Gain the ScentLok Advantage with Full Season Taktix™
Every Year We Learn from Successful Hunters: They admit, CONCEALING Human Odor is at Top of List
We Found this Affordable, Comfortable, Concealable
Muskegon, MI (August 14, 2017) – Fooling a deer’s eyes and ears can be relatively easy. Stealth and woodsmanship play critical roles, as does modern camouflage. His nose, on the other hand, takes more, a lot more.
The most successful hunters employ comprehensive scent-control regimens and follow them with great discipline. Involving more than just sprays and scent-control clothing, an effective scent-control regimen like the ScentLok Seven helps hunters like John Eberhart, from Michigan, experience consistent success.
Eberhart is a whitetail bow-hunting guru and says he has never owned, leased, hunted a relative’s property, or ever paid a dime to hunt anywhere. Eberhart has never hunted in a managed area, over a food plot, or over bait. He exclusively hunts state, federal, and free walk-on properties, and knocks on doors for free permission to hunt private properties in a state with some of the most pressured whitetails found anywhere. Over 53 hunting seasons – the last 20 in ScentLok clothing – Eberhart has connected with 30 Michigan record book bucks.
Other hunters like Don and Kandi Kisky are equally passionate about defeating the four common types of odors that kill hunts. The self-proclaimed Whitetail Freaks harvest massive mature whitetails year after year through meticulous property management, endless scouting and the ScentLok advantage.
HOW MUCH IS YOUR HUNTING CLOTHING HELPING YOU?
In today’s virtual sea of hunting clothing, trendy camouflage only gets a hunter so far. The new ScentLok Full Season Taktix™ Jacket and Pant for men and women goes beyond comfort and aesthetics. It is the only hunting apparel to combine three unique performance attributes that help hunters stay comfortable while allowing their quarry to get closer them without scent detection than ever before.
Full Season Taktix features proven Carbon Alloy™ odor adsorption to neutralize the three pillars of human odor. Next, it utilizes a superhydrophobic NeverWet™ treatment that permanently protects hunters from water and rain without stiff and noisy waterproof membranes. Inside, Taktix employs advanced internal moisture wicking to keep hunters dry and comfortable.
Full Season Taktix Jacket
In addition to its trifecta of unique features, ScentLok upped the ante with Full Season Taktix to deliver additional touches any whitetail hunter will appreciate.
The outer micro tricot fabric is deadly quiet.
The low-bulk wrists will not interfere with a bow hunter’s release.
The exterior look is a blend of overlay color panels.
There are 13 easy-access pockets.
There is also a harness opening to keep stinky fall restraint gear enveloped inside the jacket’s Carbon AlloyTM barrier.
Better whitetail-hunting clothing simply does not exist. This extraordinary new apparel is priced for any hunter at just $149 per piece, is available in four of today’s top camo patterns, and also comes in women’s sizes XS – 2XL and men’s sizes S – 3XL.
Over the course of 25 years in business, ScentLok hunting apparel has been proven deadly in the field by some of the world’s most dedicated hunters. Ask and receive more from your hunting clothing. Start hunting with the ScentLok advantage. See the full line of proven ScentLok products.
About ScentLok: ScentLok Technologies, headquartered in Muskegon, MI, USA, is a leading worldwide designer, marketer and distributor of performance, hunting and casual odor-controlling apparel, footwear and equipment. Founded in 1992 on scientific principles, ScentLok is the only company with access to all scent-controlling technologies including their patented activated carbon technology, which is consistently proven to outperform other technologies tested. ScentLok is a pioneer in the hunting industry, which many credit with creating a market based on the elimination of odors to get closer to big game.
Lake Erie – Buffalo, NY – Trophy Smallmouth Bass Fishery, is NEW ADDITION to FLW Northern Series
Lake Guntersville will host 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship November
MINNEAPOLIS (Aug. 22, 2017) – Fishing League Worldwide (FLW), the world’s largest tournament-fishing
2018 Costa FLW Series Schedule is Official
organization, announced today the 2018 Costa FLW Series schedule, which will consist of three events in each of the five divisions – Central, Northern, Southeastern, Southwestern and Western – along with the no-entry-fee Costa FLW Series Championship to be held on Lake Guntersville in Guntersville, Alabama.
The top 40 pros and co-anglers in the final point standings in each division after three qualifying tournaments will advance to the 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship, provided they fished all three qualifiers in a division.
The highest finishing pro from each of the five Costa FLW Series divisions based on final results at the 2018 Costa FLW Series Championship qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup, along with the highest finishing pro from the championship’s international division. A total of six Costa FLW Series pros will advance to the 2019 Forrest Wood Cup, the world championship of professional bass fishing.
Complete rules and entry dates will be announced soon.
2018 Costa FLW Series Season Schedule:
Central Division Fishery City Local Host
April 19-21 Table Rock Lake Branson, Mo. ExploreBranson.com
June 7-9 Lake Barkley Cadiz, Ky. Cadiz-Trigg County Tourism
Oct. 11-13 Lake of the Ozarks Osage Beach, Mo. Tri-County Lodging Association
Northern Division
June 21-23 Lake Champlain Plattsburgh, N.Y. City of Plattsburgh
July 26-28 Lake Erie Buffalo, N.Y. Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission
Sept. 6-8 1000 Islands Clayton, N.Y. Clayton Chamber of Commerce
Southeastern Division
Jan. 4-6 Lake Okeechobee Okeechobee, Fla. Okeechobee County Tourism
March 1-3 Lake Seminole Bainbridge, Ga. Bainbridge CVB
April 5-7 Santee Cooper Summerton, S.C. Clarendon County CC
Southwestern Division
Feb. 15-17 Sam Rayburn Reservoir Jasper, Texas Jasper-Lake Sam Rayburn CC
March 22-24 Grand Lake Grove, Okla. City of Grove
Oct. 4-6 Fort Gibson Lake Wagoner, Okla. Wagoner Area CC
Western Division
Feb. 8-10 Lake Havasu Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Lake Havasu City CVB
May 10-12 Clear Lake Lakeport, Calif. Konocti Vista Casino Resort/Marina
Sept. 27-29 California Delta Bethel Island, Calif. Russo’s Marina
Costa FLW Series Championship
Nov. 1-3 Lake Guntersville Guntersville, Ala. Marshall County CVB
The full schedule and details for each fishery can be found at FLWFishing.com.
About FLW – FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 258 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.
When a Fishing Rod Icon creates a Walleye Fishing Eyecon®
The St. Croix Eyecon® WALLEYE SERIES of fishing rods are sensitive, powerful and affordable.
By David Gray
Part of the fun in the sport of fishing is the never-ending search for new equipment that works and fishes better. Last April, a friend introduced me to a new rod, the Eyecon ECS-70LF from St. Croix. The rod had such a “great feel,” I talked him into letting me borrow it for a couple of months so I could try it out.
The Eyecon ECS-70LF is one of the most impressive rods I have used in a long time. It says “Walleye Series” on the rod and it does a great job presenting finesse baits, but that is not all this rod does. The rod fishes well for walleye, crappie, bluegill, float fishing for smallmouth, and is great when spin fishing for trout. I used the 7-foot Eyecon with 3-pound line and 1/32 ounce jigs for trout and the rod was pure joy. Such are the numerous unadvertised advantages, since it can also handle medium-sized crankbaits with ease too.
Finesse fishing for walleye can be very successful with the right tools, beginning with the right fishing rod. Forrest Fisher Photo
How a fishing rod casts, or more precisely, how the rod transfers energy to cast a lure, is where most rods fall short. It is one performance task to bring a large bass or walleye to the boat, but a very different performance task to achieve casting distance and accuracy. The Eyecon excels in both performance tasks.
My first use of the Eyecon was an eye-opener. When I picked it up, it made me stop to do a double-take on the rod, then the line and the lure. There was a captivating synergy in just picking the rig up to hold. Simple moments that are remembered like that mean good things. My first cast with the Eyecon surprised me. It went 10 feet farther than I was aiming. My second, third and fourth cast did the same. Every cast was 10 to 15 feet further than my aim point. The Eyecon is so efficient at transferring energy, it was casting farther than most similar action 7-foot spinning rods.
My experience with fishing rods is that when they can cast light lures well, they usually do not have super-sensitivity, but the Eyecon surprised me there. It is a very sensitive rod and lives up to its finesse label.
Every once in a while, a new product raises the performance bar and the Eyecon does exactly that. Everything that you want a fishing rod to do well this rod does extremely well.
The Eyecon ECS-70 LF is as a great buy in a 7-foot spinning rod. It delivers a higher level of fishing performance, helps you fish better and makes you a better fisherman. You gotta love fishing tools that allow you to achieve all that. I have one of my own Eyecon’s now. They sell for $120-$130 and come with a 5-year warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service.
If you need more info: http://stcroixrods.com/products/freshwater/eyecon/.
Today is Tuesday August 29, 2017.
There is still time to enter the Fall LOC Derby and collect some of the great cash prizes that are up for grabs. The derby ends on Monday September 4th at 1 PM with the awards ceremony taking place at Captain Jack’s in Sodus Point starting around 3PM. Hope to see your name on the leader board.
Fishing on Lake Ontario off the shores of Orleans County has been interesting to say the least. Fish are on the move from close to shore and then off shore depending on the winds of the day.
Lure selection seems to be anybody’s guess, but it seems that spoons in the green patterns and flashers in the white patterns are most often mentioned.
With the cooler temperatures of the past few days, salmon are inching closer to shore and preparing for their spawning runs but warmer temperatures could slow that down a bit.
The Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey wrapped up this past Sunday with some great catches posted on the leader board. What really makes this event so fantastic is the attention payed to the young ladies and gentlemen that participate in this event. A big “Thank You” to all of the parents that take the time to take these future leaders into the great outdoors and help them experience some of nature at its best.
Perch fishing on the lower stretches of the “Oak” should start picking up very soon as the water temperature of the “Oak” gets to more favorable levels.
On Lake Alice, bass fishing is still good to very good on the upper reaches and Bluegill are still being caught around the Waterport Bridge area.
The Erie Canal is still a good source for all of the warm water species and a great place to enjoy a sunny afternoon with the family.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
Email: sportfishing@orleansny.com
Need a durable camp cooker that folds up to a VERY SMALL SIZE and can do it all for hunters, fishermen, campers or tailgate fun? Check out FireDisc® Cookers: https://www.firedisccookers.com/products/ to see the manner of set-up, take-down and storage. So simple.
Yet, FireDisc is massively overbuilt, is still light in weight, incredibly easy to use and designed to last for a long time.
It’s perfect for anyone who likes to fish, hunt, camp, RV, tailgate or just recreate outdoors all year around.FireDisc is revolutionizing how hunters cook their camp chow and how fishermen cook shore lunch. FireDisc is a robust cooking device that was made to travel with you in your truck or boat. FireDisc seasons like a cast iron skillet producing excellent fish, game and eating anyway you like it. The FireDisc advantage offers compact take-down to a size that will fit in any boat, large or small, sets up easily to work dockside, at a shore lunch or at campside. The unit is powder-coated and is overbuilt. It is heavy duty and built to last. FireDisc will cook virtually everything.
The unit operates on one 16.4 oz. propane canister, fires up fast (no waiting for charcoal or fire), cooks for plenty of people, seasons like a cast iron skillet and cleans up quickly with just water.
Why people love cooking with FireDisc Cookers:
• Portable and easy to haul
• Heats quickly with propane
• Easy to clean with just water
• Great for cooking for large groups
• Perfect for cooking delicate items like fish and vegetables – no grates
• Year-round cooking
• Available in height options: 24” or 36”, shallow or deep Check out this video: https://youtu.be/omJWFthICuQ. FireDiscs come in deep or shallow, short or tall, black or red and are available starting at $279.99 at firedisccookers.com and at select outdoor retailers and hardware stores across the country.
How good is a FireDisc® Cooker? The recently released NPS (Net Promoter Score) numbers for FireDisc® Cookers show a high level of customer satisfaction, with a good probability that consumers who bought their products would recommend them to their friends and colleagues. FireDisc Cookers received an NPS score of 88 with a 4.9 out of 5-star rating for 2016.
The Net Promoter Score is an index ranging from -100 to 100 that measures the willingness of customers to recommend a company’s products or services to others. It is used as a proxy for gauging the customer’s overall satisfaction with a company’s product or service and the customer’s loyalty to the brand. It serves as an alternative to traditional customer satisfaction research and claims to be correlated with revenue growth. NPS has been widely adopted with more than two thirds of Fortune 1000 companies using the metric.
The Net Promoter Score is calculated based on responses to a single question: How likely is it that you would recommend our company/product/service to a friend or colleague?
NPS can be as low as −100 (everybody is a detractor) or as high as +100 (everybody is a promoter). An NPS that is positive (i.e., higher than zero) is felt to be good and an NPS of +50 or over is excellent. The FireDisc Cooker NPS score of 88 is among the highest rankings given to any company. Scores for other companies during the same time period included USAA – 80, Costco – 78, Nordstrom – 75, Apple/iPhone – 70, Amazon – 69 and Southwest Airlines – 66. It is a great testimony to the design and quality of FireDisc products and their customer satisfaction. For more information about “Built to Haul, Cooks it All” FireDisc Cookers, visit their web site at www.firedisccookers.com
For video and details, please visit: https://youtu.be/cEXi4RB8lsc.Photo Credit: RMEF
MISSOULA, Mont. – Aug 22, 2017 —A key wildlife landscape previously threatened by subdivision in northwest Montana is now permanently protected and in the public’s hands thanks to a collaborative effort between the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, a conservation-minded family and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS).
“This property lies within the popular Holland Lake recreational area of the scenic Swan Valley and there was some pressure to develop it,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “We appreciate the landowners for recognizing the wildlife values of the land and reaching out to us to help conserve it.”
The 640-acre parcel offers important summer and winter habitat for elk and whitetail deer. It is also provides key habitat for grizzly bears, Canada lynx and a vast array of other wildlife. Additionally, it contains riparian habitat via springs and a chain of wetland ponds that feed a tributary of Holland Creek.
Located about 65 miles north of Missoula, the property lies west of the Swan Mountain Range and is nestled between the Bob Marshall Wilderness to the east and Mission Mountain Wilderness to the west. It was previously an inholding within the Flathead National Forest but thanks to its conveyance, it now falls under the ownership umbrella of the USFS and belongs to all citizens.
”This acquisition will improve public land access, and help to preserve the recreation setting and valuable wildlife habitat in the popular Holland Lake area,” said Rich Kehr, Swan Lake district ranger.
The Holland Lake project is one of the first to receive 2017 funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. To see the video with details of this area, please visit: https://youtu.be/cEXi4RB8lsc.
Since 1985, RMEF and its partners completed 967 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Montana with a combined value of more than $160.2 million. These projects protected or enhanced 818,826 acres of habitat and opened or secured public access to 289,532 acres.
About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation: Founded over 30 years ago, fueled by hunters and a membership of more than 220,000 strong, RMEF has conserved more than 7.1 million acres for elk and other wildlife. RMEF also works to open and improve public access, fund and advocate for science-based resource management, and ensure the future of America’s hunting heritage. Discover why “Hunting Is Conservation™” at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK. Take action: join and/or donate.
Get ready to Rumble – Lake Ontario fishing style! This weekend, there will be three different fishing derbies going on, as well as a ladies tournament.
Jim Gasewski of Ohio hoists of a tasty salmon caught fishing aboard the Hawg with Capt. Jim Gordon.
The Fall Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Derby kicks off on August 18 and runs through Labor Day. There is a $25,000 is the Grand Prize for the largest Salmon. Check www.loc.org for details. The Second Annual Reelin’ for a Cure will also begin on August 18 out of Wilson and Olcott from 6 a.m. to noon. This all-ladies event will be raising funds for the Breast Cancer Network of WNY. It looks like right around 20 teams for this year. It’s a fun time for sure. Contact Stephanie Pierleoni at 716-481-6388 for more information or go on the event’s Facebook page. The Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey Derby is set for August 19th to the 27th. This contest includes six species categories for the adults and a Grand Prize of $3,000. For the kids, it’s free to enter with loads of merchandise prizes and trophies. Sign up at any of the LOC weigh stations or at www.fishodyssey.net. This is for Niagara, Orleans and Erie counties. Many thanks to Jim and Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors in Olcott who do a lion’s share of the work behind the scenes, such as the website and the leaderboard. This is a great way to get the whole family out to enjoy the waters of Western New York.
Ricky Deubel of Cleveland, Ohio, reeled in this 31 pound king salmon while fishing with Mark Lewandowski of Buffalo.
The Orleans County Rotary Derby is still going on and that contest will end on Sunday, August 20.
Now to the fishing. The water has been messed up a bit in the lake due to some unfavorable winds. The most stable water has been out deep. Hawg Charters and Capt. Jim Gordon headed out of Olcott this week and fished the 29 line one day and did well on kings, Coho’s and steelhead. All his action was on spoons in the top 60 feet of water. He repeated the performance the next day on the 27 line heading north, but the action was mostly 80 to 90 feet down. Capt. Mark Vilardo used spin doctors and flies to catch some nice kings in the 300 to 350 foot depth range, 80 to 90 feet down. Mark Lewandowski of Buffalo was fishing in 120 feet of water and took a 31 pound king so the mature fish are slowly starting to make their way closer to home. The Niagara Bar has been a here today – gone tomorrow scenario, and them back again, depending on what is happening with the wind and weather.
Capt. Jim Gordon holds up a trophy steelhead.
In the Lower Niagara River, bass and walleye have both been biting. Capt. Jake Joseph with Jiggin’ Jake’s Charters has been doing well on walleye along drifts like Stella Niagara and around the green buoy marker. Bass have also been cooperative with shiners and crabs. Reports of the first salmon are normally seen by the third week in August and there were some rumors that some were seen this past week. However the main run isn’t for another month. It should be a good one! Upper Niagara River bass and walleye action remains consistent and the Erie Canal is still offering up some fish – pike and bass. Kayakers working Wilson Harbor have been catching some pike and bass. Spinnerbaits are good to toss around the weed edges.
Lake Erie 2017 is a WALLEYE MECCA near Chadwick Bay / Dunkirk Harbor
Merritt Estate Winery offers FREE SAMPLING of all Wine Varieties
Cassadaga Lake is a Bass and Musky SECRET
Cabana Sam’s Blackened Grouper is a WINNER DINNER
By Mike Joyner
The great Empire State by any casual observation is one of our nation’s meccas for natural resources and endless opportunities for recreational pursuits. With a critical eye it is by reasonable opinion one of the top five states arranged only by personal recreational preferences.
It is now entirely possible to nudge a hard core turkey hunter to enjoy nearly as much, another sportsman’s activity such as fishing. It is a most somber admission after a quarter century of long beard mania madness. In all honesty fishing came first as a wee young lad, whitetails in my mid-twenties, and in 1993, gobbler chasing took over everything. Prior priorities were relegated to distant second and third rankings of outdoor passions.
I accepted the invite with eager anticipation to attend the 9th Annual VIP Fishing Day taking place out of Chadwick Bay Marina in Dunkirk Harbor. Timing with my workload fell into a rare alignment of the stars making it feasible to get away. It would turn out to be a great mid-week getaway to enjoy several days of great fishing, camaraderie, and an opportunity to meet with local leaders, and tourism professionals to exchange thoughts and ideas as well as the requisite tall tales of fishing adventures.
Dave Barus had set up ‘Chautauqua County Media Fish Camp 2017’ for us to take in and experience what the area has to offer. I cannot thank him enough for handling the logistics and details of the excursion. He has a bright future in herding cats as outdoor writers are an independent group of individuals. Sunset Bay Cottage would be base camp for the duration. Located in Sunset Bay it is a great place to meet up, enjoy the beach and dining establishments, all within short walking distances. Past NYSOWA President Wayne Brewer, Leon Archer, Steve Colley, Wade Robertson and Collin Voss would be fellow camp mates and made for a great fish camp. Steve and Wade hailing from Northern Pennsylvania would join us for the latter two days while Collin, our youngest member in camp would endure initiation rights and would enjoy the third day out on the lake. Ultimately Collin out fished us all and kept his shirt tail intact. The conversations and storytelling at camp are the very reasons we cherish our time there!
First morning out we would head to Dunkirk Harbor only to find rough conditions which had already forced a number of boats back to the marina. We met up with local bass pro’s Scott Gauld and Scott Callen and decided to head over to Cassadaga Lake for bass, both smallmouth, and largemouth on much calmer waters. We fished the upper lake and enjoyed a relaxed and fun time catching smallmouths along with a few muskies. A special thank you to their sponsors Denali Rods, Kamooki Lures, and Venom Lures for being perfect equipment choices for our time on the lake. After a morning of ‘impromptu testing’, I will be adding them to my A-list for ‘must have’ gear.
Scott Callen. Wayne Brewer, Leon Archer
Later in the day we paid a visit to Merritt Estate Winery located in Forestville, New York. We met up with Bill Merritt the owner and enjoyed a fine tasting of current offerings. With my ties to the industry in the Cortland area, I hope to see their offerings there. The staff is to be commended for their prompt and friendly service. They present a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere to enjoy the fine wines they craft. Being a big fan of New York craft beers, distilled spirits and wines, the offerings at Merritt Estate Winery was worth the trip. My wife and I routinely stock our wine racks with New York wines and will add Merritt estate wines to our preferred vino to have on hand.
We would take a short walk over to Cabana Sam’s Sunset Bay Grill later that evening to sample the dining fare of the area. Blacken Grouper Reuben was my choice, and I would go out of my way to go back there again just for that. I’ll express empathy to my other camp mates that could not be there for the dinner outing as it was a meal not to miss.
There are many other wineries, craft beer companies, and distillers in the area. It is my only regret of the trip that I could not stay an extra day or two to enjoy tastings at each of them and further enjoy the many dining choices of the area. It is my thought that the Tourism Bureau has a lot of great offerings to work with and promote. I will return to the area for that very reason.
Our second full day in Dunkirk would have us out on the Great Lake Experience Event with conditions a bit more hospitable for fishing. Although I purchased nearly the full accordion worth of licenses each year to hunt and fish, it was appreciated that the day was deemed a free fishing day as to attract invited guests experiencing their first time on the lake. The event matched up boat captains with outdoor writers such as myself, many folks from the surrounding county tourism bureaus, NYSDEC, local politicians, county dignitaries, state legislators, and Congressmen. It was estimated that over sixty participants were paired up with twenty-two well-experienced boat captains who went above and beyond to show all of us a great morning out on Lake Erie.
After being assigned to come aboard 365 Sportfishing Charters, I headed out with Chautauqua County Executive- Vince Horrigan, fellow outdoor writer Paula Piatt, Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO- Todd Tranum, Congressmen Tom Reed Staffers- Jaqueline Phelps (Regional Director) & Alison Hunt(District Director), with Captain Mark Hitcome at the helm. We were after walleyes, as were the other charters. After navigating several miles out into the lake, we were in the thick of it at water depths of 70-100 feet. With a full complement of planar boards and down riggers rigged, we soon had one pole after another set hook, and there was plenty of action. Everyone caught a pile of walleyes along with a few silver bass. There were seven or eight just under the 15″ legal size, and we kept seventeen walleyes altogether. We came in an hour before the appointed time due to the lake kicking up five-foot waves. One of the walleyes I caught was one of several that came in just shy of four pounds.
Once docked and the fish taken care of we headed to the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club. A luncheon get together was scheduled with invites for all the participants and special guests including NYSDEC Chief, Bureau of Fish and Wildlife Services- Steve Hurst, Chautauqua County Executive- Vince Horrigan, City of Dunkirk Mayor- Willie Rosas, NYS Assemblyman District 150- Andy Goodell, and US 23rd District Congressman Tom Reed along with other local dignitaries. Zen Olow, chairman of the Great Lakes Experience event and Club President MC’d the affair. Presentations covered issues concerning pollution in the Great Lakes that eventually flows into Lake Erie and on to Lake Ontario, upcoming/pending legislation initiatives, club awards, and comments from distinguished guests. The main course on the menu as you may have guessed was walleye cutlets which in my opinion is the tastiest culinary delight of any game fish caught in New York State. I would have to admit that begrudgingly. As a young boy, I totally believed that Northern Pike was the best fish to eat. My grandfather cubed them into one-inch pieces within minutes of being taken from the live well and placed directly into a fresh pot of fish chowder simmering on grandma’s stove. I can still remember his old F-100 coming down the driveway with giant Northern’s still jumping in the bed of the pickup. The delicious smell of fresh chowder simmering is one that stays with you all your days. Now that I leave you hungry… With over a hundred people attending, it was as much fine eating and education that you could possibly pack in between the four walls of the club.
Our second evening was spent in camp with home cooking courtesy of our host, fine wines, and the best of company. David’s grandson Collin, would join us that evening and was a welcomed addition to our camp. Collin is an impressive young man and a exemplary example of his upbringing. The fact that he out fished all of us is something we’ll have to let go of and come to grips with eventually… all kidding aside it is a pleasure to have him in camp.
Our last morning on the lake would pair myself, Leon and local area outdoor writer Gene Pauszek with Sassafras Fishing Charters. Captain Lance Ehrhardt along with Zen Olow would be in charge of another great day out on Lake Erie. the lake would be a bit calmer than the day prior. Once all the rigging was complete we would not wait long for the hooks to set and the reeling to start. Although a little slower pace than the day before we would limit out on walleye. With calmer waters, we relaxed, told tall stories, cheesy jokes and caught plenty of walleyes! A bit of back story as few days prior to the V.I.P. event, I would learn that Eastern Lake Erie Charter Association members Lance and Zen, along with Joe Jemiolo (passed away in 2014) were the main forces behind the creation of the annual V.I.P. fishing event. All the walleyes cooked up for the grand luncheon were made possible by Eastern Lake Erie Charter Association Members in concert with Sunset Bay Shoot Out, Razor’s Big Dawg tournaments. We were in the company of great people, great volunteers.Collin Voss
It is a focused opportunity to couple what we so love and are endeared to as sportsmen to convey, to educate those that promote tourism opportunities, and ultimately makes decisions, crafting legislation that impacts our sport. It is also an opportunity for outdoor professionals & sportsmen to learn and gain insights as to how decisions are formulated. We as sportsmen can provide data or participate in the research needed to enhance our great pastime, and attract newcomers to a grand recreational experience.
Maintaining and improving the natural resources, a world class fishery was the topic at hand. I’ll speak for all that attended in that we enjoyed a grand experience of a vibrant and healthy fishery. It is a fine example of what can be achieved in the Empire State. As if you need further prodding, the word among the group was that the current state of the fishery on Lake Erie promises to be great fishing for years to come given the abundant and diverse age classes of walleye and of other fish species.
As I titled this scattered collection of impressions and honest opinion it holds so true that it is a “Must do in Chautauqua County from Dunkirk Harbor” destination. It is a gem of our great state and one that I will return to with my wife to enjoy the great fishing, as well as the other offerings that the area excels at. As an outside observer, it is impressive the number of groups, people from very different interests working together to build up a healthy ecosystem, a vibrant fishery, and a destination well worth the trip. All of us who cherish New York State’s natural resources, the quality of its fisheries extend a very large thank you to all that have made it so successful.
John Van Hoff with this derby-winning Niagara Bar king salmon caught on a meat-rig.
Last weekend there were three fishing derbies and a tournament going on in Niagara Falls USA waters.
John Van Hoff of North Tonawanda went out fishing last Sunday, the final day for the Orleans County Rotary Derby. The leader was 30 pounds, 9 ounces. Using a flasher and meat rig, he pounded the Niagara Bar all morning. With less than an hour to go in the derby, Van Hoff hit a fish that looked to be over 30 pounds. Would it beat Keith Sheffield’s king salmon and could he make it to the Slippery Sinker in Olcott in time by the 1 p.m. cut-off? Van Hoff made it with 15 minutes to spare and the weight was 30 pounds, 12 ounces – taking over the lead and eventually winning the $4,000 Grand Prize.
Joe Oakes with his 34 pound King Salmon from Wilson.
Other divisional winners were Robert Griffith with a 16 pound steelhead; Bill Cole with a 14 pound brown trout; and Dan DeGeorge with a 17 and one-half pound lake trout. Meanwhile, two hours after Van Hoff was catching his winning salmon, Joe Oakes of Lockport was reeling in a 34 and one-half pound salmon out of Wilson that would take over the lead in the Fall Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Derby and the Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey in the Salmon Division.
The bar has been set as the LOC Derby continues through Labor Day and the Odyssey continues through Sunday. Speaking of the Odyssey, updates are now being put on the Fish Odyssey Facebook page due to the fact that webmaster Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors needed emergency surgery. Say a prayer. The awards for the Odyssey will be Sunday, Aug. 27, at Olcott Fire Hall on Route 78 starting at 4 p.m.
Congratulations to the Just One More Cure team led by Capt. Bryan Lukehart of Pennsylvania. His ladies crew won the 2nd annual Reelin’ for a Cure event held last Friday with a score of 149 points while fishing out of Olcott.
John Schaeffer of Jamestown, NY, shows off a 33 pound King Salmon from Olcott.
The tourney raised over $4,000 for the Breast Cancer Network of WNY.
Fishing on the local front has been pretty darn good, at least when Mother Nature cooperates. Salmon can be found from the Niagara Bar to east of Olcott. Van Hoff caught a dozen mature kings on the Bar using meat on Sunday. Oakes hit his leading king between 350 and 400 feet of water out in front of Wilson using a flasher-fly – the A-Tom-Mik Stud fly – 90 feet down on his rigger. At the same time, John Shafer of Jamestown was fishing a J-plug in front of Olcott and hit a 33 pound, 7 ounce king that is first place in the salmon division. There are a lot of kings around. And if you want to target steelhead or browns, they are available, too.
Evan Rohe of Cheektowaga, NY, with a nice trout entry in the Odyssey Contest.
In the LOC Derby, George Hovak of North Tonawanda is in second with a 12 pound steelhead out of Wilson. The leader is from Point Breeze, a 16 pound, 9 ounce fish. Top brown is also from the Point, a 14 pound, 3 ounce trout, but second place is from Olcott. Both leaders came on Moonshine spoons.
In the Odyssey, top lake trout is a 21 pound, 6 ounce Niagara Bar fish reeled in by Ed Klejdys of North Tonawanda. Leading walleye is an 11 pound, 6 ounce Niagara Bar fish weighed in by Anthony LaRosa of Lewiston. Big bass so far is a 5 pound smallie reeled in by Dave Muir of North Tonawanda from Lake Erie. Ken Trontel of Pennsylvania has the first place brown trout with a 13 pound, 9 ounce Olcott fish. Leading carp is 19 pounds, 12 ounces caught by Michael Boncore of Buffalo in the Niagara River. Some impressive kids catches, too.
Niagara River fishing has been good for bass and walleye both. Crayfish and shiners are working the best, fished off three-way rigs.
Bill Hilts, Jr., Director, Outdoor Promotions; Niagara Tourism & Convention Corporation, 10 Rainbow Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY USA 14303
p: 716.282.8992 x.303| 1.877 FALLS US, f:716.285.0809 website| facebook| twitter|blog
Sportfishing has a $30 million annual economic impact in Niagara USA!
Lake Ontario – The hottest action out deep has been for steelhead off Wilson and Olcott. Boats have been heading out to 400-500 feet of water for salmon and trout, but most of the fish have been nice steelhead taken on spoons.
Flasher-fly will work for trout but if there are kings and coho’s around, those seem to be the best baits to use. The DW 42nd spoon keeps popping up for one popular bait; for spinnies, white on white, white 2 face, and chrome green dot flashers with stud fly, purple or lime mirage fly have worked best, but other colors are working, too.
A few salmon have started to make it in closer to shore, but the best and most consistent fishing has been out deep.
The Niagara Bar is producing some nice fish, as well.
John Van Hoff of North Tonawanda was out last weekend and did well with flasher-fly 90 feet down over 100 feet of water right at the drop off. He caught a dozen nice kings to 25 pounds.
Out of Wilson, Capt. Mike Johannes has been reporting fish about 8 miles out, but fish are also available in the 100 to 200 foot depth range. Spoons and flasher-fly, what’s been working elsewhere, has been the hot bite. Meat will also work for kings as we move closer to the time when salmon will be making their way in to the ports they were stocked at.
The Orleans County Rotary Derby has been plugging along slowly the past week. Mike Schaeffer of Sligo, Pa., is leading the grand prize quest with a 28 pound, 6 ounce salmon out of the Oak. In the Salmon Division, Chase Lamb of Burt is in first place with an Olcott king that weighed 23 pounds, 15 ounces. The contest runs through August 20th, which helps set up for one of the busiest weekends of the year as far as the fishing scene is concerned.
The Fall Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Derby kicks off on August 18 and runs through Labor Day. Also on August 18, the Second Annual Reelin’ for a Cure will be held out of Wilson and Olcott from 6 a.m. to noon. This all-ladies event will be raising funds for the Breast Cancer Network of WNY. Last year there were 12 teams. This year it looks like it has more than doubled! They need boats – charter boats and rec boats – to make it all happen. It’s a fun time for sure. Contact Stephanie Pierleoni at 481-6388 for more information or go on the event’s Facebook page.
The final contest that starts up next weekend is the Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey Derby, set for August 19th to the 27th. Six species categories for the adults and a Grand Prize of $3,000. For the kids, it’s free to enter with loads of merchandise prizes and trophies. Sign up at any of the LOC weigh stations or at www.fishodyssey.net. This is for Niagara, Orleans and Erie counties. Many thanks to Jim and Karen Evarts at The Boat Doctors in Olcott, who do a lion’s share of the work behind the scenes, such as the website and the leaderboard. This is a great way to get the whole family out to enjoy the waters of Western New York.
Niagara River action, both above and below Niagara Falls, has been dominated by bass, but the walleye fishing can be pretty good, too. Bass are liking crayfish and shiners, in that order.
Walleye are liking worm harnesses and other spinner-worm combinations. Yellow sally rigs are a local favorite in the lower river.
Captain Ernie Calandrelli of Lewiston also hit the top walleye on the same drift, using the same bait as Fox – a softshell crab.
15 new VIDEO SHORTS by BoatUS Editors on How-To FIX, LEARN & DO Practical Boating Projects
BoatUS’ How-to videos are easy to watch.
NOT HOLLYWOOD, Calif., August 7, 2017 – What are the most common boating tasks when boat owners need to ask for help? Editors at BoatUS Magazine, the trusted voice of American boating, compiled a list of the top topics and announced the kickoff of a “BoatUS Summer How-to Film Festival” today with the release of 15 short, easily-watchable videos.
“We’re calling the video release a summer ‘film festival’ because all are themed with a “how-to” focus, are organized in one simple place to view, and are easy to watch outdoors,” added BoatUS Magazine associate editor Charles Fort.
Mark Corke, BoatUS Magazine associate editor, shared thoughts about the videos: “The topics chosen come from decades of BoatUS member requests. These are the practical things that most trailer-boat owners want to know.”
Titles range from launching your boat solo and changing a prop to backing a boat trailer down the ramp, changing a bilge-pump switch, and troubleshooting trailer lights. Most are just two or three minutes long. Breakout the popcorn and check out the videos at YouTube.com/BoatUS.
About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS): Celebrating more than 50 years, BoatUS is the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters with more than a half-million members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We are The Boat Owners Auto Club and help ensure a roadside trailer breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins. When boats break down on the water, TowBoatUS brings them safely back to the launch ramp or dock, 24/7. The BoatUS Marine Insurance Program gives boat owners affordable, specialized coverage and superior service they need. We help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the nonprofit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.
Allowing Lures, Lines, Rigs, Rules and Laws, to Meet Each Other
Communication, Great Fishing and Laughter Create EFFECTIVE FUN
Summer Fishing for Lake Erie Walleye in Chautauqua County, NY
By Forrest Fisher
Which lures to choose are among key questions that anglers ask each time they head out to Lake Erie for walleye. This year, some of the solid choices are shown here. Forest Fisher Photo
If there is a language common between anglers and fish, they were talking to each other off Chadwick Bay in Dunkirk, New York, during the Great Lakes Experience earlier in August. More than 20 charter boats each caught dozens of walleye. Yes, each. If we average the catch at 20 fish per boat, that’s about 400 walleyes in less than four hours of fishing. And when the fish are biting, good things happen, especially when folks from local, state, county and federal positions get together to discuss the recreational fishery and all that goes with it.
That’s what happened during the 9th Annual Great Lakes Experience Fishing Day. About 100 people from Erie County, Niagara County and Chautauqua County were invited to fish together. Attendees met at the harbor at about 6:00 a.m. on August 9, 2017, for the annual Tim Horton’s “Meet & Greet” session. Nothing like donuts and hot coffee at sunrise! We divided into groups from there as we were assigned to captains from the Eastern Lake Erie Charter Boat Association (ELECBA), that provided a unified effort with a simple goal: To catch some fish and share more about reasons why the Lake Erie resource is so important and so priceless.
I was fishing with Captain Jim Skoczylas (Ultimate Adventure Sportfishing (716-796-5372) and first mate, Tom “TJ” Yetzer. They provided guests on board Jim’s 31-foot Tiara, a fun and comfortable time, even in the 4 to 6 foot waves that came up later in the morning.
Ally Pawarski from the Buffalo Sports Commission, shares in the walleye fun and bounty of Lake Erie with a nice 5-pound fish.Forrest Fisher Photo
Skoczylas says, “While the fishing has been really good this year, each day we play it by ear to adapt when we need to change lures and methods. On some days the fish want crankbaits, other days they want spinner/worm rigs, on finicky days – color matters, but on most days this year, it has not mattered too much what you put down there. The walleye have been looking to eat and there are many year classes, especially young fish, in our New York, Lake Erie, fishery right now. Many of us are wondering if there might be a shortage of emerald shiners and smelt – the primary baitfish groups out here, because the fish usually want to eat our lures quite readily.”Between hearing Yetzer holler, “Fish-on, who’s up?” and Tom Hersey, Erie County Commissioner of Environment and Planning say, “Oops, I think I might have lost that one (four times),” there was lots of kidding, laughs and honest fascination with the rigs and processes used to catch fish.”
Captain Skoczylas found fish about 70 feet down in 80 to 105 feet of water. Downriggers, diving plans and long lead-line rigs were used to catch 26 fish in less than 4 hours of fishing. Forrest Fisher Photo
On the other hand, Ally Pawarski, Sales and Services Manager with the Buffalo Niagara Sports Commission, didn’t lose a single fish and was tuned-in for the whole trip – landing the largest walleye on our boat.
Dan Rizzo, Commissioner of Erie County Parks, Chris Catanzaro, Project Manager for the Erie County Harbor Development Corporation, along with Patrick Kaler, CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Visitors Bureau, all enjoyed fish-catching and common conversation. I was happy to be among this dedicated group.
Spinner/Worm rig colors for blades and beads, and hook size, can vary from day to day, but the question can be finding the right one on the day you are fishing. Forrest Fisher Photo
We talked about the fishing goodness, Buffalo Harbor State Park boat ramps, the Central Train Station location, Canalside activities, Buffalo Riverworks, Lake Erie recreational access, kayaks, the health of the fishery, the Coast Guard, the people and the fun of the outdoors on the waterfront. Add in ideas for marketing and distribution, thoughts of a virtual fish-catching program from Lake Erie on the internet, on-board drone videos for future customers fishing Lake Erie along the New York shoreline, and you can see, conversation was all-inclusive with new ideas.
