Foundation Opening Day Trout Derby each April 1.
This year's fifth annual event is at 10 a.m. Saturday.
For more info click here
TRADITIONS IN THE TWIN TIERS Trout arrive at creek early
3/13/08
MONTOUR FALLS -- The trout have arrived. The question is -- will they stay a while?
The state Department of Environmental Conservation started its annual trout sampling ritual on Catharine Creek on Wednesday, and once the electrified wand started passing through the frigid, swirling water, it didn't take long for fat rainbows to drift to the surface.
The trout sampling gives fisheries biologists an idea of the timing of the annual spawning run from Seneca Lake, along with the condition of the fish.
For more info click here
Oswego man catches 25-pound pike on Lower Saranac Lake
3/8/08
SARANAC LAKE Wayne Pratt has got some big fish to fry. Or mount, actually.
"I'm getting it wall-mounted," Pratt, 53, said about the 44-inch, 25-pound northern pike he caught at Hope Bay on Lower Saranac Lake Thursday morning. "My brothers Roger and Kevin are chipping in. It's my birthday/Christmas present."
Wayne Pratt has been fishing since he was 4 years old, and he has never caught a bigger pike.
"It's the largest one I've ever caught, and I've caught a lot of pike," he said. "I was brought up in the woods, pretty much."
His previous personal record holder was two inches shorter and four pounds lighter.
"I'm from here, but I live in Oswego, so this is a real vacation for me," he said. "But I'm moving back up now. I feel like a little kid right now."
For more info click here
FISH FORECAST: Bad fishing? Might be time to hit the Expo
3/8/08
By Bill Hilts Jr.
Greater Niagara Newspapers
1. Lake Ontario and tributaries
Last report we had was that the stained water was still flowing strong over Burt Dam and that steelhead were still hitting jigs tipped with wax worms and egg sacks. The warm temperatures earlier in the week brought significant flow down the creek and into the lake, attracting a few more steelhead. Ice fishing action at Wilson was still producing some panfish which included perch and bluegill, as well as the occasional trout and northern pike. Speaking of northern pike, remember that the season closes after March 15. The State of the Lake meeting is set for March 13 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the 4-H Building of Cornell Cooperative Extension, 4487 Lake Avenue, Lockport. For more information contact DEC at 851-7010.
2. Lower Niagara River
It was an up-and-down week for trout fishermen in the lower river due to a flip-flop of conditions. First things turned a little tough last weekend because the water became too clear, forcing fishermen to downsize baits, lines and hooks. After a 60-plus degree teaser day earlier in the week and significant amount of snow melt, the waters actually turned a bit more turbid than what local anglers had hoped and fishing slowed a bit more as a result. Capt. Jeff Draper of Grand Island landed half of his hits, boating four nice steelhead on pink egg sacks on Wednesday. That same day, Capt. Ernie Calandrelli braved the elements to take some steelies on silver or gold with chartreuse Kwikfish fished off three-way rigs. Another storm was being forecast going into this weekend, so we'll have to wait and see what Mother Nature will bring us. If it's too bad to go fishing, the next best thing will be to attend the Western New York Sport and Outdoor Show at the Erie County Fairgrounds through Sunday. Some great seminars are being advertised and displays for the whole family to enjoy.
For more info click here
DEC Announces "State Of Lake Ontario" Meetings
3/8/08
ALBANY, NY (03/06/2008; 1127)(readMedia)-- The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced three upcoming public meetings to discuss Lake Ontario fisheries. The tenth annual "State of Lake Ontario" public meetings will be held in Monroe, Niagara, and Oswego counties.
Lake Ontario's embayments and tributaries support thriving populations of fish to satisfy anglers, including a variety of trout and salmon, bass, walleye, yellow perch and panfish. New York's Lake Ontario waters comprise over 2.7 million acres, and a 1996 statewide angler survey estimated that over 2.8 million angler days are expended on Lake Ontario and the three major tributaries. The estimated value of these fisheries to the New York economy exceeded $95 million.
DEC is committed to sound management of Lake Ontario fisheries, to maintain high-quality angling opportunities and associated economic benefits. The State of Lake Ontario meetings provide an excellent opportunity for individuals interested in the lake to interact with the scientists who study Lake Ontario fisheries. The meeting dates are as follows:
Thursday, March 6, 2008: 7 - 10 p.m. at the Oswego County BOCES, 179 County Route 64, Mexico, Oswego County.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008: 7 - 10 p.m. at the Ingel Auditorium, in Building 4 (Student Union) on the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) campus, Rochester, Monroe County. The meeting is co-hosted by RIT and the Monroe County Fishery Advisory Board.
