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Bill Hilts Jr.

Lake Ontario walleye stocking evaluation plan taking shape in New York

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, National Fishing, National News, New York, News /

The walleye population of Lake Ontario is getting some more attention in 2026 as New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has already initiated a walleye stocking evaluation plan for this year.
According to the agency, the purpose of the walleye stocking evaluation study is to determine the proportion of stocked and naturally produced walleyes in the fishery at each stocked location.

Lake Ontario walleye stocking evaluation plan taking shape in New York Read More »

Bill Hilts, Jr.: Getting ready for the ‘inland’ trout opener in New York

Blogs, Featured, Fishing, National Fishing, New York, Opinion /

April 1 is opening day for the inland trout regular season in New York. It still generates excitement within the angling community, although not as much as when I was a kid over 50 years ago.
It may have lost some of its luster when the Department of Environmental Conservation created a statewide catch-and-release season for inland streams in 2021, but as far as the state agency that manages these resources is concerned, the new regulation has not compromised trout populations.

Bill Hilts, Jr.: Getting ready for the ‘inland’ trout opener in New York Read More »

New York fishing expo helps in fight against pediatric, adolescent cancer

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, National Fishing, National News, New York, News /

The fishing community came together at the Greater Niagara Fishing Expo in Niagara Falls last month to help a most worthy cause, carrying the theme of “Fishing Fights Pediatric Cancer.”
The 11th annual fishing show worked with vendors and seminar speakers to raise funds to support Catching Dreams Charters – a nonprofit organization dedicated to giving children battling pediatric cancer and their families the opportunity to escape the challenges of treatment and enjoy a therapeutic day on the water.

New York fishing expo helps in fight against pediatric, adolescent cancer Read More »

New York’s Rick Kustich, a leader in the fly-fishing world, shares tips for spring steelhead anglers

Featured, Features, Fishing, Home Page News, National Fishing, New York /

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.

New York’s Rick Kustich, a leader in the fly-fishing world, shares tips for spring steelhead anglers Read More »

New York’s Lake Erie tributaries have new steelhead management plan

Featured, Fishing, Home Page News, National Fishing, National News, New York, News /

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 »

Bill Hilts, Jr.: Melissa Bachman, keynote speaker at upcoming New York expo, is a mentor for women, youth hunters

Blogs, Featured, Hunting, New York, Opinion /

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. 

Bill Hilts, Jr.: Melissa Bachman, keynote speaker at upcoming New York expo, is a mentor for women, youth hunters Read More »

Bill Hilts, Jr.: New York’s Niagara Fishing Expo ‘teaches fishing’

Blogs, Featured, Fishing, National Fishing, New York, Opinion /

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 »

A hunt for the big bull moose of Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula

Featured, Features, Home Page News, Hunting, National Hunting, New York /

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 »

Bill Hilts, Jr.: Lake Ontario salmon outlook good for 2026?

Blogs, Featured, Fishing, National Fishing, New York, Opinion /

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 »

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