Running 12 coordinated lines at depths of 70 to 80 feet down in 85 to 105 feet of water, and using all the gear dressed up with spinner/worm rigs and stickbaits, we hooked up with 26 fish in a very short 4 hours on the water. Diving planes, weighted leadcore lines, downriggers and lots of lures and stickbaits were all part of the presentation mix with a trolling speed of 2.1 mph. It was a perfect scenario for catching fish and to discuss issues/answers.
After the fishing, the perfect walleye fish fry lunch was served at the Northern Chautauqua County Conservation Club. We heard from several speakers, perhaps the most notable was about raw sewage overload on our Great Lakes from Rich Davenport, Director from the Erie County Fish Advisory Board.
Everyone enjoyed a great time networking about life in the outdoors and the incredible natural resource, Lake Erie, and agreed to work hard together to keep this treasure alive and well into the future.
There were representatives from the NYSDEC, including Stephen Hurst – Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources Bureau Chief from Albany, Patricia Riexinger recently retired from that same position, Don Einhouse and Jason Robinson, fisheries biologists from the NYSDEC Lake Erie Fisheries Unit, a host of legislative leaders – Senators and Assemblymen, the charter captains and their crews – the proper combination for networking and laughter too.
Gene Pauszek, outdoor communicator for the Dunkirk Observer, caught this 11.41 pound walleye monster a few days before the Great Lakes Experience in early August. He was fishing aboard Sassafras Charters with Captain Lance Erhardt and using a borrowed fishing rod and rig to fool this whopper. Go figure.
This annual event allows local groups to bring certain very real issues to light and provides the potential for discussion on the battlefront of conservation, the outdoors and our Great Lakes resources. There is nothing like a face-to-face meeting of the minds. Issues and solutions, in between catching fish and a few grins, become a solid focus.
Amidst the apparent visual complexity of multiple rods/reels, downriggers, diving planes, planer boards, temperature measurement and trolling gear, and lots of lures, the confidence in the voice of our hosts on board each charter craft was reassuring. Confidence reigns.
The event was organized by Zen Olow (Northern Chautauqua County Conservation Club), Lance Erhardt (Eastern Lake Erie Charter Boat Association) and Andrew Nixon (Executive Director Chautauqua County CVB), and a supporting cast of dozens.
Hands-On REVIEW of a Cabela’s Product: Video & Commentary
Affordable & Works Perfect for Small Boats
Durable & Adjustable, but Instructions are Difficult
The Sonar Transducer Mounting Rig works perfect, but the instructions could have been more clearly written. It did help me understand more about finding the bigger fish!
By Tyler Mahoney
“Up until this summer, I had never personally used sonar electronics to aid in my fishing. I finally broke down and bought a small Lowrance Hook 4x Sonar unit in June.
My intention was to use it to fish the smaller lakes and ponds that I fish regularly with my small boat that is powered by a small electric motor. Once I bought it, I needed to determine how I was going to mount it. Luckily, I came across a great product at Cabela’s product that would allow me to mount it on any boat.
The product is called the Cabela’s Portable Transducer Mount, see the link: (http://www.cabelas.com/product/Portable-Transducer-Bracket/699847.uts).
While it has some small imperfections, it works great for my purposes and I strongly recommend it, there is no hole drilling required and it is adjustable over a wide range of possible dimension.
The unit will fit boats with a 15-20 inch high transom and with a transom thickness up to 2-1/8 inches wide. It’s made from high-grade aluminum and while the instructions might have been more clearly written, it was not that hard to figure out once I got started.
The video will explain the issues I found. Overall, it meets my objectives and I like it. Cost was under $50.
See the below Youtube video for a short product review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP2wqwZKMxc.
Antigo, WI – Aug. 24, 2017 – Mepps® continues to ask hunters to save their squirrel tails. The tails are used for their hand-tied, dressed hooks of their world-famous, fish-catching lures. They’ve been recycling squirrel tails for over half-a-century.
“Squirrels are good eating and we can reuse their tails for making the world’s #1 lure,” explains Mepps® Communications Director, Josh Schwartz. “Consider harvesting squirrels for the 2016 hunting season.”
Mepps buys fox, black, grey and red squirrel tails and will pay up to 26 cents each for tails, depending on quality and quantity. Plus, the cash value is doubled if the tails are traded for Mepps lures.
Schwartz reminds everyone, “We do not advocate harvesting of squirrels solely for their tails.”
For details on the Squirrel Tail Program, either visit our web site www.mepps.com/squirrels or call 800-713-3474.
For additional information contact:
Josh Schwartz
715.623.7556
jschwartz@mepps.com
GAME-CHANGER: EChip with Proven Phantom Musky Baits, will be MORE DEADLY than ever
Select Phantom Lures will include Pro-Troll EChip
Ramsey, MN (August 21, 2017) – Phantom Lures, widely known for its design and manufacture of tournament-winning muskie lures and innovative walleye and bass crankbaits, is excited to announce their exclusive partnership with Pro-Troll.
Beginning in 2018, select baits from Phantom Lures will incorporate the Pro-Troll E-Chip. New fresh water styles and finishes will be available to cover any angler who wants to catch trout, salmon, bass, walleye and muskie.
“This exclusive partnership with Pro-Troll is very exciting for all of us at Phantom Lures. It furthers our commitment to growing the Phantom Lures brand,” stated Phantom Lures Co-Owner, Roger Neilson, Jr. “The technology that Pro-Troll offers with their EChip is remarkable and when combined with our Phantom Lures, it is sure to put more fish in the boat.”
The EChip from Pro-Troll is the world’s first microchip designed to go into a bait and replicate the voltage discharged by the nervous system of live bait. It has been scientifically and practically proven to attract more and bigger fish.
“Pro-Troll is pleased to enter into this exclusive partnership with Phantom Lures,” commented Dick Pool, President and Founder of Pro-Troll. “Their baits and brand are well known within the muskie world, and their presence in the walleye and bass world continues to grow. We look forward to integrating our EChip into their popular line of baits.”
The entire line of Phantom Lures can be found at www.phantomlures.com. In addition, you can view the baits in action on the phantom lures video page. Here you will find underwater video showing the baits in use, with commentary and feedback from former touring walleye angler and co-owner of Wired2Fish, Scott Glorvigen. Stay connected with Phantom Lures via their social media channels, facebook.com/Phantom-Lures and on Instagram (phantom lures) and via the #BelieveInGhosts and #BIG.
Individually hand-painted, factory tuned, and tank tested, the Phantom Standard MUSKY LURE gives you ultraconsistent, proven, side-to-side wander of the venerable glide bait. Built torture-tough from a high-impact resin that fishes like maple with a bonus: This Beauty’s got a death pause that kills. Sink with a reliable 1′ per second, letting you dissect open water reefs, weediness or sections of emerging weed tops with a surgeon’s precision. A threaded brass receiver securely locks in interchangeable Phantom weights to fine tune sink rates and intrude any zone, making Standard a countdown’s dream for suspended fish. Forrest Fisher Photo
About Phantom Lures:Since 1996, Phantom Lures has built a strong and loyal reputation in the muskie fishing industry by making excellent, custom, quality baits that are used by first time fishermen, guides and tournament anglers. Our tournament –winning baits produce actions that put trophy fish on your line, leaving you with great pictures and lifelong memories. For more information about Phantom Lures, visit PhantomLures.com or call 763-951-2902. About Pro-Troll: Founded in 1978, Pro-Troll Inc. creates and markets innovative fishing and marine products and is a leading developer of technology-driven fishing tackle. Its proprietary fish attraction device, The patented EChip, replicates in lures the electrical nerve discharge of bait. Pro-Troll sells its technology and products globally in the U.S., Scandinavia, Germany,
By request, the Orleans County Hotline Report will now be updated every Tuesday instead of Wednesday.
First, the location of the Rotary Derby Awards Ceremony this Sunday has been changed from the Carlton Rec Hall to the Black North. Hope to see all of you there for a great time and I know that great food and drink will be available. After a slow start to the derby this year, the leader board is filling up with some fantastic catches in all of the categories, and there’s still time to enter and be one of those on the leader board at the awards ceremony.
Hit and miss showers are in the weather forecast over the next week, so let’s hope for more miss and less hit.
The mid-water fishing, around the 200 feet of water mark, has started to come on with mostly salmon in the catches. The off-shore fishing has moved out to almost the border and is producing a good mixed bag of both salmon and steelhead. The baits being used are all over the place so the best advice I can give is to use what you have the greatest confidence in and then change as needed.
Please remember that we now have two great ports to fish out of and two great charter fleets for you to book trip with, Point Breeze and Bald Eagle Creek Marina. The marinas at Point Breeze have been working all season long to provide the very best of service while fighting the high-water conditions as has the great crew at Bald Eagle Creek Marina.
On Lake Alice, around the Waterport Bridge, catches of Bluegill are good but a lot of smaller fish in the mix. Please remember that those smaller fish are the future catches so put them back to grow into next year’s catch. Bass fishing on Lake Alice remains good to very good in the upper reaches.
On the lower stretches of the “Oak” a good mixed bag of the warm water species is being taken. One gentleman I know of says that Gar pike fishing in this area are just about the best anywhere.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
There were a lot of derbies and tournaments going on this weekend with some fantastic catches brought to the scales.
The “King-of-the Oak” Tournament was postponed on Saturday due to a small craft advisory on Lake Ontario and was held instead on Sunday. For this second leg of the tournament, Captain Tom Boddy and crew of Screamin’ Reels Charters amassed a fantastic catch with three salmon weighing in at 73.13 Pounds. Right behind Tom, was Capt. Rick Hajecki of Yankee Troller and in 3rd place was Capt. Bob Songin of Reel Excitement Charters. The third and final leg of the tournament will be held on September 3rd and will determine who gets the coveted title of “King of the Oak” for next year.
Sunday was also the end of the Orleans County Rotary Derby and this year it was a nail biter right to the end. With a very short time left, John Vanhoff of North Tonawanda landed a 30-pound 12-ounce salmon to knock Keith Sheffield’s 30-pound 9-ounce salmon out of the grand prize winner’s spot by just 3 ounces. That put Keith in the first-place spot for the salmon division. In the steelhead/rainbow trout division, Robert Griffith of Copley, Ohio, brought in a 15-pound 14-ounce beauty to take first place. The first place brown trout was taken by Bill Cole of Albion with a 14-pound 3-ounce beauty and the big lake trout was caught by Dan DeGeorge of Rochester, with a monster 17-pound 10-ounce fish.
It’s interesting to note that two of the participants that made it to the leader board are young gentlemen, Jason Grager in 2nd place with a 12-pound 12-ounce brown trout, and in 3rd place in the lake trout division was Braydon Gambell with a 14-pound 9-ounce beauty. Just goes to show that the youth of today are into the great outdoors and especially fishing.
This report is getting too long, so I’ll cover the Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey and the Fall LOC Derby in my next report.
On Lake Ontario, after a rocky start this year, fishing has settled in to an area around the 25.5 to the 27 lines with some great catches of both Chinook and Coho salmon along with very large steelhead thrown into the mix.
On Lake Alice, around the Waterport Bridge, catches of Bluegill are good but a lot of smaller fish in the mix. Please remember that those smaller fish are the future catches so put them back to grow into next year’s catch. Bass fishing on Lake Alice remains good to very good in the upper reaches.
On the lower stretches of the “Oak” a good mixed bag of the warm water species is being taken. One gentleman I know of says that Gar pike fishing in this area is just about the best anywhere. It won’t be long before the perch fishing starts up again on the lower stretches of the “Oak” and that will be followed by some of the best tributary fishing to be found anywhere.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
The Greenhead Mallard is among many beautiful waterfowl that have benefitted from the conservation process and volunteerism of Ducks Unlimited efforts. Joe Forma Photo
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Ducks Unlimited (DU) has achieved a conservation milestone with more than 14 million acres of habitat conserved in North America. The groundbreaking number is a cumulative accomplishment of the millions of DU volunteers and partners who have been a part of the organization over the past 80 years.
“As we celebrate our 80th anniversary, this milestone is a fitting tribute to the hard work of each and every volunteer, partner and staff member who has contributed to our mission over the past 80 years,” said DU CEO Dale Hall. “If not for their dedication and commitment to conservation, this accomplishment would not have been possible.”
Such conservation gains did not come easily in the face of ongoing threats to waterfowl and their habitats. Loss of wetlands across North America is a challenge DU volunteers take seriously, and their efforts will continue into the future. Although DU has successfully conserved more than 14 million acres of critical wetlands and associated habitat since our founding in 1937, wetland losses continue.
In the last 50 years alone, the United States has lost more than 17 million acres of wetlands. As human populations grow, demands for clean and plentiful water for use at home and in many agricultural and industrial processes also increase.
Ducks Unlimited – working with partners – provides valuable, on-the-ground solutions that benefit waterfowl populations and maximize water resources through the dynamic natural functions of wetlands. In addition to providing habitat for waterfowl, wetlands naturally slow and store water to help recharge watersheds and aquifers, improve water quality through biological and physical processes and provide important wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities.
“DU’s policy efforts and the hard work of our volunteers, partners and staff will be more important than ever in the coming years,” said Dr. Tom Moorman, DU’s acting chief conservation officer. “DU, along with our waterfowl conservation partners at the state, federal and private levels, must continue with the cooperative progress that led to 14 million acres conserved, and expand that effort wherever possible to meet ongoing or new threats to wetlands and waterfowl habitat in North America.”
The groundbreaking number is a perfect example of how hunters and others with a passion for waterfowl and wetlands conservation can come together for a common goal. DU’s mission has always been to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitat for North America’s waterfowl, and this milestone is a direct reflection of that statement.
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.
Dennis Whiteside, 69, shares how to catch Ozark bass in the middle of stifling hot summer weather.
It was another stifling day in the Ozarks. The temperature steadily climbed toward the upper 90s and the humidity made it seem even worse.
A bad time to go fishing, right?
Not in Dennis Whiteside’s eyes. To him, these were near-perfect conditions to take a float-fishing trip for smallmouth bass.
“I’ve had some of my best days of fishing on these Ozarks streams on days like this,” said Whiteside, 69, a longtime float guide from Springfield, Mo. “For one thing, no one else is out. You can make a float and not see another person.”
“And this is the time of the year when their (smallmouth bass) metabolism is highest. They’re eating. You just have to drop the food in front of them.”
Minutes after launching his canoe on the middle stretch of the James River near Springfield, Mo., Whiteside was doing just that.
With a few strokes of his paddle, he maneuvered his 18 ½-foot canoe through a gurgling riffle, then positioned it to the edge of a pool.
He cast a topwater lure to a spot where slack water met the current and began buzzing it across the surface. But it didn’t get far.
The bait disappeared in a flash of bronze and an angry smallmouth bass leapt out of the water, arching to get free.
The fish landed with a loud splash, then made a frantic run to escape. It wasn’t long, though, before Whiteside had the 16-inch fish in the canoe and was celebrating another day of fishing the old-fashioned way.
“This is how I’ve been fishing most of my life,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with being out on a big lake, in a bass boat, with a big motor and all, but that isn’t for me.
“I’d much rather be on moving water, where you’re practically alone and you’re fishing the same way as people have been for more than 50 years.
“I don’t even use a trolling motor. It just gets in the way. All I need is a paddle.”
Whiteside can do magic with that paddle. He can negotiate hairpin turns, find water that is barely deep enough to float his canoe, and display an uncanny ability of knowing where the smallmouth’s will be.
It was the James River on this day. But it could be countless others—the Current, the Niangua, the Eleven Point, Crooked Creek, and on and on. He estimates he has floated 300 streams in Missouri and Arkansas, some of them so small that they aren’t even on the map. And he has caught smallmouths out of every one of them.
He is part of a vanishing breed. In a day and age, where most guides take customers out on large reservoirs to fish for bass or crappies, Whiteside does things the old-fashioned way – with just a paddle, a couple of fishing rods and a small tackle box of lures.
Even on the hottest days of the year, it works. When Whiteside took two customers – David Gray and me – on the James in late July, the fishing was spectacular.
As schools of suckers scattered in front his advancing canoe, Whiteside continually searched for the shaded water with enough depth, current and cover to provide good smallmouth habitat.
Feeding the fish a steady diet of a variety of topwater lures, we got explosive hits throughout the morning. Most fishermen would expect the action to slack as the sun got higher. Just the opposite.
As noon approached, the fishing got even better. Casting to rocky banks in the shade, we watched as big smallies routinely emerged to attack our lures. By the end of our five-mile trip, Whiteside estimated we caught and released 40 smallmouths, many of them in the 13- to 16-inch range.
An unusual trip? Hardly. Whiteside expects good fishing on the Ozarks streams once summer arrives. There is one caveat. There has to be enough water. Some streams, especially those that aren’t spring-fed, will get too low to even float for long stretches. But those that have springs, will remain floatable.
“The big fallacy about topwater fishing is that you have to be out either early in the morning or just before the sun goes down to catch fish,” Whiteside said. “That’s not true. Even on these hot days, our best fishing will be from 11 (a.m.) to 3 (p.m.)
“You have to be accurate with your casts. But if you can put that lure within 3 feet of where you think that fish will be, and it’s in the shade, you can catch some big smallmouths.”
Brent Frazee is a freelance writer from Parkville, Mo., who served as the outdoors editor of The Kansas City Star for 36 years before retiring in 2016. He continues to write for magazines and has a blog on his website www.brentfrazee.com.
Classes Conducted at State University of NY at Fredonia
The Children in the Stream Youth Fly Fishing Program will be starting its eighteenth year of providing weekly free fly tying and fly fishing classes to youth and adults in the western New York region. The classes will be presented every Tuesday starting August 29, 2017, from 7-8:30 pm at the Costello Community Room (P84) in the new addition to Rockefeller Arts Center at SUNY Fredonia, in Fredonia, NY.
No prior experience is needed and all classes are free. Classes are appropriate for anyone between 10 and 110.
In 1998, Alberto Rey and Mike Conley attended Sportfishing and Aquatic Resource Educational Programming (S.A.R.E.P.) through the Cornell Cooperative. The seminars provided training for teachers and future instructors who would provide educational conservation experiences to children. Shortly afterwards, S.A.R.E.P. Youth Fly Fishing Program was founded after a grant was received from Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency. The program has continued to grow over the years as enrollment has steadily increased and as the program has provided new services to the community. In 2016, S.A.R.E.P. /4H Youth Fly Fishing Program’s name was changed to Children in the Stream/4H Program.
Children in the Stream is an educational program that provides children with information and experiences related to aquatic resources, conservation, ethics, and fly fishing. Fly fishing has a long history of integrating these elements into the core of the sport. The ethics of the program promotes “catch and release” as well as respect for fellow fisherman and the land on which one fishes. It is our goal to protect the species and the land for future generations. Our program closely ties together the importance of understanding nature with the rewarding act of fly fishing.
Children in the Stream is a volunteer organization that relies on the generosity of the fly fishing industry and of public and private donors. It provides programming to the Boys and Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County and to middle and high schools in the area. Children in the Stream provides workshops to an average of 350 children a year.
You can also see recent pictures, movies and information from our recent projects in the blog section of this site. For more information about our home waters, check out our our history of Canadaway Creek link.
If you would like more information on the program please contact me Alberto Rey here or at alberto@albertorey.com or by calling 716-410-7003.
Bass Anglers bring in 13 Bags of 20 Pounds or More!
Kevin Van Dam is ZONED-IN on Smallmouth Bass
Wind Direction Change was KEY
Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., holds the lead for the third day of the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing, bringing 22 pounds, 10 ounces to the scales on Saturday for a three-day total weight of 66-7. Photo by Seigo Saito/B.A.S.S.
WADDINGTON, N.Y. (July 22, 2017) – It’s been every pro fisherman’s nightmare for more than 25 years. Superstar Kevin VanDam — a Michigan native and arguably the best smallmouth angler in the history of the sport — is hammering the smallies with no sign of slowing down. And now, the remaining anglers in the field have just one more day to overtake him and keep him from recording his 24th career B.A.S.S. victory wire-to-wire style at the Huk Bassmaster Elite at St. Lawrence River presented by Go RVing.
VanDam added five bass that weighed 22 pounds, 10 ounces Saturday and maintained the lead he has held from the start with a three-day total of 66-7.
“Today was really calm,” he said. “The wind changed 180 degrees and blew the exact opposite direction from what it did (Friday). That really slowed things down, and it’s a lot easier to position your boat when it’s like that.
“You saw what the weights were like today. If it’s like that tomorrow, it’s going to be a shootout.”
Saturday’s semifinal round saw 13 bags of 20 pounds or more brought to the scales, including the 21-8 limit weighed in by VanDam’s nephew, Jonathon VanDam. The younger VanDam moved into second place with a three-day mark of 64-0.
“It’s been a great week so far for me,” JVD said. “I definitely needed a tournament like this for the points.
“All you can ask for is to put yourself into position to win, and I’ve definitely got a shot.”
Idaho angler Brandon Palaniuk had another strong day with 22-4 and rose from ninth place into third with 63-3. It would be a remarkable feat for Palaniuk to record a victory, considering he was in 72nd place on Day 1.
After those early struggles, Palaniuk said he believed he would need at least a 24-pound average for the remaining three days to have a chance for a win.
“I caught 25 Friday and 22 today, so I’m off that 24-pound average by about a pound,” Palaniuk said. “That probably means I need 25 or 26 to have a shot.
“That kind of bag is out there — and I’ve got to have them because all of these guys are going to catch 20 pounds again tomorrow.”
Brent Ehrler, a veteran California pro with more than $2 million in career earnings, caught 21-8 Saturday and jumped into fourth place with 63-1. Ehrler has two second-place finishes since joining the Elite Series in 2015, but he’s still seeking his first win.
After leading two events into the final round this year only to fall short, he said he feels strong about the position he’s in going into Championship Sunday.
“I like being back just a little bit instead of leading, but it’s a tough hill to climb,” Ehrler said. “I didn’t necessarily lay off of them today. But at one point, I stopped fishing a couple of spots and kind of defended them. I started looking around a little bit instead of pounding on them.
“The fish are there — and if everything is right, I think I can catch them.”
VanDam and Palaniuk are also locked in a battle with South Carolina pro Casey Ashley for the Toyota Bassmaster Angler of the Year award. Palaniuk leads with 621 points, followed by Ashley with 616 and KVD with 604.
The tournament will conclude Sunday, with the Top 12 remaining anglers leaving Whittaker Park at 6:15 a.m. ET. The weigh-in will be held back at the park at 3:15 p.m., with a $100,000 first-place prize on the line.
The event is hosted by the Village of Waddington.
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Premier Sponsors: Shell Rotella, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats, Yamaha, Berkley, Huk, Humminbird, Nitro Boats, Mercury, Minn Kota, Power-Pole
2017 Bassmaster Elite Series Supporting Sponsors: Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, Shimano, T-H Marine, Advance Auto Parts, Academy Sports + Outdoors
About B.A.S.S. – B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), radio show (Bassmaster Radio), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Series presented by Magellan Outdoors, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods.
Jarret Martin & Zachary Graham Haul in 20 Bass, Weigh 5 biggest: 16lbs-3oz
Presented by Bass Pro Shops
Adrian College anglers, Jarrett Martin and Zachary Graham, both of Gallipolis, Ohio, won the YETI FLW College Fishing Northern Conference tournament at Chautauqua Lake. FLW Photo
CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. (July 24, 2017) – The Adrian College duo of Jarrett Martin and Zachary Graham, both of Gallipolis, Ohio, won the YETI FLW College Fishing Northern Conference tournament at Chautauqua Lake. Presented by Bass Pro Shops, the two-angler team weighed in their five-bass limit at 16 pounds, 3 ounces. The victory earned the Adrian College Bass Club $2,000 and the team will now advance to compete in the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
“We were fishing on the north end of the lake,” said Graham, a sophomore, double majoring in environmental studies and geology. “We found a stretch of bank with no docks with a long, rocky flat. About 40 yards off of the bank, the rock would meet the grass, and we just worked the grass-line all day long.”
“It was really one of the only green grassy areas that we were able to find,” said Martin, a senior majoring in business administration. “The lake has been sprayed recently, and there was quite a bit of brown, dead grass, but the fish were in the green stuff.”
“Jarrett was throwing a Rebel Pop-R surface plug, off of the front all day and I was throwing a Fluke off of the back,” Graham said. “We doubled up at least seven times.”
The duo estimated they caught around 20 keeper bass throughout the day – with around 13 smallmouth and seven largemouth. Their five-bass limit at the weigh-in consisted of two smallmouth and three largemouth.
“I think the key for us was the cloud cover,” Martin said. “If it would have been sunny, the fish would have been hiding in the shade, but the way the clouds were, the bass were in the mood to eat all day. They were extremely active.”
“I think the Pop-R was the key,” Graham added. “We have a lot of confidence in that bait and it produced the two biggest fish of the day for us.”
The Rebel Pop-R has been the judging standard for topwater poppers/chuggers. Visit http://www.rebellures.com/rebel-pop-r-8054 to review all color options. Rebel Lures Photo
The top 10 teams that advanced to the 2018 College Fishing National Championship are:
1st: Adrian College – Jarrett Martin and Zachary Graham, both of Gallipolis, Ohio, five bass, 16-3, $2,400
2nd: Lake Superior State University – Jake Dorony, South Lyon, Mich., and Hunter Scharphorn, Grand Haven, Mich., five bass, 15-6, $1,000
3rd : Adrian College – Nicholas Czajka, Brighton, Mich., and Jack Hippe III, Davison, Mich., five bass, 15-3, $700
4th : Youngstown State University – Jonathan Creed, Niles, Ohio, and Mike Soots, McDonald, Ohio, five bass, 14-13, $500
5th : James Madison University – Blake Miles, Chesterfield, Va., and Jack Goodwyn, Powhatan, Va., five bass, 14-12, $500
6th: Michigan State University – Tyler Andrews, Charlotte, Mich., and Danny Sprague, Hastings, Mich., five bass, 14-8
7th: Pennsylvania State University – Derek Horner, Port Matilda, Pa., and Maurice Hudson, Broomall, Pa., five bass, 14-4
8th: Kutztown University of Pennsylvania – Joe Tini, Archibald, Pa., and Corey Bechtel, Allentown, Pa., five bass, 14-1
9th: Pennsylvania State University – Chris Trianosky, Phoenixville, Pa., and Lou Mocniak, Washington, Pa., five bass, 13-14
10th: West Virginia University – Michael Shughart, Shippensburg, Pa., and Branden Newcome, Ellamore, W.Va., five bass, 13-4
This YETI FLW College Fishing Northern Conference event at Chautauqua Lake was the second regular-season qualifying tournament for Northern Conference anglers in 2017. The next YETI FLW College Fishing event will be the Northern Conference regular-season finale, scheduled for Sep. 9 on Lake Erie in Sandusky, Ohio.
YETI FLW College Fishing teams compete in three regular-season qualifying tournaments in one of five conferences – Central, Northern, Southern, Southeastern and Western. The top ten teams from each division’s three regular-season tournaments, along with an additional qualifier for every 10 teams over 100 that compete, along with the top 20 teams from the annual YETI FLW College Fishing Open advance to the 2018 FLW College Fishing National Championship.
College Fishing is free to enter. All participants must be registered, full-time students at a college, university or community college and members of a college fishing club that is recognized by their school.
For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow College Fishing here:
About FLW – FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 258 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros.
ATA Partnered with Congressman Woodall of Georgia and Archery Organizations to Advocate for Change.
New Ulm, Minnesota (July 20, 2017) – Amtrak, which operates more than 300 trains daily across the United States, now allows passengers to transport archery equipment as checked baggage. Amtrak previously prohibited archery gear on its trains, but changed its policy thanks to advocacy by the Archery Trade Association, with support from U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Georgia, USA Archery and the National Field Archery Association.
This change gives America’s estimated 23.8 million archers the opportunity to transport their bows and arrows via Amtrak while traveling to archery and bowhunting activities nationwide.
“This is a significant victory for bowhunters and archers, and a great example of how the ATA advocates for our manufacturing and retail members, and their customers,” said Jay McAninch, ATA president/CEO. “Dan Forster on our team spearheaded this effort. This is a prime example of the initiatives ATA’s director of government relations works on. We’re grateful Amtrak reconsidered its policy, and excited that bowhunters and archers nationwide will be able to ride Amtrak for bowhunts, archery tournaments and vacations while enjoying these family activities.”
The new policy, which took effect July 10, specifies all archery equipment – such as bows, arrows and crossbows – must be transported as checked baggage in a hard- or soft-sided case. Amtrak does not require reservations for archery equipment, as it does for firearms. Bow cases cannot exceed 50 pounds or 75 linear inches. Amtrak does not limit the number of archery equipment cases, but because each case counts as one checked item, normal baggage limits apply. Customers are charged for excess items.
In leading the effort to change Amtrak’s regulations regarding transporting archery equipment, the ATA’s Dan Forster sought help from Congress while working with USA Archery and the National Field Archery Association to rally support.Photo by Archery trade Association
In leading the effort to change Amtrak’s regulations, the ATA’s Forster sought help from Congress while working with USA Archery and the National Field Archery Association to rally support. Amtrak was created by Congress as part of the Federal Railroad Administration, and is overseen by the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure as well as the Senate’s Commerce Science and Transportation Committee.
Forster said Rep. Woodall – who represents Georgia’s 7th Congressional District, and is a member of the House’s Transportation Oversight Committee – was instrumental in amending Amtrak’s policy. “We’re deeply grateful to Amtrak’s team for their willingness to listen to our appeal, and especially to Congressman Woodall’s office for advocating for this change,” Forster said. “We’re excited to see ATA members and Amtrak’s millions of customers across the country taking advantage of this new avenue of transportation for their bowhunting and archery activities.”
“Solving America’s big challenges takes time, but we can make government work better for Georgia families one issue at a time every single day,” said Rep. Rob Woodall. “This is a great example of one of those opportunities to do better, and it was once again started by someone willing to pick up the phone and give me a call. We have dozens of ATA member companies and retailers in Georgia, not to mention nearly 24 million bowhunters and archers across the country, and I was happy to reach out to the folks at Amtrak. I’m glad to see they found a solution that works for everyone.”
USA Archery welcomes the policy change. “From youth and collegiate archers to Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls, many of our members stand to benefit from Amtrak’s new policy,” said Denise Parker, CEO of USA Archery. “Families, clubs and teams can now consider Amtrak as a viable option for tournament travel.”
Bruce Cull, president of the National Field Archery Association, agreed. “The NFAA hosts thousands of archers at events across the country, throughout the year,” Cull said. “Many of them combine family vacations with the fun and camaraderie of archery competition, and they enjoy bowhunting when they aren’t shooting arrows for score. We’re pleased to see more transportation options available to our members.”
Learn more about Amtrak’s archery equipment policy here.
About the Archery Trade Association – The Archery Trade Association is the organization for manufacturers, retailers, distributors, sales representatives and others working in the archery and bowhunting industry. The ATA has served its members since 1953. It is dedicated to making the industry profitable by decreasing business overhead, reducing taxes and government regulation, and increasing participation in archery and bowhunting. The organization also owns and operates the ATA Trade Show, the archery and bowhunting industry’s largest and longest-running trade show worldwide. For more information, like the ATA Trade Show on Facebook, follow @ATATradeShow on Twitter, or learn more about archery and bowhunting at Archery360.com and Bowhunting360.com.
The third time was the charm for Jay Wallen of Lexington, Kentucky. After finishing third the past two years, Wallen has battled through to take the Hobie Bass Open win. This was year four of the tournament that took place on Kentucky Lake in Marshall County, Kentucky, June 10-11, 2017.
“I’m so happy I pulled it off so I can go to the Hobie Worlds 7,” commented Jay. “That’s what this whole thing is about. I just couldn’t be happier.”
Wallen went into the final day of the two-day “CPR” (Catch-Photograph-Release) kayak fishing tournament with a very small, one-inch lead. A crowd of anglers was chasing close behind and he felt the pressure. Changing up from day one, he hunted his fish on a ledge farther north, closer to the dam where he’d finished the first day on a furious flurry. However, on the final day the bite proved to be a grinder. He averaged one fish every two hours, but they were good ones.
Wallen’s three-fish daily limit was anchored by a 20-inch largemouth that he said he probably should not have caught. The jig pulled right at the boat, but he got the net under the fish before it hit the water.
“That’s when I knew I had a chance. I didn’t think I had it won, but I had a chance,” he said.
Wallen fished clean, converting all his bites and it proved essential. With just 30 minutes of fishing time left, he culled an 18-incher, giving him a daily total of 56.75 inches. It was just enough. His two-day total of 115.5 inches narrowly beat his closest challenger.
“The biggest thing about this tournament is you compete against your peers and some of the best kayak anglers out there,” Wallen went on to say. “That’s what makes it special. You do this in front of all your peers and a lot of them are happy for you. We’re all for the most part, friends.” The win earned Wallen a check for $4,000, but it was the trip to the Hobie Fishing World Championship 7 that has him most excited. The World’s destination is expected to be announced in July. Wallen is ready, wherever it winds up. “You could put it on the moon for all I care! I’m ready to go, to represent team USA,” he said.
Joshua Stewart of Waverly, Tennessee nearly matched Wallen inch-for-inch, but ultimately finished second with a total of 114.25 inches. He fished a jig in shallow water in the New Johnsonville area of Kentucky Lake. Stewart earned $2,500 and an invitation to the Hobie Fishing Worlds 7. “This is the biggest one, the most meaningful finish of my kayak fishing career,” he said.
Drew Russell of Louisville, Kentucky, rounded out the top three. He earned $1,700. “I was shooting for a top ten finish, so I’m thrilled with third. I’ll be back. We’ll get it next year,” he said of just missing the Hobie Worlds. Russell fished worms and jigs on ledges and points.
The Hobie Bass Open paid out to 12th place. There is always a 100% pay out of angler entry fees in this competition. 115 anglers fished the adult division.
The youth division was won by Jaxton Orr, who compiled an impressive two-day total of 102.25 inches. He was followed by Will Stumbo (95.5 inches) and Cole Kleffman (83.75 inches)
Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau and Hobie Worldwide sponsored the 1st place winner to attend the Hobie Worlds. Additional sponsors included lodging host Kentucky Lake Dam Village State Resort Park, the host city of Calvert, Hobie Polarized, Lowrance, YakAttack, Bassin’ Magazine, RAM Mounts, St. Croix, Daiwa, Power-Pole, Mustad and Gerber.
This year there are two new US and Canadian qualifying events for Hobie Fishing World Championship 7: the Shasta Bass Kayak Classic and the 2nd Annual IKE Foundation Celebrity Pro Am Tournament Kayak Division hosted by Hobie’s own Mike “Ike” Iaconelli. Ike’s event will be special. It will be a star-studded occasion contested on the non-tidal sections of the Delaware River and includes dinner on the illustrious battleship, USS New Jersey.
The full Hobie Fishing Worlds “7” North American qualifying event schedule is as follows:
1) The Shasta Bass Kayak Classic, March 25-26 – 1 qualifying spot
2) The Jamaica Bay Kayak Fishing Classic, May 18-21 – 1 qualifying spot
3) The Hobie Bass Open, June 9-11 – 2 qualifying spots
4) The Border City Classic, June 24-25 – 2 qualifying spots
5) The 2nd Annual IKE Foundation Celebrity Pro Am Tournament Kayak Division, July 7-8 – 1 qualifying spot Since 1950, Hobie has been in the business of shaping a unique lifestyle based around fun, water, and innovative quality products. From their worldwide headquarters in Oceanside, California, Hobie Cat Company manufactures, distributes, and markets an impressive collection of eco-sensitive watercraft, with subsidiaries; Hobie Cat Australasia, in Huskisson, NSW, Australia and Hobie Cat Europe, in Toulon, France and independent distributors; Hobie Kayak Europe and Hobie Cat Brasil. These products include an ever-expanding line of recreation and racing sailboats, pedal-driven and paddle sit-on-top recreation and fishing kayaks, inflatable kayaks, fishing boats, surfboards, stand-up paddleboards and the new Hobie Mirage Eclipse™ Standup pedalboards, plus a complementary array of parts and accessories. www.hobiecat.com For more info: Contact Ingrid Niehaus, (949) 499-2225, iniehaus@hobiecat.com
Public Comments on the Draft Plan Accepted Through September 1
Goal: Protect Wild Whitetail Deer, Moose and Captive Elk and Other Species
New York is Leading Way to Protect Wildlife and Hunter Resources
Resident and non-resident hunters may reap the resource of GIANT whitetail deer harvest, and deer of any size, for decades to come as a result of this conservative objective by NYSDEC. Forrest Fisher Photo
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the release of a draft New York State Interagency CWD Risk Minimization Plan for public comment. The plan describes proposed regulatory changes and actions that DEC will take to minimize the risk of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) entering or spreading in New York and was designed to protect both wild white-tailed deer and moose, as well as captive cervids including deer and elk held at enclosed facilities.
DEC biologists worked with New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets veterinarians and wildlife health experts at Cornell University to craft a comprehensive set of steps that are the most advanced CWD prevention strategies in the nation.
“New York is leading the way in protecting our valuable deer and moose herds,” said Commissioner Seggos. “Not only does this horrible disease kill animals slowly, but wild white-tailed deer hunting represents a $1.5 billion industry in the state. Our CWD Risk Minimization Plan is in the best interest of all of us who care about wildlife and especially about the health of our wild white-tail deer herd. Governor Cuomo’s commitment to high-quality hunting opportunities in New York also supports our taking action now to prevent a serious problem down the road.”
Disease prevention is the only cost-effective way to keep CWD out of New York. Together with the State Department of Agriculture and Markets, New York is using cutting-edge science and common sense to ensure that everything possible is done to protect the state’s wild deer and moose and captive deer and elk herds from CWD.
State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “The Department’s veterinarians and licensed veterinary technicians were responsible for the early detection of New York’s only CWD incident and played critical roles in the response to the discovery of CWD in 2005. Our staff continue to work hard to control the risk of this serious disease and maintain our early detection system. This plan will further support these efforts to protect our wildlife.”
CWD, an always fatal brain disease found in species of the deer family, was discovered in Oneida County wild and captive white-tailed deer in 2005. More than 47,000 deer have been tested statewide since 2002, and there has been no reoccurrence of the disease since 2005. New York is the only state to have eliminated CWD once it was found in wild populations. In North America, CWD has been found in 24 states and two Canadian provinces including neighboring Pennsylvania and Ohio.
This nice 8-Point buck was taken by Dieter Voss in Erie County, New York., on the opening day of the season at high noon. Such wild whitetail resources are the intended GOAL to SAVE” for future hunters through the new directive. Forrest Fisher Photo
CWD was first identified in Colorado in 1967 and is caused by infectious prions, which are misfolded proteins that cannot be broken down by the body’s normal processes. They cause holes to form in the brain. Prions are found in deer parts and products including urine and feces; they can remain infectious in soil for years and even be taken up into plant tissues. CWD is in the same family of diseases, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, as “mad cow” disease in cattle. Millions of cattle were destroyed because of mad cow disease in England and Europe in the 1990s and the disease also caused a fatal brain condition in some humans that ate contaminated beef products. Although there have been no known cases of CWD in humans, the Centers for Disease Control recommends that no one knowingly eat CWD-positive venison.