Thursday, March 13, 2008: 6:30 9:30 p.m. at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Building, 4487 Lake Avenue, Lockport, Niagara County.
DEC and United States Geological Survey biologists will make presentations on: proposed changes to regulations; the status of forage fish stocks; changes to 2008 salmon stocking; provide updates on the Lake Ontario fishing boat and tributary surveys; status of the Salmon River salmon and steelhead fisheries; status of sea lamprey control; and Lake Ontario water level regulation.
There will be time provided at the end of the scheduled program for the audience to interact with the presenters. For more information about Lake Ontario fisheries research, go to www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/7969.html on the DEC website.
For more info click here
Ice fishing: Area lakes delivering non-stop angling action
3/3/08
Weather conditions again made it perfect for the hard-water anglers this past week.
In my drive-around on Saturday and Sunday, I saw plenty of anglers on four of the major lakes in our area Lake Lonely, Saratoga, Great Sacandaga and Round lakes.
On both days, there were at least a dozen vehicles parked alongside of the footpath leading to Lake Lonely, just above Saratoga National Golf Course on Route 9P. What this tells me and what the local bait and tackle shops confirmed was that the crappies had to be biting. Most of the activity was in the north end of the lake. The primary crappie bite was on tiny tear-drop jigs tipped with fathead minnows and fished in eight to 10 feet of water.
Many of these fish were well above the nine-inch legal size limit.
Remember, the daily limit is 25.
Although I have only had one
double-digit-sized pike reported being caught last month through the ice at Lake Lonely, there supposedly were three over 10 pounds since. Bill at the Lake Lonely Bait Shop said he saw several photos, taken on cell phones, of these bigger pike, but wasn't given any names. He believes all the bigger pike were caught off the weed edges in 10-plus feet of water using big pike shiners.
For more info click here
FISH FORECAST: Leap into an extra day of fishing
3/3/08
By Bill Hilts Jr.
Greater Niagara Newspapers
1. Lake Ontario and tributaries
Water conditions have been good the past week at Burt Dam and Eighteenmile Creek, with steelhead and the occasional brown trout being caught below the dam.
Egg sacs and marabou jigs tipped with wax worms and fished under a float have been the best baits to use. Ice really hasn't been that much of a problem, but that was before it turned sub-zero with wind chills on Wednesday night. That will probably freeze up some of the smaller tributaries like Keg Creek according to Wes Walker at The Slippery Sinker in Olcott. There were some fish in the pools there and they could open back up when the temperatures hit the 40s early this coming week. Ice in Olcott Harbor was broken up with the north wind earlier in the week. Wilson Harbor is the place to be for hardwater angling options. Perch, bluegill, pike and steelhead were all being reported the past week.
For more info click here
Of Drinking Water, Trout, and Floods
2/26/08
New York City is catching some lumps over plans about how to release water from the Delaware Basin Reservoirs in the Catskills, the source of the city's drinking water. Environmentalists, public officials, fishing organizations, and residents along the Delaware River are not excited about the implementation of the new plan, called the Flexible Flow Management Program. It was an agreement between New York City, New York state, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania to provide enough enough drinking water while protecting the environment and river communities.
For more information, click here
DEC proposes new fishing rules
2/26/08
ALBANY (AP) The state Department of Environmental Conservation is proposing new rules for freshwater fishing in New York that would ban chumming with fish eggs and establish a specific list of bait fish to clarify which are acceptable.
In ongoing efforts to manage and protect species, the agency also plans to ban spearfishing American eels and prohibit the sale of trout eggs.
Other rules would ban bait fish in Lake Henderson and the Giant Mountain Wilderness Area in the Adirondacks, reduce the limit on walleye and sauger for Lake Champlain and clarify rules on ''tip-up'' devices for ice fishing.
DEC announced the proposed changes Thursday and will accept public comments until April 4. Final rules would take effect Oct. 1.
For more information, click here
State DOT, DEC Announce Installation of Fish Ladder on Carmans River
2/21/08
ALBANY, NY (02/20/2008; 1319)(readMedia)-- New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Astrid C. Glynn and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis today unveiled a project to install a specially-designed fish ladder on the Carmans River near State Route 27, Sunrise Highway, in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County.
