March in Western New York is a special time if you are a steelhead angler. When the ice is on the way out, these silver bullets are on the way in to respond to spawning urges.
Rick Kustich of Getzville, author of “Advanced Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead” and co-author of “Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead” with his brother Jerry, had some tips to share as spring quickly approaches.
The New York Department of Environmental Conservation has released a new 10-year management plan for Lake Erie tributary steelhead, serving as a template starting this year (2026) and running through 2035.
This is a revision of the plan that was released in 2016, finalizing the goals and objectives for the state’s portion of Lake Erie tributaries as they pertain to steelhead and domestic rainbow trout.
New York’s Lake Erie tributaries have new steelhead management plan Read More »
Sport, travel and outdoors shows are a great way to network and meet people in the hunting and fishing fraternity.
In preparation for attending the Western New York Sport and Travel Expo at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg, N.Y., I was talking with long-time show promoter Mark Concilla of Erie, Pa. He was excited about his new keynote seminar speaker, Melissa Bachman, who will be a part of the show that is set for March 6-8 this year.
For the better part of 35 years, I attended sport, travel and outdoor shows throughout the northeast from January through April. It was the heyday of these kinds of shows, attracting people from far and wide.
Included among these were nine day shows in Harrisburg (still the biggest of its kind in the country), Cincinnati, Cleveland, Chicago and Indianapolis. Other shows that stood out for sheer numbers of people were the World Fishing and Outdoor Expo in Suffern, N.Y. and the Pittsburgh Expo in Monroeville. With all this trade show experience, not one could compare to the impressive number of seminars and clinics at the Greater Niagara Fishing Expo in Niagara Falls.
Bill Hilts, Jr.: New York’s Niagara Fishing Expo ‘teaches fishing’ Read More »
Jonathan LeBel, of Ogdensburg, in St. Lawrence County, N.Y., is a passionate big game hunter.
One of his dream adventures, from a bucket list of sorts, was to connect with a 70-inch bull moose. That dream became a reality last fall (2025) when he tagged a 73 1⁄8-inch-wide racked animal – antlers with massive paddles – in the most unlikely of places … the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. The challenges he faced along his journey – from travel to firearms to communication – were compounded even further on a personal level. LeBel has multiple sclerosis.
A hunt for the big bull moose of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula Read More »
What does the coming fishing season have in store for salmon and trout fishermen and women in Lake Ontario? While anglers, fisheries managers and biologists don’t have a crystal ball to conjure up forecasts for 2026, they can certainly make educated guesses as we move forward this year.
Bill Hilts, Jr.: Lake Ontario salmon outlook good for 2026? Read More »
As we kick off a new year, it’s time to look forward and speculate on what the next 12 months have in store for us.
One question that must be on everyone’s mind if you are a Lake Erie walleye fisherman is will it be a repeat performance on the water once May 1 hits on the calendar? Walleye fishing was phenomenal in 2025 and the best quote I heard came from Capt. Jim Steel, president of the Eastern Lake Erie Charter Boat Association: “You could go out on the lake and do everything wrong … and still catch fish.”
Bill Hilts, Jr.: What does 2026 hold for Lake Erie anglers in New York and beyond? Read More »
This past year will certainly be remembered for many years to come thanks to some important headlines that dominated in the outdoor world stage – especially in the Empire State. These are my Top 10 headlines that truly impacted hunting and fishing as we get ready to celebrate 2026 and beyond.
Bill Hilts, Jr.: A year to remember for New York hunters and anglers in 2025 Read More »
In looking back on the 2025 fishing season for Lake Ontario, lake managers with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s Lake Ontario Unit had plenty of good news to share with members of the Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association on Dec. 11 at the group’s annual Christmas meeting. The gathering was also open to the public.
In what has become a bit of a tradition each December, DEC staff, led by Christopher Legard (Lake Ontario Unit Leader), and biologists Mike Connerton and Jessica Goretzke, gave an overview of what happened on the lake the past year, and some of what is expected for 2026.
2025 was another good year for Lake Ontario fishing Read More »
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