The proposed plan would streamline operations between DEC and the State Department of Agriculture and strengthen the state’s regulations to prevent introduction of CWD. Some examples of the proposed changes include:
Prohibit the importation of certain parts from any CWD-susceptible cervid taken outside of New York. Require that these animals be deboned or quartered and only the meat, raw hide or cape, and cleaned body parts, such as skull cap, antlers, jaws, and teeth, or finished taxidermy mounts be allowed for import into the state.
Prohibit the retail sale, possession, use, and distribution of deer or elk urine and any products from CWD-susceptible animals that may contain prions, including glands, or other excreted material while allowing New York captive cervid facilities to continue to export deer urine outside of New York State.
Maintain and reinforce the prohibition on the feeding of wild deer and moose in New York State.
Provide DEC Division of Law Enforcement the necessary authority to enforce Department of Agriculture and Market’s CWD regulations.
Explore possible penalties or charges to defray costs associated with the removal of escaped cervids from the environment or the response to disease outbreaks.
Require all taxidermists and deer processors (people who butcher deer for hire) to dispose of cervid waste and waste byproducts in compliance with 6 NYCRR Part 360, such as in a municipal landfill.
Promotion of improved fencing methods for captive cervids to further prevent contact with wild deer or moose.
Partner with the State Department of Agriculture and Markets to enhance captive cervid testing while continuing DEC’s rigorous surveillance testing in hunter-harvested deer.
Improve record keeping and data sharing between departments through joint inspections of captive cervid facilities, electronic reporting, and animal marking.
Improve handling requirements, record keeping, and disease testing of wild white-tailed deer temporarily held in captivity for wildlife rehabilitation.
Develop a communication plan and strategy to re-engage stakeholders, including captive cervid owners and the public, in CWD risk minimization measures and updates on CWD research.
The New York State Interagency CWD Risk Minimization Plan has had extensive outreach and vetting by sporting groups in the state to address the concerns of myriad stakeholders while maintaining the strength of purpose to protect the public and the environment. The plan updates reporting requirements, improves communication to stakeholders, and simplifies regulations to reduce confusion while protecting our natural resources.
The draft plan is available for public review on the DEC website. Written comments on the draft plan will be accepted through September 1, 2017. Comments can be submitted by e-mail (wildlife@dec.ny.gov, subject: “CWD Plan”) or by writing to NYSDEC, Bureau of Wildlife, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4754.
After the hard northeast blow on Lake Ontario, trollers were forced out to more stable water in the 300 foot to 500 foot depth contour off Wilson and Olcott.
Spin doctors and flies have been attracting a few mature kings, Coho salmon and steelhead. Spoons are also working consistently out there.
August is crunch time for the mature kings and there are plenty of fishing contests that coincide with the return of the king to the ports they were stocked at. Look for fishing activity to increase.
Bob Ashley of Mentor, Ohio visited Niagara County waters this week as a result of the weekly fishing report. Bob and his most frequent fishing partner fished Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning of this week. They hooked 11 salmon and landed eight with the largest being 24 pounds. Bob and Larry fished off the Niagara Bar in water 179 feet to 220 feet deep. They found their fish between 45 and 60 feet down, meaning they didn’t have to break out the downriggers but used directional divers exclusively. All of the fish were taken on flasher-fly combos. Waters are slowly starting to turn on closer to shore.
In the Lower Niagara River, walleye action is starting to slow down again after a couple of weeks of decent fishing. Worm harnesses bounced along the bottom with 3-way rigs work well. Best spots have been the Stella drift and at the mouth of the river around the green buoy marker. Some smallmouth bass are available, too – crabs and shiners for live bait; tubes and drop shot rigs for artificials.
You can catch bass in Devil’s Hole, as well as many of the drifts all the way down to Lake Ontario. Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls, is still popping some gar pike in the gorge area along Artpark. He combined a rope fly with a jig to allow him to cast better with the strong river current.
Upper Niagara River fishing continues to be good, although it’s not as strong as it was. Bass and walleye are still being caught in the river. A spinner and worm is working best for walleye and the occasional bass. Crayfish and shiners will work for bass and sheepshead.
A new interactive online hot spot fishing map has been unveiled that will give anglers new insight into the local waters of Niagara, Erie and Chautauqua counties. The link is https://wnyfishing.mrf.com/view.aspx. Check it out!
A couple of ladies led the way in the Summer Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Summer Derby that ended Sunday. Grand Prize winner was Sandra Brown of Clearfield, Pennsylvania, reeling in a 32 pound, 4 ounce Niagara Bar king salmon while fishing with her husband Ed and Joe Yaeger of Amherst. They were trolling a spin doctor and fly in 160 feet of water, 60 feet down. She earned a check for $11,000 for reeling in that fish. First place in the Salmon Division was a 31 pound, 10 ounce king caught out of Point Breeze, weighed in by Kristin Wilson of Rockstream, NY. The Niagara Bar produced the first place lake trout, a 23 pound, 13 ounce Niagara Bar fish checked in by Steve Klejdys of North Tonawanda. The big steelhead was caught out of Olcott when Adam Robinson of Portland, Oregon out-battled a 17 pound, 4 ounce steelie while fishing with Capt. Vince Pierleoni of Newfane. First place brown trout was a 16 pound, 2 ounce fish caught out of Fair Haven. Lon Colley of Burt was the youth salmon winners with a 26 pound, 1 ounce king. The fall derby will be starting up August 18 and run through Labor Day. Check out www.loc.org for more information. Also coming up on the derby docket is the Orleans County Rotary Derby August 5 to 20 and the Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey Derby August 19 to 27.
Bill Hilts, Jr., Outdoor Promotions Director
Destination Niagara USA, 10 Rainbow Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY 14303
Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium OPENS Sep, 21, 2017
Will be Largest, most interactive, dynamic Fish and Wildlife “Experience” in the World.
Located next to Bass Pro Shops National Headquarters in Springfield, Missouri.
Will also be the New Home for BASS FISHING HALL OF FAME
By Forrest Fisher
The hair on my arm shot up as if I had just walked into a static field of electricity. My heart rate quickened. The face of the bear was powerful and profound. The moment was unforgettable. It was extraordinary. It was sacred and it was full of Polar Bear ambition. It was striking.
Image is courtesy of Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium
The largest, most immersive fish and wildlife attraction in the world offers a video that did that to me! Visit: https://youtu.be/QnG5tf_Pp3I.
The Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium will celebrate its grand opening on Sep. 21, 2017. Located in Springfield, Missouri, the 320,000 square foot structure will feature exhibits that manage to create new moments of introduction to conservation, with a focus on providing education and knowledge of wildlife, fish and sea creatures for all that visit.
Wonders of Wildlife will feature a 1.5-million-gallon aquarium adventure and will showcase 35,000 live fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds, as well as more than 70,000 square feet of immersive wildlife galleries and dioramas. Plus, more than a mile of immersive trails and exhibits.
Wonders of Wildlife will also offer another giant reason to visit. Officials from the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame and noted conservationist, Johnny Morris, recently announced that Wonders of Wildlife will also provide a new, permanent home for the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame.
The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame will honor bass fishing legends and was developed in partnership with the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), the exhibit includes a fascinating collection of artifacts and memorabilia, including authentic rods and reels, antique lures and historical photos. More than 60 Hall of Fame members will be featured including Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston, Roland Martin, Johnny Morris, Ray Scott, President George H.W. Bush and many others. Several artifacts date back to the early days of B.A.S.S. tournaments in the 1960s, including the scale used to weigh record catches and the first BASSMASTER Classic victory trophy.
Image is courtesy of Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium
“To be part of a transformational project like Wonders of Wildlife and share the story of bass fishing with generations of future visitors is a dream come true,” said Donald Howell, president of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame board of directors. “There is no better location to honor the individuals that have played a crucial role in bass fishing. Visitors will be blown away by all that Wonders of Wildlife encompasses, and we’re grateful to Johnny Morris for his partnership and bringing this vision to life in such compelling fashion.”
The site will offer extraordinary experience for visitors with a collection of exhibits and galleries that showcase national conservation organizations within a single “must-see” destination experience, sharing the story of hunters and anglers conserving wildlife and the outdoors.
Other partner galleries include The International Game Fish Association (IGFA) Fishing Hall of Fame, the Boone and Crockett Club’s National Collection of Heads and Horns, the NRA National Sporting Arms Museum, the National Archery Hall of Fame and many others.
“Our mission is to establish a world-class destination that celebrates people who hunt, fish, and act as stewards of the land and water,” said Johnny Morris, founder and CEO of Bass Pro Shops, a conservationist and the visionary behind the Wonders of Wildlife. “There are so many notable hunters and anglers that have played an important role in the conservation of our precious natural resources and habitats. We are honored to welcome the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame to help further enrich that story for our visitors.”
Founded in 2000, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to all anglers, manufacturers and members of the media who further the sport of bass fishing. Honorees include notable contributors to the sport who elevate it to the professional level and lesser-known supporters that have and continue to sustain bass fishing, both honoring the past and looking to the future.
While previous plans called for a stand-alone location in Alabama, organizers recognized the opportunity to reach a far larger audience by partnering with Wonders of Wildlife.
For more information, visit www.wondersofwildlife.org. For information about the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, visit www.bassfishinghof.com.
Released to Coyle Hill State Forest, Allegany CountyFor many, black bears symbolize wilderness and wildness, but increasingly, bears can be found in semi-rural environments, agricultural areas and occasionally, in urban centers. NYSDEC Photo
On July 5, Environmental Conservation Officer’s Russ Calanni and Jason Powers, and Lt. Don Pleakis and Division of Wildlife staff, worked to safely remove a black bear that had climbed a tree in a residential neighborhood in the village of Wellsville after being hit by a car. Although it was not seriously injured, the bear jumped a fence and took cover in a tree. It started to draw attention from the neighbors and the decision was made to tranquilize the bear and remove it from the village. ECO’s Calanni and Powers, members of DLE’s Chemical Immobilization Team (CIT), darted the bear and safely removed it from the tree.
The Wellsville Police Department stopped traffic along busy State Route 417 while the tranquilization and removal took place.
After loading the bear into a trap, it was transported to Coyle Hill State Forest, where the bear was examined, tagged, monitored, and then released.
Black Bear distribution in New York. Primary range refers to areas where breeding bears were known to occur. Secondary range includes areas with routine bear sightings. Transient and dispersing bears may be found in all of upstate New York, including areas generally considered unoccupied by bears. Courtesy NYSDEC
New York’s black bear population is currently estimated at a minimum of 6,000-8,000 bears in areas open to hunting, with roughly 50-60% of the bears inhabiting the Adirondack region, about 30-35% in the Catskill region and about 10-15% in the central-western region. In addition, bears are now well established in many other areas, including the Tug Hill, Hudson Valley and across the Southern Tier of New York, and transient bears are routinely encountered throughout the Lake Ontario Plains, Mohawk Valley, and St. Lawrence Valley. With the exception of Tug Hill, these other areas include a greater proportion of agriculture or have higher human densities, making them less suitable for bears due to the higher likelihood of human-bear conflicts.
Black bears are an important and natural component of New York’s ecosystem. Whether you live or recreate in the bear country, please help maintain and protect the bears, and at the same time protect yourself and your property by not feeding bears and by reducing bear attractants.
If you witness an environmental crime or believe a violation of environmental law occurred please call the DEC Division of Law Enforcement hotline at 1-844-DEC-ECOS (1-844-332-3267).
Bugle Magazine is a hunter’s bi-monthly resource package, with tips, advice, gear know-how and humble stories from successful experts. Photo Courtesy of RMEF
By Forrest Fisher
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) has gone beyond the norm to help people everywhere learn more about conservation and hunting, and why hunting is so important to conservation.
Just having returned from a visit to Medora, North Dakota, and the National Park that Teddy Roosevelt created there, I am sure that our late President Roosevelt would be so very proud of the dedicated folks at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
I joined RMEF this past year and keep asking myself why I took so long to find RMEF, but at least now, I’m a member and their BUGLE magazine is not just a magazine, it is a learning tool. In this latest issue (Jul/Aug 2017) of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation BUGLE, story author – Kurt Cox, shares intimate, in-depth details of those many things a first-time archery elk hunter might be wondering about. Veteran hunters too, can learn from Kurt’s tales of hands-on truth in easy-to-read lessons and descriptions.
He describes his manner of calling, his movement in trailing an Elk for a shot opportunity and how he survived through his consumption of spring water, wild berry picking and frosty overnight chills. All this amidst the wonder of the visual expanse of mountain peaks, dark timber and an internal impulse to use cow calls. All hunters can learn from his shared experiences in this story.
Cox shares his hope and wonder, all the while looking for that perfect spot that he might send his arrow and put some meat in the family freezer. Then after much effort, significant effort, there is a cow, then a bull, then an arrow shot and a score. We learn about ethics here too, since Cox takes a second arrow shot and a third too. There is explanation for the harvest in this manner, clarification that hunters country-wide need to know more about.
Check out this story, then read much more in this ARCHERY ISSUE of BUGLE Magazine, in the nearly 40-page special edition section. Learn about cows and bulls, elk habits, use of camo, scent, sound, the excitement, the right gear, making the right noises, the reality of the experience, and perhaps you will find in you, like me, the inspiration to travel thousands of miles to hunt an elk.
Hunting for elk is an escape for some, but it is an inspiration for all hunters.
The mission of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is to insure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat and our hunting heritage. I came late to embrace this RMEF group – I’m from the east, my poor excuse, but I’m here to pass the word to all of my hunter friends, especially bowhunter colleagues, to join up with RMEF and start the complete learning of how to better yourself for your next hunt.
What you learn from the BUGLE magazine will help make you a better hunter every time you step into the world of the woods.
Visit www.rmef.org and sign up soon. After just one or two issues, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. Reading this magazine is an adventure in learning. Don’t delay. Remember, hunting is conservation.
Ruffed Grouse Drumming – The sound of a ruffed grouse drumming to attract a mate has been absent from most of Missouri for the better part of a century. The Missouri Department of Conservation hopes to change that. Jim Low Photo
Goose bumps roughened my arms and a chill crept up my spine. I continued to listen to what could have been someone trying to start a balky pickup truck on a distant hilltop. But it wasn’t a pickup, and it wasn’t in the distance.
A scant 100 yards uphill from where I sat in the growing dawn, a handsome brown and black bird strutted atop a fallen tree trunk. Every couple of minutes, he stopped, threw out his chest and beat his wings to a percussive crescendo, hoping to attract the attention of a mate. It was thrilling evidence that the ruffed grouse was back in the Ozarks.
This was in the 1980s, and although grouse restoration was new to me, it was anything but new to Missouri. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) had been trying to bring back this native game bird since the 1940s, but in the last quarter of the 20th century, MDC made a strong effort to re-establish the species in the Show-Me State, bringing in cocks and hens from the Upper Midwest. They were released in the central Ozarks, north-central and east-central Missouri. By the mid-1990s, more than 4,500 grouse had been released in areas thought to have the combination of old, young and middle-aged forest that grouse need to thrive.
Initial results were encouraging.
The birds seemed to be multiplying. The MDC eventually approved a limited grouse hunting season and expanded it in the late 1980s, but then, what once seemed success gradually turned to failure. In Missouri, as in other states at the southern edge of the species range, grouse numbers declined. Acting on advice from hunters and biologists alike, the Conservation Commission closed Missouri’s grouse season in 2010. Lack of suitable habitat was cited as the cause of the decline.
“Ruffed grouse need a mosaic of old and young forests to prosper,” said MDC Resource Scientist Jason Isabelle. “They need areas where timber harvests or storms have removed or killed all the trees, creating early-successional forest habitat. They just can’t survive without scattered areas of disturbance in a larger forest setting. Over the course of the last several decades, the amount of young forest habitat has declined substantially throughout the southern portion of the ruffed grouse’s range.”
Small remnant pockets of grouse survived in a few of the original restoration areas, including the wooded hills just north of the Missouri River in east-central Missouri.
When the Quail and Upland Wildlife Federation (QUWF) persuaded MDC to revisit the idea of grouse restoration, their attention turned to this area. Working with QUWF and the USDA Forest Service, MDC conducted an analysis of habitat in the river hills region in Callaway, Montgomery and Warren counties.
One of the things the River Hills Conservation Opportunity Area has going for it, in terms of grouse habitat, is several Conservation Areas (CAs) totaling more than 20,000 acres. Using cutting-edge technology, MDC was able to quantify habitat variables on this large acreage at a level of detail that had never been possible before.
Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) was the key. LIDAR uses airborne lasers and global positioning system (GPS) technology to identify vegetation type and height and map its extent. This, along with ground surveys of remnant populations, showed what habitat the birds were using, and enabled MDC to focus on producing more of it. That work will take place on the Grouse Focus Area consisting of Little Lost Creek and Daniel Boone CAs, and on nearby private land included in the larger Grouse Emphasis Area. MDC will provide assistance to landowners who are interested in creating grouse habitat on their property.
Isabelle and other MDC biologists concluded that a renewed reintroduction program in the River Hills area was not likely to succeed with habit that existed there in 2013. However, they believed that grouse restoration could take hold at Little Lost Creek and Daniel Boone CAs if they could increase the amount of high-quality grouse habitat there by 20 to 25 percent. With that goal in mind, MDC set out to create the conditions needed to bring grouse – and eventually grouse hunting – back to Missouri.
MDC has long understood that small, even-age timber harvests create conditions critical to the survival of a wide range of wildlife that depends on “edge” habitat. Species from wild turkeys and songbirds to chipmunks and lizards thrive in the wake of such “even-age” timber harvests, as lush, diverse vegetation springs up. Grouse will use regenerating acreage for as long as 25 years following an even-age harvest. However, usage falls off sharply beyond 15 years.
Some people deplore even-age harvests as “clearcutting.” But decades of experience and a growing body of scientific evidence supports the position that carefully regulated small-scale timber harvests can enhance wildlife diversity without damaging soils or water quality. The eco-friendly, 10- to 50-acre even-age harvests employed by MDC to enhance wildlife habitat today are very different from the rapacious denuding of hundreds of thousands of acres that devastated the Ozarks at the turn of the 20th century.
MDC has been working to create grouse habitat – hardwood forest regeneration sites – on Little Lost Creek and Daniel Boone CAs since 2015. At their meeting last month, the Conservation Commission received a report from Isabelle outlining the next steps on Missouri’s renewed grouse restoration program. By the years 2020 and 2026, Isabelle expects the combined efforts of government agencies and private cooperators to increase the amount of high-quality grouse habitat in the River Hills Focus Area by 23 and 27 percent, respectively.
The plan outlined by Isabelle calls for 120 grouse from donor states in September and October of 2019 and 2020. Twenty grouse will go to each of three sites on Little Lost Creek CA and three on Daniel Boone CA. After that, MDC will track the transplanted birds’ progress with roadside surveys of drumming grouse each spring. If all goes well, these two CAs will become the source for grouse expansion into habitat on surrounding public and private land.
Most Missourians alive today have never heard the thrumming serenade of a ruffed grouse cock. If MDC and its partners succeed, that could change in our lifetime. To learn more about how MDC intends to reach that goal, check out the management plan for Little Lost Creek CA.
Any common utility knife blade will fit as a replacement blade!
Priced under $40
A Speed Load Tactical model knife has been introduced by Browning for 2017. The new knife features a folding liner lock blade with four replaceable 420J2 stainless steel razor blade inserts. The four inserts include one partially serrated drop point, one modified tanto, one modified sheepsfoot and one standard utility blade.
A handy feature of the Speed Load Tactical knife is that it will accept any replacement blade for a common utility knife, easily purchased at most hardware stores.
The handle is sculpted black G-10 scales with anti-skid grooves on rear of handle. The knife also features a steel pocket clip, thumb stud and rugged flapped nylon belt sheath with polymer hard case insert for storing extra blades.
Overall length is 7-5/8” and blade length is 3-1/4”. Suggested Retail, $39.99.
For more information on Browning products, please visit the website at www.browning.com.
Campers, hikers, and rock climbers om alert in two locations
Campers and hikers are encouraged to keep all food, toiletries, and garbage in a bear resistant canister to avoid attracting black bears.
Campers are also advised to avoid cooking and eating after dark. Prepare and eat food away from the tent site.
If approached by a bear, do not give it food. Make noise and try to scare it away. Call the DEC Regional Wildlife Office at 518-897-1291 to report encounters with bears.
Hikers and campers may also want to consider carrying bear spray as a precautionary measure for close encounters. If you do so please read the instructions carefully before setting out on the trail and be sure to follow the instructions if you use the spray.
Gill Brook
Bears have approached hikers and campers in the area around Gill Brook, Indian Pass, Mt. Colvin, Elk Pass, and Nippletop. These bears are approaching closely in an attempt to intimidate people into giving them food. DEC warns hikers and campers not to reward bears by dropping packs or otherwise providing them with food.
DEC recently captured and euthanized the most aggressive of the bears. A bear with one purple ear tag and one green ear tag had been approaching numerous hikers and campers very closely and not backing down.
Another bear with one red ear tag has been a reported problem but has not behaved as aggressively has been encountered less frequently.
Chapel Pond
Other bears have been stealing food from campers and rock climbers in the area around Chapel Pond, including the Beer Walls. Campers are hikers are encouraged to keep all food, toiletries, and garbage in a bear resistant canister or out of sight in motor vehicles.
Rock climbers should rack up at their vehicle, leave all food in the vehicle, or carry any food with you as you climb. Do not leave packs on the ground for bears to destroy.
DEC has temporarily closed one of the campsites at the Chapel Pond Outlet while it attempts to capture the bears. Captured bears will be given unique colored ear tags, hazed, and released.
Sandra Brown of Pa. with her husband, Ed (L), Joe Yaeger and her 32 pound-4 oz. King Salmon.
The Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association held its annual club tournament(s) last weekend and some impressive fish were caught. At the top of the list is the current leader in the Lake Ontario Counties trout and salmon derby, a 32 pound – 4 ounce king caught by Sandra Brown of Clearfield, Pennsylvania. She was fishing on the Niagara Bar with her husband Ed and Joe Yaeger of Amherst. The fish came on a Dreamweaver Spin Doctor and Mirage A-Tom-Mik fly, 60 feet down over 160 feet of water a mile east of the red can.
Matt and Marc Dunn of Newfane with some of their LOTSA catch.
For the LOTSA Curt Meddaugh Memorial Tournament, it was the best three fish for Friday. The Streaker team, consisting of Matt Dunn of Newfane with his dad Marc (also of Newfane), Doug Parker of Lockport and Doug Parker II of Wilson (another father-son duo), won the event. Their three fish total for the day was 66.48-pounds, narrowly defeating 4 Poles led by Marty Polovick of Lockport. Yaeger’s Salmonella team finished in fourth despite having the 32-pound kicker. However, there was another aspect to the two day LOTSA contests. A 3-2-3 contest (best 3 fish over 2 days with 3 winners) was in place, and Yaeger’s Salmonella crew won the top prize with a total of 72.46-pounds. Second place was Matt Dunn’s Streaker team with 70.99-pounds. The Saturday club contest was for big fish and Capt. Adam Gearich and the Diversion II team led the way when Tim Bromund of Colden reeled in a 26-pound – 4 ounce king in 100 feet of water between Wilson and Olcott. LOTSA details can be found at www.lotsa1.org.
Check out the LOC Derby leaderboard at www.loc.org. The Summer Derby ends on Sunday at 1 p.m. The awards ceremony is a Capt. Jack’s in Sodus Point at 4 p.m.
Lower Niagara River fishing action has been consistent. A few more walleye are starting to show up and smallmouth bass fishing continues to be good. Live bait like crayfish and shiners are working for bass; worm harnesses for walleye. Yesterday it was a rowdy crew from Texas fishing with Capt. Joe Marra of Lewiston and the highlight of the trip was a 6 pound smallmouth reeled in by Evan Scanlon – a personal best, caught along the Coast Guard Station.
Upper Niagara River action has leveled off but some bass and walleye are still showing up consistently. The big news this past week was Capt. Chris Cinelli of Grand Island guiding Sawyer Dolce of Orchard Park. Fishing the humps around Strawberry Island, Dolce was drifting a crayfish when a nice bass hit. Affixed to the back of the fish was another tag from the Canadian Tire bass tournament from two years ago. Cinelli had caught two previously in the lower Niagara River. This is his first in the upper river, where the tagged fish were released.
Evan Scanlon of Texas with 6-pound smallmouth.
Erie Canal – It was a packed house at the Gasport Fire Hall last Sunday for the final grand prize drawing in the 27th annual Erie Canal Fishing Derby. All the first place winners were put into a hat in one of the final orders of business. Lynn Harrington reached into the hat and pulled out an Ace of Clubs – and that corresponded with a card being held by 13 year old Keegan Walczak of Amherst. He won a new boat, motor and trailer from Brobeil Marine in Buffalo, a new Polar Kraft. He ended up giving a high-five immediately to his dad Chris, who was also standing up front as one of the divisional winners. In the youth division, James Benzinger won the new fishing kayak in the grand prize drawing for the kids. He is from North Carolina and comes up every year to fish with his grandparents in the derby. For a complete list of all of the winners go to www.eriecanalderby.com.
Keegan Walczak with his dad, Chris in front of Keegan’s new boat!
31 pound, 10 ounce Orleans County Salmon is WINNER
Summer Fish are on the Big Bite
Today is Wednesday Aug. 2, 2017.
First, I’d like to congratulate the winners of the Summer LOC Derby, especially those that were caught out of Orleans County. Out of Orleans County, we had First Place in the salmon division with a 31.1-pound salmon caught by Kristin Wilson. Victor Rowcliffe had the 4th place salmon weighing 29.05 pounds
In the Lake Trout Division, the 4th place fish weighed 21.1 pounds and was caught by James Irene and the 7th place fish was 20.04 pounds caught by Michael Wichtowski.
In the Rainbow/Steelhead Division, Darwin Snow caught the 6th place fish which weighed 12.15 pounds, 10th place was Tiffany Keicher’s 11.15-pound fish, 13th place went to Laura Brown with a 11.11-pound fish and the 17th place fish weighed 11.08 pounds and was caught by Patrick Pullinzi.
All in all, not a bad showing for the great fishing waters we enjoy in Lake Ontario off Orleans County.
Fishing on Lake Ontario seems to have moved off shore and for right and now seems to be taking place around the 30 line and beyond.
Good catches of both salmon and steelhead are being reported using a mixture of both spoons and flasher/fly combinations in a multitude of color patterns.
On the Erie Canal, around the wide water area, some great catfish catches are being taken along with many other species.
Lake Alice still has some great bass fishing in the upper stretches where the boat traffic is much lighter. The lower stretches of the “Oak” are still producing northern pike and bass.
The weather for the rest of this week and into next week contains the possibility of some pop-up showers and thunderstorms so keep a lookout for them.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
Integrated Map Provides Fish Locations, Shore Fishing Access, Boat Access
Depth Contours ZERO-IN on Hotspot Fishing Locations
Bait Shops, Marina Locations, Shipwrecks, ALL HERE…ALL FREE
Depth Contours as well as on-shore landmarks for boater access, shore fishing, restaurants and marina locations are included for Niagara County, Erie County and Chautauqua County waterway areas. The website map link and info is free.
By Forrest Fisher
There is a NEW interactive, online, Western New York Hotspot Fishing Map application that is yours FREE at this link: https://wnyfishing.mrf.com.
The regional website map has been designed for everyone, including for cellphone and laptop use. It is the perfect “get-it-now” reference tool for many user groups. Boaters, anglers, scuba divers, vacationers and many other groups, family fishing groups, now have good waterway reference map. Need to research waterway areas of the Greater Niagara Region of New York State BEFORE the trip? Here is your resource.
The map spotlights lake depth contours, boating access points, marinas, shore fishing sites, sunken wrecks, fish species locations, bait shops, information sources, dining establishments and give all that to the user with GPS coordinates. Erie, Niagara and Chautauqua counties offer some of the best freshwater sportfishing the world has ever seen!
World class walleye, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, musky, trout, salmon, all here, and many species of panfish. Nearly everything an avid fisherman would ever want. Carp and Channel Catfish too.
The Greater Niagara Region has established a reputation that boasts excellence in sportfishing, boating, kayaking, and outdoor on-the-water recreation. Hire a charter, bring your own boat or fish from shore, the new regional map website will be useful for everyone who looks to quench a hungry angling appetite.
The website map is perfect for the outdoor enthusiast and for families looking to get back to finding the family fun of the outdoors through fishing and boating. There are many other outdoor attractions, state and county parks, hiking paths, bird-watching opportunities (the Niagara River Corridor is internationally recognized as an important bird area), hunting options and more. There are cultural, historical and recreational highlights from Lewiston in Niagara County, to Buffalo in Erie County and to Jamestown in Chautauqua County. The new website and map app offers access to outdoor information and adds value for visitors and residents alike.
The area below Dunkirk, NY, and Barcelona Harbor, in Westfield, NY, is the “HOT WALLEYE ZONE”. Here is the 1st look-see from a free fishing map link that all anglers can enjoy for the very first time at no charge.
The website (https://wnyfishing.mrf.com) offers information to get you started and headed in the right direction, from charter listings to marina information; from shore fishing spots to license information. Unfortunately, it can’t help you set the hook and reel the fish in!
Greater Niagara – You’ll “fall for us” all over again reel soon!
This map was made possible through the funding of Erie and Niagara Counties. It was prepared cooperatively between Erie and Niagara County’s respective Sportfishing Promotion Programs, with assistance from the Erie and Niagara County Fisheries Advisory Boards. Additional maps may be obtained by calling: Buffalo-Niagara CVB at 800-BUFFALO or Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp. at 877-FALLS US.
Rain is in the forecast off and on through the end of next week, but it sounds like more of a quick shower or two than the downpours we have been experiencing lately.
Good news is that temperatures are more summer-like over the next week or so. Lake Ontario water levels are dropping and hopefully this trend will continue. Some really good news is that the launch ramps on the west side of Oak Orchard River have re-opened for use and this should take some of the pressure off the east side launch ramps and the parking lot.
Another great piece of news is that a 31-pound 10-ounce salmon was weighed in yesterday at Narby’s yesterday and is now the Grand Prize leader.
The leaderboard for the LOC Summer Derby is starting to look like the old days as far as weights go. On Lake Ontario off Orleans County, fishing has gone from good to exceptional over the last week. Fishing – in the 100 to 250 feet of water range – is where most of the action is taking place. Riggers, copper rigs and lead lines set from 65 to 90 feet down are seeing most of the action. Spoons are back in the mix of lures used, but the meat rigs and flasher/fly combinations are still seeing most of the action.
The derby runs through the end of this month, so there’s still time to enter and get in on some of the great cash prizes that are up for grabs.
On the lower stretches of the “Oak”, Lake Alice and the Erie Canal, fish catches and conditions are returning to summer like conditions. Bass are still the main catch, but you never know what that next cast may bring.
The Erie Canal Fishing Derby ended this past Sunday with some great catches showing up on the leader board.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
The King Salmon fishing in Lake Ontario is one of the hottest bites going, especially in the waters off Niagara County! “Salmon fishing has been on fire at the Niagara Bar in 120 to 180 feet of water,” says Jake Joseph of Jiggin’ Jake’s Charters. “The fish zone has been 60 to 80 feet down.
The new Mr. & Mrs. Kimball enjoy a honeymoon fishing trip with BIG SMILES of Niagara Bar.
Dipsy divers are out 180 to 240 feet with flasher fly combos; riggers down 65 to 85 with flasher and cut bait combos. Best colors have been mostly pearls and greens. Smaller fish have been coming on spoons and some steelies have been mixed in, being taken on sliders and king lines.
Wilson and Olcott are also offering up some great catches, too. Just take a look at the Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Derby leaderboard at www.loc.org.
John Van Hoff of North Tonawanda reeled in a 27-pound, 9-ounce salmon off of Wilson last Sunday (but launching at Olcott) and his fish would beat out Lee Beaton’s Grand Prize leading king, a 27 pounder, also caught out of Wilson back on July 1. Van Hoff caught his king on a Northern King spoon over 450 feet of water. Van Hoff’s Grand Prize lead would be short-lived as two more fish would come to the scales that Sunday that would tip the scales even more – a 29-pound, 8-ounce king hauled in by Ed Klejdys of North Tonawanda while fishing on the Niagara Bar. Then a 30-pound, 13-ounce Chinook that was reeled in by Richard Peaslee of Lowman while fishing out of Fair Haven. If the last name of Klejdys sounds familiar, his son Steve is the current leader in the Lake Trout Division with a 23-pound, 13-ounce Niagara Bar laker.
On Monday of this week, a new rainbow leader came out of Olcott, knocking out the leading Wilson fish – a huge 17-pound, 4-ounce steelhead that was caught by Adam Robinson of Portland, Oregon while fishing with Capt. Vince Pierleoni and Thrillseeker II. He caught it on a Dreamweaver spoon in charteuse signature series. Tuesday brought us a new Grand Prize leader out of Point Breeze, a 31 pound, 10 ounce king reeled in by Kristin Wilson of Rockstream, NY. We have until July 30 to post up some bigger fish and that will probably happen if the weather continues to cooperate.
Joseph also reports that “walleye are starting to show up in Lower Niagara River and the green can at the mouth. You just have to work for them. Worm harnesses on the bottom with three-way rigs. Bass fishing is good as always!” Bass can be caught from Devil’s Hole to the mouth of the river on a variety of baits like minnows, crayfish, worm harnesses, spinnerbaits, tubes and drop shot rigs.
The new steelhead leader came out of Olcott Harbor – a huge 17-pound, 4-ounce fish that was caught by Adam Robinson of Portland, Oregon while fishing with Capt. Vince Pierleoni and Thrillseeker II.
Shore fishermen have been struggling in the gorge because the shoreline access has been limited due to the high water levels. In addition, the Devil’s Hole stairs are closed until next spring. There are still plenty of other access points to use, but that one is being reconstructed.
Upper Niagara River action continues to be good for both bass and walleye with an occasional musky showing up.
The 27th Annual Erie Canal Fishing Derby ended last Sunday and the first place winners are waiting for the awards ceremony to take place July 23 at the Gasport Fire Hall starting at 3 p.m. All the first place winners – both for the adults and for the kids – will be in two separate drawings for the Grand Prize. For the adults, a boat, motor and trailer; for the kids a kayak. Some great fish came to the scales during the 12-day event. Top bass was a 4.94-pound largemouth reeled in by Chris Walczak of Amherst. His son, Keegan, checked in with a 9.65-pound northern pike to take that division. Albert Whaley of Tonawanda was the winner in the walleye category with a 5.19-pound fish. Big bullhead was a 2.25-pound fish reeled in by Anthony Moule of Lyndonville. Top catfish was a 14 pounder weighed in by Charles Rizzo of North Tonawanda. First place carp was a 28.02 pound fish out-muscled by Mike Boncore of Buffalo. Sheepshead winner was Todd Wells of Medina with an 11.39-pound fish. Yes, the Erie Canal has some impressive fish swimming around in it. Another great job by Steve and Lynn Harrington of Gasport.
Bill Hilts, Jr., Outdoor Promotions Director
Destination Niagara USA
10 Rainbow Blvd.
Niagara Falls, NY 14303
p: 1-877 FALLS US | 716-282-8992 x. 303
f: 716-285-0809
www.niagarafallsusa.com
Kristy Cox from New Vienna, Ohio, with her very nice King Salmon caught near Wilson Harbor, Niagara County, New York.
Water levels are continuing to come down in Lake Ontario to the delight of boaters and landowners. However, even the high water levels have not had any negative effects on fishing in the lake.
Salmon fishing continues to be very good out on the Niagara Bar, as well as out of Wilson and Olcott. Salmon action just outside the drop-off on the Bar continues to be excellent. Spin doctors and flies are near the top of the list for preferred baits; a flasher and meat rig with cut bait is another. Some fish are being caught on spoons, too, but they seem to be third on the list. The new A-Tom-Mik stud fly has been mentioned quite a bit by trollers in the lake. Niagara Falls USA waters are still at the top of the Lake Ontario stage for the Summer LOC Derby that is going on through July 30. Leading grand prize salmon is still a 27 pound fish caught by Lee Beaton of Clifton Springs, he caught that one out of Wilson, The first place salmon is another Wilson
Mike Rzucidlo with a nice Steelhead that he caught in the Lower Niagara River on July 5.
fish, a 26 pound, 10 ounce king weighed in by Charles Jaenecke of North Tonawanda. Steve Klejdys of North Tonawanda is back at the top of the lake trout leaderboard with a 23 pound – 13 ounce Niagara Bar fish, and Darryl Raate of Fulton is in first place in the steelhead division with a 13 pound trout he caught while fishing out of Wilson. Top brown trout is a 16 pound, 2 ounce fish weighed in by Joey Guernsey of McGraw while fishing out of Fair Haven.
Jerry Howe of Grand Island, New York, caught this 30 lb musky in the Niagara River.
Lower Niagara River action has been good and the moss has not been as much of a factor as in previous years for some reason. Shoreline casting with 2-inch pearl tubes was working for Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls this week, catching double digit bass and even a 9 pound steelhead. Boaters are still doing well on bass by casting the shoreline with spinnerbaits or working shiners or crayfish off three-way rigs. On July 17, the Devil’s Hole State Park stairs and trail will be shut down until the spring of 2018 for reconstruction and repairs. There are still plenty of other access points to get you into the gorge, but this trail is one of the more popular ones. Alternative access can be gained through the New York Power Authority’s South Access Road where a fishing platform and a stairs to the shoreline is available from Apr. 1 to Dec. 1. Other access points include the stairs at Whirlpool State Park; the Suspension Bridge Stairs (under the Whirlpool Bridge); the Great Gorge Railway Trail (that begins at the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center); and the elevator at the Schoellkopf Site (adjacent to the Discovery Center). A copy of the Niagara Gorge Trail Map is available at: http://www.nysparks.com/parks/attachments/WhirlpoolNiagaraGorgeTrailMap.pdf
There are lots of fishing contests going on. The 27th Annual Erie Canal Derby is going on through Sunday, July 16th. Some pretty impressive catches have already come to the scales that will be tough to beat. For example, Michael Boncore of Buffalo is leading the carp category with a 28.02 pound fish; Todd Wells of Medina leads the sheepshead category with an 11.39 pounder; and Charles Rizzo of North Tonawanda has the leading catfish with a 14 pounder. The new walleye leader is Albert Whaley of Tonawanda with a 5.19 pound fish.
Upper Niagara River action continues to be good for bass, walleye and the occasional musky. A spinner and a worm produced all three this week for Capt. Chris Cinelli. The musky was about 46 inches long, probably in the mid-30 pound range as far as weight. It was caught by Jerry Howe of Grand Island and released.
Bill Hilts, Jr., Outdoor Promotions Director
Destination Niagara USA, 10 Rainbow Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY USA, 14303
p: 1.877 FALLS US | 716.282.8992 x.303 | f:716.285.0809
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It seems like this appears in my report a lot, but rain is in the forecast for most of the rest of this week, except for Saturday and into the first part of next week.