The $200,000 initiative will allow native fish to move upstream beyond a previously impassable barrier to spawn in Hards Lake in Southhaven County Park. Undertaken in partnership with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Suffolk County, and the Art Flick Chapter of Trout Unlimited, this groundbreaking project will create the first permanent fish passage installed on Long Island.
"This environmental project improves the balance between our transportation system and the natural surroundings and will help preserve our natural resources for the benefit of generations to come," NYSDOT Commissioner Glynn said. "Under the leadership of Governor Eliot Spitzer, I am pleased we have the opportunity to partner with many organizations in this initiative and to achieve broader public objectives beyond our traditional transportation goals."
For more information, click here
How to Handle an Invasive Species? Eat It
2/21/08
LATE last year, a flotilla of fluorescent jellyfish covering 10 square miles of ocean was borne by the tide into a small bay on the Irish Sea. These mauve stingers, venomous glow-in-the-dark plankton native to the Mediterranean, slipped through the mesh of aquaculture nets, stinging the 120,000 fish in Northern Ireland's only salmon farm to death.
Closer to home, the Asian carp, which has been working its way north from the Mississippi Delta since the 1990s, is now on the verge of reaching the Great Lakes. This voracious invader, which weighs up to 100 pounds and eats half its body weight in food in a day, has gained notoriety for vaulting over boats and breaking the arms and noses of recreational anglers. Having outcompeted all native species, it now represents 95 percent of the biomass of fish in the Illinois River and has been sighted within 25 miles of Lake Michigan. The only thing preventing this cold-water-loving species from infesting the Great Lakes, the largest body of fresh water in the world, is an electric barrier on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.
For more information, click here
Aggressive steelheads challenge for anglers
2/17/08
PULASKI, N.Y. Rule No. 1: For the most rewarding experience when spring steelhead fishing on the tributaries that feed the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario, fully understand that "spring'' is more a state of mind than an actual season of the year.
Rule No. 2: See Rule No. 1.
Fortunately, it seems that no matter how long it takes spring-like temperatures to arrive, steelhead must know what the calendar reads. Whatever the reason, come mid-to-late March, these sea-run rainbow trout, who are native to the Pacific Ocean but have adapted to the Great Lakes as their East Coast home, provide anglers with 6-8 weeks of the best fishing to be had in the Northeast.
Battling steelhead on light spinning tackle or fly rods is such a challenge in the spring because these dime-bright silver bullets become aggressive feeders. They enter tributaries in the fall to spawn, hold in those waters over the winter, then are at their aggressive best before returning to Lake Ontario for the summer.
For more information, click here
Angler's passion is catching
2/17/08
PERRY Roland Beck was already an avid outdoorsmen: a hunter, hiker and fisherman. But he never longed to ice fish.
Then he met George Dovolos, the "mayor" of Silver Lake, a man who would drill a hole in an ice cube if he thought there was a fish inside.
"The first year it was, 'Ice? Water? Lake? No, I don't think so,'" says Beck, 47, the manager of Letchworth State Park. "George kept saying 'Come on, come on.' We hung out there all day and it was great. I looked at my watch and it was 10 a.m. and the next thing it was 4 p.m. Where did the day go?"
There are lots of days like that for Dovolos and his companions, and I can attest.
For more information, click here
Winter Surfcasting Tales
2/14/08
It's a good thing I listen to my wife sometimes. She had this sudden urge for warm weather a couple of weeks back and she suggested we go to Florida. To be honest, I was not too excited about the idea. I'm one of those fools who sometimes think that winter is too short. I kind of enjoy the quiet of it, and the fact that I don't have to cut the grass. Then there's hunting season too. "What would we do in Florida anyway?" I asked her. "Relax!" was all she said with that look in her eyes that told me I was going, like it or not.
"You want to go fishing tomorrow?" Wayne Denny is a retired NYS Correction Officer now residing near Sebastian, Florida. We had just met in the little community where we were staying for our impromptu vacation. Hey, maybe this Florida thing was not so bad after all. The following afternoon I found myself on the beach tossing a surf rig into the Atlantic. Wayne said the pompano were running.
For more information, click here
Everlands Destination Club Mixes Conservation and Travel
2/14/08
Is conservation the hot trend in destination clubs? Recent entrant Everlands is the latest club to embrace the idea of combining environmental stewardship with luxury retreats. The club, started in 2007, is building a portfolio of properties across the globe that mix historical preservation and land protection with five-star accommodation.
