Last year, the spring started with some outstanding yellow perch fishing in April. A relatively mild winter allowed for less ice cover and the result was earlier survey work on the lake for the first time ever.
Some of these same tactics and techniques work in the spring, too, so keep this in mind when April and May roll around.
A ‘green’ Christmas was in the forecast so it might be a good time to sample any fishing gear that you may have received under the tree from jolly ol’ St. Nick.
What is the future of hunting? As we grow older and it becomes a bit more difficult to climb that tree stand, set out (and pick up) 100 goose decoys, or tie on those hunting boots, it often crosses our minds while we are sitting outside in some nasty weather what is in store for the next generations of hunters….
Honoring the men and women who serve as active-duty service members, as well as those who have served in the past, seems to be happening more and more around the state and the country. If you haven’t heard about any of these hunting or fishing adventures taking place, it’s because it is all low key and flying under the public…
Yellow perch action has been very good so far this year in New York waters. However, not everyone on the lake is enjoying similar success.
There’s a saying out there that infers “it’s not what you know but who you know” that translates into success in certain situations. During a recent trip to Southwest Florida, it was a little bit of both – what we knew and who we knew. It turned out to be another excellent series of outdoor adventures as we traveled into…
Passing on our outdoor traditions are important, whether it is to the next generation of outdoors enthusiasts, family and friends who are close to us, or just someone who is interested in finding out what hunting and fishing is all about who happen to cross our path. The importance was never more evident than during New York’s recent Outdoor Writers…
Strategy is key for fishing a tournament. While catching a big fish is certainly a plus for your daily total, consistency for bigger fish is what really makes a difference at the end of the day.
The early September season for Canada goose hunting is already here and with the changes in the regular Canada goose season for most of the state, more and more people are taking advantage of the early hunt. The season, which runs from Sept. 1-25 in much of the state, offers plenty of opportunity with less restrictive regulations. The bag limit…
August is the perfect month for promoting our Great Lakes resources. The weather is nice, and the fish are hungry. It is also a great time to share these outdoor resources with Very Important People who may not normally experience these angling attractions on a regular basis. Thanks to progressive thinking fisheries advisory boards in Niagara, Erie and Chautauqua counties,…
Long time charter captain Jim Hanley of Angola is a local legend of sorts. He’s been a licensed U.S. Coast Guard skipper for 43 years on the local waters of Western New York. He recognized early on that he was in a very special place when it came to freshwater fishing. “The waters of Lake Erie, the Niagara River, and…
What is going on with the fishing on Lake Erie?
Lake Erie continues to be one of the best places to be for walleye in the entire world. With an estimated population of nearly 100 million fish, there are plenty to catch. For Capt. Ryan O’Neill of Orchard Park, his attitude for catching these fish is a philosophy that has been handed down from his mentors – keep it simple….
Like the saying goes, what goes around comes around. As I stepped into the Lund boat of Capt. John Oravec of Lyndonville (aptly named the Johnny O) during a recent fishing trip, he immediately informed me that he had taken my father (Bill Hilts, Sr.) out fishing some 45 years earlier during a writer outing on Canandaigua Lake, when he…
Parker Costello of Lockport is 7 years old. There are two things he is passionate about – fishing and wrestling. They are interchangeable with the seasons. With the arrival of spring, fishing has firmly established itself as the outdoor activity to do whenever his father (Kyle) or grandfather (me) are available. “What is the biggest freshwater fish you have ever…
My phone notification for a text sounded off as I helped dig up a flower bed for my stepdaughter. It was a welcome relief. “Want to go night walleye fishing this week?” It was Bob Rustowicz of Cheektowaga and we had tried to hook up for a trip last year, but COVID-19 and the weather got in the way. “Absolutely…
Time in the field is the number one learning tool for everyone.
While checking out Twitter notifications from New York State Parks earlier this month, an announcement came through for a “Seal Hike” from Montauk State Park. Yes, there are seals spotted regularly on Long Island, having witnessed some at a recent state writers conference. Have you ever seen a seal in the Niagara River though? It was about 20 years ago…
“Tally Ho” is more than just a cry of a participant at a hunt to encourage the hounds when the quarry is sighted, as it explains in the dictionary. It is also the name of a new book by John Jarzynski of Lawtons, with a sub-heading of “Confessions of an Old Beagler.” Jarzynski, a retired English Teacher from Gowanda Central School, grew…
Opening new waters to fresh angling experiences should be on everyone’s radar. I first learned about Oatka Creek in detail by reading Trout Streams of Central New York penned by friend J. Michael Kelly of Marcellus. As one of the first people to read his 2015 book (he sent me an uncorrected proof to read over), he honored me by…
It was 35 years ago that I was hired by Niagara County to start up a brand-new program. I was brought in to serve as the county’s Sportfishing Promotion Program Coordinator. Yes, it was a mouthful to say. To shorten it up, Town of Newfane Supervisor Tim Horanburg would simply call me the “Fish Head.” Sometimes it would “Head Fish.”…
Discussion has started to allow 12- and 13-year-old junior hunters to take the next step to hunt big game with firearms here in New York.
Somewhere along the way, 19-point buck became an 18-point animal after the final measurements were taken and documented.
I received a call from Capt. Rob Westcott of Hamlin, the skipper of Legacy Charters out of Bald Eagle and president of the Lake Ontario Charter Boat Association. Through his leadership and guidance, the charter fishing industry became part of Phase One in the Empire State when things began to open back up in May 2020. That was huge. However,…
For the ranks of fishermen and fisherwomen who turned to fishing for relief from a pandemic, everyone should make one new resolution moving forward – become a mentor for another angler or two.
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