Even with that, the Army Corps of Engineers predicts that the level of Lake Ontario will drop approximately 7″ by the end of July. Maybe businesses and land owners along the shoreline will finally get a break.
As far as fishing goes along the Orleans County portion of Lake Ontario, things have been pretty consistent in a very good way for a change.
Most trollers are working the area from 140 to 240 feet of water with very good success. Spoons are still taking a back seat to some type of spinner/fly combinations and sometimes cut bait has been the ticket.
With the Summer LOC Derby in full swing, some great catches are showing upon the leader board including a good number caught right here in Orleans County. The derby runs through the end of this month so why not enter and get your share of some of those great cash prizes.
Don’t forget that this Saturday is the Drew’s Crew Fishing for a cure for Juvenile Diabetes Derby. This is a chance to help out for a very worthwhile cause while enjoying some of the great fishing on Lake Ontario. Enter by 7 AM this Saturday and be at the weigh-in at Ernst’s Lake Breeze Marina by 3 PM with your best 3 fish.
On the “Oak,” it’s been a mixed bag of fish from the mouth all the way to the dam consisting of perch, bass, northern pike and even some walleye thrown into the mix.
Other tributaries within Orleans County are experiencing the same success including the Erie Canal.
Speaking of the Erie Canal, the annual Erie Canal Fishing Derby wraps up on July 16th this year, so there’s still plenty of time to enter.
Word has it that some great entries have been made from the Medina and Albion area.
On Lake Alice fishing has slowed somewhat for bass and panfish but I know of one lad that is doing very well on carp off his grandfather’s dock.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County, let’s make everyday a great fishing day right here in Orleans County.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
The Terminator Popping Frog is one topwater frog lure finally made to cast well, endure vicious strikes with strong design in the hook tie and extra-wide VMC hook, to bring the big bass to your live well. Forrest Fisher Photo
By Forrest Fisher
YOUR TOPWATER FROG CHECKLIST:
Like to fish for bass in the summertime? Topwater action can be the most exciting! CHECK
The Terminator Popping Frog is designed for flawless, big, fish-catching fun. Many crankbaits have their action built in by design of the lip and weight placement, why not the same on a frog. Now, YES, we have built-in action on a topwater frog too. The Terminator Popping Frog provides a cupped face to create a loud, strong pop, it will drive fish crazy, even from deep below. CHECK
Bass-catching happiness! Forrest Fisher Photo
The weight is positioned to allow long, perfect casts and the extra-wide hook gap converts strikes into hook sets. The extra-soft body compresses easily to expose those hooks. CHECK
The round rubber lug tentacles articulate life-like action. Even the line tie is extra-duty and is welded for no line-wiggle escapes during the hook set. The Terminator Popping Frog is a unique bass-catching tool for all serious Bass anglers. CHECK
The Model 25 is the only model made at this time, but it is a perfect size at 2-1/2” in length and 9/16 oz. Perfect. CHECK
The color on the right is my favorite “Lime Leopard” color, but there are 16 colors. The lure is a topwater fish killer that allows every angler to fish effectively with the effortless walking and/or popping action built into this topwater frog lure. CHECK
The premium VMC® double hook allows you to hook up with new bass friends as you “Walk the dog with a frog!” FISH-ON!
Get one. CHECK!
Cost? Under $10. Check colors and supply: http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Terminator_Walking_Frog/descpage-TWFG.html?gclid=CIzzjd6egdUCFcKKswodEigFdw.
Captain Jeremy Olsen shares secrets for fast walleye fun on Lake Sakakawea in early July.
SLOW-TROLL Tricks are Deadly on Walleye Waters
Lake Sakakawea, North Dakota, offers Hands-On Learning
Bring a Camera: Canyon Colors and Walleye Go Good Together
Delicious, tasty walleye are a top goal for anglers fishing everywhere, but on Lake Sakakawea, the pristine clean water is chilly all year long and the walleye taste better than most anywhere. Forrest Fisher Photo.
By Forrest Fisher
Wanna catch walleye? Know the two rules that apply everywhere. Rule #1: Catching fish is fun. Rule #2: Fishing with a professional guide that understands fish movement helps to make Rule #1 possible. You can do it on your own later.
No matter where you go, catching quality walleye as a target species fish is the primary objective for many anglers. This story is proof that Rule #2 is a good money-saving idea.
Coincidentally, my wife and I were vacationing in North Dakota near Teddy Roosevelt National Park and my better half whispered in my ear, “You should go fishing at least one day while we are here – Lake Sakakawea is just up the road, I’ll go souvenir shopping.” Such a deal. I could not say no.
So I asked Kelly Sorge what people fish for. The “always cheerful” proprietor at Indian Hills Resort (http://www.fishindianhills.com/) said, “Crappie, northern pike, bass, trout and walleye – we have all those species here, but most folks fish for walleye. They like to eat them cooked over a campfire here. The walleye are so pure and so tasty from Sakakawea.” That settled it.
I rushed for my cellphone to make the call to Liebel’s Guide Service. Capt. Jeremy Olsen called me back a short while later to set up time and departure to fish this beautiful Little Missouri River reservoir – it is pristine, with millions of years of erosion providing colorful rocky backdrops on the canyon walls.
Capt. Jeremy Olsen is a top fishing guide that will teach you how to have fun catching fish. Imagine catching 17 walleye in less than 90 minutes! Forrest Fisher Photo
Lake Sakakawea in central North Dakota was created for flood control on the Missouri River by the Garrison Dam. The average width of the lake is 2-3 miles, but it is about 14 miles wide at the widest point, heavy with clean, deep water, shallow water, many undulating bay backwaters, drop-offs, flats, and a beautiful view of colorful mountain walls – hundreds of millions of years old, that form the gorge that creates this waterway. In short, it is breathtaking!
We met at 7 a.m. and when I saw his new boat, I was thrilled, motivated and EAGER to set foot on the 21-foot Lund, 219-Pro-V, with a 350 horsepower Mercury Verado. Cost: $81,000, I asked. Cost of my Charter: $350. A win-win for any angler. The new Lund Pro-V fishing boats are special: quiet, safe, powerful, live well, many other features. It’s all there on this boat.
We left the dock at 7:15 a.m., took 15 minutes to motor 10 miles to a chosen fishing spot (it didn’t take long at 62 mph), set up our lines on lightweight Phenix casting rods (http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Phenix_Rods/catpage-PHENIX.html). At 7:40 a.m., Capt. Jeremy had the fish figured out and we landed our first walleye. By 9:15 a.m., we had landed 17 walleye! Could we call this a great day? No way, it was an insurmountable day!
It will be a day that I would never forget as a walleye angler. Indeed, vacations and special fishing moments are about making special memories. I have no doubt that Capt. Jeremy could do this again.
While I’ll admit, my standards are higher than the average – I expect to catch lots of walleye and often, to beat the usual catch rate, but who would have ever guessed this catch rate of walleye could even occur in wild waters in the middle of summer? Not me.
Capt. Jeremy is an expert. He knows the secrets to understanding how fish move, when they move, forage location, wind and eddy current effects, and how to attract fish to invoke a strike. For this day, he choose Smiley Blade attractors and worms. The Smiley Blades offer slow rotating action when tied in front of a 3-foot fluorocarbon leader that has two to four beads in front of a single 1/0 hook. In actual use, this action is death to walleye on Lake Sakakawea. I discovered after getting home to Lake Erie, it is deadly anywhere else that walleye swim too. The blades turn with as little as 0.4 mph forward speed because they are made from lightweight Mylar. Capt. Jeremy buys the blades separate and custom-makes the Smiley Blade rigs with his kids, adding a dash of special magic, I’m sure.
We attached the Smiley Rig leaders to a 1-1/4 ounce wire/bottom-bouncer and set the MinnKota Ulterra bow motor to troll at about 0.6 mph. Three or four minutes later, presto! Fish on! Walleye after walleye came into the boat. We released all the smaller fish as they were caught.
If you’re out that way, you can contact Capt. Jeremy through Lieber’s Guide Service at http://www.liebelsguideservice.com/. He will travel to many other waters too, including Montana.
Of course, understanding where to drop lines (location), why to drop where we did (bait movement and water clarity), and how fast to go, are among reasons why we ask a charter captain to take us fishing when we go to a new lake. A charter captain fishes many more times than we do and it is always a learning experience.
This was new water for me, I’m a Lake Erie walleye fisherman, fishing Lake Sakakawea was quite different. To do it again, I think I’d contact Capt. Jeremy again and leave my boat home. The trip was safe, fast, affordable and fun. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Accommodations: You can camp at Indian Hills for just $20/night. There is a boat launch, convenience store, fish-cleaning station and running potable water at several spots. If regular tenting is too primitive for you, there is one cabin there called “Peacepipe” that accommodates 6 people with bunks, A/C, sink and kitchen for $90/night. At Peacepipe, you and your family can camp in comfort, and while this style camping cabin has no shower or toilet inside of it, the conveniences are an easy 200’ walk to the shower house. There is a built-in, sit-down table that seats four, the kitchen counter includes a 2-burner hot plate, small refrigerator and wash basin (potable water is just outside) with drain. You only need to provide your own sleeping bag or bedding. Outside you’ll find a picnic table and fire ring, and exterior electrical outlets. We stayed here and it was great. Above that, they offer condo’s and lodge rooms too. Choices are what life in the outdoor lane is all about. The degree of “outdoorism” that you choose is available here. My kind of place (http://www.fishindianhills.com/).
This may have been one of the most fun, most learning trips I have ever had the pleasure to experience. One last word, I love North Dakota! My sweetheart of 48 years and I will be back soon.
Rocky Mountain 5-Pin Dovetail Sight, complete with micro-adjust features.
Rocky Mountain has expanded its archery sight line-up with the introduction of the new 5-Pin Sight that will feature a hardy, protective, hard-coat-anodized all-aluminum construction available in two mounting configurations: a Direct Mount and a Dovetail Mount.
Both versions are highlighted by several features:
Tool-free, micro-adjustable, lockable, windage and elevation in the bezel.
Five fully captured .019-inch pins.
Adjustable 2nd and 3rd axes.
Laser-etched windage and elevation markers.
The 5-Pin bezel incorporates a bubble level.
A light adapter is built-in.
The Direct Mount affords nearly effortless mounting and set-up in a standard configuration. The Dovetail Mount provides up to 3.3125 inches of sight-radius travel with six locking positions and allows for easy removal of the sight for transport and storage.
Available at retailers nationwide and conveniently online at www.huntrockymountain.com, the new 5-Pin Direct Mount and 5-Pin Dovetail sights have a suggested retail of $79.99 and $99.99, respectively.
Rocky Mountain 5-Pin Direct Mount with lockable, micro-adjust features.
Headquartered in Superior, Wis., Rocky Mountain is a wholly owned subsidiary of FeraDyne Outdoors. Renowned for its fixed-blade technology since 1979, the Rocky Mountain brand was relaunched in 2017 and has expanded its offerings to other archery accessories, including a line of archery sights.
For more information on Rocky Mountain, visit www.huntrockymountain.com; or write to 101 Main Street, Superior, WI 54880; or call 866-387-9307.
Bristol Bay is the Spawning Home for FIVE SPECIES of SALMON
Pebble Mine Could Destroy the Bristol Bay Fishery
Many Groups, based on Science/data, OPPOSE Pebble Mine
Review the Details
By Forrest Fisher
The author and his partner share in the Alaskan resource of healthy, uncontaminated, Coho Salmon during the annual September run. The Pebble Mine could jeopardize this fishery. Forrest Fisher Photo
Not far from Anchorage, Alaska, generations of people among multiple nations of the world have relied on the fishery resources of Bristol Bay. The Pebble Mine project has been a virtual threat for nearly ten years now. For investors, it looks good on paper, but the potential for problems on the project might also destroy the most unique and most valuable salmon spawning fishery resource in the entire world – with value to healthy human life. Is that worth the risk of mining? Would you agree that outflow of residual pollutants and possible uncontained, unplanned leakage of mining fluids and related contaminants into the effluent of this unique fishery worth any risk at all? Would we want to risk destroying the spawning beds for five species of Alaskan salmon? Not me. Not you, I hope.
From the records of Alaska as referenced in http://www.savebristolbay.org/people (please check the link), Alaska ranks ninth among seafood-producing nations in the world. Forty-two percent of the world’s harvest of wild salmon and 80 percent of the production of high-value wild salmon species such as sockeye, king, and coho salmon, come from Alaska waters.
Salmon is the most valuable commercial fish managed by the state of Alaska and Bristol Bay is Alaska’s richest commercial fishery. In Bristol Bay alone, the 2008 harvest of all salmon species was approximately 29 million fish, and the value of the 2008 commercial catch topped $113 million.
Bristol Bay has long been recognized as a vital contributor to Alaska’s commercial fishing economy, so much so that in 1972 the Alaska legislature determined that it was in the best interest of the state to establish the Bristol Bay Fisheries Reserve. This protected Bristol Bay fisheries’ longstanding and valuable commercial, subsistence, and sport fishing from oil and gas development.
However, it does not protect against hard rock mining operations like Pebble Mine.
All five species of Pacific salmon return to Bristol Bay to spawn in its rivers, including pink, chum, sockeye, coho and king. The waters of the region have long been an integral part of the state and local economies, providing thousands of sustainable jobs to Alaskans for generations.
Commercial fishing-related jobs account for nearly 75 percent of local employment. The annual payroll for fish and wildlife-related employment totals $175 million2. Commercial fishing and the associated canneries have been the major industries in the area for many decades. In 2009 residents marked the 125th anniversary of commercial fishing in Bristol Bay. The commercial fisheries management area of Bristol Bay includes eight major river systems: Naknek, Kvichak, Egegig, Ugashik, Wood, Nushagak, Igushik and Togiak.
The Kvichak River, which runs from Lake Iliamna (the largest freshwater body in Alaska) to Bristol Bay, is home to the single largest salmon run on the planet. The Nushagak River hosts the largest king salmon run in Alaska.
Annual commercial catches between 1984 and 2003 averaged nearly 24 million sockeye salmon; 69,000 chinook; 971,000 chum; 133,000 coho and 593,000 pink. Bristol Bay’s productive salmon runs are remarkable even by Alaska’s standards, where the next largest commercial sockeye salmon run in 2008 was 4.15 million in the Alaska Peninsula/Aleutian Islands region.
Every year fish return to Bristol Bay in astounding numbers, largely due to the sound, scientific management of state and federal agencies.
It seems common sense that we as an educated people of science and logic for the better of all peoples, would need and want to protect this nature resource. With its astounding beauty and prolific salmon runs, Bristol Bay is a place of international importance.
The future of this fishery would appear to be threatened by the proposed Pebble mine as well as hard rock mining on adjacent state and federal land.
As this seems common to basic understanding, the Bristol Bay watershed must be put off-limits to Pebble and other large-scale mining projects.
The Alaska Trout Unlimited Program works to protect and restore wild salmon and trout populations throughout Alaska. Through sound scientific data, strong grassroots outreach and advocacy, and hands-on involvement in conservation projects Alaska TU protects some of the most prized rivers on the planet, works to restore those that need some help, and engages the next generation of coldwater stewards in Alaska’s natural heritage. Alaska TU works with a unique and broad coalition of Alaskan’s to protect Bristol Bay. To reach Alaska TU at their Alaska Office, write Alaska TU, 3105 Lakeshore Drive, Anchorage, AK 99517, (907) 770-1776. If you support this effort Alaska TU encourages you to donate at this link: https://gifts.tumembership.org/donate/bristolbay.
Bristol Bay is a sacred trust that we as “modern man” must all work to protect well into the future.
LURES: A-Tom-Mik Twinkie set-ups & Dreamweaver UV Frog Spin Doctor
Lake Ontario salmon action is continuing on a consistent clip to the delight of trollers at Wilson, Olcott and the Niagara Bar.
Big King Salmon are becoming the norm off Wilson Harbor, Niagara County, NY, these last few days.
Don’t take my word for it, though, just ask Capt. Casey Prisco of Matamoras, Pennsylvania.He was fishing in the Monroe County Offshore Classic last weekend out of Rochester and ran his boat 153 miles round trip in the one-day contest, settling in to fish off Niagara County in Wilson. The fish zone was 71 to 111 feet down over 130 to 180 feet of water, using a Dreamweaver UV Frog spin doctor and an A-Tom-Mik Twinkie set-up.With the A-Tom-Mik meat set out 205 feet on a diver. Another productive rod was a 10-inch white green dot Dreamweaver spin doctor with A-Tom-Mik meat set down 91 feet. He went 21 for 22 on fish for the morning before running back – catching nearly 84 pounds for five fish.
For local captains, the new A-Tom-Mik stud fly has also been a hot ticket for kings, too. Earlier this week, we had some fishing writers from Germany show up in town for an “I Love NY” familiarization tour. They did spend a few hours in the morning, catching salmon and steelhead with Capt. Mike Johannes and On-The-Rocks charters out of Wilson before travelling to their next stop.
The day before, they fished the Lower Niagara River for smallmouth bass with Capt. Frank Campbell of Niagara Region Charters, catching roughly 25 fish on spinnerbaits. The biggest was 6 pounds.
Fishing with Captain Frank Campbell, visitors to the Lower Niagara River in Niagara County, NY, are cashing in on GIANT smallmouth bass, like this 6-pound bronzeback.
There are quite a few fishing contests in the month of July and two are going on right now.They include the Lake Ontario Counties Summer Trout and Salmon Derby and the 27th Annual Erie Canal Fishing Derby.
If you are going fishing on Lake Ontario, if even for a day, make sure you sign up. Day passes are available. Leading fish for the $10,000 Grand Prize is Lee Beaton of Clifton Springs, NY, with a 27 pound King caught out of Wilson. Darryl Raate of Fulton is leading the steelhead division with another Wilson fish – this one weighing 13 pounds. Top brown is 16 pounds, 2 ounces and the first place lake trout is 22 pounds, 10 ounces. The derby continues through July 30. Go to www.loc.org for details.
Meanwhile on the Erie Canal, the derby kicked off on Wednesday, July 5, and will continue through July 16. There is a family pass for just $25 if you want to take advantage of a group entry fee. The leader board is wide open. Get out there and catch some fish. Find out information at www.eriecanalderby.com.
The Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association is ready to have a party – a fishing party for its members. You can join for just $10 and become part of the festivities, set for July 21-22 out of Olcott. The first event on the fishing calendar is the Curt Meddaugh Memorial Tournament on Friday, a big fish contest that is free for club members. All you have to do is register! Big fish for the day must be weighed in by 3 p.m. at the Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott. On Saturday, the LOTSA Club Tournament will be going on all day. This is a big fish contest, as well, and entry fee is $60. Weigh in at Krull Park by 3 p.m. to be included for the cash prizes. The final piece to the LOTSA fishing puzzle is the club’s 3-2-3 contest over the two days. Best 3 fish over 2 days of fishing, paying out the top 3 weights. Entry fee is $50 for this portion of the contest. The club picnic will be immediately following on Saturday and the awards will be handed out. You can find out more information and also register for these contests at www.lotsa1.org. And speaking of LOTSA, the next meeting is July 13 at Cornell Cooperative Extension Niagara in Lockport, guest speaker will be Capt. Matt Yablonsky: “Talking Small Boat King’s” at 7 p.m.
As we mentioned, bass fishing in the lower Niagara River has been decent and the moss really hasn’t been that bad. In the upper Niagara River, bass and walleye are still cooperating at the head of the river and around Strawberry Island. The best bait has been with a spinner and a worm. Remember that you can now venture into Canadian waters without calling in. Make sure you understand the live bait regulations and you are carrying a Canadian fishing license if you do cross the border.
Bill Hilts, Jr. Outdoor Promotions Director
Destination Niagara USA, 10 Rainbow Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY 14303; p: 1-877 FALLS US | 716-282-8992 x. 303, f: 716-285-0809; www.niagarafallsusa.com
Yesterday Mother Nature gave us cooler temperatures, wind, rain, waves and even a water spout on Lake Ontario, just to show us who is really in control. With all of those conditions going on, fishing reports from Lady “O” are scarce right now.
Last reports have the fish moving farther out in the lake, but still producing a good mixed bag of fish. Spoons are taking a back seat to the other fishing lure choices, such as flasher-fly combinations and meat rigs.
The rest of this week has thunder storms scattered through, but much warmer temperatures.
On the “Oak” at the Point, good catches of perch along with both large and smallmouth bass and northern pike are being reported.
Lake Alice is also producing good catches of both large and smallmouth bass, but the catches of panfish has dropped off slightly in the past week.
June 30th is the opening day for the Summer LOC Derby which runs the entire month of July, well except for the 31st. Are you ready to try to collect some of the $29,000 in cash prizes this year?
July 15th will be the date for the Drew’s Crew Fishing for a cure of Juvenile Diabetes Derby this year and then July 22nd will be the second leg of the King of the Oak series.
A busy month with some great chances to cash in on some great fishing..
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
Missouri River 340, this ain’t no mama’s boy kayak float trip.
You don’t have to go to Alaska or Mt. Kilimanjaro for an authentic outdoor adventure.
What you learn about extreme sports will pale in comparison to what you learn about yourself.
This year, the event will run August 8-11, 2017.
Kansas City’s skyline is visible from Kaw Point at the mouth of the Kansas River, where the MR340 starts.
By Jim Low
Missourians who wonder if they have the physical and mental toughness necessary to be extreme athletes don’t have to go far to find out. They can test their mettle against a force of nature…the Missouri River.
In 2006, Scott Mansker and Russ Payzant, self-avowed “river rats,” decided to organize a paddle race to raise awareness of the world-class, but then little-known, recreational opportunities on the Big Muddy. What they came up with was a nonstop ultra-marathon race from Kansas City to St. Charles. The distance between those two points – 340 miles – provided a name for the event, the Missouri River 340 (insiders generally shorten the name to MR340 or simply, “The 340”). That first year, the event drew 11 solo paddlers and five tandem teams. They were given 100 hours – a little more than two days – to finish the course.
Today, paddlers are allowed only 88 hours to finish the course. They paddle so hard that the friction of their shirts causes their nipples to bleed, a distraction that veterans avoid with duct tape pasties. The skin of their palms sloughs off in enormous blisters…more duct tape.
Packed like sardines at the start, paddlers soon are strung out over the Big Muddy’s vastness.
They endure the heat and humidity of August.
They risk literally being blown off the river by tornadoes or microbursts.
But if you think these obstacles cool the ardor of potential participants, you don’t understand the mindset of ultramarathoners. Within days of wrapping up the inaugural Missouri River 340, Mansker and Payzant’s electronic in-boxes were flooded with email from paddlers eager to sign up for the next year’s race.
Participation ballooned so rapidly that they were forced to limit entries. By early June of this year, nearly 500 individuals and teams had signed up for the race. They will come from all over the United States and as far away as Japan to compete in 11 divisions: Women’s and Men’s Solo; Women’s, Men’s and Mixed Tandem; Solo Pedal Drive; Tandem Pedal Drive; Team (3-4 paddlers); Voyageur (5 to 10 paddlers); Dragon Boat (11-plus paddlers); and SUP (Stand Up Paddler.)
Spectators turn up at checkpoints to keep tabs on their favorite paddlers.
Last year’s top time – an astonishing 38 hours, 22 minutes – was posted by a six-woman team calling themselves “Boatylicious.” The next four entrants to reach St. Charles were all solo paddlers, three men and one woman. All made the grueling paddle in under 45 hours. That’s an average of more than 7.5 mph, including time to eat, drink and nap.
Napping is a must. Even if you do, you stand a good chance of experiencing visual and auditory hallucinations, especially at night. The 340 is scheduled to take advantage of a full moon, but phantom voices and spectral presences are a common experience in the profound darkness and calm that prevails between sunset and moonrise. These can get you in trouble if you pay more attention to them than you do to what’s actually there.
Things like wing dikes, buoys, bridge pilings and barges. While paddling at night in the 2007 MR 340, a mixed tandem team – ages 66 and 70 – misjudged the distance of an approaching barge and were plowed under when they tried to cross the river in front of it. While their $5,500 kayak was being chopped to bits, the couple desperately clawed their way along the bottom of the barge’s hull, trying to avoid their boat’s fate. Astonishingly, both paddlers emerged with only scrapes and bruises and were rescued by the barge crew.
“The 340” becomes a permanent part of some participants.
Racers are not entirely on their own. A fleet of safety boats patrols the pack, checking on paddlers’ health, handing out sport drinks, helping in emergencies and – inevitably – picking up contestants who are simply played out.
Bringing up the rear is a safety boat known as “The Reaper.” Their job is to collect paddlers who fail to reach each mandatory check-in point in the pre-determined time necessary to have even a remote chance of finishing the race. Slow, but dogged, paddlers dread the appearance of “The Reaper” the way that schoolchildren dread the end of summer. But without this measure, the pack would become too strung out for safe supervision.
There are no adversaries at the finish line.
All this combines to produce epic stories: the cancer survivor who began training for the race while still undergoing chemotherapy; the alcoholic who set out to prove something to others and instead found the inner strength to overcome her physical and mental demons; world-class athletes who push themselves far beyond normal limits of human endurance and ordinary people who perform extraordinary feats.
It’s no surprise then that thousands of spectators turn out to witness the spectacle. The biggest crowds gather at both, the starting point at the mouth of the Kansas River, and the finish line at St. Charles’ Frontier Park. But people also throng to the mandatory check-in points scattered along the course. Ground-support crews mingle with relatives of racers, news media and curiosity seekers. Highway bridges with pedestrian walks are favorite vantage points for gawkers and photographers.
If you want to get in on the fun, either as a participant or a tourist, visit rivermiles.com/mr340/ for details of this year’s event. You also can follow the progress of the race Aug. 8-11 through posts on the MR340 forum, rivermiles.com/forum/YaBB.pl.
Free Fishing this Weekend in New York State (June 24-25, 2017)
New USA-CANADA Border Fishing Rules Eased
Lake Ontario Counties Tourney Series Starting
Detailed Fishing Report for June 22, 2017
Scott Rohe with a nice Lake Ontario King Salmon.
Lots of good news in this week’s report. It’s a Free Fishing Weekend in New York State. However, you do have to abide by the fishing regulations. Check out www.dec.ny.gov to find out what the rules are in the waters you intend to fish.
This is also the weekend for the Hooked on Fishing Tournament presented by the Boys and Girls Club of the Northtowns both Saturday and Sunday. Everything is run out of Gateway Harbor, North Tonawanda. Register June 23 from noon to 6 p.m. or any time after 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more info visit www.bgcnt.net or call 873-9842 Ext. 211.
Lake Ontario salmon fishing continues to be very good all along the Niagara County shoreline. Good reports are coming from the Niagara Bar to Olcott and beyond. Salmon in the upper 20 pound range were caught all last week and Capt. Dan Evans out of Wilson, fishing in a tournament on the north shore, managed to reel in a 32 pound chunk pre-fishing and releases the fish to fight another day. Top lures include a variety of Dreamweaver metal, Silver Streaks and Michigan Stingers.
However, the bigger fish seem to prefer the spin doctor and fly combos. The new A-Tom-Mik Stud Fly is really working well, producing that 32 pounder we just mentioned. White crush-glow pattern. Meat rigs are also tricking fish to hit. Yes, Lake Ontario is open for business! Start in 100 feet of water and head north out to 300 foot depths. Salmon seem to be in the top 80 feet of water. And some steelhead have started to move in to accompany the salmon so make sure you put a few baits out for them, too. In other good news, the lake levels have started to come down.
Captain Danny Evans with another nice Lake Ontario King Salmon, sliding to get out of the picture!
According to lake level reports, the waterline has dropped over 4 inches already and the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Water Board has announced that after the three-day experiment last week to increase outflows, they are going to continue with it to provide additional relief in the lake. The Town of Newfane Marina launch area and the Lewiston Landing launch are your two best bets for easy boat launch access.
More good news is that the Canadian Government finally passed a law that no longer required Americans to call into Canada Border Services when crossing the international boundary. You still need a fishing license and need to abide by the country’s regulations, but the hassle of calling in is no longer required. Remember no live bait other than worms in approved bedding or in water. Nothing in dirt. No minnows or crabs. Still, it’s just gotten a whole bunch better.
With the Lake Ontario Counties, trout and salmon summer derby just around the corner, set for June 30 to July 30, anglers are excited to take advantage of the summer action. Check out www.loc.org for details. In addition, the New York State Summer Classic Fishing Tournament is on and running through August 31. There are a total of 10 different fish species categories and 55 weigh stations throughout the state. To find out more information, check out www.nyssummerclassic.com.
In the LowerNiagara River, water temperature are still slowly creeping up there. Lake Erie hit 72 degrees this week, so the trout are history. The bad news is that the moss has become more of a problem. Mostly bass were caught this week on jigs, Kwikfish and MagLips. Shore casters in the gorge have been using tubes, swim baits and marabou jigs. Inline spinners will work, too. They can be caught but you will be cleaning your lures frequently.
Upper Niagara River bass fishing also continues to be good, but the moss is putting a kink in that action. Some walleye are being caught at the head of the river and at the head of Strawberry Island on worm harnesses and jigs. The Great Lakes musky season opener was slow, probably due to the warmer water already flowing through the system. For an outdoors update this week, check out www.buffalonews.com/section/sports/outdoors/ to find out what’s happening.
Occasional rain and thunderstorms are in the forecast into next week, along with more seasonal temperatures.
On Lake Ontario, the king of the lake – Chinook salmon, have made their presence known in a big way. Fishing in the 100 feet of water range has been very productive all along the shoreline of Orleans County. Most fish are being taken in the lower portions of the water column, from 60 feet down and with a mixture of lure combinations but cut bait seems to be the most productive. Some lake trout and steelhead are also being caught, but not in the numbers of the kings.
Near the mouth of Oak Orchard Creek (the “Oak”), perch and bass fishing is good to very good.
Lake Alice is producing some decent numbers of both Largemouth and Smallmouth bass along with a combination of panfish.
I haven’t had a good report from the Erie Canal fishermen as of yet.
Returning again this year is the Drew’s Crew – “Fishing for a Cure” for Juvenile Diabetes. The derby will take place on July 15th this year and will follow the best 3-fish format that is so popular. The entry fee is $50.00 cash with half going to the prize structure and half to Juvenile Diabetes research. This year you will be able to fish out of either Point Breeze or Bald Eagle Marina, but the weigh-in will take place at Ernst’s Lake Breeze Marina. You must be entered by 7AM on the 15th and the weigh-In closes at 3PM so please don’t be late. Please join us for a fun day of fishing while supporting this great cause.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
Top panel of bear specialists recommends US Fish and Wildlife Service develop a new proposal to delist Yellowstone grizzly population.
Grizzly Bears exist in increasing numbers in Yellowstone. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Photo
Recently (December), the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) unanimously recommended the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) put out a new proposal for removing grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone region from federal Endangered Species Act protections. The IGBC includes the top managers from every state and federal agency managing grizzlies and grizzly habitat.
More than 700 grizzlies now roam this corner of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, which covers more than 12 million acres in and around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National parks. More grizzlies live here now than inhabited the entire lower 48 states in 1975, a three-fold increase from the estimated 225 bears that roamed the Greater Yellowstone in 1981.
Grizzly numbers and range are also expanding in Montana’s Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, where nearly 1,000 bears are now estimated to live. USFWS is looking at proposing the delisting of this population as well, and collected public comments for the post-delisting management plan in summer 2013. If the US Fish and Wildlife Service accepts the IGBC’s recommendation, as seems likely, it will issue a new proposed rule in the Federal Register. That will be followed by a multi-month public comment period. Given the time it will take to write and review the new rule, actual delisting likely will not occur until 2015.
The USFWS delisted grizzlies in the Greater Yellowstone following similar recommendations in 2007, but lawsuits by environmental groups led the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to return the bears to endangered species protections two years later, citing questions raised about the decline of whitebark pines. The trees produce a protein-rich nut grizzly’s relish, but have declined as much as 70 percent in the Greater Yellowstone in recent years due to attacks by blister rust fungus and mountain pine beetles.
The USFWS then requested that the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, led by experts at the US Geological Survey, review the relationship between grizzly bear population health and recent declines in whitebark pine. In December, the IGBC received the results of that review. Researchers found grizzlies that previously foraged on whitebark pine in the fall have turned to other food sources—meat, chief among them—and haven’t displayed any distinguishable loss of body fat in that exchange. The Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team also released statistics that show bear deaths within the region fell by half in 2013, while cub production remained high. In fact the number of female grizzlies with cubs in the Yellowstone ecosystem was the highest ever counted in 2013.
For more than two decades, researchers studying the chemical make-up of hair samples found that Yellowstone grizzlies are among the most carnivorous bear populations in North America’s interior, according to IGBC’s recent report. Depending on the age and sex of a bear, meat makes up anywhere from 45 to 79 percent of the protein in their diet. Whitebark pine nut production is cyclical, as is the case with huckleberries and other foods. Some years they are prolific while other years they produce very few. And so grizzly bears were already accustomed to dealing with such diet shifts, substituting animal protein in poor seed years. Recent studies have borne this out, showing grizzlies have been able to maintain fat levels equal to that of the best whitebark seed years. Chris Servheen, USFWS grizzly bear recovery coordinator and a spokesman for the IGBC, also points to grizzlies in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDC) as a population that has grown 3 percent per year for decades without the presence of whitebarks.
“Whitebark pine has been functionally extinct in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem for 30 years due to the impacts of white pine blister rust,” says Servheen. In December, the IGBC said it felt confident the Greater Yellowstone’s grizzly population is adapting well to a similar change. “The sense of the committee is that there is no measurable negative impact on either individual grizzly bears or the grizzly population as a whole,” says Servheen. “Given that, the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee recommended that the USFWS should move forward and produce a new proposed delisting rule. The whitebark question was the only issue the 9th Circuit used to state that the Yellowstone grizzlies should not be delisted. The new analysis by the Study Team should address the concerns that the judges had about how declines in whitebark would impact the health of the Yellowstone grizzlies.” If recent history is any indication, it’s nearly guaranteed that new lawsuits from environmental groups will challenge any move by USFWS to delist, which may well return it to the chambers of a federal judge.
“I’m sure we’ll go through the legal knothole again,” says Servheen.
RMEF’s take:The booming populations of grizzlies in both the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Continental Divide ecosystems represent the Endangered Species Act doing exactly what it was intended to do: help imperiled species recover. That’s no simple task, especially when that animal can weigh a thousand pounds and roam 100 square miles or more. But the top bear biologists in America unanimously agree that we have achieved healthy, growing and sustainable grizzly populations. Instead of celebrating this success, though, the same serial litigators that overturned the Yellowstone ecosystem grizzly delisting in 2009 are loading their legal cannons for yet another round of lawsuits. This not only undercuts the letter of the law, it betrays all the sportsmen and diverse communities that have provided funding and other real forms of support to this recovery effort for decades. RMEF fully supports the conclusions of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee: delisting is long overdue in the greater Yellowstone.
Want to Help? You can help fuel one of America’s most effective conservation movements! Our members, donors and partners have helped conserve more than 7 million acres of elk country – a land area more than three times the size of Yellowstone National Park! The vast majority of that land is open for public hunting and other recreation, for you as well as the generations that will come after you. But, each day, more wild places disappear. There is much work to do. Elk, other wildlife, their habitat and America’s hunting heritage need your help. Please join RMEF today! Different membership levels are available. You’re welcome to join online by using the form (https://jrd.rmef.org/howtohelp/join), or by calling (800) 225-5355, Mon – Fri, 8 AM – 5 PM Mountain Time.
Certain optional kayak gear is handy and necessary.
Customize your fishing kayak for comfort and function.
Randy Boeller drove all the way from Houston, Texas, to land this chunky smallmouth on the upper Maries River. Jim Low Photo
By Jim Low
With a new Kayak, there are quite a few features to look for, understand and think about. Here are some of the features that are important to me:
ADJUSTABLE SEATS & FOOT BRACES
Before writing a check, take time to sit in several kayaks to see if you can stand to sit in it for hours. Try to find a dealer that will allow you to test “drive” kayak before purchase. Ideally, a seat should have an adjustable, padded back rest. The seat should also be padded with a material that allows water to drain away from your kiester.
Equally important are adjustable foot rests. Pushing on these anchors you in your seat, providing a solid paddling platform. They should be adjustable, not only for different leg lengths, but to allow you to change your leg position to avoid stiffness. The surfaces of these pedal-like accessories should have a non-slip surface.
ROD HOLDERS
Sometimes these are built into the kayak’s hull and hold rods upright. This works fine, as long as you don’t encounter any overhead obstructions. Much better are rod holders with swiveling mounts that fold parallel with the deck. Having multiple rod holders allow you to switch baits without re-rigging.
TACKLE COMPARTMENTS
Most kayaks have fore and aft cargo compartments, but these are hard to reach on the water. Small compartments within reach of the seat are more practical.
ANCHOR TROLLEYS
You don’t need much of an anchor for kayak fishing, but they do come in handy when you want to hold your position against current or wind. Anchors need ropes, and having loose rope around your feet is inconvenient, not to mention dangerous. Anchor trolleys keep your anchor rope organized with cleats and allow you to instantly tie off anchor rope at the desired length and release it just as quickly. A small, foldable anchor will fit easily under or beside your seat, out of the way but available when needed.
CUP HOLDERS
You laugh, but nothing is worse than cracking open a drink only to have it tip over in your lap moments later. Well, okay, lots of things are worse, but a spilled drink is bad enough. When not holding drinks, cup holders are useful for holding snacks, phones, lures, pliers and a dozen other things.
ACCESSORY MOUNTING SYSTEMS
These really are the mothers of all accessories. Factory-installed accessory mounting systems permit you to customize your kayak in ways limited only by your imagination. They accept universal mounting plates can be drilled to accept anything you want. This is an easy way to keep cell phones, tablets, GPS units and other electronic devices handy. Naturally, if you are short on imagination, manufacturers have lots of ideas, including tackle bins, live wells, rod holders, fish finders and, yes, cup holders.
RUDDERS
Paddling into the wind can be a challenge when fishing on lakes or large streams. A rudder or tracking skeg keeps you on track without constant correction. This is especially handy for trolling.
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
Speaking of trolling, trolling motors made specifically for canoes and kayaks are available. Hobie offers kayaks equipped with their patented MirageDrive, the original kayak peddle-drive system. These items aren’t cheap…unless you compare their prices to the cost of a bass boat.
One often-neglected accessory is a top-quality paddle. A cheap paddle will wear you out if it doesn’t wear out first. Don’t balk at spending a couple hundred dollars on an ergonomically friendly paddle that keep you, your wrists and shoulders out of the orthopedic surgeon’s office for years.
Fishing kayaks have become so popular that organizations dedicated to them are springing up around the country. Missouri has two that I know of: Missouri Kayak Fishing Association and the Show Me Kayak Fishing. You might consider hooking up with these folks for help learning the ropes of kayak angling. Once you go ‘yak, you’ll never look back!
The weather over the 4th couldn’t have been any better, but change is coming. Rain is in the forecast for at least part of this weekend.
According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the level of Lake Ontario is supposed to drop about 6″ over the next month which will help a lot of our facilities.
A quick look at the LOC leader board shows the big salmon at 27 pounds already and the board is filling up quickly.