Most destination clubs build their suite of properties by buying one or more homes in a resort area or second home development. Everlands is employing the unique strategy of purchasing lodges, usually averaging 10 to 15 rooms, in prime recreational areas. Under the typical destination club model, a member would book a property for their use alone, but the Everlands model allows for multiple members to stay at the property at the same time, and therefore interact with each other just as they might at a country club.
For more information, click here
Garcia has been named Chief Advocate for Environmental Justice
2/6/08
ALBANY, NY (02/06/2008; 1144)(readMedia)-- Lisa Garcia has been named Chief Advocate for Environmental Justice, a new position created by the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to spearhead and pursue community-based initiatives in minority or low-income areas across the state, DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis announced today.
"Lisa has been a strong and proactive advocate for environmental justice issues throughout her career," Grannis said. "I'm delighted to have Lisa join the DEC team in her new role implementing community initiatives and instilling equity and justice issues in all the areas of DEC's mission."
Most recently, Ms. Garcia served as Assistant Attorney General for the New York State Attorney General, where she represented various state agencies in environmental litigation matters and defended New York's Brownfields Cleanup Program. While in that role, Ms. Garcia also spent time on proposals and case work involving environmental justice issues and concerns.
For more information, click here
Fluke fishermen fear new regulations too tough
2/6/08
Party and charter boatmen are looking ahead to the impact of new regulations on their businesses this season.
The rules on summer flounders and blackfish will not be determined until later in the winter, but some guesses can be made, and rules on other species are already in place.
Capt. Sal Cursi, whose charter boat Cathy Sea docks in Sewaren, said the summer flounder regulations, whatever they will be, will be tough to live with.
"If they go to 18 1/2 inches, it's going to really hurt," he said. "We caught some 18 1/2-inch fish last year, but not that many."
For more information, click here
Trout Unlimited suggests increase in water releases
2/6/08
Trout Unlimited has completed an extensive review of the interim Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP) for the Upper Delaware River and three Catskill reservoirs that provide drinking water to New York City.
TU's New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey councils have determined that while the concept behind the flexible flow program is the best way to manage the river's flows, the actual water release schedules in the plan will continue to damage the ecosystem of the Delaware River.
The interim flow plan was voted on in September by the Delaware River Basin Commission and would govern water releases from three New York City reservoirs in the Catskills -- the Cannonsville, Pepacton and Neversink. These reservoirs provide drinking water to more than 5 million New York City residents. New York City, New York state, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware all are parties to the legal agreement that governs the river's flows.
Over the past 10 years, actual New York City water diversions from its three Catskills reservoirs were only two-thirds of the amount that was used to model the water release schedules in the interim FFMP. This means that more water is available for environmental benefit downstream of the reservoirs.
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Don't give ice fishing the cold shoulder this winter
2/3/08
When the north wind howls through the trees and across the ponds in mid- to late-January, it's usually quite cold.
The snow blows in sort of a horizontal fashion, and an icy chill cuts through you, right to the bone. So, why would anyone want to be outside, exposed to those elements? Because as they say, "A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work."
Generally, that's the truth. To my friends Bob and Joe, it didn't make any difference this past Monday.
They are both retired school teachers and just wanted to get out and have a bit of fun. So they ventured onto the southern end of Canadarago Lake to try their luck.
I wondered if there was much ice on the lake. After all, it has been a rather strange winter. Neither fell through, so the ice was obviously sufficient enough to hold them. With the cold nights we've been having, the ice was about six inches thick.
I don't like getting wet in the winter; it's bad enough in the spring.
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Ice fishing: Winning pike a trophy
2/3/08
Big pike really big pike highlight this week's ice-fishing report.
Jeremy Lawrence of Northampton had his hands full, literally, Saturday during the Great Sacandaga Lake Fisheries Federation's ice fishing contest. He was over 20 feet of water in the middle of a stump field out from the Northampton area when the 46-inch, 25-pound pike grabbed his 10-inch sucker.
"It wasn't an easy battle," he said.
The fish actually got caught in the wood and brush, and all Jeremy could do was wait. Finally, the pike freed itself, and Jeremy pulled it carefully through the 10-inch hole.
The big pike definitely turned a lot of heads when Jeremy laid it on the measuring table at the Sacandaga Boating Club. He also brought in another pike in the 30-inch class and a perch that measured just under 13 inches. The big pike earned Jeremy $125.
Second place in the pike category, and $50, was awarded to Arlo Klinetob of Broadalbin for his 305D8-inch catch.
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Spey Nation fishing event to bring out quite a cast
2/3/08
In the steelhead and western salmon fly-fishing world, two-handed rods of various kinds are all the rage.
Out west, where the rivers are big and the winds are perpetual, that's been the case for a while. Spey rods and two-handed casting have taken over the western steelhead fishing culture.
Here in the East, we have been much slower to make the leap in that direction. On New York's famed Salmon River in Pulaski, for example, while the occasional spey rod shows up, it's rare. That's about to change.
Mark June 21 on your fishing calendar.
Not a particularly auspicious time to be plodding along the banks of the Salmon River, though there might be a few early summer steelhead coming in and a few more landlocked salmon. Down in the lower pools, certainly a ton of smallmouth and football-shaped brown trout will be there but not the great runs of Chinook and kings and steelhead. Those come later.
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FISH FORECAST: Cold weather chills fishing again
1/25/08
By Bill Hilts Jr.
Greater Niagara Newspapers
1. Lake Ontario and tributaries
More good new, bad news scenarios for local anglers. Good news if you're an ice fisherman, bad news if you're an open water angler. Some of the harbors and embayments along Lake Ontario are starting to freeze over with a few already enjoying some hardwater action. Here in Niagara County, Wilson will probably be offering up safe ice by this weekend, with an outside chance that Olcott Harbor will also have some ice safe enough to walk on. Wes Walker at the Slippery Sinker reported that earlier in the week they were catching a few perch in the open water at Olcott Harbor, but a thin layer of ice had formed by Wednesday. Wilson was already a couple of inches thick and should be four inches or better. Walker also reported that 18 Mile Creek was producing a few steelhead and browns on jigs tipped with wax worms. There were actually some kings and cohos caught the past week, too. There were a few fish sighted in Keg Creek, which means the mouth of the creek finally opened up. However, with the cold temperatures, most of the holes are iced over right now. If you want to hear more about what's happening with the AES Somerset Lake Uploading Project, a 3,200-foot pier that will extend out into Lake Ontario at the power plant, there will be a public hearing to present the proposal and answer questions on Jan. 30th at the Lockport Holiday Inn located on South Transit Road, Lockport, from 7-9 p.m. The LOTSA Fishing Expo set for Feb. 24 is sold out as far as exhibiting tables are concerned, so it will be a good one to attend if you're interested at all about Lake Ontario fishing. To the east, safe ice was being reported at Long and Cranberry ponds, Braddocks and Irondequoit bays, with some decent perch fishing going on.
2. Lower Niagara River
The bad news is that the water is chocolate milk again, with more wind in the forecast just prior to the weekend. There was also quite a bit of ice in the river flowing down through the system. The good news is that Lake Erie is getting close to freezing over, which will clear the water up and help the fishing for trout out. Anglers did hit some clear water just prior to the weekend last week and fishing was great on egg sacks, minnows and Kwikfish. The next time the water clears, look for fish to be just as cooperative. Don't forget that the NRAA Steelhead Contest is Feb. 16. The WNY Boat Show is also at The Summit Mall through Sunday.
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New York Sea Grant websites to teach about Great Lakes
1/25/08
ALEXANDRIA BAY, N.Y. -- In late January the St. Lawrence River sits rather quiet, but of course during the summer season that all changes.
Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence have become popular spots for fishing and boating. That's why the New York Sea Grant has developed a group of websites designed to give you all sorts of information on the waterways. The newest one, glos.us, connects the various buoys in the system to give people real-time information about water conditions, such as temperature, wave heights, and wind direction.
"It's really an opportunity for a lot of the different folks who live, work and play along the lakes and rivers to get that real-time data." New York Sea Grant Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White said.
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It can be too easy to overlook the influence of sportsmen
1/24/08
With poster children like Dick Cheney and Bobby Knight, who blasted hunting buddies instead of quail, and rocker/NRA Board Member Ted Nugent of the "whack 'em and stack 'em" and "Kill 'Em and Grill 'Em" ethos, American hunters do not have a very lofty pedestal from which to defend their interests.
But, hey, we should.
According to a recent report, New York's 1.2 million hunters and anglers are among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups, spending more than $1.8 billion a year on their sporting pursuits.