Fishing along the coastline of Orleans County has been good to very good over the past week or so producing good mixed bags of fish.
Perch, bass and northern pike are still being caught in the lower stretches of the “Oak”.
On Lake Alice, the one comment I got from one fishermen was “I didn’t know that there were that many jet skis in the world”. Bass fishing in the upper stretches of Lake Alice is producing some very nice fish.
Returning again this year is the Drew’s Crew, “Fishing for a Cure for Juvenile Diabetes.” The derby will take place on July 15th this year and will follow the best 3 fish format that is so popular. The entry fee is $50.00 cash with half going to the prize structure and half to Juvenile Diabetes research. This year you will be able to fish out of either Point Breeze or Bald Eagle Marina but the weigh-in will take place at Ernst’s Lake Breeze Marina. You must be entered by 7 AM on the 15th and the weigh-In closes at 3PM so please don’t be late. Please join us for a fun day of fishing while supporting this great cause.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
Where you won’t catch the largest smallmouth of your life.
Trip leader, Tim Mead, leads a scrappy smallmouth to the boat. Jim Low Photo
By Jim Low
“There is no Sunday Bay,” intoned Tim Mead as he loaded the last huge pack into a Kevlar rental canoe. “If there is a Sunday Bay, it has no fish. If it does have fish, they won’t bite, and if they do bite, they are all small.”
He turned and looked expectantly at the rest of his party. The three of us nodded in solemn agreement and off we went.
Having been here every summer for the past 30 years, Tim took the stern seat in the lead canoe, a compass and a detailed map of Ontario’s Quetico Provincial Park perched on the gear in front of him.
For the first hour and half of paddling, we occasionally heard and saw a motor boat near the American shore to our south. Then we rounded a spruce-clad point, and the motorized world disappeared.
For the next two days, the only human voices, or other sounds of civilization, we would hear were our own voices and the hiss of a Jetboil stove.
A big female snapping turtle visited us off and on for two days, trying to find a spot to lay her eggs. Jim Low Photo
We would be serenaded by loons and challenged by eagles.
We would receive multiple visits from a large and determined snapping turtle bent on laying eggs and we would catch more 3- to 5-pound bass than I ever imagined possible.
We would sleep on the ground, sip tea laced with plum brandy and fall so deeply under the spell of the Canadian boundary waters that going home would hurt.
Technically, our journey began with an 8-mile lift via johnboat to Prairie Portage, on the U.S.-Canadian border. The real adventure commenced after we checked in at the Canadian customs office and launched our two canoes into sprawling Basswood Lake.
Having read Tim’s book, Quetico Adventures, I had a good idea what to expect during our five-day trip. I was prepared for coolish weather (nighttime lows in the 40s), rain, mosquito swarms and living on dehydrated food. I thought I was prepared to encounter amazing fishing, but when the first 20-inch bronzeback darted from the depths to make a pass at my surface plug, all my mental fuses blew.
Before I knew what I was doing, I jerked the plug out of the water and shouted. Well, I shouted something I hoped my paddling partner, Mike Quinn, wouldn’t hold against me. I assume he heard worse during his years in the Navy, but what my swearing lacked in creativity, it made up for with awestruck intensity.
In 50-plus years of chasing smallmouths in Missouri, I had never seen one close to that big. In the next half hour, Mike and I landed or hooked and got good looks at the five biggest smallmouths I had ever seen in person. And we were only an hour into the first day of fishing!
Mike Quinn with a 28-inch Northern Pike. Jim Low Photo
Over the following four days, we caught bass until our arms ached. Tim caught one largemouth bass whose mouth could comfortably accommodated a softball. He estimated its weight around 8 pounds, not a monster by Southern standards, but not bad for a fish species living outside its original native range and competing with fish their ancestors never had to contend with.
These included northern pike between two and three feet long and smallmouth bass that would have sent their Show-Me State kin dashing for cover. Boundary Waters smallies aren’t just long; they are built like defensive tackles, and they fight like demons, alternately burrowing toward the bottom and executing head-shaking jumps that would do a tarpon proud.
The smallmouth bass here bit with equal verve on everything from plastic grubs to Zara Spooks.
They bit at high noon, and at dusk, and at dawn.
Mike Quinn with one of the big bronzebacks caught in a place that definitely, absolutely is not Sunday Bay on the last day of the trip.Jim Low Photo
In the past, I sometimes wondered if I might one day grow tired of catching smallmouths. That worry has been laid to rest. Apparently, my limitless capacity for enjoying smallmouths is actually limitless.
The real test came on the last day, when we reached a place that definitely is not Sunday Bay. Mike and I both were stiff from several hours in the canoe, so we hauled out on a rocky point to stretch. On the leeward side of the point was a large bay with a level bottom of basketball-sized rocks in 7 to 10 feet of clear water. As we stood savoring the view and the rest, fish began to feed at the surface. There were no violent strikes, just small pops followed by large swirls.
Just moments earlier, I had told Mike that I’d caught enough bass for one day. Seeing dozens of swirls changed my mind. I tied on a big, black buzzbait and threw it a little beyond the last swirl. It had barely begun to churn the surface when it disappeared like a surprised swimmer snatched by a great white shark.
When I reared back on my rod, it was difficult to believe I wasn’t stuck fast on a 100-pound log. But then the drag on my reel sang and the fun commenced. Tim and his partner, Phil Bloom, soon joined us, and we all had about 20 minutes of nonstop action before the bite abruptly ended.
As we stowed our fishing gear and began paddling for Prairie Portage and our ride back to United States soil, Tim called out, “There is no Sunday Bay.”
“If there is a Sunday Bay,” we answered in unison, “there are no fish.”
Mike Quinn shows off a nice smallmouth bass amid the splendor of Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario. Jim Low Photo
Fishing Catching Details and Forecast (June 29, 2017)
Jake Romanack with a nice Lake Ontario King Salmon caught trolling last week off the Niagara Bar.
Lake Ontario salmon fishing action continues to be very good … if Mother Nature will let you get out there. The weather has been crazy this year and there were some reports of water spouts earlier this week. Fish-Catching TV Show – Mark and Jake Romanack, with the Fishing 411 television show, had heard about the good salmon fishing and took a quick drive over from Michigan to film a show. They arrived on Monday and filmed Tuesday and Wednesday mornings to complete the episode. They caught a total of nine mature king salmon to 25 pounds plus a number of smaller salmon. Methods: downriggers, slide divers, lead core, copper. They caught fish on a variety of methods including downriggers down 65 to 75 feet over 100 to 150 feet of water just off the Niagara Bar; slide divers 120 feet back; 10 colors of lead core line; and 300 feet of copper line. Best speeds were 2.7 to 3.0 miles per hour on the surface. Be aware that there is a strong current out there in the lake that you may need to adjust to, probably related to the outflow of water through the St. Lawrence Seaway in an attempt to
Mark Romanack with a 25-pound Lake Ontario King Salmon caught off Niagara County.
lower more water from the lake. Water levels have started to come down, an encouraging sign – and just in time for the Summer Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Derby. That contest will run from June 30 to July 30. Get out there and catch a winning fish. Grand Prize is $10,000 for the largest salmon. Website is www.loc.org. Wilson and Olcott are also reporting good king catches. Derby time is a great time to get out there!
Lower Niagara River fishing is still moving right along. Moss was a little more prevalent on Tuesday morning after the storms on Monday afternoon. Hopefully that was just from the high winds. It was definitely fishable as a camera crew from China sampled the lower river fishing action. Capt. Frank Campbell of Niagara Falls was tossing spinnerbaits along the shoreline and picked up some smallmouth. Shiners and crayfish caught a mix of bass and sheepshead. Bass are available all to way to the Niagara Bar. Good news if you have a Canadian fishing license. Anglers no longer have to call into Canada Border Services Agency if they cross the international boundary. However, you still need a license and you must abide by the country’s bait regulations.
Matt Steffan with his 20-pound carp caught during the NYS Free Fishing Weekend.
Upper Niagara River fishing has been good for bass and walleye. Bottom bounce a worm harness from a three-way rig at the head of the river or in front of Strawberry Island to take some nice ‘eyes. Smallmouth bass have been hitting shiners and crayfish. Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls has been doing well on largemouth using plugs and spinnerbaits. Tube jigs will also work for bass. A few musky were caught the past week, but mostly on the smaller-side in the upper 30-inch or lower 40-inch range. Monster tubes caused some follows and hook-ups for Ryan Shea with Brookdog Fishing. Some nice steelhead were caught this week by customers of Capt. Chris Cinelli of Grand Island. Spinner and a worm did the trick around Strawberry Island.
In the Hooked on Fishing Tournament over the free fishing weekend in the Erie Canal, some impressive fish came to the scales. Robert Grant reeled in a 6.25 pound bass; Dan Phelps hauled in a 4.28 pound pike; Mike Boncore weighed in a one pound perch; Matt Steffan out-dueled a 20 pound carp; and Dominic DiNardo earned first place with a 4-pound channel catfish. A total of $3,000 was raised for the Boys and Girls Club of the Northtowns to send kids to summer camp.
Next contest coming up is the 27th Annual Erie Canal Fishing Derby, set for July 5 to 16. Get all of the details at www.eriecanalderby.com. Seven species categories, 50 tagged fish and a 50 mile boundary from the Niagara River to Albion. There is even a family registration for just $25. Get signed up today!
From their home in Superior, Wi., Rocky Mountain brand has roared back to life with the introduction of innovative new broadheads as well as a new lineup of archery sights. Leading the sight lineup is the new Rocky Mountain Driver sight that can be adjusted for elevation quickly, easily, and very reliably.
Available in either a 1-pin or a 3-pin configuration, the Rocky Mountain Driver features hard-coat-anodized all-aluminum construction with a dovetail mount design. The dovetail mount provides up to 3.3125 inches of sight-radius travel with six locking positions and allows for easy removal of the sight for transport and storage. The Driver’s radial-arc elevation adjustment ensures fast and repeatable tuning to user-determined distances, while keeping the bezel square in relation to the eye. Elevation adjustments are made via a large wheel on the side of the sight, and an adjustable reset block allows a quick return to the minimum-distance zero stop.
The Driver’s windage and pin elevation markers are laser etched, and the windage is tool-free micro-adjustable. The 2nd and 3rd axes are also adjustable. The .019-inch fiber-optic pins are fully captured, and the pins are removable on the 3-pin version. The bezel incorporates a bubble level, and a light adapter is built-in.
Available at retailers nationwide and conveniently online at www.huntrockymountain.com, the new Driver 1-Pin and Driver 3-Pin rapid-adjustment sights have a suggested retail of $129.99 and $149.99, respectively.
Headquartered in Superior, Wis., Rocky Mountain is a wholly owned subsidiary of FeraDyne Outdoors. Renowned for its fixed-blade technology since 1979, the Rocky Mountain brand was relaunched in 2017 and has expanded its offerings to other archery accessories including a line of archery sights. For more information on Rocky Mountain, visit www.huntrockymountain.com; or write to 101 Main Street, Superior, WI 54880; or call 866-387-9307.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) is the trade association for the firearms industry with a mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting, and the shooting sports. The NSSF recently announced the 2017 scholarships that will award $60,000 to winners.
From Newtown, CT., the National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the trade association for the firearms industry, is pleased to announce that it has chosen the winners of its 2017 Voting Member Scholarship Essay Contest. Open to the employees and qualifying family members of NSSF’s Voting Member companies, the annual contest awards $60,000 divided between 25 winners, including one grand prize winner who receives $8,000 to apply toward their college costs. NSSF received a total of 66 qualified entries this year.
In refreshing this annual contest, NSSF offered two submission options for the scholarship program. The first option required a written essay, with specific formatting guidelines, on one of the following two topics:
·How important is the U.S. Supreme Court to protecting the rights of American citizens to keep and bear arms?
·Passing the Torch: A personal story of an experienced shooter or hunter passing traditions on to family and friends.
The second submission option required a written script designed to provide voiceover narration for a video (though no actual video submission was required). The three script topic choices were:
·What hunting means to me and to wildlife conservation.
·How learning to target shoot has benefitted me as a person.
·What non-hunters would be surprised to learn about hunting.
Matthew Willey, whose mother is employed by Olin Corp., was chosen as the grand prize winner. Matthew will be a senior at St. Louis University this fall, was selected as the grand prize winner. For his scholarship submission, he chose to tackle the Supreme Court topic in traditional essay format. His essay in part read:
For the majority of the last 70 or so years, the most important Supreme Court ruling pertaining to the right to gun ownership was 1939’s United States v. Miller. In that case, an Arizona district court ruled that two men who had been indicted for transporting a sawed-off shotgun across state lines, should not have been indicted, as the regulations preventing them from legally transporting that firearm were unconstitutional. This decision was appealed to the Supreme Court, which chose to interpret the 2nd amendment as pertaining only to the regulation of a militia … . This ruling was the preeminent ruling concerning the 2nd amendment for the rest of the 20th century, and it set a damaging precedent to gun rights in this country.
Fortunately, things changed relatively recently. In 2008’s landmark case, District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court once again addressed the interpretation of the 2nd amendment. … In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court interpreted the second amendment as providing a right to self-protection. It is important to remember here that in a common law system, a law must be enforced as it is interpreted by the courts. Therefore, whatever questions existed about the legal meaning of the 2nd amendment prior to District of Columbia v. Heller, the meaning is now clear and binding.
This is not to say that the battle for gun rights has emphatically been won. It is perfectly conceivable that in some future case the Supreme Court may revisit the 2nd amendment, and thus open the door to a new interpretation. Moreover, the ruling in District of Columbia v. Heller was not without its ambiguity, meaning that more challenges to gun rights may loom in the future. The one thing that is for certain is that if these challenges reach the Supreme Court, the decisions made by those nine justices will shape the law for the entire nation. Therefore, despite recent victories, it is vital that the Supreme Court be populated by men and women who respect the rights of gun owners. When it comes to the law, a strong Supreme Court is more powerful than any legislator, or any president.
Other winners included the $5,000 first place entrant, Nathan Huelsmann, who will be a senior at Missouri University of Science and Technology in the Fall and whose father also works for Olin, and the $3,000 second place winner Ian Murphy, will be a Junior at the Oregon Institute of Technology in the fall and whose father is employed by Sturm, Ruger & Co. Twenty-two other winners received $2,000 each for their successful entries. See the full list of scholarship recipients and the entire winning essay.
About NSSF The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 12,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.
The entrance to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial offers clear signage and directions during an initial view of the grandeur of this sacred place. Forrest Fisher Photo
By Forrest Fisher
Mount Rushmore is no ordinary mountain. Visiting this sacred place in the Black Hills of South Dakota has been on our “bucket list” for a long time. As we approached from the north driving down Highway 85, the illusion of darkness rising on the horizon – the Black Hills in the distance, was clear and beautiful. “There they are,” said my excited best friend and wife of 48 years. “They’re so awesome, aren’t they?” Added my granddaughter, Kiley Rose, a college student of environmental science and forestry, and our mentor for all things nature, especially trees and birds.
“They say the Black Hills look dark because of all the tall pine trees that grow here in this part of South Dakota,” Kiley shared. “And this area is rich in birds and animals too.” As we travelled through Rapid City and up Highway 16 (Mount Rushmore Road) on the mountain toward Mount Rushmore, there were large signs on the roadway directing where to turn, park and enjoy the view.
The views from just about anywhere on this National Monument Memorial property are spectacular. The scenes are permanently imprinted to memory, though I also took hundreds of pictures to share with family and friends back home in western New York.
The “Avenue of Flags” offers a lofted flag of every state in the United States, a symbol for freedom and citizenship as a democratic government representing the freedom of all people in this country. Forrest Fisher Photo
The sculptured faces of four of our former great presidents are carved high above in the granite stone of this majestic mountain. Chosen by sculptor, Gutzon Borglum, visitors have a clear, spectacular image of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln as viewed left to right. For several of the people I spoke with, many simply gazing with a prolonged stare at the figures – the predominant feature of these four American leaders seems to be their eyes.
One man from Texas said, “You know something, I think their eyes offer us understanding and humility.” Another visitor overheard the onset of our discussion and shared, “I agree, their eyes draw my attention almost immediately, as if to invite discussion among each of them.” Another nearby person, a foreign lady visitor from Japan, smiled and leaned our way to say, “I think their eyes create a sense of trust, so I agree with you both, but I also think their noses are predominant.” Instantly, we all smiled at that and I brought up a short story about “smell and scent” to share with this amicable threesome.
I added, “When my family initially came up to visit the monument, we drove past the official entrance and down the hill toward the presidential “side view” of George Washington. My granddaughter and I decided to hike around the parking area access paths and with her knowledge of trees, she went directly to one of the pine trees, put her nose to the tree, smiled, and called me over.” She said, “Can you smell this and tell me what you think this bark smells like, Dziadz?” So I did and said, “It smells like vanilla.” “Yes!” She exclaimed. “This is a Ponderosa Pine tree, this odor is their distinguishing element!”
When you get up close to the bark itself, Ponderosa Pines smell like vanilla extract – something I learned from my granddaughter who is majoring in environmental science. We never stop learning!Forrest Fisher Photo
So I returned to the group conversation and said, “Have you visited the Grand View Terrace eating area? Some people we met had been raving about Thomas Jefferson’s homemade ice cream recipe – which they serve here. About the nose, maybe you are right – the ice cream is vanilla flavor. You can smell it just by standing next to someone with a cone or dish of the tasty dessert. It was crowded.” Smiling a bit, I added, “So maybe you are right, the nose is the champion feature of these carved presidential figures!” Everyone returned a happy face grin and we all moved on, satisfied to share a moment of observation with each other.
Though the Ponderosa pines offer the scent of vanilla and the Thomas Jefferson homemade ice cream recipe is vanilla flavor – and it is delicious, our visit to this incredible place was not ordinary vanilla.
Every visitor, there were 1000’s, appeared to be in reverent awe of the monument. There was a soft-spoken drone of conversation in the air that hovered above the sound of the breeze, with these flags proudly waffling a soft message of freedom in the wind. Every single state in the country has their flag displayed here. It felt so very good to walk among the cascade of flags aptly named, the “Avenue of Flags.”
Mount Rushmore associate, Jane Zwetzig, had provided us with early advice about making sure we test the delicious ice cream. The vanilla flavor and sweet taste is like the monument, unforgettable.
The information center is a “must-see stop” to insure you understand what to see during your day visit.Forrest Fisher Photo
A stop to the Information Center provided details about current day activities, with informational brochures and details of exhibits, they helped to plan hiking trail and exhibit visits for the day. There are guided walks down the Presidential Trail and tours, Ranger programs, amphitheater programs, the Sculptor’s Studio, the bookstore, the gift shop and also, an audio tour. There is also an audio tour device, a handheld wand, that can be rented for $5 and is available in four languages.
The food court is a great food stop, complete with bison burgers, bison hotdogs and a long list of other, non-meat, healthy foods and beverages.
Toward evening, the sculpture is illuminated for one hour, starting 30 minutes after sunset, and that marks the onset of the “Evening Lighting Ceremony.” The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is open year-round, except on Christmas Day (Dec. 25), from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. in the summer, and through 5 p.m. in the winter. The cost is FREE, except there is an $11 parking fee for cars.
At the end of the “Avenue of Flags,” there is a balcony where families gather for pictures to be cherished long into the future.
Hotel accommodations are plentiful in Rapid City, Hill City, Keystone and several other small towns nearby, including infamous Deadwood (Wild Bill Hickok – Saloon No. 10), about 45 minutes to the north. We spent the overnight at the Gold Dust hotel in Deadwood (http://golddustdeadwood.com/), recently renovated in this former western outlaw town – such a great place to visit.
For more information about the Black Hills, Badlands, Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse monument and other local sites, visit: http://www.blackhillsbadlands.com/business/black-hills-visitor-information-center.
The busiest day of the year for Mount Rushmore? You might have guessed, is July 4th. According to manager, Lloyd Shelton, Independence Day will usually see a little more than 10,000 visitors per hour. The good news is that the park services can handle that volume and there is plenty of room.
You will find inspiration from the presidential presence with a wonderful sense of opportunity to share and absorb the energy and leadership provided from these mountain-top carvings at the memorial monument. These elements of Mount Rushmore are unchanged, regardless of the number of visitors. We enjoyed every moment of our visit – the people, the property, the outdoor elements of unique grandeur. This is a great summer stop. Upon arrival, the mystique of this special place is clearly apparent.
We drove all the way from New York State (two fun days), a long trip, and we are already planning a return visit!
These craft are made to order for fishing small and remote waters.
You will never go back to aluminum canoes once you’ve fished from a kayak.
You can customize a fishing kayak for anything.
The author brought this scrappy largemouth to hand on the upper Gasconade River.
By Jim Low
Ask anyone who has fished an Ozark stream (or anywhere) in a kayak, and you are likely to hear a paean on the many advantages of these craft.My “aha moment” came within five minutes of climbing into a 10-foot Old Towne model.
A slightly overlong cast landed my Rebel Craw in a wad of flotsam and I swore like a sailor, knowing I’d have to paddle like a demon against a stiff current to retrieve the $6 crankbait.Resting my rod in the notches provided for that purpose, I grabbed the double paddle and instantly became aware of the advantages of kayak fishing.Instead of the heavy labor needed to propel a bulky aluminum canoe upstream, a few strokes had me within reach of my lure.Then, instead of struggling to turn a 16-foot behemoth around in tight quarters, I executed a neat 180-degree turn and was fishing again.
In the South, when food is so good you can’t believe it, they say it will make you want to slap your mama.At that moment on Bryant Creek, I wanted to slap my Grumman.Don’t get me wrong, canoes have their place.
There’s no beating the cargo capacity and stability of an 18-foot touring canoe on a camping trip.Lightweight Kevlar models in a variety of sizes and styles make canoes much more versatile than they were 30 years ago.But for fishing skinny water or remote spots, nothing beats a kayak.You can throw three or four of them in the bed of a pickup truck and carry them in to places other anglers can only dream of reaching.
I had no idea how important portability was until I found myself near the end of a day-long float on the upper Maries River a few years ago.
My fishing buddy has bad hips and knees and could barely get in and out of his borrowed kayak with assistance.We were tired and ready for a hot meal with adult beverages, when the river unexpectedly ended.A flood had deposited several thousand cubic yards of gravel and hundreds of trees in what once was the main channel.What was left was a quarter mile of small rivulets separated by gravel bars and choked with willow thickets.
Randy got himself and our fishing rods to the end of the blockage, but it fell to me to drag our kayaks through the hellish mess.I don’t know what we would have done if we had been in a canoe.
Greg Stoner of Camdenton landed two nice walleyes while fishing from his tricked-out Hobie kayak on the Niangua River.
Many kayaks are not particularly well-suited to fishing.Dagger-like racing models are not stable enough, and too long to be maneuverable.Short, inexpensive kayaks are similarly tippy, and there’s no place to put your fishing rod and other gear.To enjoy kayak fishing fully, you need one fitted out specifically for that purpose.Prices for fishing kayaks range from a few hundred dollars for models with basic features and to thousands of dollars for boats that practically paddle themselves.There are quite a few features to look for, understand and think about.
Check the many features out in Part 2 of 2, coming up next week.
Rapala created a series of lures that allow anglers more understanding about their fish-attracting products just by reading the label. For example, the new “DT” series of Rapala’s are labelled DT-4, DT-20, etc. and the acronym stands for “Dives-To” 4 feet, 20 feet, and so on.
In similar manner, Storm created a “GT” series searchbait-minnow labelled “360-GT,” intended for use 360 degrees around the angler casting position.The “GT” stands for “Go-To” lure.Pretty catchy, pretty simple, and as I discovered, pretty effective.
The supple, soft, durable, plastic body offers a wide swimming tail action that wobbles left to right as it is retrieved.The wobble from the tail causes the head to roll left and right a bit, emanating a faint, resonant, rattle sound from the jig head as the lure is retrieved.Depth is controlled by angler speed of retrieve, the selected weight of the jig head and the size of the tail selected in the available assortment of the GT series.
Al Lindner says, “Throw it out, turn the reel handle, that’s it.Incredibly productive, incredibly effective.”We all know that when Al Lindner says it that way, I think you gotta try it for yourself.So I did. I believe Al.
I fished these in Florida, North Carolina and New York in the last few months to field test their effective attraction. A faster retrieve caused a gentle internal rattle sound to emanate – an audible frequency sound that seemed to drive fish nuts.Not sure the fish were attracted to the lure or just wanted to kill the sound source because it bothered them.Either way, I caught smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike and crappie on these enticing “Go-To” lures.Do I like them?Yes!An understatement.
Why do I like them?They are affordable priced.They are packaged with three tails, one tail is pre-mounted to the rattling head, and two tails are spares.The jig head is molded around a VMC fish hook.They are a “keep-it-simple bait.”Right now, this toss and retrieve bait is available in 11 common baitfish color patterns and three sizes, perfect for a tasty predator ambush. They are inexpensive, priced from $4 to $6.
See a video about how to use this simple, easy to fish bait.Al Lindner talks about it in some detail as you watch through this video: https://youtu.be/SXpFV_HBxmk.
Jean-Paul-Tessier with a nice musky from Lake of the Woods.
Musky fishing exciting! There is always one place where you can almost always find cooperative fish that will provide an exciting trip.
Any muskie hunter knows that Lake of the Woods is one of the best fisheries of muskie. Anglers come for miles around to fish our trophy waters. So make your plans as the 2017 muskie opener on Lake of the Woods for both the Minnesota and Ontario sides of the lake begins this weekend, Saturday, June 17th.
Lake of the Woods is a world class muskie fishery with over 65,000 miles of shoreline and 14,552 islands.
The majority of muskie anglers are catch and release. Many resorts, especially at the NW Angle specialize in muskie guides. These muskie nuts keep a good handle on fish movement, lure preference, colors and areas muskies are prevalent. It is also a great way to save time really learning the nuances of becoming a better muskie angler. Check out a list of NW Angle Resorts who can set you up with some of the best guides in the business.
For those that just love the sport, here are some tips on safely practicing catch and release:
Careful Handling Makes Catch & Release Successful
A big muskie is an old muskie. Females require 14 to 17 years to reach 30 pounds. Northern pike grow even more slowly. Once taken out of the water and hung on a wall or carved into fillets, a trophy is not soon replaced by another fish of its size. So, the key to creating trophy northern pike and muskie fishing is catch-and-release angling. Unfortunately, some fish are mortally injured by improper handling and cannot be successfully released.
All northern pike and muskie are difficult to handle because of their slippery hides, lack of good handles and sharp teeth. Big fish are particularly troublesome because of their great size and power.
The first step to successfully releasing fish is to use artificials rather than live bait. The second step is to keep the fish in the water if at all possible.
Caught on artificials and handled carefully, nearly all fish can be returned with no permanent injury. Here are some effective methods, courtesy of Muskie Canada, for handling large northern pike and muskie:
·Hand Release. Grip the fish over the back, right behind the gills (never by the eye sockets!) and hold it without squeezing it. With the other hand, use a pliers to remove the hooks, while leaving all but the head of the fish in the water. Sometimes hooks can be removed with the pliers only; the fish need never be touched.
·Landing Net. Hooks can be removed from some fish even as they remain in the net in the water. If that’s not possible, lift the fish aboard and remove the hooks while the fish is held behind the head and around the tail. To better restrain large fish, stretch a piece of cloth or plastic over the fish and pin it down as if it were in a straight jacket.
·Stretcher. A stretcher is made of net or porous cloth about 2 to 3 feet wide stretched between two poles. As you draw the fish into the cradle and lift, the fold of the mesh supports and restrains the fish. This method requires two anglers.
·Tailer. Developed by Atlantic salmon anglers, a tailer is a handle with a loop at one end that is slipped over the fish’s tail and tightened. The fish is thus securely held, though the head must be further restrained before the hooks are removed.
If you must lift a big fish from the water, support as much of its body as possible to avoid injuring its internal organs.
Never grip a fish by the eye sockets if you intend to release it. By doing so you abrade its eyes, injure the surrounding tissue and may cause blindness.
Muskie anglers are a very passionate breed, often fishing from dawn to dusk. They also have the deepest respect for muskies and overall do an excellent job of making sure these ultimate predators return to the water unharmed.
Best of luck to all muskie anglers not only this weekend but this year. The muskies have been active this spring, are in good numbers and should be active.
For lots more info on where to fish, guides and lodging:
First I would like to congratulate the top 3 finishers in the Orleans County Open Tournament, Ed Monette of team Cannonball Runner, Vince Pierleoni of team Thrillseeker and Dave Siegfried of team Tracker. The weather threw everything at the 31 teams in the tournament this past week and weekend and all of the teams still came out winners, in my opinion.
Off and on Thunder storms are predicted over the next week, and even with more seasonal temperatures, should set things up for more unpredictable weather.
Fishing near the mouth of the “Oak” is producing good numbers of White bass, Perch, Pike and Bass, which by the way bass season opens this Saturday.
On Lake Alice the catches have mainly been Bluegills and Bass, especially around the fallen trees.
On Lake Ontario it’s been anyone’s guess where the fish will be with the ever-changing weather conditions.
One interesting thing is that spoons are not producing a well as some type of flasher and fly, or cut bait, rigs presently, but that could change quickly.
Also with the weather conditions the fish are scattered throughout the water column and from 100 feet of water on out.
We can only hope for some more stable weather to allow the lake to set up again and fishing to return to somewhat more normal patterns.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
Kids and Nature work together to promote Conservation. Check out these links!
Many children learn about the outdoors from adults who accompany them as they explore. Plenty of times the kids teach the adults as well as the adults teaching the kids! If you are looking for ideas on how to enjoy the outdoors with the young people in your life visit the web sites listed below.
Outdoor Discovery is an online newsletter from DEC for families. It encourages New Yorkers to explore outdoors and learn about the environment. Each issue introduces subscribers to a a seasonal environmental or nature topic, suggests a related activity and lists family friendly events at DEC’s environmental education centers. DEC Outdoor Discovery is emailed to subscribers every other Wednesday and also appears on DEC’s website.
DEC operates environmental education programs statewide. These include two environmental education centers from Albany to Buffalo, plus regional environmental educators who serve New York City, Long Island and Central NY.
The DEC’s residential environmental education summer camps have be operating for over 60 years. The camps serve boys and girls ages 11-17, who attend a week long program exploring the outdoors and learning about the environment. Campers can even participate in a hunter safety class and receive their hunter safety certificate. The four summer camps are located across the state, two in the Adirondacks, one in the Catskills and one in Western New York.
National Wildlife Federation advocates spending at least one hour each day outdoors in nature. Their web site Be Out There provides ideas for reconnecting kids with the many benefits of the great outdoors. Good for both mental and physical health, spending time outdoors is also fun and helps kids build a connection to nature. Using the “NatureFind” feature visitors can find outdoor activities in their area, and across the country.
Nature Rocks from the Children and Nature Network, The Nature Conservancy and R.E.I. provides ideas for exploring outdoors with children. They also offer a search feature to locate programs, sites and outdoor play groups, known as Nature Rocks Flocks in your area.
Jan Adair (left) landed this nice walleye, her first walleye ever, while fishing Chautauqua Lake, then caught five more walleye before the noon hour while fishing with Captain Frank Schoenacker (right).
By Forrest Fisher with guide, Frank Schoenacker (Infinity Charters)
When great guides and charter captains talk, honest anglers that don’t always catch fish listen. So I listen very well. I’m as honest as they come. One thing I’ve discovered, when anglers share life through the gift of a fishing charter, good things can happen!
During a recent Chautauqua Lake fishing trip for one client couple, there came lasting memories and lots of fishing fun.
The client contacted my friend and local guide, Frank Schoenacker, in December, as she had purchased a charter fish trip as a Christmas gift for her boyfriend. Frank said, “They both fish, but haven’t done much walleye or musky fishing. So last week, they had a couple of firsts. She landed her first ever walleye, which was a nice 17-inch fish, then she followed up with 5 more! That’s not all, her boyfriend caught his first musky while fishing for walleyes.”
Frank added, “I teach my clients to fish simple. It all starts with meeting them at a common place. At Chautauqua Lake, for many guides and for me too, that place is the Bemus Point boat launch. The next thing is not overcrowding the action and the people aboard. On Chautauqua, I limit clients to two people maximum and I don’t fish when I have clients. I provide equipment and have it setup before the trip.”
When Frank talks, he explains juicy details, “On my boat, I use an 8-horse kicker to troll weed edges at slow speed (1 mph or so), mostly using a very simple, old-fashioned, spinner/worm harness. Small beads, a small spinner blade and small hooks are essential when fishing Chautauqua.Lots of reasons why, they have to do with catching your targeted species.Boat control and using electronics to see the weed edge is critical. My boat is a tiller steer, so I have direct contact with my motor and boat direction. I tie my harness with small hooks (size one), then use a small copper or fire-tiger blade (size 2) off a clevis, then I usually add small red beads as attractors – or whatever fish think those are!They work.”
Schoenacker uses a sliding-sinker for weight on his 6 to 8 lb braid as mainline. He adds, “Pretty much an old school setup. Normally I’m anywhere from 8 to 14 feet of water depth depending on the weed edge where we fish. Early in the season when water is cool, I’ll use nightcrawlers (sometimes half-worms are better than whole ones) and I start to use a rubber worm soon after, as white perch get pesky and they won’t touch a plastic worm.” He was smiling with a big grin.
“Starting at the tail end of June, I fish a rubber worm instead of a live worm pretty much all the time. When the bite slows at mid-morning, I have one client go to a live worm. Sometimes we can get an extra bite or two. “
What if the fish aren’t biting?Franks says, “I move around and pre-fish before guided trips so I have a plan based on wind and weather for the day. Generally, during the early season I’m in the lower lake mostly (south of Route 86 bridge). This year (2017), the channel in Bemus was good early.”
Even in summer, it pays to bring an extra jacket when the weather send a chilly breeze at sunrise.
“It’s not as simple as I’m making it sound, you need to adapt and you know when that needs to happen after a few decades of fishing, ”Schoenacker says.“Weed lines off the creek mouths are good, so I look around Prendergast Bay, Dewittville Bay, Goose Creek, etc. The fish tend to be active at different places and at different times, so this is where the knowledge of the guide comes in.Add the varying style of fishing we can do and add the potential to change position, “run and gun,” from spot to spot, we find them most every day we try.”
If you live on or near the lake, that is a bonus.He adds, “Pre-fishing helps me have several spots planned. Any angler that fishes today needs to have pretty good electronics so they can see the fish for as many times as they work the weed line. I have also seen that when walleyes are active, the white perch are less of a problem. I’m seeing several good year classes of walleyes in the lake now, lots of 13-14 inch throwbacks, then there are numbers of 17 inchers and then a class of 20 inch-plus fish. “
Anglers are pleased that the walleye population is doing well in the lake and folks are also very pleased that the DEC lowered the walleye minimum size limit to 15-inches in 2017.Schoenacker adds, “I do some musky trolling, but my primary focus is on fishing for walleyes.”
“I’ll fish the weed lines until the water warms and fish move deeper. At that point I move to open water trolling and snap-jigging. Snap-jigging works for me right on through the fall. I like the weedline and jigging programs best because you hold the rod and feel the fish hit. Hard to beat that for sure,” says Schoenacker
Schoenacker adds, “I want to help people have more fun finding and catching fish, so I’m sharing some of my program plan with walleye anglers everywhere that plan to fish Chautauqua Lake sometime soon.This gives you the background on my simple walleye program, but don’t forget, you can always call me for a hands-on trip.”
Lastly, Schoenacker has two boats, he uses the smaller one (Lund Pro–V Tiller with 60hp Yamaha and 8hp Yamaha) for that up-front experience on Chautauqua Lake, but he is also a licensed Lake Erie Charter Captain and member of the Eastern Lake Erie Charter Boat Association and National Association of Charter Boat Operators. He will also share his fish–catching secrets while aboard his Pro-Line 25 (powered by Evinrude 225hp ETEC and 9.9hp Yamaha kicker). You can reach Capt. Frank Schoenacker by phone at 585-406-5764, email: fcs49@hotmail.com, or on his website at: http://www.infinitycharters.com/.
You know, we never stop learning when people that know way more than we do are willing to share.Hat’s off to Captain Frank!
Chuck Grampp of Williamsville caught this nice salmon as Nick Glosser, first mate on the Thrillseeker helps out.
On Lake Ontario, salmon and trout fishing continues to be good.Capt. Vince Pierleoni of Newfane reports good numbers of fish in the area off Olcott and Wilson, but you have to adapt and locate the fish.
Heavy current and winds have scattered fish, but a mix of salmon and trout can be found in 100 to 300 feet of water. Flasher-fly, meat rigs and spoons like Dreamweaver’s and Michigan Stinger’s have been producing fish on a consistent basis. Pierleoni just returned from the Orleans Open Salmon and Trout Tournament last weekend where he placed second – less than 5 points behind the winner, Capt. Ed Monette and Cannonball Runner. Pierleoni actually caught one more fish that Monette – 16 to 15 – but scoring is based on 10 points per fish and a point per pound.
This Saturday is the opening of the regular bass season so you will probably see a few more boats heading out.
The Newfane launch ramp at Olcott is not having any water issues and launching is not a problem. All the boat slips are viable. The kids fishing derby set for June 24 in the Town of Newfane marina has been cancelled for this year.
This coming Saturday, June 17, is the Wilson Conservation Club’s 31st annual kids derby from 8 a.m. to noon. Fish in any Niagara County waters. This contest is based on length and you must have your fish measured by noon. Call 930-7500 for more info. The club is located on Route 425 near the water tower.
In Tonawanda, the kids derby will be at Niawanda Park near the band shell along River Road. Registration starts at 8 a.m. There are other activities going on in addition to the fishing.
In addition, that same day will be the start of a new event across the state – the New York State Summer Classic Fishing Tournament, and running through August 31. There are a total of 10 different fish species categories and 55 weigh stations throughout the state. To find out more information, check out www.nyssummerclassic.com.
In the LowerNiagara River, water temperature is still slowly creeping up there. Only a few steelhead and lake trout are still holding on. Mostly bass were caught this week on jigs, Kwikfish and MagLips. The regular season opens on Saturday the 17th and live bait can then be used again. Shore casters in the gorge have been using tubes, swim baits and marabou jigs. Inline spinners will work, too. Moss hasn’t increased that much. The worse is yet to come. Take advantage of the clearer water while you can.
Upper Niagara River bass fishing continues to be good. Remember that the regular bass season opens Saturday (June 17). Speaking of bass, the Annual Opening Day Bass Contest sponsored each year by Kelly’s Korners, will NOT be held this year. Organizers for the tournament didn’t want to see the big bass end up in a fish fry and they decided to retire the event to help protect the resource. Some walleye are being caught at the head of the river and at the head of Strawberry Island on worm harnesses and jigs. Great Lakes musky season opens up this Saturday, too. For some tips and a nice story on the Niagara Musky Assn., check out www.buffalonews.com/section/sports/outdoors/ this week.
NOTE: There is still a state of emergency along the Lake Ontario shoreline for high water levels. This isn’t really going to affect the fishing that much, but the Niagara County Sheriff is asking that boats creating a wake stay at least 600 feet from shore. This doesn’t include trolling. Caution is advised for floating debris when you are out in the lake moving around. The problem seems to be launching. The best spot to be right now is the Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott. Fort Niagara has an open launch but you need boots up to your knees or above. Golden Hill State Park launch is closed and Wilson-Tuscarora Park is day to day (but you need hip boots there, too). It’s worth the effort for the good fishing!