The report, "Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy/A force as big as all outdoors," spotlights the immense impact hunters and anglers have on the economy at the national and state level.
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Luring in the trout with a sucker pattern
1/24/08
How many streams or rivers have you fished for trout that had a good population of sucker fish in them?
My guess is that most of the streams you fish, with the exception of the coldest, have some type of sucker fish in them.
Suckers will spawn in the spring, and that means a free meal for browns and rainbows alike. That's something you should capitalize on from early to late spring of the upcoming trout season.
I was originally introduced to the Sucker Spawn pattern when I started fishing for steelhead in the Oak Orchard River. Located in Albion, the Oak Orchard is a Lake Ontario tributary river that holds spectacular runs of winter-spring steelhead and huge fall salmon and browns.
It was on my first trip to Albion that local guide/outfitter Ron Bierstine, at www.orleansoutdoor.com, shared some of his favorite steelhead patterns, in particular, the Sucker Spawn.
Most fly-fishing purists would shun using a fly pattern that mimicked a sucker egg spawn sack on our fabled Catskill waters. Consider, however, that you just might be losing out on an early season pattern for trout that produces nice fish in sometimes unpredictable spring weather. The Sucker Spawn is my spring go-to fly pattern when the early season trout fishing is slow and traditional deepwater nymphs aren't doing the trick.
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Plan to Reduce Mercury Impacts in Fish Approved by EPA
1/18/08
A multi-state plan to reduce mercury in the waters of New York and New England has been approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today. The approval was a necessary step to implement a collaboration between New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont to reduce mercury and make freshwater fish safer to eat.
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Summertime fun anchors 78th annual boat show
1/11/08
Forget about snow, ice and gray skies.
Winter doldrums will be forgotten while visiting "The 78th Annual Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoors Show" at Chicago's McCormick Place, where warm-weather adventures such as road trips, water skiing, wake boarding, sport boating, wave running, camping, fishing and lazy pontooning are highlighted.
Produced by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, the show has become one of the leading sports shows of its kind nationwide.
And for good reason. Even though more than 600 boats and 200 RVs will be showcased at this year's event, it is much more than just a place for fishin' buddies and water sports zealots wanting to check out the latest "big boy toys."
For more information, click here
Fishing Boats, Surfboards and Not a High-Rise in Sight
1/11/08
PUERTO ESCONDIDO, a tiny fishing village turned surfer's hub on the Pacific coast of Mexico, certainly has the hallmarks of a tropical paradise: wide beaches, hidden coves and rocky cliffs that soar above crystalline waters.
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Sandy Huffaker for The New York Times
COME ON DOWN Boats on the beach at Puerto Escondido, which draws foreigners with its often affordable prices.
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Puerto Escondido, MexicoMap
Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Three for SaleGraphic
Three for Sale
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Puerto Escondido is still relatively unspoiled, with no chain stores, resorts or waterfront high-rises.
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Sandy Huffaker for The New York Times
The Hotel Flor de Maria has a rooftop patio.
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Sandy Huffaker for The New York Times
A sculpture at Zicatela Beach.
But the many American homeowners there perhaps intent on not unveiling their coveted hideaway are quick to point out that Puerto Escondido is not for everyone. It's remote, they warn, with terrible roads and few flights. Then there is the inefficient culture and the legal vagaries involved in buying land.
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Warm Weather Sweeps Across Western New York
1/8/08
Move over Old Man Winter, January has different plans for Buffalo. Mother Nature is making history in Buffalo with record high temperatures and while many are enjoying the warm winter weather, some businesses are not pleased.
The warm weather is impacting local business like Don George's Sports Center and Big Catch Bait and Tackle shop, who rely on the cold winter months for business.
"There's got to be ice to have ice fishing," said Owner of Big Catch Bait and Tackle Shop Bill Vancamp. "So far this has not been too good of a year for ice fishing."
For more information, clicik here
Protect Adirondack forest
1/8/08
Just when the state has a chance to lock up some 70,000 acres of good forest land in the northern end of New York, a court ruling in the southwestern corner threatens to throw a monkey wrench in the whole deal. The state ought to buy the land anyway.
The Adirondack Council, a conservationist organization that watches this sort of thing, has noticed that two private owners have put up for sale some 100,000 acres within the boundaries of the Adirondack Park. The group has petitioned the state Department of Environmental Conservation to put in a bid for the 70,000 acres of that total that aren't already covered by state-held conservation easements.