Inland Lake walleyes in the mid-west are easy hot-summer fun if you’re fishing guide, Les Jarman. Read how. Brent Frazee Photo
By Brent Frazee
Think about the very worst conditions for walleye fishing.
High noon. A hot sun beating down. Temperatures in the low 90s. A blue sky, with hardly a cloud in sight.
That about covers it, doesn’t it?
So why was Les Jarman, a longtime guide, so optimistic that he and his friend, Ken White, would soon be catching walleyes in those conditions as they trolled on Stockton Lake in southwest Missouri?
“We’ve caught walleyes in the middle of the day on days that were hotter than this,” Jarman said, as he zig-zagged his boat on a flat near the river channel. “These walleyes will get out here on these flats in the summer and they’ll suspend.
“If the baitfish are here, the walleyes will be too. If you put a crankbait in front of them, they’ll hit.”
Staring at his electronics, Jarman saw the perfect scenario setting up. As he trolled in 20 feet of water not far from the river channel, he watched the screen of his depth finder light up with specks of baitfish.The occasional mark of a gamefish also showed up.
“The walleyes are scattered right now,” said Jarman, 65, who lives in the town of Stockton and operates the Specialized Guide Service. “They’re just out here chasing shad.
“That’s why I like to troll. Instead of sitting on one point, I can cover a lot of water this way.”
Approaching an area where a long point extended into the flat, Jarman felt something jolt the Bandit crankbait he was trolling through the Bic Sac arm of the Ozark reservoir.
When the fish stayed down, Jarman knew he had a walleye. Moments later, he tossed that keeper into a live well already splashing with fish.
Hot weather, hot fishing. That’s Jarman’s formula for success. Though he fishes for walleyes year-around at Stockton, he knows the fishing doesn’t necessarily come to a halt when the heat arrives.
From early June to mid-October, he trolls for walleyes far off shore, and he and his guides clients routinely catch limits. Jarman himself has caught fish up to 6 pounds trolling.
There is a science to his approach.He doesn’t merely pull into open water and start trolling. He tries to keep his crankbaits cutting through the water over main-lake structure.
“I’m looking anything where there is a change in the bottom,” he said. “Main-lake or secondary points, drop-offs, humps – that’s what walleyes will relate to in the summer.”
Jarman likes to troll with 60 to 70 feet of line out. He uses 10-pound test and trolls at two miles per hour. He wants to keep his crankbaits 10 to 12 feet down in water that is at least twice that deep.
“Walleyes will always come up to hit a bait,” Jarman said. “If you troll too deep, you’re not going to catch them. You have to be in the right zone.”
During the hottest part of summer, Jarman prefers to troll early in the day and in the evening hours. But he knows that the fish will hit in the middle of the day, too.
He proved it on a recent sultry day in the Ozarks. He, White and I caught enough walleyes to make a meal. And there was a bonus. We also caught about 20 white bass, several big crappies and a couple of keeper largemouth bass.
But such results aren’t unusual. Jarman and his clients have been catching limits (four walleyes 15 inches or longer) of walleyes regularly in the June heat.
For Jarman, that’s just one more trick in his trade. After guiding on Stockton since shortly after it opened in 1969, he knows where to find the sharp-toothed gamefish.
He also knows that he is fishing on the right reservoir. Stockton has long been recognized as one of Missouri’s top walleye spots, thanks to regular stockings by the Department of Conservation.
Jarman’s favorite method is to use suspending stickbaits in the early spring. He caught a 10-pound, 4-ounch walleye in March several years ago.
But he doesn’t stop fishing when the weather turns hot and humid. He knows he can tie on a small crankbait such as a Bandit and stay on the move.
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By Forrest Fisher
This article is not an ad, but I suppose it could be. I just want all of my friends and neighbors of the outdoors to know about this for only one selfish reason that I have, Lyme disease prevention. In New York State, a recent study shows 1 out of every 2 deer ticks have Lyme disease. Period. You must protect yourself from this beast of a disease, and the affected deer tick population is increasing logarithmically as it spreads across the country.
For the record, deer ticks get Lyme disease from white-footed mice. Mice are where Lyme disease comes from, but it is the deer ticks that can give Lyme disease to us humans when they bite us because they are so small, their bite is nearly painless and we simply cannot see them most of the time.
When two of my grandkids came down with Lyme disease last year, we researched so many products to help find protection.Most of the protections are chemically based and work well, but there was always a concern about the chemicals and possible effects years down the road. Then one day in our research, we discovered Rynoskin Total. It’s chemical free, is comfortable, does not retain heat (in summer, this is important), and is impervious to Mosquitoes, Deer Ticks, other Ticks, Chiggers, No-See-Ums, Black Flies, Sand Fleas, Ants, Gnats and many other biting insects.It is a positive measure toward preventing Zika, Malaria, West Nile, Dengue, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis and other vector borne illnesses.
Could there be anything better?Not for me. At least not yet in our world of technology.This suit brings total comfort and peace of mind to me as an outdoorsman and to my family.
My first question was, why didn’t I know about this sooner? I’m a turkey hunter, deer hunter, walk-in-high-grass trout angler, and if you get the picture, I’m outdoors a lot in the places where deer ticks that carry Lyme disease like to be too.
Rynoskin Total is specifically designed to be worn underneath your clothing. This unique concept provides for comfort, breathability, stealth movement and eliminates snags against brush. The Rynoskin is stretchable and it fits snuggly and comfortably on your body over your under-garments, but under your exterior clothing.
It provides insect protection in a form that will stretch to accommodate all different body sizes. Many over-garment insect protection suits are hot, make noise when you move and snag against the brush as you sneak about the woods stalking that next trophy deer. I tried this suit. It does it all. Rynoskin Total is ultra-lightweight, body-forming, cool, and comfortable.
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For my grandkids, the best part about Rynoskin Total is the chemical free nature of this product. They have a future to live. It is completely safe to use and it is effective no matter how many times you wash it over time. The suit protects the user by the unique weave of the fabric and the form fitting elastic cuffs that create the ultimate barrier against biting insects. This body suit is so comfortable that you forget you have it on.
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If it matters to you, the suits come in various colors, but a lighter color will allow you to find ticks on your suit more easily, the whole time knowing that they cannot penetrate your Rynoskin.That’s comfort.
The Rynoskin Total suits are scientifically tested and made in the USA.I’m sold. A little over $100 for the whole thing. Cheap at 1,000 times the cost if you have been affected by Lyme disease and understand you might be taking 32 pills and one injection every day for years while you moan in pain. That all makes it really affordable for my way of thinking.
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We all look for better ways to share in the bounty of fat-free deer meat found on our lands across this great country, here is one easy recipe that will make old, new or tough deer meat, as tasty as can be. Joe Forma photo
By Fern Fisher
Many of my outdoor guide friends in the mid-west and northeast use this recipe, or a recipe quite similar to this one, to share in the bounty of fat-free deer meat found and harvested on our lands across this great country. It’s easy, tasty and healthy.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground venison
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs, adjust with addition of water to mix for proper burger forming consistency
1/4 -1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion
2 tbsp. minced garlic
¼ cup tomato ketchup
3-4 tsp Olive oil for coating alum foil
1 can Campbell’s mushroom soup
1 large fresh Portabella mushroom
1 fresh sweet pepper, color of your choice
Salt, Pepper, ground Chives
Mixing ingredients: Add the beaten egg, garlic, sweet onion, ketchup, a ½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of black pepper to the ground venison. Add enough water to make the mix pliable, the ingredients will combine to a delicious flavor. Add enough Italian bread crumps to keep mixture from becoming too watery. Form about 4-5 burger patties by hand that are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
Poaching – Can use Grill or Oven: Cut some aluminum foil large enough to fold around two burgers so a seam can be made on the top for two burger patties. Coat the area where the burgers will be placed with a few drops of olive oil. Place the burgers. Add one full tablespoon of undiluted Campbell’s mushroom soup to the top of each burger. Top with slices of Portabella mushroom, top with thin slices of sweet onion and thin slices of red, yellow or green pepper. Then close up the aluminum foil making it a bag-like compartment, making the foil almost airtight. Before closing completely, place 3-4 Tbsp. of water inside the folded foil with the burger (for steam).
Place the foiled burger in a 325 degree oven for 15 minutes, or on a grill (low) for 20-25 minutes. The goal is for a finished burger that is done, but not over-done. Remove from heat just when the water you added has been boiling for 2-3 minutes (you can hear it if you’re on the grill).
The foil keeps all the moisture in and allows the meat to cook in its own juices. It’s a mini-pressure cooker! This is easy and if you prepare ahead of time, you can cook 30 – 40 burgers for a small army of visitors all at once.
Add a slice of fresh sweet onion, a fresh leaf of lettuce, a fresh slice of tomato and your favorite topping condiments. My family simply enjoys the flavor without any additional toppings. Another option, of course, is to add a slice of your favorite cheese.
Of course, all of this on a hard roll of your choice, unless you’re watching the carbs.
Water Temp Rising Now, Salmon Hitting with Fish to 22 Pounds
Smallmouth Bass Fishing is Good on Upper and Lower Niagara River
Southtowns Lake Erie Walleye Contest runs June 10-18
Niagara County, NY; June 9, 2017. Despite record high water levels in Lake Ontario, salmon and trout fishing continues to be good in the lake, although it did slow down a bit with the recent east winds. Some good fishing was being reported over the weekend from Tanner Niezgoda, of Newfane, while fishing out of Olcott.
Jason Krebs with a pretty Lake Trout taken in the Lower Niagara River on a drift.
Best depths were 60 to 80 feet down over 150 to 300 feet of water with spoons and flasher-fly combos. Salmon up to 22 pounds were caught by Tanner and his sister.
Many of the captains have been tight-lipped on information with the Orleans County Open happening this weekend. Be forewarned about the Niagara Bar with a report that moss is starting to come down through the river system.
In the LowerNiagara River, the fishing has been good to very good the past week. Steelhead and lake trout are still holding on, but they probably won’t be around for long as the water nears the 60 degree mark. Minnows, Kwikfish and MagLips were all working on trout from boats up in Devil’s Hole; shore casters in the gorge have been using tubes, swim baits and marabou jigs.
That same hardware will also work on smallmouth bass downriver, but Chuck Booker of Amherst proved that his signature in-line spinners can also catch bass by going 17 for 20 on his last outing this week north of the sand docks in Lewiston.
Yes, some moss is starting to show up, but you can still catch fish just fine. It will continue to get worse, though, as the month progresses. Outdoor Writer Mike Brown of Ohio came into town over the weekend and his crew of family and friends managed to catch about 40 fish while fishing with Capt. Joe Marra of Lewiston. Tip of the week: Don’t set your rod down to take a picture for your story in the Niagara River without reeling in a little line first. Anyone who hooks into a nice spinning outfit in the river with a brand new reel on it could be returned to Capt. Joe.
Tanner Niezgoda, of Newfane, New York, Caught a beautiful lake Trout fishing Lake Ontario out of Olcott Harbor.
Upper Niagara River bass fishing also continues to be good. Remember that the regular season doesn’t open until the third Saturday in June (June 17 this year) and if you are targeting bass, you must use artificial baits. Speaking of bass, the Annual Opening Day Bass Contest sponsored each year by Kelly’s Korners will NOT be held this year. Organizers for the tournament didn’t want to see the big bass end up in a fish fry and they decided to retire the event to help protect the resource. Some walleye are being caught at the head of the river and at the head of Strawberry Island on worm harnesses and jigs. This could be a sleeper area for the Southtowns Walleye Association’s tournament that kicks off on Saturday, June 10. www.southtownswalleye.org
To help Celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week, there will be a Free Fishing Clinic at Ellicott Creek Park on Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call Mike Todd at 851-7010 to pre-register – although it’s not required.
Just a quick reminder on water levels: There is still a state of emergency along the Lake Ontario shoreline for high water levels. This isn’t really going to affect the fishing that much, but the Niagara County Sheriff is asking that boats creating a wake stay at least 600 feet from shore. This doesn’t include trolling. Caution is advised for floating debris when you are out in the lake moving around. The problem seems to be launching. The best spot to be right now is the Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott. Fort Niagara has an open launch, but you need boots up to your knees or above. Golden Hill State Park launch is closed and Wilson-Tuscarora Park is day to day (but you need hip boots there, too). It’s worth the effort for the good fishing!!
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE-RGR) announced (June 07, 2017) that it is recalling all Mark IV™ pistols (including 22/45™ models) manufactured prior to June 1, 2017. Ruger recently discovered that the pistols have the potential to discharge unintentionally if the safety is not utilized correctly.
In particular, if the trigger is pulled while the safety lever is midway between the “safe” and “fire” positions (that is, the safety is not fully engaged or fully disengaged), the pistol may not fire when the trigger is pulled. However, if the trigger is released and the safety lever is then moved from the mid position to the “fire” position, the pistol may fire at that time.
Although only a small percentage of Mark IV pistols appear to be affected and the Company is not aware of any injuries, Ruger is firmly committed to safety and would like to retrofit all potentially affected pistols with an updated safety mechanism.
As a responsible manufacturer, Ruger wants to make its customers aware of this FREE safety upgrade. All Mark IV pistols with serial numbers beginning with “401” (2017 models) or “WBR” (2016 models) are subject to the recall. Mark IV owners should visit the Mark IV Recall website at Ruger.com/MarkIVRecall to look up the serial number of their Mark IV and verify if it is subject to the recall, sign up for the recall, and obtain additional information.
The new parts are being built and Ruger will retrofit Mark IV pistols on a first-come, first-served basis. When Ruger is ready to retrofit a consumer’s pistol, a prepaid USPS box with a shipping label and detailed packaging and shipping instructions will be sent to the consumer.
The consumer should return only the grip frame assembly to Ruger. Ruger will install the updated safety mechanism, and return the grip frame assembly, free of charge. All retrofitted grip frame assemblies will be returned with a free magazine as a “thank you” for consumers’ patience and cooperation. The Company will make every effort to return each pistol within one week of the day it arrives at Ruger.
Ruger strongly recommends that consumers not use their Mark IV pistols until the safety retrofit has been installed.
Fishing from a very windy Sunset Bay in Irving, NY, retired Charter Captain Bob Rustowicz and teammates, caught a few walleye from Day 1 of the Southtowns walleye Association Tournament in Lake Erie.
The night bite along the nearshore reefs has fallen off. Most walleye anglers are now targeting daylight hours and catches have been slowly improving in 40-60 feet of water near major spawning areas. Productive methods include trolling with worm harnesses or stickbaits just off the bottom, or by slow trolling (1 mph or less) with a bottom bouncing rig and worm harness. Working deeper edges off the walleye spawning structures is also worth a try. Some walleye anglers are still doing well at night off the Buffalo Harbor’s outer breakwalls out to 30 feet of water, with a few catches inside the harbor as well. There have been some decent yellow perch catches recently out of Cattaraugus Creek starting in 60 feet of water. Anglers fishing in around 50 feet of water report plenty of nuisance goby. Live emerald shiners fished near the bottom work best for perch.
Smallmouth bass are still available in and around Lake Erie harbors and their breakwalls. Early this week, Dunkirk Harbor anglers were catching between 15-35 smallmouth per outing. On Lake Erie, depths of 20-30 feet of water over rocky shoals has recently been productive. Good spots to try include Myers Reef, Seneca Shoal, Evans Bar and Van Buren Reef. Many smaller reefs, rock piles and humps will hold bass as well. Tube jigs, jigs with twister tails, deep diving stickbaits, live minnows and crayfish are good bass baits. For more information see the Smallmouth Bass Fishing on Lake Erie page.
Lake Erie Tributaries
Some smallmouth bass are still available in the Lake Erie tributaries. However, with low and warming waters in the small to medium streams, the bite is fading. Best chances for bass is in the lower end of Cattaraugus Creek.
Upper Niagara River
Smallmouth bass catches are on the rise around Grand Island. Bass fishing is by catch and release only, artificial lures only in the Niagara River north of the Peace Bridge, until the regular season opens on third Saturday in June.
Chautauqua Lake
Musky fishing along weedlines has been productive since the season opened. Good techniques include trolling large stickbaits along weed edges or casting stickbaits over weed beds and retrieving towards open water. There has been some decent walleye fishing during daylight hours. One group caught a bunch of keepers in 15-18 feet of water by drifting with bottom bouncing rig and worm harness and by trolling (1.3 mph) with harnesses or deep diving stickbaits. See the Fishing for Walleye page for more information. Yellow perch and sunfish seem to biting well lake-wide inside of 10 feet of water. Perch catches are also good in deeper areas.
Inland Trout Streams
Trout streams throughout the region are in great shape with moderate flows. Warming water temps also have more bug and fish feeding activity at the surface. Sub-surface nymphs are good bets early in the day, while dry flies can be productive in the afternoon. Look for hatches of March browns, sulphurs, caddis flies and stone flies on the streams that have them. Productive offerings for spinning anglers include worms, salted minnows and small inline spinners. Western New York anglers have a variety of Wild Trout Streams and Stocked Trout Streams to choose from. In addition, Public Fishing Rights Maps are available for many of the region’s best trout streams. Check out the Fishing For Stream Trout page for introductory information on trout baits, lures, equipment and fishing techniques.
Spring Trout Stocking
All of Region 9’s trout stocking waters have been stocked with all of designated stocking increments. For County lists of stocked waters check the Spring Trout Stocking 2017 page. Hatchery staff stocked some surplus two-year-old brown trout in the following waters between May 23rd and 26th: Genesee River – 400 brown trout from Wellsville to PA border; Cattaraugus Creek – 400 brown trout in Erie and Wyoming Counties; Cohocton River – 275 brown trout; Oatka Creek – 275 brown trout.
Genesee River Angler Diary Program
DEC Region 9 Fisheries Unit will be running an angler diary program for the Genesee River during 2017, and is currently looking for anglers to keep diaries. The diarist program aims to record data for trout and bass fishing trips on the Genesee River from the Pennsylvania line downstream through Letchworth State Park from March 1st through October 31st, 2017.
If you fish the Genesee River (even once) and would like to contribute your observations by keeping a diary, please call DEC Fisheries at (716) 379-6372 or email fwfish9@dec.ny.gov.
More Information:
If you need more fishing information or would like to contribute to the fishing report, please call or e-mail Mike Todd (716-851-7010; michael.todd@dec.ny.gov). Good Luck Fishing!
The fishing hotline can also be heard at (716) 679-ERIE or (716) 855-FISH.
Mayan chiclid are honest fighters on light gear and they can get quite large, this is 2-1/2 pound fish! This species and others are feared to be competing with native species in some areas, allowing FWC to issue a no-limit daily bag rule for anglers that enjoy consumption of the fish they catch. Conservation and protection can be delivered in many forms. Forrest Fisher Photo
While visitors are not normally familiar with catching fish that look like they might be from an aquarium, there are locals and visitors reporting many fantastic panfish catches.
Exotic panfish, such as oscar and Mayan cichlid, are biting almost as fast as you can cast or bait your hook. Low water levels in the marsh are concentrating fish in the L-67A and other canals of the Everglades Wildlife Management Area, and anglers are frequently reporting catches of multiple fish per hour.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) promotes the consumptive use of exotic fish as a management tool, and anglers are encouraged to take as many oscars and Mayan cichlids as they would like. There are no size or bag limits on these species.
“As is frequently the case, low water conditions near the end of a dry season have fish stacked up in the canals along the vegetated edges. Anglers are enjoying exceptional catch rates,” said Barron Moody, FWC regional freshwater fisheries administrator.
Concentrate your fishing effort close to shoreline vegetation or along the drop-offs near the banks. Good fishing can be had from shore or by boat. Live baits and artificial lures produce good catches in the WCAs. The preferred live baits are shiners, crickets, and worms. The top producing artificials are soft plastics rigged weedless, Beetle spins, crankbaits, and topwater poppers or chuggers.
Even if portions of EWMA are closed due to environmental conditions, the boat ramps and canals remain open for fishing.
So grab your fishing license and get out there while the fishing is hot.
Gun owners looking for an over and under shotgun they can use for everything from trap, skeet, sporting clays and upland bird and small game hunting will want to take a look at the new Cynergy CX shotgun from Browning.
Two models of the Cynergy CX are available, the Cynergy CX with a wood stock and the Cynergy CX Composite Charcoal model. Both models have a 60/40 point of impact (POI) and a light, nimble feel to please the most demanding shooters, both on the range and in the field.
The Cynergy CX is available with 30” or 32” barrels. The Cynergy CX model has a Grade 1 walnut stock with an Inflex recoil pad. The CX Composite model has a charcoal gray composite stock with black rubber overmolding in the grip areas and an Inflex Technology recoil pad.
Additional features:
·Steel silver nitride finished engraved receiver
·Ultra-low profile
·MonoLock hinge
·Lightweight profile
·Ventilated top and side ribs
·Floating top rib
·Matte blued finish
·Vector Pro lengthened forcing cones
·Three Invector-Plus Midas Grade choke tubes
·Adjustable length of pull
·Ivory front and mid-bead sights
Suggested retail prices:
·Cynergy CX – $1,739.99
·Cynergy CX Composite Charcoal Grey – $1,699.99
For more information on Browning products, please visit the website at www.browning.com.
Super Clean ammunition features zinc-core brass-jacketed bullets and are completely lead-free, both airborne and downrange, for the ultimate in indoor range performance and safety.
With more recreational pistol shooters than ever before and more interest among those shooters in becoming better prepared and more proficient behind the trigger, Winchester Ammunition continues to answer the demand for better performing, yet affordable ammunition options when it comes to training at the range. Enter the brand’s Super Clean line, which in 2017, will add a .45 ACP offering to the lineup.
Offerings now include:
.45 ACP – 160 gr.
9 mm Luger – 90-gr.
.40 S&W – 120-gr.
Super Clean ammunition features zinc-core brass-jacketed bullets and are completely lead-free, both airborne and downrange, for the ultimate in indoor range performance and safety. Super Clean comes 50 rounds per box.
“Winchester is committed to delivering more value-priced lead-free centerfire product options that are ideal for use on indoor ranges as the number of shooters visiting these ranges grows around the country. As one of the most popular rounds among handgun shooters, this latest .45 ACP ammunition is a testament to that commitment,” said Matt Campbell, Winchester Ammunition vice president of marketing and sales.
View a video about the Super Clean 2017 Handgun Ammunition.
View all of the product details about the new .45 ACP Ammunition.
About Winchester Ammunition: A world leader in delivering innovative products, Winchester is The American Legend, a brand built on integrity, hard work and a deep focus on its loyal customers. Learn more about the history of Winchester by visiting www.winchester.com or connect with us on Facebook at Facebook.com/WinchesterOfficial. Winchester Ammunition is a proud supporter of the NSSF’s Project ChildSafe. For more information on the Own It? Respect It. Secure It. Initiative™, please log on to: www.NSSF.org/ORS.
The up and down temperatures should continue at least through the middle of June according to the weather forecasters. The water levels on Lake Ontario are not expected to start dropping until the end of June at the earliest. Now that we have that out of the way, the good news is that Lake Ontario is open for the business of fishing and the signs are right for another great season.
Indications from the early trawls seem to show plenty of bait and the mild winter has contributed to that plus a longer season for growth of our sportfish.
Our marinas are hard at work raising their docks to combat the higher water levels. Captain’s Cove has their new office and tackle shop open at the top of the hill and Bald Eagle has operations in full swing.
The cooler temperatures and some East/Northeast winds have slowed the eastern progression of Chinook salmon just a bit, but that means that they will be bigger by the time they move this far East.
On Lake Alice catches of both Bluegill and Crappie are being taken, as well as bass, but please remember that bass are catch and release until the 3rd Saturday in June.
Information on the fishing in Lake Ontario out of Orleans County is slowing a bit due to the Condor Derby on the 9th of June and then the Orleans County Open Tournament on the 10th and 11th this year.
By the way this year you can fish this great tournament out of either Point Breeze or Bald Eagle Marina.
Lastly, please be mindful of the high-water conditions and slow to idle speed when entering and exiting our harbors and when close to our shoreline.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
There may by has no harder-fighting fish, even in Missouri!
This one’s not for the fish fry.
The “Grinnell’s” ancestors swam with dinosaurs.
Greg Stoner, Camdenton, hauled in this monster bowfin in late fall.
By Jim Low
Ask a dozen Missouri anglers what the Show-Me State’s hardest-fighting fish is, and you probably will hear the smallmouth bass mentioned. Stripers and hybrid striped bass will certainly come up, along with the mighty blue catfish and the fearsome muskellunge. Even the lowly goggle-eye and bluegill have their loyal followings. But take the survey down in the Bootheel Region, some sagacious minnow-dunkers will tell you that pound for pound, nothing strikes harder or fights more tenaciously than a bowfin.
Also known as grinnel, cypress trout, dogfish and mudfish, the bowfin (Amia calva) is not granted the dignity of being classified as a sport fish in Missouri. But if that title was based on mangled crankbaits and broken lines, the bowfin would top the sporting list. It has a pugilist’s build, stout and heavily muscled. And if you think muskies are torpedo-shaped, you haven’t handled a bowfin. Their bodies are as close to cylindrical as possible, while still possessing a head and tail.
The bowfin has had to earn its street creds over a period that spans geological ages. It and the gars are survivors of a family that swam with plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs 180 million years ago and an ancestor of most extant fish species.
Its native distribution encompasses the coastal plains of the southeastern and eastern United States, the Mississippi and Ohio valleys and southern Great Lakes, all the way to southern Ontario and Quebec. Beyond that, it has been introduced to parts of nearly every state east of Kansas.
Like gars, bowfins have swim bladders that double as lungs, sucking in air to obtain oxygen when their gills can’t glean enough from water. This permits them to survive conditions that would spell doom for most fish. In Louisiana, farmers occasionally turn up live bowfins when plowing crop fields in low-lying areas. Presumably, some of these fish would survive until the next time neighboring streams flooded, if not for levees that keep cropland dry throughout the summer.
Bowfins can reach impressive sizes. The pole-and-line record is 19 pounds for Missouri, not that much short of the International Game Fish Association’s all-tackle record of 21.5 pounds. Most caught in Missouri weigh around 5 pounds. That raises the question of how you catch one. The answer is “very carefully.”
Bowfins lack the bony spines that make handing catfish, bass and bluegills tricky, but their mouths make up for this disadvantage. Hundreds of small, razor-sharp teeth line their capacious mouths, and they know how to use them. It’s not unusual for a bowfin to thrash about wildly while being unhooked, grabbing a finger, hand or any other available portion of an unlucky angler’s anatomy. Those teeth also come into play before bowfins reach the boat. Abrasion-resistant monofilament or high-tech braided line made of Kevlar-like material are a must when angling for bowfins.
In fact, most hooked cypress trout never make it to land, boat or net. They have a variety of escape strategies other than sawing through line with their formidable dentition. The most common is brute strength. Drag settings that are sensible for bass can result in parted line when one of these brawlers makes a power run. Better to err on the light side at first. On the other hand, failure to cinch down the drag enough can be costly too. Strategy No. 2 is making for the nearest submerged log or root wad and executing a quick 180-degree turn that negates the flex of your fishing rod. Given a solid anchor point to pull against, a bowfin will find a weak spot in your line every time.
Bowfins have bony mouths, so sharp, stout hooks and low-stretch lines are helpful in making positive hook sets. Once your drag stops screaming like a cat with its tail in a blender, don’t attempt to muscle a bowfin in. Trying to land or net one before wearing it down is a sure way to lose it. Even a seemingly worn-out bowfin can rally for a few more runs. When you do get it within reach, use pliers – not bare hands – to work the hook loose.
Medium to stiff-action bass rods and quality baitcasting reels are best for this critter. For terminal tackle, anything that would work for largemouth bass or flathead catfish is a good bet. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, noisy top-water plugs, jig and pork frog, buzz-baits and dark plastic worms all are proven bowfin baits. So are live minnows, cut shad and crayfish.
Aaron Horrell, outdoor columnist for the Southeast Missourian in Cape Girardeau, uses cut bait like this sunfish head to catch bowfins.
Bowfins are most active between dusk and dawn, when they prowl the shallows. Unlike most other fish, bowfins perfer tepid water, and they will bite all day long right through the hottest months. Daytime fishing is most productive in deeper water.
Muskies have nothing on bowfins when it comes to vicious strikes. Not for nothing, does an Arkansas friend of mine call the bowfin “Dr. Death.” Also like muskies, bowfins sometimes follow bait all the way to boat or land before striking.
Bowfins are virtually absent from the Missouri River, probably because 99 percent of suitable habitat there disappeared decades ago under the tender ministrations of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoE). In the Mississippi River, they are more common above St. Louis, ironically again thanks to the CoE, which has created a series of impoundments. But if you really want to catch cypress mudfish, Swamp East Missouri is the place for you. Several Conservation Areas (CAs) in the region offer good bowfin fishing, but the gold standard is the wetland complex comprised by Duck Creek CA and Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. With a combined area of more than 27,000 acres, these two areas offer a lifetime of exploring. Much of Mingo is trackless swamp, best accessed by canoe or kayak. Duck Creek is much more accessible and produced, both, the current pole-and-line record (19 pounds, 1963) and alternative-methods record (13 pounds, 6 ounces, 2013).
By all accounts, the bowfin is far from first-rate table fare. If not filleted and iced immediately, their flesh becomes mushy, and even then, it has a strong fishy taste. This critter is the poster child for catch-and-release fishing.
To the east, the lower Current, Black, Little Black and St. Francis Rivers, and their associated sloughs and backwaters, all have significant bowfin populations. I sometimes wonder how the Asian snakehead will fare if it ever faces head-to-head competition with Missouri’s official bayou badass. I wouldn’t bet on the invader.
Logan Simpson of Maryland reels in his first salmon ever fishing out of Olcott with Thrillseeker Charters.
Fishing is great in Lake Ontario and the Niagara River as National Fishing and Boating Week approaches June 3 to 11!
Despite record high water levels in the lake, salmon and trout fishing continue to be good in the lake. Some good fishing was being reported over the holiday weekend from John Van Hoff of North Tonawanda while fishing out of Wilson and Olcott. Best depths were 60 to 100 feet down over 200 to 300 feet of water with spoons and flasher-fly combos. Salmon up to 23 pounds were reported the past week. The last day of the month, Capt. Bob Stevens of Sunrise Charters sends word that he did well on salmon west of Wilson in 150 to 170 feet of water so spring action is continuing. East winds have helped to keep salmon boxed in off the shores of Niagara USA.
Phillip Koprowski from North Tonawanda out-dueled this big 23 pound salmon while fishing with Wet Net Charters. It was a rainy day, but they limited out by 9:30 a.m.
In the Niagara River, the lower section below Niagara Falls is still holding some trout, including lakers and steelhead. Kwikfish lures worked for Capt. Arnie Jonathan of Lockport last weekend. They boated walleye, bass, suckers and silver bass. One sucker was a potential state record had they known.
Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls hauled in this big silver bass from the shores of the lower Niagara River on a jig.
Capt. Frank Campbell of Niagara Falls had a few banner days on smallmouth bass casting the shoreline with stickbaits and jerk baits. MagLips were working for trout, fished off three-way rigs. The silver bass action continues to be very good for drifters and shoreline casters. From shore, try tossing jigs or spinners.
Upper Niagara River bass fishing continues to be good. Remember that the regular season doesn’t open until the third Saturday in June (June 17 this year) and if you are targeting bass, you must use artificial baits. Some walleye are being caught at the head of the river and at the head of Strawberry Island on worm harnesses and jigs. Capt. Ryan Shea of Tonawanda also likes to target large carp this time of year on some of the flats, using crayfish imitation flies. Seek out the flats where these fish will be spawning. They can be a lot of fun!
As we mentioned, National Fishing and Boating Week is June 3 through 11. To help celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week, Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge is hosting its 26th Annual Youth Fishing Derby, on Saturday, June 3. The event will be held at Ringneck Overlook, on Oak Orchard Ridge Road. On-site registration begins at 7:30 am. There is no pre-registration or reservations required. Fishing is from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. The event is free and open to youths 17 years old and under, with no experience necessary. If this is your first time, some fishing gear will be available to borrow. Certificates will be awarded for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place participants in three age categories: 7 years and under, 8-12 and 13-17 years.
Record sucker? Capt. Arnie Jonathan of Lockport holds up what could have been a state record. We will never know because it was released.
For the boating end of things, there will be a vessel examination on June 3 by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliaryat the Lewiston Landing boat launch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call Tom Chiappone for more information at 772-7242.
Just a quick reminder on water levels: There is still a state of emergency along the Lake Ontario shoreline for high water levels. This isn’t really going to affect the fishing that much, but the Niagara County Sheriff is asking that boats creating a wake stay at least 600 feet from shore. This doesn’t include trolling. Caution is advised for floating debris when you are out in the lake moving around. The problem seems to be launching. The best spot to be right now is the Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott. Fort Niagara has an open launch, but you need boots up to your knees or above.
Golden Hill State Park launch is closed and Wilson-Tuscarora Park is day to day (but you need hip boots there, too).
May 28, 2017; Bison City Rod & Gun Club, Buffalo, N.Y.
141 Kids, 322 Total Attendance; 21 Volunteers; 8-Learning Stations
There is something very special about that first fish! Kids and parents found adventure and fun while learning about rods, reels, bobbers and fish-catching at Bison City Rod & Gun Club in Buffalo, NY.
By Forrest Fisher
The forecast for rain and fog was swept aside when bright, sunny skies with a gentle 75 degree breeze surprised families with kids from Buffalo and Western New York. They came to fish and learn at Bison City Rod & Gun Club for the 13th Annual Jimmy Griffin Memorial Teach-Me-To-Fish event.
Each youth carried a personal registration card with their first name, last initial and age. When the kids achieved learning at each station, the station captain would hole punch the card, when all the stations were completed, the youth was eligible to drop the card into the raffle hopper for one of 76 free rod/reel rigs.
Once a polluted waterway that would burn from the heat of a lighted match, today the Buffalo River waterfront is clean, alive, and hopping with fish, kayaks, canoes and kids with fishing poles. The Buffalo-Niagara Riverkeeper Group is a big part of the clean-up progress.
The kids and their families all learned a bit more about the adventure of the outdoors through the fun of fishing, many for the very first time!
While the river was running a bit muddy from recent heavy rains, the steady flow of riverfront kayakers, sailboats, canoes and power boats showed proof that water color is not a deterrent. Kids fishing from the Bison City fishing pier were busy. Even single adults without kids came to discover the fun and adventure of “how-to-fish”. More and more people want to know.
Lynda Kollar, Rose Barus and Linda Cooley energized a positive first-moment connection with folks at the registration welcome station.
Inner city kids and parent, guardians and many others discovered the fun of fishing with the Buffalo city skyline in full view.
Kids and parents learned “How-To-Fish” and what to do from Western New York bass pro, Scott Gauld, who took time to share “easy tips” for everyone in the program. He explained that catching a fish with a rod and reel (bait or artificial lure) is not only possible, it is fun and not difficult. Gauld provided that special seal of “sure-fun is right around the corner” that only a professional angler might be able to influence for new onlookers. Kids went away looking for the fishing pier!
Marine Unit 2 with Erie County Sheriff Tim Dusza and his team, provided tours of their vessel. Everyone learned about water-safety, kids were allowed to blow the horn and turn on the flashing lights. Big smiles there!
Russ Johnson and Bob Carlson, members of the East Aurora Fish & Game Club, who have perfected the system for educating kids and parents on how to tie a perfect Palomar Knot and Clinch Knot, taught everyone how to tie on a hook in only a few seconds.
Rigging a weedless plastic bait, a plastic worm or jig tail, was made easy with a hands-on demonstration by junior Bassmasters Alex Gauld and Collin Voss, as they provided each youth with a souvenir plastic creature bait sample from Cabela’s. The kids could use the bait to fish with or take home. The girls seemed to pick the pink squiggly-tail crayfish!
Environmental Conservation Officer, Jeff Jondel, and firearm safety instructor, Joe Mills, provided hands-on firearm safety training. They shared the rules of responsibility for parents and kids, so they could experience the Cabela’s BB-Gun Range, an inflated and fully enclosed, fully safe, “bounce house” style event. The NRA safety-instructors provided easy 1, 2, 3 steps for responsible use of a firearm, using a BB-gun. Kids and parents took turns checking their aim using Daisy Red Ryder BB-Guns, shooting at suspended souvenir paper targets. Happy kids took their targets home with ear-to-ear smiles as souvenirs.
Lifetime youth educator and certified New York State Archery champion, Paul Stoos, worked with Earl Farrel, Sr., to provide first-time how-to lessons for kids at the Cabela’s Archery Booth, using air-suspended floating ball targets.
Charter Captain Jerry May and walleye master, Ted Malota, taught kids how to cast a spincast fishing rod with hookless casting baits. The kids were sailing their lines a very long way toward hula-hoop targets in just minutes. Ted shared, “Wow, some of these kids are really good with so little practice!” Fun for all!
The kids and adults fished from “George’s Landing,” the legacy honor name for the Bison City fishing pier. It was a fun and exciting adventure station for kids, even more exciting for some parents who had never touched a live fish before. On-site fishing educator, Dave Solowski, provided eager kids with bait, pre-rigged rods, reels, bobbers, hooks, split-shot and plenty of nightcrawler bait supplied by Weekley’s Worms. Weekly’s Worms provides more than 50 million redworms and nightcrawlers to anglers every year. Imagine that!
Dockside outfitter, Donna Kayes, provided solid “pre-fish confidence” while outfitting each youth with a life-preserver before entering the fishing pier area. Several first-fish catches were recorded, with new adventure and fun had by all. The fish were placed in the aerated “Lunker Pool” and released by the kids after the event. Kids that did not catch a fish enjoyed seeing the swimming fish that others caught. After the event, the kids helped release all the fish to swim another day, a meaningful lesson in conservation for our youth.
Lyme disease is a serious killer of healthy fun and life. “It starts with deer ticks,” says instructor, Sheri Voss, as she uses dolls and explains details to stay safe in a manner that little kids and their parents can understand.
At the newest learning station, “OUTDOOR AWARENESS,” outdoor educator, Sheri Voss, provided hands-on lessons for families with advice on how to stay prepared, protected, informed and proactive, whenever they head outdoors. There was special focus on deer ticks and the Lyme disease outbreak in northeast USA.
As families completed the learning station tours, a 70-page slide show was shown on the 7-foot screen indoors, allowing for continued fishing and outdoor adventure education. While observing the screen, the kitchen crew provided world famous Sahlen’s grill-cooked hot dogs, Perry’s Ice Cream, Paula’s Donuts, Gwen Jozwiak’s hand-made “fish cupcakes,” beverages and other munchies.
During the random gear raffle, 76 happy youths won a free rod/reel combo. Everyone else, adults too, took home fishing maps, tackle, and special prizes from the “Bison City Tackle Treasure Chest.”
The kids and the adults were all BIG WINNERS!