For more information, clicik here
Ice fishing a dying sport in these parts
1/5/08
Is ice fishing a dying sport?
In recent years - whether it's a result of global warming or simply a weather anomaly - we have had fewer and fewer days of safe ice conditions. In years past I remember ice fishing on the Lower Esopus Creek before the Christmas holidays but it's been a long, long time since anglers could do that safely.
Just last week I noticed there were no ice fishermen on the Upper Esopus Creek in Saugerties, and this has been a very popular fishing hole, as the ice there freezes well before the area below the dam.
Unfortunately, ice fishermen in Ulster and Dutchess counties have very limited bodies of water available to them. There are a few small ponds scattered throughout Ulster County but the Ashokan Reservoir is off-limits to ice fishermen and the Hudson River is simply too treacherous to venture onto.
Dutchess County has many more small ponds and lakes but most of them are privately owned and are laced with "No Trespassing" signs. Ice fishing, as with many other sports, becomes less fun when it becomes a hassle.
As bleak as the ice fishing situation is in these parts, there are some excellent ice fishing opportunities just a few hours north. Lake Champlain, sometimes referred to as the sixth Great Lake, offers ice anglers a multitude of fishing opportunities on a body of water that almost always freezes solid.
The southern most part of the lake is found near the New York Village of Whitehall. Just north of the town is an area known as South Bay and it is basically a huge shallow backwater of Lake Champlain. There is a huge boat launch site at South Bay which makes getting on and off the ice very easy.
There are three primary species found in South Bay - walleye, northern pike and yellow perch. An occasional sauger will be taken, as will a bowfin or two, but the fishing for the key species can be very, very good.
North of South Bay - and on the Vermont side of the lake - is the town of Vergennes and just north of Vergennes is a peninsula known as Long Point. Walking out to the end of Long Point and onto the ice will bring you to some of the best yellow perch fishing in the northeast.
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Ice fishing starts early this season
1/5/08
While many of us are lamenting the piles of snow and the apparent early onset of winter, one group of anglers are reveling. Ice fishermen have had one of their earliest starts in recent years and are taking full advantage of it.
Anglers were able to hit some waters in early December, which has been unusual the past couple of seasons. Ice formed early with some of the cold we had. While we did have some warming periods, some of the smaller lakes up north have held the early ice, setting up good fishing for early January.
On Lake Champlain, the fishing got under way along South Bay with perch and crappies and also at Port Henry with perch and the occasional landlocked salmon.
In Warren County, the smaller lakes have frozen over, and folks have been fishing them for some time. Loon Lake has been producing pike, perch and walleye. Trout Lake has been giving up perch and a few rainbow trout.
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Big picture isn't bright for shad, herring fisheries
1/1/08
After checking out rockfish photos and notes from readers, then updates from Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission on baitfish stocks, this writer is beginning to wonder how the stripers can grow to such length and girth. The baitfish they most depend on face big problems of their own from commercial fishing.
We all know the woes of the oily menhaden in Virginia's portion of the Chesapeake, but few are aware of the troubles of the Atlantic herring, the river herring and possibly/probably the shad, which are at times (late winter-spring and fall) are a nice meal for big stripers.
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Lake Ontario stakeholders meet with DEC
12/27/07
By Bill Hitls Jr.
Greater Niagara Newspapers
Sportfishing stakeholders from around Lake Ontario met with the Department of Environmental Conservation's fisheries leaders to receive updates and answers to questions on important issues pertaining to this important fishery.
While stakeholders went in with a wish list of what they would like to see, many of those points were non-factors when the meeting was complete. The hot topic was the issue of salmon egg take at the Salmon River Fish Hatchery. DEC laid out the framework of what happens during a normal year and what happened this year. It was clear that Mother Nature played a huge role in what ultimately happened, contributing not only low water levels but also elevated water temperatures.
During a normal fall, DEC hatchery personnel would start to take salmon eggs the day after Columbus Day (Oct. 9 this year). Water would be above base flow, at a temperature of less than 60 degrees. On average, they would strip 665 females, with an average of 3.4 million eggs taken. Of those eggs, 84 percent would eye-up. This means that the embryo is starting to develop in the egg.
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Local pair national champs
12/27/07
As the sun rose on Lake Henry, about 120 miles west of the Twin Cities in Minnesota, Kevin Riley and Richard Stachurski were already at work.