This special youth outreach event is annual event sponsored and coordinated by the Bison City Rod & Gun Club with special thanks to Ted and Doraine Malota, Cabela’s, Erie County Federation of Sportsmen, WNY Safari Club, Sahlen’s Meat Packing, the Norby Antonik Foundation, Weekley’s Bait, Paula’s Donuts and 21 dedicated volunteers who donated their time to help youth and their families learn more about the outdoors through the fun of fishing!
Serious hunters take note. Nockturnal continues to take all the guesswork out of adding the benefit of lighted nocks to your quiver with the introduction of its new FIT universal-lighted nock designed to fit X, GT, S and H diameter arrows.
Color choice options include Red, Green or a patent-pending Red/Green Strobe.
The Nockturnal FIT includes Nock Collar adapter sleeves in three different sizes, simplifying equipment selection and making color choice—either Red, Green or a patent-pending Red/Green Strobe—the only real shopping decision.
The Nockturnal FIT features ultra-strong, impact resistant, clear-polycarbonate nock construction encapsulating the super-bright red, green or red/green strobing LEDs that are activated by a patented string-activated, piston-driven contact switch. Like all Nockturnal nocks, the FIT is guaranteed to activate immediately when the string is released, and it can be switched off quickly and easily with the Nockturnal Nock Tool, a small screwdriver or most broadhead tips via an opening in the side of the nock.
With a base nock sized for X arrows, Nocturnal FIT nocks are packaged in a three-pack that also includes three Nock Collars for each nock that fit tightly to GT, S and H arrows. Each Nock Collar is marked with its intended arrow diameter, and once fully seated on the FIT, the adapter sleeve and nock become locked together for absolute reliability.
With well in excess of 20 hours of lithium battery life, each Nockturnal FIT will remain brightly lit for plenty of time for arrow retrieval and can be easily spotted in daylight hours as well as at night. The Red/Green Strobe Fit nock alternates 400 times a minute between the two colors.
Weighing around 25 grains, each Nockturnal FIT is waterproof and shockproof, and a three-pack with adapters retails for $34.99. The FIT nocks are available at retailers nationwide or conveniently online at www.nockturnal.com.
Headquartered in Superior, Wis., Nockturnal is a leading designer and manufacturer of lighted nocks for arrows and crossbow bolts. Nockturnal’s unique, patented, bow-string-activated, piston-driven assembly ensures LED illumination every time. Nockturnal nocks feature super-bright LEDs and long-life lithium batteries for superior illumination that lasts. Nockturnal also manufactures the Predator line of lighted crossbow bolts. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of FeraDyne Outdoors, LLC. For more information on the company or its products, visit www.nockturnal.com; or write to Nockturnal, 101 Main Street, Superior, WI 54880; or call 866-387-9307.
When everything goes right, your stalk the long way around to expected turkey location is rewarded.
Heavy rain and wind can put the turkeys in a funk where they don’t gobble or respond to calls. Severe rain can wash out nests, which means hens must breed again, thus prolonging the “henned up” effect every turkey hunter dreads. Other times, such as late season, gobblers can be plain uncooperative and won’t investigate decoys or your calling.
So what do you do?
Simple. It’s time to get on your feet and close the distance. Although it’s not quite the same as a strutting tom marching into your decoys, spot and stalk turkey hunting can be just as exciting and rewarding, though your safety is of key interest in manner of hunting.
I have enjoyed much success stalking turkeys on secure, private land, but learned the most from my failures. Whether you are by yourself or with a hunting partner, I have learned several strategies to follow when you begin your stalk.
Before you begin any spot and stalk, be sure of your surroundings and possible hunters that may be in your area. I highly recommend you only do this on private land.
SPOTTING
This might seem like the easy part, but there are several factors you must keep in mind.
First, turkeys always find a way to be where you least expect. As you approach your glassing point, stay in cover and below the line of sight of the area you think may have turkeys. Always abide by the rule that if you can see out in the field, then whatever is out there can see you.
Also, stay in the shadows as much as possible, which should be relatively easy if you have good timber. Ideally, you will make your way to a spot where you can see a good distance across a field that may be a strutting zone. Along with a large field of view, your glassing point should be accessible to a good route to make your stalk.
Next, move slowly until you spot your bird. One of the biggest mistakes I have made is quickly glancing across a field, seeing nothing, and then hustling to my next viewing area. It is only then I realize I’ve spooked a strutting tom standing below a rise in the field I could not see from my first position.
Many people hunt from a blind to start their day. If you’re like me, you have had plenty of times where birds hang up in the distance or won’t commit because they are with hens. During set-up, be sure to position your blind so the entrance is facing away from where the turkeys are likely to be located. In case you need to close the distance on foot, that allows you to exit your blind into cover without disturbing the turkeys.
STALKING
Once you have eyes on a gobbler, the fun part begins. You will proceed with many of the same strategies you used to spot him.
Stalking works best in certain conditions. After a rain or in the early morning when everything is still damp, you can move much quieter. In addition, use the wind to your advantage. If you must cover a large distance quickly, move as far as you can when the wind picks up and stop when it dies down again. And remember the golden rule, if you are in sight of the field, whatever is in the field can see you too. Stay below their line of sight!
If your turkey is on the move, always take the long way around to get out in front. It might be more work, but I have failed most of the time when I tried to take the most direct route to the birds. Taking the long way around allows you to stay in better cover and leaves more room for error on your part. For example, you will inevitably step on a fallen branch in your haste. If you’ve maintained a wide circle, inadvertent noises or movement shouldn’t spook the turkey.
As you get closer, you will more than likely lose sight of the birds at times. When you stop to check the position of your gobbler, be sure you are next to a large tree or thick brush. This will allow you to hide quickly in case he surprises you.
SHOOTING
If you follow the above guidelines, you will most likely end up with a shot opportunity. You can always increase your chances by carrying a turkey fan with you as well. Pop that up in front of you, in sight of the tom and many times he will close the distance running right at you!
Most importantly, remember to use the rules of hunter safety and to always be aware of your surroundings!
Spot and stalk is best done in an area where you are certain no other hunters are around. In some parts of the country, this manner of hunting is not permitted.
Brandon Palaniuk covered Sam Rayburn Reservoir from “three foot to 30 foot” with three baits to win his third Bassmaster Elite Series tournament, weighing four 5-fish limits for a combined weight of 93 pounds, 12 ounces. Edging out the runner-up by 2 pounds, the Idaho pro caught all his fish on a Storm® Arashi™ Top Walker lure and two bait rigs armed and anchored with VMC® hooks and weights.
And although he conceded it “sounds crazy,” Palaniuk caught all his biggest fish on the smallest thing he offered them – a Neko Rig comprising a 1/0 VMC Weedless Neko Hook, a 3/16th oz. Half Moon Wacky Weight and a 5-inch finesse worm.
“It’s what I caught all my big fish on this week,” said Palaniuk, a VMC pro and seven-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier. “Every fish I caught over 8 pounds this week came on a Neko Rig.”
VMC’s Half Moon Wacky Weight is mushroom-shaped and features a long, ribbed shank designed to embed in – and stay put in – one end of a soft-plastic worm. The Weedless Neko Hook is a new VMC finesse offering that won’t be for sale until after July, when it will be officially unveiled at ICAST, the sport-fishing industry’s largest tradeshow.
Weedless Neko Hooks feature a black-nickel finish, a wide gap, 3-degree offset point, a resin-closed eye and a forged, long shank. They’re available in four sizes: 2, 1, 1/0 and 2/0. What makes them weedless is a unique snag-guard made from two heavy-duty fluorocarbon bristles.
Unlike wire, the 50-pound-test fluorocarbon bristles guarding a Weedless Neko Hook are practically invisible to fish. They also protect the hook from the kind of submerged trees and brush that Palaniuk was fishing on Sam Rayburn.
Palaniuk’s confidence in his Weedless Neko Hook’s ability to avoid snags paid off early, when he caught an 8-pound, 4-ounce largemouth out of a submerged tree on the first of the tournament’s four days of competition. Without that confidence, he might not have tried a finesse offering around sunken trees as a follow-up to his Texas Rig (5/0 VMC Heavy Duty Wide Gap Hook, ½ oz. VMC Tungsten Flippin’ Weight and 10-inch plum-colored worm).
Palaniuk’s third “key” bait was a Storm Arashi Top Walker, a topwater lure that walks-the-dog with ease. “Every single day I caught a big one on it,” he said.
When the Top Walker was first released last year, Palaniuk predicted he’d enjoy great success with it. “It’s the best walk-the-dog bait by far now,” he said then. “It’s going to up my odds of putting more fish in the boat.”
Top Walker Calls ‘Em In Storm’s Arashi Top Walker strides true even when retrieved fast, having been purpose-built to eliminate the missed opportunities all too common with lesser topwater options. A long-glide walk-the-dog action, a powerful wake and a multi-ball cadence rattle combine to make the Top Walker a seductive little siren sure to call in the biggest bass from the farthest distance. It’s available in both a 4 ½-inch and 5 1/8-inch size.
Top Walkers feature four bearings that broadcast a variable pitch frequency, mimicking the sound of schooling baitfish that predators can’t ignore. Rotated hook hangers, a feature of all baits in the Arashi lineup, ensure that all of the Top Walker’s three sticky-sharp trebles will grab fish and not let go.
Neko Rigs a Hot Trend “The Neko Rig is one of the hottest new finesse trends going around right now,” VMC Pro Michael Iaconelli said recently. “If you use traditional finesse techniques, like soft stick baits and wacky rigs, give this Neko Rig a try. You’re going to catch fish you never thought you’d catch before.”
Bass usually hit Neko Rigs on the initial fall. A semi-slack line is key. “When you let the Neko Rig fall on a semi-slack line, it falls almost backwards at an angle,” Iaconelli explained. “It’s this natural, erratic glide that drives fish nuts.”
Although Neko Rigs are productive year-round, most anglers favor them in the post-spawn and summer. “It really shines once the fish get offshore a little bit and grouped up,” says fellow VMC pro Seth Feider, who used Neko Hooks to win a Bassmaster tournament last year.
In his Sam Rayburn win, Palaniuk threw Neko Rigs on a 7-foot, medium-action spinning rod spooled with 10-pound-test line. Light line is key to allowing the rig the best fish-attracting action.
VMC Heavy Duty Wide Gap Hook Pegs Winning Fish Built tough for worry-free use around heavy cover, VMC’s Heavy Duty Wide Gap hook features an offset behind the eye that arches away from – and then back toward – the hook bend, making it ideal for larger softbaits. A three-degree twist in the hook body provides instant and hassle-free hooksets.
The last hook Palaniuk set on Sam Rayburn was indeed a VMC Heavy Duty Wide Gap, with which he stuck a 5-pound, 15-ounce largemouth with only 24 minutes remaining before the tournament ended at 3 p.m. Keeping that fish buttoned up and into the boat won him the tournament.
“Without that fish at 2:36, there’d be a different dude standing up here right now,” he said.
And that wasn’t just hyperbole – the tournament runner-up caught a 6-pound bass at 2:30 p.m. to take an unofficial lead. Palaniuk’s 2:36 p.m. catch gave him a 2-pound margin of victory.
Chuck Swanderski, a member of the Doc Fritchey Trout Unlimited Chapter, volunteers his time to teach youngsters and oldsters about the fun of fly fishing. Forrest Fisher Photo
Fly fishing for trout is a new adventure for fishermen more familiar with trolling for Great Lakes walleye or casting for tournament bass.That makes it a new adventure for yours truly.
The new unfamiliar tool? A lightweight fly rod about eight-feet in length with a single-action reel that holds a heavy-looking fluorescent color “fly line” with a long, fine, clear leader tied to the end.
We were fishing Quittapahilla Creek, a small stream in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania (near the candy-making city of Hershey), known locally as the “Quittie,” and my mentor for the day, Chuck Swanderski, a member of the Doc Fritchey Trout Unlimited Chapter, shared some of the history of this waterway.
For newcomers to fly fishing, the choices are many, including dry flies, wet flies, streamers and nymphs. Forrest Fisher Photo
The creek starts as a clear, clean, upward bubbling spring, just a few miles upstream from where we were standing.Problem was that it had become an industrial waste discharge outlet for 80 years ending just after WWII.At that time, the stream was dead with little aquatic life and no fish.From WWII until about 1990, the area had become a waste dump when concerned citizens started a clean-up with organized angler groups.They petitioned for grant monies and project funding from state and federal sources, and got them.
Tying a 2-fly rig is simple with the right instruction, as the first fly is tied normally, the second fly is attached by a short 12-inch leader to the curved shank of the first fly.Forrest Fisher Photo
Trout Unlimited assisted with the hard work and planning efforts, providing manpower for stream improvement that included invasive plant removal, stream clean-up, riparian buffer tree plantings, bank retainer netting, in-stream boulder structure placement and habitat construction, cedar chip trails (anti-deer tick), safety-minded access, parking areas, stream stocking and harvest monitoring.And more.
The downstream areas of the riffles created from water flow over the in-stream boulder placements become highly oxygenated, providing preferred comfort zones for oxygen-seeking trout.They are also preferred areas for anglers to ply their skills with fly presentations.
The 2-fly rig is effective when aquatic insects are present in healthy streambeds and are drifting along in the current.Forrest Fisher Photo
For this day, Chuck provided me with an intro to learning on-stream etiquette and made it a fun adventure for yours truly. He supplied details about the usual “how to do” things with the nearly weightless feathered hooks.It might have been a sort of day-long ordeal for Chuck, but I think we had some great fun.
We shared conversations, we laughed, and we joked about modern life, mostly comparing it to ancient life in America five decades ago when we were kids. Lots to compare with 27 cent gas and Dick Tracy wristwatches from back then.Beam me up Scotty.We’re almost there!
It is humbling to watch a skilled fly angler cast a nearly weightless fly with so little effort.Chuck was VERY good.With a curious and watchful eye, it is easy to see that there is an artful rhythm to the whisper of the unassuming fly line soaring gently overhead to land so softly in a riffle 40 feet upstream. No sound, no vigor, just a small feathery sample of barbless food for a hungry trout.
This home-made streamer from Neshannock Creek Fly Shop caught several fish for us when the 2-fly rig only drew followers.
As I listened to Chuck direct my ability to make unfettered motion with a 50-year old Fenwick “gold series” fiberglass fly rod and fly, I forgot about all of the many issues on my mind. Paying bills, story deadlines, emails to answer, calls to make and the ever-growing to-do list for around the house back home in East Aurora, New York, five hours north. They all disappeared during these few hours of on-stream renewal. I was developing something I had only heard about from other fly rod anglers, a kinship with the natural world of a water flow and feathered, fuzzy hooks.
The author enjoys chemical-free protection from deer ticks, black flies and mosquitoes with a protective skin covering suit made by Rynoskin Total (http://rynoskin.com/) that fits comfortably under his clothing, even on hot days. Note the beige color suit that includes socks, bottoms, tops, gloves and hood (gloves and hood not worn in picture). Chuck Swanderski Photo
My heart and soul was at peace with nature in this restored stream. I was feeling quintessential on the Quittie! The gurgle of the flowing water was such a welcome sound. It is, perhaps, a sacred signal that these same swish and chinkle sounds occurred hundreds of years before.
At that moment, I was again stopped in mid-thought, feeling bonded by nature to our forebears. I thought to myself, again, such peace. I measured my heartrate, it was 52. Indeed, heart-found peace! This fly rod stuff was really good stuff.
Earlier we tied on a two-fly rig using nymph stage Hare’s Ear flies to imitate aquatic insect larvae in the stream. After an hour of casting skill improvement, we moved from hole to hole and rifle to riffle checking for active fish. The fish were moving toward the fly, but would turn away, perhaps the wrong size or pattern. Maybe my leader was too heavy. So Chuck switched me to a hand-made streamer fly made by his old fishing buddy at Neshannock Creek Fly Shop from another favorite fishing spot of his near Pittsburgh (visit http://www.ncflyshop.com/).
The retrieve was fairly simple when compared to some bottom big jig bass fishing tactics. This simply was cast out with a roll cast, then retrieved in a pull, pull, and stop manner. Bringing in a few inches of line with each pull.
On the second cast, a 15-inch rainbow trout slammed the fly. Wham! My arm jolted forward as the fish ran the other way, then leaped high in summersault fashion some four times before coming to our welcome net about 45 seconds later. My heart rate zipped a bit too, awesome fun that was measurable. What fun this was! We carefully released the fish to fight another day, maybe to provide these same moments of fun for some youngster tomorrow or the next day.
This 15-inch rainbow trout wacked a streamer fly and just made the day so much more special. A beautiful, colorful fish. Chuck Swanderski Photo
Lastly, Chuck was really happy to share something that might serve as a learning lesson for thousands of other streams in the country, the Quittapahilla Creek Garbage Museum.Here was a collection of hundreds of various shapes of disposed plastics. Bottles, baby toys, plastic chain, plastics in many forms, most of it tattered, broken, but still identifiable.
The Quittapahilla Creek Garbage Museum creates a mind-sustaining mental picture of what plastics have done to our environment and everything in it. Forrest Fisher Photo
According to a written message from the Garbage Museum Executive Director, an educator person who placed numerous informational learning signs for others to study and whose name is not known to me, “Most plastics will DECOMPOSE, but never BIODEGRADE.Breaking into smaller chunks, the plastic molecules will be with us for millions of years, ingested and excreted millions of times by fish, birds and other organisms.”After reading this I thought to myself…and we wonder where cancer comes from – something we didn’t have much of 50 years before plastics.
Then I recalled the movie named “The Graduate,” where most of us remember the most significant word from that steamy movie made in 1967, “plastics.”There is goodness and not-so-goodness, perhaps, with every invention.I wondered if the preceding native ancestors, the Lenape Indians, would continue to use plastics if they understood what we now know about plastics?
It was getting late, we had walked about 3,000 feet downstream stream from the public parking lot on this 34-acre Quittie Nature Park stream and the temperature was 90. It was time to recap our trip with friends from the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association at the nearby Snitz Creek Brewery, a tasteful beer-making facility not far from the stream. We took a beer plant tour with co-founder, Patrick Freer, then discovered a few moments later that there is nothing quite like a microbrew they call “Opening Day IPA.” This is particularly true among fellow fly-rodders that can tell a tale, if you know what I mean. “No, my fish was bigger. I caught two. I caught four.” And on and on. You get the picture. A fun, thirst-quenching, long-winded, joke-filled lunch. The best kind.
When friends and community work together to create a revitalized stream treasure and nature area, the future is brighter for everyone. On a related note though, while we seem to have saved our second amendment with our current legislators – a good thing, the work of clean streams and waterways may become more challenging due to currently retracting rules of the Clean Water Act. Be watchful as sportsmen, speak up when we need to.
Hats off to all those volunteers that take the time to reclaim lost parts of nature for the benefit of our common future.
Though Table Rock Lake has dealt with flooding since late April, guides such as Buster Loving and their clients have still enjoyed good bass fishing.
April showers brought more than May flowers in the Ozarks. They brought near-record flooding and a mess that residents are still trying to clean up.
That’s the bad news.
There’s also plenty of good news.
Though reservoirs such as Truman, Table Rock and Taneycomo are still high, guides and resort owners report that the fishing has been surprisingly good. If anything, they say, the floods may have helped the fishing.
And then there’s the long-term outlook. Fisheries biologists with the Missouri Department of Conservation say that high-water springs usually result in boom year-classes of fish because of the added cover in which fry can hide from predators.
“We’re certainly not minimizing the hardships the high water has brought for many residents,” said Brian Canaday, chief of fisheries for the Missouri Department of Conservation. “But some of our largest year-classes of fish have come in these flood years. So this wasn’t a bad thing as far as the fish were concerned.”
At Table Rock Lake, a 43,100-acre reservoir near Branson, Mo., the water level reached almost the top of flood pool in late April after almost 10 1/2 inches of rain in a three-day period. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been releasing water ever since.
It is now down to 11 feet above normal and some boat ramps are still hard to access. But those who have been able to get on the lake have found good bass fishing.
Buster Loving, a longtime guide on Table Rock, has guided his customers to some impressive catches throughout May.
“The bass were in the process of spawning when the high water hit, and they didn’t move,” Loving said. “For the most part, they stayed where they had fanned out their nests.
“I’m fishing the old banks. Those places might have been in 10 to 12 feet before, and they went to 25 to 30 feet after the water came up. But the fish have still been there.”
Loving remembers years when the high water hit before the spawn and the bass would pioneer into newly flooded cover.
“I won back to back tournaments one year when the lake was flooded,” Loving said. “The fish were in flooded campgrounds, around buildings and lantern holders and in green yards.
“But I haven’t seen that as much this spring.”
The huge releases from Table Rock into Lake Taneycomo caused some nervous times for resort owners, residents and fishermen for a time. But now that release rates have slowed to a fishable rate, trout fishermen are finding excellent fishing. They’re even catching some fish not normally found in the nationally known trout lake that were flushed out of Table Rock.
“I’ve never seen so many smallmouth bass caught,” said Phil Lilley, who owns Lilley’s Landing Resort and Marina in Branson, Mo. “And the trout fishing from the dam to the Lookout area has been really good.”
“We’re seeing lots of 20-inch rainbows and more browns than normal, too.”
Lilley isn’t surprised. Every time high water hits at Taneycomo, an abundance of shad is flushed from Table Rock into Taneycomo and it sets off a feeding spree among the trout.
White jigs, shad flies, drift rigs and spoons have been the most effective lures.
The fishing has also been good at Truman Lake, the 55,600-acre reservoir in west-central Missouri that was hit hard by flooding. As of May 18, the water level was still 20 feet above normal pool, but guides such as Jeff Faulkenberry are still helping their clients catch limits of crappies.
“The crappie spawn was about over when the water came up,” said Faulkenberry, who runs the Endless Season Guide Service. “The fish just followed the water into the new cover.
“You have to move around to find them; they’re not bunched up in one place. But if you stay on the move and fish the green bushes, you can catch a limit. The key is finding the schools of shad and fry.”
The biggest problem at Truman? Access. With the lake still high, some of the boat ramps are inaccessible.
Made to order method for early-season squirrel hunting.
Muzzleloaders lend new excitement to the old game of squirrel hunting.
Where to go, What to do, How to call, Packing your game sack.
By Jim Low
There’s no need to wait until fall to enjoy the thrill of hunting squirrels with a rifle.
With turkey season in the rearview mirror and Memorial Day just around the corner, Missouri hunters’ thoughts naturally turn to squirrels. Squirrel season opens on May 27. Hunting is mostly done with shotguns during the early months of the season, because lush foliage makes bushytails hard to spot. When you do spy one, it’s usually just a fleeting glimpse. However, there is a way to hunt summer squirrels with a rifle that is, paradoxically, both easier and more challenging. I’m talking about hunting with traditional black-powder rifles with iron sights.
Daniel Boone might have been able to shoot the eyes out of squirrels at 80 paces with old Tick-Licker, but most modern-day hunters find it much harder to head-shoot squirrels with iron sights. For consistent success, we need to get within 25 yards of our quarry. This puts a premium on woodsmanship that can pay dividends during later, big-game seasons.
Choice of muzzleloader is mostly a matter of personal preference. Hard-core traditionalists will opt for flintlocks, but there’s no shame in opting for the more certain ignition offered by percussion models. Since you are aiming for squirrels’ heads, it makes little difference whether your smoke pole is spitting .32-cal pellets or .54-cal marbles. Larger projectiles do provide a slight advantage, simply because their greater diameter increases the chances that some part of the ball will make contact with the target. They also offer the possibility of “barking” squirrels – aiming at tree trunks or limbs adjacent to the squirrel’s head so death results from concussion. A .535-cal round ball weighing 230 grains packs a serious wallop that a .31-cal ball, weighing a mere 45 grains, can’t match.
Do not, however, let anyone tell you that small-caliber muzzleloaders won’t kill squirrels outright. The first squirrel I shot with my .32 CVA Varmint caplock was a full-grown gray squirrel. I had 20 grains of FFFG black powder under the .31-cal ball. When I went to pick up the deceased rodent, all that was left of the head were flaps of skin from the lower jaw and pate. I have since decreased my squirrel load to 15 grains of FFFG. The heavier load simply is unnecessary.
If you don’t already own a muzzleloader, look for one with a set trigger. This second trigger – typically located behind the main trigger – is pulled just before taking a shot. It “sets” the main trigger, dramatically reducing the amount of pressure needed to release the hammer. This lessens the tendency to pull the rifle to one side as you squeeze the trigger. Traditional muzzleloaders’ lock time – the time elapsed between the moment you release the trigger and when the projectile leaves the barrel – is much longer for smoke poles than it is for modern firearms. So, the time during which you can drift off-target is much greater. Reducing trigger-release pressure helps offset this inherent disadvantage.
Hunting with a muzzleloader is an excellent fit for summer squirrels. The same factors that limit hunters’ vision apply to squirrels, so they are much less likely to notice your approach. And because last year’s leaf fall has had seven months to weather, you can slip through the woods with greater stealth.
Summer squirrels are not concentrated around nut trees, as they are in the fall. That doesn’t mean they are randomly distributed, however. Early in the spring, I have seen as many as a dozen squirrels in a single elm tree, harvesting the fresh, green seeds. Later, they consume the succulent flower and leaf buds of a succession of trees. Later still, they focus on mulberries and other fruit, such as hackberries and wild cherries. You don’t need to know which trees provide food each week throughout the summer. It’s enough to know that where you find one squirrel, you are likely to find more.
Sound is more important than sight for finding summer squirrels. Take a seat or lean against a tree when you enter the woods and spend five minutes listening for the telltale rustle of squirrels foraging in the treetops. If you hear nothing, move 50 yards and listen again. When you hear feeding activity, gradually move toward it until you make visual contact. Then pay attention to the squirrel’s feeding cycle. Typically, they will spend a few minutes gathering food from one branchlet, then move on to another. Often, they pause to rest for a few moments between forays. Move into shooting position during the active feeding phase, freezing when your quarry moves between branches.
The Mr. Squirrel distress call, sold by Haydel’s Game Calls, is an effective tool for harvesting summer squirrels.
Another advantage to hunting squirrels in the summer is the fact that they are more susceptible to calling than at any other time of year. Male and female squirrels respond dramatically to young squirrels’ distress calls. You can use this habit in two ways. One is to blind call, which will cause any squirrels in earshot to reveal their location. A better approach is to find actively feeding squirrels, sneak in and take a position in their midst, and hit a few licks on the distress call. Thrash the ground violently with a small, leafy sapling while calling to mimic the sound of a baby squirrel caught by a predator. Not only will squirrels leave the treetops to investigate, some will run toward you and perch on branches, barking and offering a shot.
Because most of the activity occurs high in the tree tops, most of your shots will be at steep angles. This makes a shooting stick invaluable. You can use a store-bought rifle rest, but I prefer an actual stick – an ironwood sapling that I cut nearly 40 years ago. I grasp the stick with my left hand and rest the barrel of my rifle on top of my hand. This arrangement works for any elevation.
One problem unique to summer squirrel hunting is meat spoilage. I carry a couple of frozen water bottles in my game pouch. Gutting squirrels as soon as you shoot them hastens cooling, and keeping them inside the pouch avoids attracting flies.
You can do all the above with a modern rifle, too. That’s the best bet if you are dead set on bringing home a limit of bushytails. But if you are looking for a way to make squirrel hunting more challenging and interesting, nothing beats a muzzleloader.
Peace River Wildlife Center received a frantic call from a landscaper recently. A baby eagle had walked into his open equipment trailer and was just hanging around. He had tried to shoo it away, but it wouldn’t leave. I asked him to take a picture with his cell phone and send it to me.
To his credit, the gentleman was no less concerned about the bird’s health when I explained that it was actually a fancy racing pigeon, not an eagle. We sent a rescuer to pick up the uninjured bird—it was probably just exhausted after being buffeted by strong winds. Luckily, we were able to locate the bird’s owner and return it to him.
So, when we got another call about two male eagles fighting in midair at the other end of the county, we took the call with a grain of salt. But multiple calls from the same area confirmed that there may actually be something to the story. Then another caller claimed that an eagle was walking around their lawn and seemed injured.
Our favorite snow bird husband-and-wife rescue team, Barb and Tom Taylor, were dispatched to check out the situation. Quite often in these cases, as soon as the bird is approached, it takes flight. End of story. This time, the bird ran into some heavy scrub, evidently not willing or able to fly away. So Tom, in his infinite wisdom (and short pants), dove into the jagged palmettos after the bird, and a wacky race ensued. Tom’s shins were shredded, but he caught the bird.
It turns out it was an adult female eagle. Since this is the end of breeding season for these large raptors, she may have been defending her territory or nest from an invading neighbor. She had suffered deep puncture wounds on her legs and a crack on her beak. X-rays (with our beautiful new digital x-ray machine; hooray! Thank you, donors!) showed the crack at the caudal edge of her beak was superficial. After a course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs for her leg lesions, she was healing quite well.
The eagle was taken to our 100-foot flight cage to make sure she was capable of flight. She was flying fine, although she walked around the cage like a little old lady—actually, like me after a recent reminder that the law of gravity applies to everyone. She minced and limped with every step. Obviously, her legs were still sore, but the wounds were healing and there was no evidence of infection. After a few days of strength training in the flight cage, she was given thumbs-up for release.
Bald eagle beak fracture after territorial dispute.
Although her wounds were not completely healed, we wanted to get her back out to her home as soon as possible. Like most wild animals, she will complete the healing process much faster at home than under the additional stress of being in captivity. She may have had a family waiting for her there, although any offspring should have been old enough by this time of year to be okay without her for a few days. And presumably, Dad would have been there to babysit in her absence. And we all know how much Dads appreciate being left alone with the kiddos while Mom goes to the spa for a few days of rest and relaxation.
There are many ways for you to help us at Peace River Wildlife Center, please review this link and add your name to our webpage newsletter. http://peaceriverwildlifecenter.org/donate/.
By Larry Wise, International Champion Target and Field Archer, and International Coach
The most important decision, by far, when buying a bow is getting the right draw length. Without the proper knowledge and some expert advice, the novice – and even some experienced archers – have made disastrous mistakes.Knowing your true draw length is as important to your shooting success as knowing your shoe size is to your walking comfort.When the shoe doesn’t fit, you feel miserable until you change it.Same with an improperly fitted bow.
The most accurate method of measuring true draw length is to draw the bow of a friend who is about the same arm length as you.You must consider whether or not you plan to shoot the same style as your friend, i.e., with a release aid or fingers only.Release aids generally act as an extension of your fingers and cause the string to be drawn a shorter distance than when drawn using a finger tab.This difference can be as much as two inches.
With this in mind, draw the bow in the style you plan to use and try to get comfortable with an anchor.This may take some experimenting if you are a beginning archer.A local dealer or an experienced archer can help at this point.
After you have drawn the bow several times and feel somewhat comfortable, draw again with an arrow in the bow.When you reach the anchor that seems comfortable, have someone mark the arrow adjacent to the rest mounting hole in the handle riser.This mark should be directly above the grip where your hand touches the deepest part of the handle.The distance from this mark to the recess in the nock is your true draw length.It is a measurement of your body size for the purpose of drawing a compound bow.
BEWARE!Most bow manufacturers do not advertise or take orders using true draw measurements.Instead, they use a traditional draw length which is slightly longer than true draw.The difference is the distance from the plunger hole to the back of the handle riser.This adds about 1-3/4 inches to the true draw measurement.This gives us the following relationship:
Traditional Draw = True Draw + 1-3/4 inches
Please keep in mind that your arrow length must be longer than your true draw length so the arrow point extends beyond your arrow rest.How much longer depends upon you and your purpose.If you intend to shoot broadheads, then your arrow length must be longer than your traditional draw length with this bow so the broadhead is not drawn into the handle riser or your fingers.The tournament arrow must extend only past the arrow rest at full draw.
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This article is reprinted courtesy of Target Communications as part of an educational program for outdoors readers.It is excerpted from the Pre-Use Bow Preparation chapter of TUNING YOUR COMPOUND BOW, a 152-page how-to book by Larry Wise, International Champion Target and Field Archer, and International Coach.Learn more at targetcommbooks.com
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LARRY WISE
Larry has been a competitive archer since 1979, been on several bow manufacturers shooting and advisory staffs, and has done design consulting. His professional record shows 38 individual or team 1st Place/Championship titles, 11 2nd place finishes and four 3rd or 4th place.
He has coached archery in New Zealand, Australia, Columbia, Israel, England, N. Ireland, Dubai and the U.S.He has bow hunted since 1956 and put many whitetails on his den walls. He has given more than 300 “Tuning Your Compound Bow” seminars in 20 states.He has written five books on bow set-up and tuning.
Since 2004, Larry has coached more than 300 individuals privately, written and edited a national archery coaches study course, taught national level coaches courses, written more than 50 magazine articles, coached the U.S. archery team at the 2005 World Indoor Championships (winning 13 medals, including seven gold).
Rain off and on will not help the water level in Lake Ontario any time soon.
According to the Army Corps of Engineers the Lake Ontario water level is still more than 30 inches above normal for this time of year, but the level is not expected to go any higher over the next week. Does this mean that we may start seeing a drop in water levels in the very near future?
When boats get out on Lake Ontario good catches of both Chinook salmon and Lake trout are being reported out in 250 to 300 feet of water, but watch out for those white sand bags that are floating out there in the trash line.
Just a reminder that the Orleans County Open Tournament will be held on June 10th and 11th this year with the Condor Derby taking place on June 9th. This year there are two great ports to fish out of, Point Breeze and Bald Eagle Marina. You really don’t want to miss out on this great event.
The water level on Lake Alice has started to drop and the water clarity is improving by the day. White bass seems to be plentiful especially around the Kenyonville Bridge area. Rock bass, Bluegill, Crappie, Yellow perch and bass are harder to come by, but decent catches can be had if you’re willing to work for them.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
Fishing with Capt. Mark Vilardo, Kingfisher Charters, Jon Eckert of Lockport, reeled in a 30-pound King Salmon last Thursday fishing out of Olcott Harbor on a flasher-fly.
Lake Ontario
Just a quick reminder on water levels: There is still a state of emergency along the Lake Ontario shoreline for high water levels. This isn’t really going to affect the fishing that much, but the Niagara County Sheriff is asking that boats creating a wake stay at least 500 feet from shore. This doesn’t include trolling. Caution is advised for floating debris when you are out in the lake moving around. The problem seems to be launching. The best spot to be right now is the Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott. Fort Niagara has an open launch but you need boots up to your knees or above. Golden Hill State Park launch is closed and Wilson-Tuscarora Park is day to day (but you need hip boots for sure). It’s worth the effort for the good fishing!!
Lake Ontario Pro-Am Tourney
Congratulations to all of the winners in the Lake Ontario Pro-Am Tourney out of Wilson and Olcott last weekend. The Screamer team led by Dave Antenori of Pennsylvania was on a mission. After placing second in the Wilson Harbor Invitational the weekend before, they wanted to take the first place prize in the Niagara County/Lake Ontario Pro-Am Salmon Team Tournament held May 19-21 out of the ports of Wilson and Olcott. After catching a 12-fish tournament limit the first day, he was poised to be in a perfect position as he sat in second place – behind Team Maverick and Capt. Chris LoPresti. After a very windy blow day on Saturday, it was all business on Sunday as the team boated another limit and won the Niagara County version of the Pro-Am and the $15,000 prize with a score of 471.02 points (10 points per fish and a point per pound). Second place was Maverick led by Capt. Chris LoPresti, taking home a check for $7,500 with a score of 448.59 points. Third place went to Dirty Goose/Cold Steel led by Capt. Casey Prisco ($5,000) with 447.79 points, followed by Vision Quest and Capt. Pete Alex ($2,500) with 429.84 points. Big fish for the tournament was a 24.04 pound king salmon caught by Thrillseeker led by Capt. Vince Pierleoni. He won $300 plus a new Raymarine Axiom Unit.
The Screamer Team, led by Dave Antenori of Pennsylvania, took top prize in the Niagara County/Lake Ontario Pro-Am Salmon Team Tournament.
In the Amateur Division, it was Mother Moose winning the $500 prize and a special Cup for the three day event. Anonymous, last year’s cup winner, led by John Muehl, won the Day 3 contest for the amateur open, but it wasn’t enough to repeat. Big fish for the day was Dipsy Ranger with a king salmon weighing 19.23 pounds. In the Amateur Open, each day was a separate contest. Day one winner was Dipsy Ranger led by John Nevlezer. Day two winner (by drawing due to inclement weather) was HK1 and Chris Petrucci. Big fish prizes, good for $500 and an ITO Flies prize package were: Day one – Mean Machine and Kyle Hovak with a 19.43 pound king salmon; Day two (drawing) – Streaker and Matt Dunn; Day three – Dipsy Ranger with a 19.23 pound king salmon.
Best action for kings and cohos has been out in 110 to 300 feet of water. DW Super Slims and Spin Doctors with the new A-Tom-Mik stud fly doing pretty good right now in the top 80 feet of water. Riggers, dipsy divers and 200 and 300 feet of copper. Browns can still be caught inside of 50 feet. Congrats to Jon Eckert of Lockport who reeled in a 30 pound king last Thursday out of Olcott on a flasher-fly. He was fishing with Capt. Mark Vilardo, Kingfisher Charters.
Lower Niagara River
Lower Niagara River fishing action is still good in Devil’s Hole where boaters were using minnows and egg sacs to take trout off three-way rigs. Try coloring up the minnows with Pautzke Fire Dye in chartreuse. Steelhead, lake trout, silver bass and smallmouth bass are still all being caught from boat and shore but water temps are heating up so the trout won’t be around long. The New York Power Authority stated that the fishing platform was closed down again on Monday due to high water levels. It will remain closed until water levels recede. Before you head down fishing there, you might want to call 796-0135 Ext. 45 to see if it’s open. White jigs were working for Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls earlier in the week when he caught silver bass, smallmouth and lakers. No problems at the Lewiston launch ramp but Fort Niagara is having some issues with the high water. The south ramp is closed. As waters continue to rise, the north ramp could be closed soon, too.
Upper Niagara River
Upper Niagara River fishing action has been good for a mixed bag of fish the past week. Decent walleye have been caught along with bass and lake trout. Good numbers of lake trout are showing up as bass casters target catch and release smallmouth.
The Missouri River is a conveyor belt for fossils and artifacts.
Finding bits of the past is like stepping onto a time machine.
The author’s son found this Bison antiquus vertebra on a sandbar across the river from Jefferson City.
By Jim Low
A wetter-than-average spring has the Missouri River bank-full today, but it’s only a matter of time until it falls to summer levels, exposing hundreds of sandbars or, as I like to think of them, time machines.
During spring floods, the Missouri River and its thousands of tributaries carve away at geological deposits between the Rocky Mountains and St. Louis.
Missouri River sandbars seem featureless at first. Look for areas where receding flood water has deposited larger articles. Eroding banks and the upstream side of wing dikes are productive spots, too.
It digs out bones of long-extinct animals, collects artifacts from Indian camps and unearths shark teeth that fell to the bottom of the inland sea that once divided our continent in two. Along the way, it also plucks trade goods from the rotting hulls of wrecked steam ships and objects whose origins and functions are mysteries.
Discovering an arrowhead or a huge leg bone triggers a welter of questions and speculation.
Intact arrowheads are more common than complete fossils.
Was the animal killed by a hunter or a saber-toothed tiger?