Riley, from Glen Spey, and Stucharski, from Middletown, were participating in the "World Series" of ice-fishing championships and getting ready to compete against some of the best ice anglers in the United States.
Riley, who has operated a Delaware River guide service (www.reelemin.us) for more than 11 years, is an ice-fishing fanatic. After hearing about the TrapAttack (www.iceteam.com) competitive series a few years ago, he decided that it was time he tried his hand at the big leagues of ice fishing.
Until a few years ago, Stachurski was just another one of Riley's fishing clients. It was Riley who introduced Stachurski to ice fishing, and the two hit it off and became good friends, sharing the same fanatical passion about ice fishing. An ice fishing team was born.
As they fished the many tournaments held around our area, Riley had an idea.
"I told Richie that I had heard about these competitions that Ice Team puts on called Trap Attacks. I asked him if he would be interested in traveling a bit and doing these competitions to see where we would stand amongst the 'best of the best' in the country."
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Fly-fishing instructor works to make sport more accessible
12/23/07
A few days ago, Indianapolis professional fly-fishing instructor Patti Beasley noticed there was open water in a private retention pond close to her Northeastside home.
"There was ice around the edges, but the center was open (water)," she said, laughing at herself for not being able to resist the temptation to "wet a line," as she calls it.
Given her workload three weeks before one of the biggest and most important fishing events of her life, taking even a few minutes to cast a fly was a luxury.
But Beasley, founder and president of Reelwomen-Reelmen of Indianapolis, a six-year-old fly-fishing club, said her passion for fishing temporarily won out over her event-planning task.
Her 85-member fishing club is sponsoring Indiana's first fly-fishing show, joining forces with Orvis stores, Wildcat Creek Outfitters of Zionsville and JL Waters adventure outfitters.
"Indiana On The Fly" will be held from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 5 in the Farm Bureau building at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Admission is $5. Kids age 10 and under get in free.
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BILL HILTS JR.: Lake Ontario stakeholders submit Santa list to DEC
12/18/07
With Christmas just around the corner and an important Lake Ontario Stakeholders meeting set for this week with the DEC hierarchy, the grassroots sportsmen, charter captains, tourism groups and the business community will be submitting their list for Santa when they convene in Waterloo on Tuesday. Only time will tell if the Lake Ontario Sportfishing Stakeholders Council has been good or bad. Hopefully we won't end up with a lump of coal in their stocking.
LOSSC met in Rochester last week to discuss one very important topic that could have an impact on everyone's future what's happening with this year's salmon egg take and how will it be dealt with? After a quick update on what happened, from the Salmon River coming up short because of low water levels to the gallant effort by local anglers to assist DEC in the taking of another million eggs. DEC had to wait for the salmon eggs to "eye up" which normally takes about four weeks. The bad news that was announced at the meeting was that we were looking at something like 1.2 million to 1.5 million eggs eyeing up from the two million taken.
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FISH FORECAST: Niagara River trout are hot as waters clear
12/17/07
1. Lake Ontario and tributaries
It was still uncertain what the rain was going to do on Tuesday to many of the local tributaries. If anything, it would help 18 Mile Creek a little and pull a few more fish in. However, because things have been so dry for so long, much of the precipitation was probably getting absorbed. We'll know what effect it will have by the weekend. Burt Dam area was holding some trout with steelhead at the top of the list. Ray Mahtook of Youngstown fished the dam earlier in the week and was casting a variety of baits before he started hitting some browns on egg sacks. He really hadn't been seeing very many fish, but when they turned on he ended up catching a half dozen. Steelhead had been the primary focus recently and they seemed to be hit-or-miss for anglers casting egg sacks, egg imitations and a long list of fly patterns, nymphs and streamers. Water was still low and clear before the rain. The rain certainly won't impact places like Keg Creek there's too much of a barrier between the creek and the lake to let fish in. Four Mile Creek might be a good one to check out this weekend. Perch and other panfish are still available in either Wilson or Olcott harbors. The rain probably opened some of the shallower holes back up again and we could see a decent amount of snow going into the weekend if weather forecasts hold up.
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OUTDOOR CALENDAR: Week of Dec. 9
12/11/07
Today
Final day of the Southern Zone regular season for whitetail deer; as well as for bear in the Allegany and Catskill regions.
Tomorrow
Opening of the muzzleloader and late archery seasons in the Southern Zone for deer and bear through December 18th.
Tuesday
Niagara County Fisheries Development
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