Who made the arrowhead? How did he or she lose it?
Was it carried to this spot in the vitals of a deer… or perhaps a mastodon??
The result is a pleasant sort of temporal vertigo.
One moment you have both feet planted firmly in the present. Then, in an instant, the currents of time are tugging you back to the Pleistocene period and beyond.
This year’s natural exhibit of historical artifacts is being arranged right now beneath the mocha-colored waters of the Big Muddy. When it opens, admission will be free to anyone with a kayak, canoe or motor boat.
The Missouri Department of Conservation maintains dozens of river accesses at convenient intervals, making it easy to plan an expedition. The exhibit changes every time the river overtops sandbars and islands, and the first explorers get their pick of newly deposited prizes.
Sandbar archaeology has a small but dedicated following in Missouri.
The holy grail of this group is a skull of a Bison antiquus. These huge grazers were 25 percent larger than modern bison and had horns a yard across.
Every few years, a photo of a proud beachcomber displaying such a treasure appears in a river town’s newspaper. My own personal best find was the topmost 1/3 of an elk antler.
University of Missouri-Columbia Archaeology Professor Dr. Lee Lyman examines an Indian artifact. He estimated the age of the elk antler in front of him at 7,000 to 8,000 years.
I nearly walked past it, because only one eroded tine poked a few inches above the level surface of the sandbar. At first, I thought it was a stick of wood. Then I noticed that it had a hollow core and looked as if it had been gnawed by a rodent, which made me think of antlers. Imagine my awe when I pulled on it and a massive, 2-foot end portion of an enormous antler emerged from the sand. The whole antler likely would have had 7 points.
Investigate anything that protrudes above the sand. It could be the find of a lifetime.
Lee Lyman, then a professor of archaeology at the University of Missouri, identified my antler fragment as coming from an elk.
North American elk are descended from Eurasian red deer that crossed the Bering Land Bridge into North America during the last ice age. The pattern of forking and slightly webbed junctions are intermediate between the typical antler shape of ancient red deer and modern-day elk.
Based on the degree of divergence from red deer, he estimated that my specimen was 7,000 to 8,000 years old.
Aside from Bison antiquus skulls – which are, let’s face it, unbeatable – the coolest thing I ever saw rescued from a sandbar was an intricately carved piece of personal ornamentation.
Lyman identified it as a robe fastener.
It was made from half of a turkey wing bone split lengthwise. It was jet black with age. The carving was exquisite in its detail and symmetry. What I wouldn’t give to know the story of this piece of art!
Professor Lyman speculated that this exquisitely carved turkey wing bone might have been a robe fastener.
Pillaging artifacts and fossils from archaeological sites would be both unethical and illegal. However, once the river washes objects away from their original locations, they lose their geologic and geographic contexts, greatly reducing their usefulness in unraveling the history they represent.
What are these? Darned if we know, but they were cool enough to come home in a pocket.
For this reason, items found on sandbars are fair game for collectors.
If no one picks them up, they will only be washed downstream – and probably reburied forever – by the next flood. The exception is human remains, which must be reported to law-enforcement officials, even if they appear to be very old.
Artifacts found on the river are not entirely without scientific value and professional archaeologists take a lively interest in amateur finds.
If you make an interesting discovery, contact the archaeology faculty at the nearest university or the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ State Historic Preservation Office. They can provide fascinating insights about its identity and origins. Then you can legitimately say you have added to the body of archaeological knowledge.
Looking for artifacts and relaxing on Missouri River sandbars is a wonderful way to spend a summer day.
Chris Shaffer with Pautzke was in town this week filming for the company website on the lower Niagara River with Capt. Frank Campbell. Frank caught this dandy steelie on a shiner that was treated with Pautzke fire dye in chartreuse.
Lake Ontario: Just a quick reminder on water levels: There is still a state of emergency along the Lake Ontario shoreline for high water levels. This isn’t really going to affect the fishing that much, but the Niagara County Sheriff is asking that boats creating a wake stay at least 500 feet from shore. This doesn’t include trolling. Caution is advised for floating debris when you are out in the lake moving around. The problem seems to be launching.
The best spot to be right now is the Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott. Fort Niagara has an open launch, but you need boots up to your knees or above. Golden Hill State Park launch is closed and Wilson-Tuscarora Park is day to day (but you need hip books for sure).
In the LOC Derby that ended last Sunday, the Grand Prize winner for the $15,000 check was Paul Nienaltowski of Michigan, with a 27 pound, 8 ounce king out of Wilson while fishing the Niagara Bar. He was using a Diabolical meat rig. First place in the Salmon Division was a 25 pound 5 ounce king out of Wilson, reeled in by Lee Beaton of Clifton Springs. Big brown trout was a 16 pounds, 12 ounce fish out of Olcott – weighed in by Dave Rafle of Pennsylvania. Top lake trout was also out of Niagara County, a 22 pound 10 ounce from the Niagara Bar – reeled in by Brian Marketich of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.
Water color is still a factor and you may have to go deeper. Most of the fish are coming on spoons, but flasher-fly and cut bait rigs are also working.
Congrats to Tom Allen and his A-Tom-Mik team for winning the Wilson Harbor Invitational Tournament last Saturday. They caught six fish – the tournament limit – to record the top score among 46 boats total. One of his hot baits was a new A-Tom-Mik meat rig.
The Don Johannes and Pete DeAngelo memorial big fish-three fish contest was held today in the high winds. The wind kept some teams away for sure. Winner was Big Cat led by Greg Catrabone with a big fish of 20.04 pounds and a three fish total of 85.74 based on 10 points per fish and a point per pound. No details were revealed because tomorrow is the next contest.
The Lake Ontario Pro-Am Tourney is May 19-21. We’ll have a full report next week. Good luck to all you tournament fishermen and women.
Lower Niagara River fishing action is still good in Devil’s Hole where boaters were using minnows and egg sacs to take trout off three-way rigs. Steelhead, lake trout, silver bass and smallmouth bass are still all being caught from boat and shore. The New York Power Authority stated that the fishing platform was closed down again on Monday due to high water levels. It will remain closed until water levels recede. Before you head down fishing there, you might want to call 796-0135 Ext. 45 to see if it’s open.
Yellow and silver jigs were working for Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls earlier in the week when he caught 30 silver bass, 6 smallmouth and a laker. No problems at the Lewiston launch ramp, but Fort Niagara is having some issues with the high water. The south ramp is closed. As waters continue to rise, the north ramp could be closed soon, too.
Upper Niagara River fishing action has been good for a mixed bag of fish the past week. Decent walleye have been caught along with bass and lake trout. Good numbers of lake trout are showing up as bass casters target catch and release smallmouth.
Extraordinary Speed in Safe Flight from Tower-to-Tower
Adventure, Fun and Assured Safety
Full Body Harness & Head Helmet Protection is Required
My Favorite Place: Peek ‘N Peak, near Findley Lake, New York
By Forrest Fisher
The harness and safety helmet assure your personal safety, the rest is SHEER FUN! My granddaughter Kelsey went first. “Yeaaahhhhh!” Unforgettable!
Those zip-lines with strange looking towers on the hills in the distance of places we travel definitely beckon for adventure seekers. Many have never tried them out.
At Peek ‘N Peak Resort and Conference Center (http://www.pknpk.com/) near the quaint country village of Findley Lake, located in the southwest corner of New York, my grandkids would not allow me to just watch them try out the zip-line.
They said, “C’mon Dziadz (Polish word for grandfather), your time to fly from the towers has come!” I smiled and said, “OK, sounds good.” Not really sure of what I was getting myself into.
We rode the ski-lift to the top of the hill to start out on the high zip-line. My granddaughter Kelsey went first. “Yeaaahhhhh!” Screaming away at 120 decibels or more, as she headed for the next tower station more than one-thousand feet away.
My turn was next. What a minute. Was there a giant 12-point buck walking to within 10 yards of my tree stand? Why was my heart pounding?! I was a bit nervous and even was trembling a bit. Here I am, an ex-military Vietnam-era veteran and I was shaky. After all, we were only about 100 feet off the ground and there was a 20 mph wind blowing. Not to make light of things, but there was rain in the forecast too, and it was dark and cloudy right about now. I was not going to wimp out. Couldn’t do that.
I harnessed in, told myself to “think brave”, got the “all clear” after being checked by the operators and, again, I could sense my wide-open eyeballs.
Excitement is a very cool thing in life! It can be hard to find when you’re looking at 70 birthday candles just ahead.
Zeeooooow. I zoomed off and in what seemed like 5-minutes, I landed on the next tower about 30 seconds later. Standing right next to my granddaughter, she asked, “What’d ya think Dziadz, fun right?!”
I answered, “Yup!” And smiled ear to ear in convincing fashion, double-checking to see if my tongue had been frozen to the roof of my mouth and did a double take to see if I didn’t wet my pants.
Kelsey then said, “OK, this tower is really going to be even more fun. It’s a dual zip-line and we take off together. I’ll race you to the bottom of the hill! Are you ready Dziadz?”
We harnessed up.
Yikes, this was exciting!
My sensory expectations seemed in better control after that first long ride. Clip, Clack, Clip, we were in. Standing next to each other, we were ready. Just then, Gazzzooongg! Thunder in the distance. Then suddenly, the dark skies opened up. It was a near-torrential downpour. They said, “We are closing the towers, your harnessed in, go down if you like, you’re the last riders.”
I felt like Matt Dillon and was up against the fastest draw in the west. He always keeps his cool. That was my mindset.
We smiled to each other and screamed our, “Let’s go!” We were either brave or not so smart (I was thinking that other word that starts on “s” and ends with a “d”….stupid).
In the middle of our descent as we exceeded 70 mph, flashes of light jumped out left and right in the distance. There was lightning all around us as we zoomed through some nearby treetops.
Flashbulb Fodder? I asked the Almighty for some help. He was with us because I can share this fun tale.
We were wet to the bone. Mighty thankful too, that we did not complete an electrical storm circuit during the flighty speedy trip down the dual zip-line. It was an incredible experience. We were both happy for this extraordinary hair-raising survival encounter with adventure.
We climbed down from the tower. Both of us kissed the muddy ground. What a run!
I was ready to leave the zip-line and head over to the bar in the sip-line! You know, a cold water on the rocks is what I needed.
Everybody met in the facility lobby and hugged. Kelsey said, “Wow! That was incredible, wasn’t it!?” Literally wet to the bone, we all looked up and in just 5-minutes, the clouds had vanished and the sun popped out. Life is.
“Wanna do it again Dziadz?” I resorted to that canned ear-to-ear smile that we grandfather’s all carry for emergencies and said, “Maybe tomorrow, ok?”
The Giant Dual Zip-Line adventure at Peek ‘N Peak soars over the trees side-by-side on independent lines next to your partner, allowing both riders to enjoy an exhilarating and majestic view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. It’s a 2,000 foot long glide path! Photo courtesy of Peek ‘N Peak
The Giant Dual Zip-Line adventure at Peak ‘n Peek allows you to feel sort of like a bird, a hawk or an eagle on a dive. Imagine, those types of birds do this all the time to survive via their very nature.
There is also an Aerial Adventure Course that features 69 obstacles and includes eight courses of varying difficulty. Participants climb up and down cargo nets and ladders while navigating course elements, including zip lines, in this tree top adventure. Suited for all ability levels, this course is a 3-hour, self-guided experience that allows you to explore the course at your own pace. You can try any (or all) of the eight different courses, working your way through the tree tops from platform to platform, encountering obstacles along the way.
I was humble and kindly declined to look for yet another new adventure experience. Had to use that ear to ear grin trick again.
The zip line adventure was not really on my bucket list, but oh-my-gosh! It was such unforgettable fun. We will do that again, but maybe not, if rain and thunder are in the forecast. I’m going to check beforehand!
The lifestyle we have shared in my family includes being active in the outdoors, but is focused on fishing, hunting, hiking, boating and family campfires.
When my younger grandkids heard that there was a pool here that offered a “wave” and had a “long slide”, good old gramps thought it would be a great next stop too.
We have learned to love this special place in the quiet hills.
The new Tru-Fire Panic-X release is designed to help eliminate an archer’s tendency to activate the trigger before being absolutely ready.
“Punching” the trigger rarely results in an accurate shot in archery. Tru-Fire, archery’s leading release brand, has introduced the new Panic-X release, designed to help eliminate an archer’s tendency to activate the trigger before being absolutely ready.
Target panic is something that plagues thousands of archers daily. Punching the trigger is one of the many symptoms. The new Tru-Fire Panic-X is designed to help eliminate trigger punch. The Panic-X counters target panic with its Anti-Trigger-Punch Technology that actively prevents hook release by punching the trigger in a situation where trigger panic takes over. If the archer tries to slap the trigger, the Panic-X’s internal sear will not release the string, allowing a moment for the archer to reset and resume the proper shooting sequence.
On- or off-selectable, the Anti-Trigger-Punch feature can be used for training or in the field. In the off position, the Panic-X works exactly like a standard Tru-Fire release with a cam-sear design that actuates the crisp string-hook release for extremely reliable accuracy. When turned on, this feature will only allow the trigger to release the Panic-X’s capture-style hook following a smooth, constant trigger squeeze. The Panic-X ‘s trigger travel is adjustable, as is the length of the release, itself.
The Tru-Fire Panic-X also features a premium leather buckle strap with heavy-duty yellow stitching. Its patented Tru-Fire Foldback™ strap allows the release to be folded back 180-degrees. This new release also features the Tru-Fire’s patented TrapTab™ design that allows the archer to secure the release to their wrist with one hand.
The Tru-Fire Panic-X is available at retailers nationwide or conveniently online at www.trufire.com for suggested retail price of $149.99.
About Tru-Fire
Tru-Fire is the world’s largest manufacturer of bowhunting releases, and all of its products are proudly made in the U.S.A. Every Tru-Fire release is designed to provide years of trouble-free use and dependability. Before any new design can wear the Tru-Fire logo, it is tested extensively on the company’s exclusively designed pneumatic release tester that can automatically load the release to 100 lbs. for 5,000 consecutive pulls, then an additional 100 pulls at a staggering 200 pounds. The release is then live fired 2,000 times to evaluate component fatigue and string loop wear. All of this testing proves that your Tru-Fire release will be absolutely reliable the moment you need it most. For more information on the company or its products, write to: Tru-Fire, 101 Main Street, Superior, WI 54880; call 800-282-4868 or visit www.trufire.com.
Nautilus Reels Supports NO PEBBLE MINE Conservation
NEW Nautilus Reel Features Artwork symbol NO PEBBLE MINE
The Nautilus family will offer a one-of-a-kind CCF-X2 reel that features artwork and customized colors that center around opposition to the proposed Pebble Mine. The multiple award winning dual action CCF-X2 drag system features twice the drag strength (20lbs+), twice the smoothness and half the startup inertia as the former CCF.Nautilus Photo
MIAMI (March 17, 2017) — Recognizing the enduring challenge of defending watersheds and resources, Nautilus Reels is pleased to support the efforts of Trout Unlimited’s Alaska Program and their work to protect Bristol Bay and the related ecosystems of the region with a unique customized reel.
Nautilus has created a one-of-a-kind CCF-X2 reel that features artwork and customized colors that center around opposition to the proposed Pebble Mine.
The CCF-X2 Disc Braking System is an upgraded, stronger, lighter version of the Cork and Carbon Fiber brake of its predecessor. It features twice the drag surface in a dual-action brake configuration. Coupled with hybrid ceramic bearings, the reel delivers less than 1% startup inertia at all drag settings. This brake unit is feather light and can be easily switched from RH to LH retrieve. The Brembo® brakes of fly fishing.
Nautilus Reels aims to make a statement against Pebble Mine with the custom reel while also gathering more support for No Pebble Mine efforts. With this in mind, this unique reel will be given away to one lucky winner who signs up for Trout Unlimited’s email list at savebristolbay.org/nautilus-sign-up between now and June 15, 2017.
Nautilus Reels is eager to help defeat the proposed mine. “The threat to Bristol Bay that Pebble Mine brings is a threat to the heart of fly fishing for salmon,” says Nautilus owner Kristen Mustad. “Nautilus Reels recognizes the need of the fly fishing community to come together to protect this area.”
With more anglers behind the cause of saving Bristol Bay, Nautilus believes we can defeat this threat to one of the most treasured ecosystems in the world fly fishing community.
About Nautilus Reels:
Founded by Kristen Mustad, Nautilus Reels produces an award-winning line of reels from its headquarters in Miami, Florida. Nautilus is on the forefront of reel innovation and maintains a tradition of experience and excellence while continuously redefining performance. For more information about Nautilus Reels, please visit their website and follow Nautilus on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
More than 100 hunting and fishing business owners and sporting organizations sent a letter today to Congress to show their support for national monuments and the responsible use of the Antiquities Act.
“As someone who has helped develop the outdoor industry in Colorado and watched it grow into an economic powerhouse, I am concerned by current efforts both to curtail national monuments and weaken the Antiquities Act itself,” said Jim Bartschi, president of Scott Fly Rods in Montrose, Colorado. “Public lands such as the new Browns Canyon National Monument preserve incredible outdoor opportunities to hunt, fish, hike, bike, camp and float – and they’re strongly supported by local communities, who understand that these lands offer one of the best new, sustainable ways to grow their local economies.
“Since Theodore Roosevelt established the Antiquities Act in 1906, presidents of both parties have wisely used it to protect our nation’s most treasured hunting and fishing habitats,” Bartschi added. “Let’s make sure we celebrate these special places and work together to retain their status as national monuments.”
The letter is part of a larger effort to demonstrate the important role national monuments and the Antiquities Act play not only to small businesses and rural economies but also to hunters and anglers all across the country. Business owners are meeting with decision makers in Washington this week to emphasize the value of public lands and national monuments to the outdoor industry.
“The outdoor industry accounts for $887 billion in consumer spending and 7.6 million jobs, making it one of the largest economic sectors in the country,” said Jen Ripple, editor in chief of DUN Magazine and a Tennessee resident. “Much of this economic output depends on public lands. Tools for conservation like the Antiquities Act will help ensure that America’s public lands remain not only a great place to hunt and fish but also an important pillar of the hunting and fishing industry.”
The business owners’ letter details support for safeguarding national monuments and the Antiquities Act, as well as criteria to ensure that national monuments are representative of collaborative, ground-up solutions for the management of public lands.
“Though some national monuments can be controversial, the Antiquities Act is an effective and essential tool for conservation,” said Ryan Hughes, a Nevada-based outdoor writer and volunteer for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “In places like Berryessa Snow Mountain in California and Rio Grande del Norte in New Mexico, we’ve seen Congress unable or unwilling to pass legislative proposals created with the help of local stakeholders. The Antiquities Act aided in allowing these collaborative efforts to happen.”
In conjunction with Trout Unlimited, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and dozens of other conservation groups and outdoors businesses, BHA produced a report on our nation’s national monuments to highlight the incredible hunting and fishing values these protected areas have to offer.
Written by Field & Stream’s contributing editor Hal Herring, the report highlights five national monuments and the sportsmen who hunt and fish in them. Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, NM; Berryessa Snow Mountain, CA; Upper Missouri River Breaks, MT; Browns Canyon, CO; and Rio Grande del Norte, NM offer some of the finest public fishing and hunting in the country, protected forever under the Antiquities Act.
The next few days will have temperatures in the 80’s and then drop back to more seasonal temperatures.
Fishing on Lake Ontario has been up and down, but more up than down.
In close, brown trout seem to be the catch, while out just a little deeper it is a mixture of lake trout near the bottom in 80 feet of water, and then Coho salmon and Chinooks in the upper portions.
I have one report of a 22-pound Atlantic salmon being taken a few days ago.
On the lower stretches of the “Oak,” the Perch bite has been fairly consistent, as well as some early bass action. Remember that the bass season doesn’t open until the third Saturday in June, so for now it’s catch and release.
On Lake Alice, fishing is picking up with catches of Rock Bass, Perch, Bluegills and Crappie all being taken, even though the lake is still slightly high and dirty.
I know that many ports are in rough shape due to the high-water levels, but all of the marinas within Orleans County have been putting in overtime raising their docks and are open and ready to offer the full service that you have come to expect from them.
In short, the open sign is lit for all boaters and fishermen alike.
Captain’s Cove has lost their tackle shop at the bottom of the hill, but fear not, the new shop at the top of the hill will be open in the next few weeks.
Last Sunday, Bald Eagle Marina hosted the LOC Spring Derby Awards Ceremony which was well attended. If you get a chance, visit them to see what a great job they have done bringing that facility up to date with all services available.
Speaking of Bald Eagle Marina, with their opening again, the Oak Orchard Open has changed their name to Orleans County Open to include Bald Eagle Marina.
You will now have the choice of fishing out of either port in Orleans County for this great event, which takes place on June 10th and 11th this year.
Also, the Condor Derby will take place on June 9th.
It’s amazing what can be done when a community works together towards a common goal.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
Angler Skills will Feature Plastic Baits, Top-water and Crankbaits
By Forrest Fisher
Anglers will test the Kentucky Lake waters shallow and deep to find the hot bite. Forrest Fisher Photo
At last year’s Hobie Bass Open, the camaraderie among competitors and respect for each other was a vital surprise to me, a first-time visitor to the Kentucky Lake event. Ron Champion and Matthew Scotch punched their tickets to the Hobie Fishing World Championship. They took on different strategies. One ran long and the other fished local. They were both winners. What will it take to grab a hotly contested qualifying spot this year?
Kayak anglers from all around the country will fish nearby, some will venture long distances to their secret fishing places, all in search of big bass for this catch, photograph and release tournament. Forrest Fisher Photo
We’ll find out soon. The 2017 Hobie Bass Open qualifier for Hobie Fishing Worlds 7 will be held at Kentucky Lake Dam Village State Resort Park near Calvert, Kentucky, June 9-11, with top tournament sponsor, Kentucky Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB).
The Kentucky Lake Hobie Bass Open is part of a series of qualifying events to be held in the U.S. and Canada that will produce six Hobie Fishing World Championship spots on the North American team. First and second place winners will be invited to join Brendan Bayard and two-time Hobie Fishing Worlds champion, Steve Lessard, at the next edition of the Hobie Fishing Worlds competition at a site to be announced later.
Camaraderie and hot competition go hand-in-hand at the Hobie Bass Open. The lake offers shallow and deep embayment fishing, but anglers in recent years have scored fishing near something the lake is famous for, ledge drop-offs. The results have been world-class fish weigh-ins. The water is big and the fishing options seem wide open.
The Hobie event on Kentucky Lake is a catch, photograph and release (CPR) tournament where anglers measure and photograph their top three bass during each of the two days, to be scored by total aggregate length – using a calibrated measurement board. Eligible species include largemouth, spotted and smallmouth bass caught on human-powered kayaks, canoes or SUPs.
The hot bait in 2017 might be a plastic worm? Special color? Sky color, sunshine density, wind direction, water temperature and angler skill will spell the result for success or less. Forrest Fisher Photo
One hundred percent of entry fees will be paid out with a ratio of one place for every 10 entrants. The top prize is $4,000 based on a field of 150 kayak anglers. The first-place finisher will have his/her airfare, accommodations and entry fee to the Hobie Fishing Worlds covered, courtesy of Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park and Hobie Worldwide.
There will be raffles and prizes as well as other awards including one for the biggest bass each day. Sponsors include Hobie Polarized, Lowrance, YakAttack, Bassin’ Magazine, RAM Mounts, St. Croix, Daiwa, Power-Pole, Mustad and Gerber.
Anglers will enjoy a BBQ dinner on Saturday and an awards luncheon on Sunday. To register (or for more information) visit: https://www.ianglertournament.com/2017-hobie-bass-open-adult-division-fun-festival
The tournament winners circle will feature well-deserved payouts, back slapping conversations of hardships worth the effort and very few tall tales. Forrest Fisher photo
While anglers are vying for big fish all across the long lake, the Hobie Fun Fest is open to the public and will be held simultaneously along the lakeshore in Kentucky Lake State Park Village, near the dam, on Saturday, June 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Hobie invites all competitors to bring their families and friends to join in the festivities. All will have the opportunity to demo Hobie fishing and recreational kayaks, SUPs and sailboats, as well as Hobie’s Mirage Eclipse stand-up pedalboard.
The 2017 Hobie Fishing World Championship US and Canadian Qualifiers has added two new events this year: the Shasta Bass Kayak Classic and the 2nd Annual IKE Foundation Celebrity Pro Am Tournament Kayak Division hosted by Hobie’s own Micheal “Ike” Iaconelli. Ike’s event will be special. It will be a star-studded occasion contested on the non-tidal sections of the Delaware River and includes dinner on the illustrious battleship USS New Jersey.
The full Hobie Fishing Worlds 7 North American qualifying event schedule:
Big fish and small, a 1/4 inch difference can change the standings. Forrest Fisher photo
Since 1950, Hobie has been in the business of shaping a unique lifestyle based around fun, water, and innovative quality products. From their worldwide headquarters in Oceanside, California, Hobie Cat Company manufactures, distributes, and markets an impressive collection of eco-sensitive watercraft, with subsidiaries; Hobie Cat Australasia, in Huskisson, NSW, Australia and Hobie Cat Europe, in Toulon, France and independent distributors; Hobie Kayak Europe and Hobie Cat Brasil. These products include an ever-expanding line of recreation and racing sailboats, pedal-driven and paddle sit-on-top recreation and fishing kayaks, inflatable kayaks, fishing boats, surfboards, stand-up paddleboards and the new Hobie Mirage Eclipse™ Standup pedalboards, plus a complementary array of parts and accessories. www.hobiecat.com
King Monarch Butterflies Weigh 1/20th as Much as Hummingbirds, but Migrate Just As Far.
How You Can Help Ensure the Future of the Monarch Butterfly
Milkweed Plants Are The Essential Key
By Jim Low
King Monarch butterfly conservation can be as simple as mowing around milkweed plants in your yard.
“Acts of creation are ordinarily reserved for gods and poets, but humbler folk may circumvent this restriction if they know how. To plant a pine, for example, one need be neither god nor poet; one need only own a good shovel.”
I thought of this quote from Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac recently, when I received a press release from Missourians for Monarchs, a public/private partnership to conserve North America’s best-known butterfly species.
The release noted that the early arrival of spring-like weather had caused monarch butterflies to begin their northward migration unusually early. It went on to say that the fragile migrants were carrying unusually large numbers of eggs this year. That sounded like great news at first blush, but the release went on to say that naturalists were worried that the advanced timing of migration could cause a reproductive failure. Monarch larvae can only survive on milkweed plants. Butterfly experts feared that milkweeds (Missouri has nine species), might not be growing when monarchs arrived, ready to lay their eggs.
“To support the caterpillars, we’re going to need every stem of milkweed out there,” said Missourians for Monarchs Coordinator Jason Jenkins, “So we’re encouraging landowners to hold off on any springtime mowing to help this first generation of monarchs thrive.”
That’s when I thought of Aldo Leopold’s quote. It just so happens that I have a nice little patch of milkweed growing in my front yard. The press release was well-timed, because I had not mowed the lawn yet, and milkweed plants already were poking their heads up. I went ahead and mowed the lawn, but I detoured around each of the two dozen milkweed plants. I know it looks odd to human visitors, but it’s the orange-and-black, six-legged visitors I’m most concerned about.
If you own some acreage, Grow Native! can help you plant milkweed there, creating a monarch factory.
The life history of the monarch butterfly, which took decades to unravel, is so complex and improbable, it seems made up. Monarchs make a late-summer and autumn migration to Florida, southern California or Mexico, where they spend the winter. The following spring, they begin a northward migration that takes several years – and multiple generations – to complete. Along the way, they harvest nectar from flowers to sustain themselves. Only their larvae require milkweed for food.
Northward migrating, they mate and lay eggs along their way. The larvae begin feeding on milkweed leaves immediately, chewing in a circular pattern that prevents entrapment in the plant’s sticky sap. The leaves and sap contain cardenolides, toxic substances that the larvae concentrate, making them poisonous to most birds and other potential vertebrate predators.
Those foolish enough to consume a monarch larva or adult don’t survive to pass their genes on to the next generation. Only those that have no interest in eating monarchs survive, vastly reducing the threat to this species. The viceroy butterfly, which is not toxic, has evolved to mimic the monarch’s color pattern, and thus enjoys an indirect Darwinian advantage. Black-backed orioles and black-headed grosbeaks are not susceptible to cardenolide poisoning, and account for more than half the mortality of monarchs that winter in central Mexico.
Monarch larvae pass through five stages, known as instars. The first instar is tiny – 2 to 6 mm long. At this stage, they are a pale translucent green. Like other insects, monarchs must shed their skins to grow, passing into the next instar with each molt. Along the way, they develop a striking white, yellow and black transverse bands, grow long tentacles fore and aft and develop body segments that increasingly resemble their adult form. By the time they complete the fifth instar, they have increased their mass by a factor of 2,000 and are nearly 2 inches long. Then they are ready to pupate.
The monarch’s chrysalis is a work of art not unlike the wrapping of gifts for Chinese emperors. The delicate mint-green exterior is adorned with golden – not yellow, mind you, shimmering gold – spangles. One to two weeks after pupation, the chrysalis becomes clear, and the adult butterfly emerges. It hangs upside down while it pumps body fluids into its furled wings to expand them. The transition from egg to adult takes anywhere from 25 days to seven weeks during the warm months. They are sexually mature less than a week later. Female monarchs are polyandrous and produce more eggs the more partners they have.
Monarchs migrate from their wintering grounds to breeding areas and back in one year, but not in one generation. Generation Number 1 is the one that migrates south in the fall. In January or February, they mate and head back north, reaching Texas or Oklahoma, where they (hopefully) find milkweed plants, lay eggs and die after a long – for monarchs – life of eight or nine months. Generation No. 2 hatches, matures, flies farther north, mates, lays eggs and dies. This repeats another time or two, until the northernmost breeding ground is reached. There, another two or three generations are born. The last one might be Generation Number 5 or 6 of that year, but they are destined to become Generation Number 1 the following year, after migrating south and spending the winter.
In this way, monarchs avoid the hot, dry summers that would make their wintering grounds unlivable, and the cold winters that would make it impossible to survive on their breeding grounds. They also avoid sticking around any one place long enough for predators, diseases and parasites to build up and take advantage of the nutritional resource that monarchs represent.
Getting back to Aldo Leopold, you too, can wield god-like powers, if not of creation, then at least of conservation.
Habitat loss and fragmentation, along with changes in weather have led to a steep decline in monarch numbers over the past 20 years. Butterfly conservation groups say individuals can make a difference. Make room for monarchs on your property, whether it is a quarter-acre residential lot or a 5,000-acre farm.
Spare the milkweed plants that grow naturally by delaying mowing as long as possible or mowing around patches of milkweed. You also can plant native milkweeds, which are available from wildflower nurseries listed at Grow Native! These will reward your efforts with beautiful flowers that are well adapted to Missouri’s climate and require little or no maintenance.
The Missouri Department of Conservation has a monarch habitat web page about creating monarch habitat too, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has monarch conservation strategies for individual and communities. And take time to look at the Missourians for Monarchs blog, which has fascinating facts and beautiful photos.
You have the power.
Citizen action is what makes conservation work in Missouri and everywhere else too,
Missourians for Monarchs’ blog is an excellent place to start learning about monarch conservation.
John Van Hoff with an early spring King Salmon in Lake Ontario off the Niagara County shoreline.
Lower Niagara River trout action improved the past week and anglers have been doing well with egg sacs or emerald shiners fished off three-way rigs from boats. Kwikfish and MagLips will also work off three-ways, but you have to make sure you are getting the wobble on the plug. Jeff and Justin Tedesco of Lewiston were using gold Kwikfish with pink scale recently to take steelhead up to 17 pounds and they had to power troll to get the action they needed to trigger fish bites.
Devil’s Hole and Artpark have been good drifts to target, but you may have to use your trolling motor to speed you up or slow you down – depending on what bait you are using.
Shoreline casters are still tossing spoons and spinners and picking up a few trout. Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls was out on Wednesday along Artpark and he hit six lake trout, two rainbows and two smallmouth bass while casting spinners. One of the rainbows was 12 pounds.
The LOC Derby opener is May 5 to 14. Go to www.loc.org to find out details including registration points and weigh stations.
The Lewiston smelt festival is set for May 5. For more details on that, go to the www.niagarariverregion.com.
Mike Rzcidlo with a nice Rainbow Trout he caught shore casting in the Lower Niagara River.
Lake Ontario is still in a state of emergency along the shoreline for high water levels. This isn’t really going to affect the fishing that much, but the Niagara County Sheriff is asking that boats creating a wake stay at least 500 feet from shore. This doesn’t include trolling. Caution is advised for floating debris when you are out in the lake moving around.
For fishing, it’s been a mixed bag for trollers. Stickbaits or spoons in tight to shore off boards or riggers in 10 to 25 feet of water for browns, a bit deeper for Coho salmon and the occasional king salmon. If there is a mud line, work it. Head out to 50 to 125 feet of water for lake trout on the bottom and Coho’s up top, too.
John Van Hoff of North Tonawanda had good king success last weekend using 5 and 7 colors of lead core and Dipsy-divers just west of the Niagara Bar and we heard other successful trollers hitting kings just west of the Bar. The key was finding good green water where it met with the clear water.
The Lake Ontario Pro-Am Salmon Team Tournament is set for May 19-21 out of Wilson and Olcott. The registration link is now live for registering. Go to www.lakeontarioproam.net.
The creeks still have trout in them but the water is stained.
The piers are questionable because of the high water levels. Don’t take any chances out there. The pier at the foot of Route 425 is currently underwater.
Yes, the water level is over 20-inches high out in the lake.
Upper Niagara River has good perch reports from all around Grand Island. Emerald shiners are the best bait to use…if you can find them.
Bill Hilts, Jr., Outdoor Promotions Director
Destination Niagara USA, 10 Rainbow Blvd., Niagara Falls, NY USA, 14303
The current LOC Grand Prize leader for the $15,000 check is now Paul Nienaltowski of Michigan, with his 27 pound, 8 ounce King Salmon out of Wilson, NY.
LAKE ONTARIO – Lake Ontario Water Level Warning: Just a quick reminder on water levels: There is still a state of emergency along the Lake Ontario shoreline for high water levels. This isn’t really going to affect the fishing that much, but the Niagara County Sheriff is asking that boats creating a wake stay at least 500 feet from shore. This doesn’t include trolling. Caution is advised for floating debris when you are out in the lake moving around. The problem seems to be launching.
Launches: The best spot to be right now is the Town of Newfane Marina in Olcott. Fort Niagara has an open launch, but you need boots up to your knees or above. Golden Hill State Park launch is closed and Wilson-Tuscarora Park is day to day (but you need hip books for sure).
Spring LOC DERBY: The Spring LOC Derby (www.loc.org) is entering into its final weekend and it’s still not too late to enter. The current Grand Prize leader for the $15,000 check is now Paul Nienaltowski of Michigan with a 27 pound, 8 ounce king out of Wilson. No sharing of information there – too many fishing contests coming up. First place in the Salmon Division is a 25 pound 5 ounce king out of Wilson, reeled in by Lee Beaton of Clifton Springs. Big brown trout at 16 pounds, 12 ounces is out of Olcott – weighed in by Dave Rafle of Pennsylvania. Top lake trout is also out of Niagara County, a 22 pound 10 ounce from the Niagara Bar – reeled in by Brian Marketich of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.
Young 13-year old Gianni Etopio of Youngstown hooked into a big largemouth bass this week while fishing for perch off Lewiston Landing.
Most of the salmon seem to be in 80 to 120 feet of water. Water color is a factor and you may have to go deeper. Most of the fish are coming on spoons, but flasher-fly and cut bait rigs are also working according to Wes Walker at The Slippery Sinker in Olcott.
Lake Ontario Tournaments just ahead: The Wilson Harbor Invitational Tournament is this Saturday, May 13. The Don Johannes and Pete DeAngelo big fish-three fish contest is May 18 – sign up at any of the LOC Derby weigh stations in Wilson and Olcott. The Lake Ontario Pro-Am Tourney is May 19-21 – sign up at www.lakeontarioproam.net. The deadline is May 15 at 5 p.m. Good luck to all you derby fishermen and women.
LOWER NIAGARA RIVER – Fishing action picked back up again in Devil’s Hole earlier this week- the place with the cleanest water. In Devil’s Hole, boaters were using minnows to take trout off three-way rigs. Some had double-digit days. The high water levels in the river have not had a huge impact on the area fishing … so far. The problem has been with water clarity. It is slowly clearing up downriver. However, a recent report from the New York Power Authority stated that the fishing platform was closed down again on Monday due to high water levels. It remained closed until water levels receded. Before you head down fishing there, you might want to call 796-0135 Ext. 45 to see if it’s open.
Parker Cinelli of Grand Island hit a monster smallmouth from shore on a tube jig this week that stretched over 21 inches long.
Steelhead, lake trout, smallmouth bass and silver bass can still be caught off the shoreline in Devil’s Hole. White and silver jigs were working for Mike Rzucidlo of Niagara Falls earlier in the week when he caught lake trout and silver bass. Young 13-year old Gianni Etopio of Youngstown hooked into a big largemouth bass this week while fishing for perch off Lewiston Landing. Nice catch!
In the Upper Niagara
River, Parker Cinelli of Grand Island hit a monster smallmouth from shore on a tube jig this week that stretched over 21 inches long.
If you want to learn more about the fishing in Lake Ontario, you’ll want to attend the next LOTSA meeting tonight, May 11 in Lockport starting at 7 p.m. They will be holding a round table session with their members. To reiterate on the Pro-Am, May 15 is the deadline at 5 p.m. No exceptions.
60 students from 17 New York schools eligible to participate in national archery tournament
Program introduces young people to archery and other outdoor sports
April 18, 2017 – New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos today announced the 60 New York students who scored high enough in the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) to compete in the national tournament this May. Students from participating schools and school districts across the state competed in the archery program in March.
“The National Archery in the Schools Program is growing in New York,” said Commissioner Seggos. “This cooperative effort between conservation agencies, school systems, and private organizations is a great way to bring the sport of archery to thousands of students across the state. Archery is one of the few sports where students of all ages and athletic abilities compete at the same level for top honors. Even with the expanded participation that we have experienced here in New York, we are encouraging more schools to join us in New York NASP.”
James Faso III, a Staley Upper Elementary School student focused on his shot. NYSDEC Photo
NASP is designed to improve participation in outdoor activities among students of all athletic abilities. DEC started this program in 2008 to introduce young people to archery, outdoors, and other shooting sports, including hunting. In New York, 320 schools from 167 school districts currently participate in the program and more than 34,000 students participated during the school year. NASP continues to grow at the national level with 2.4 million students and more than 14,400 schools in 47 states participating in the program.
As part of the New York program, an annual statewide competition is held for participating schools. This year, approximately 700 students from 33 school districts competed during the first two weeks of March. The 2017 statewide event was successfully held as school-based tournaments where the students compete at their respective schools and their scores are compiled by DEC. Each competitor can achieve a maximum score of 300 points. There are three divisions: High School, grades 9-12; Middle School, grades 6-8; and Elementary School, grades 4-5.
The overall top female archer in the tournament was Jordan Sands with a score of 285. Jordan attends Hinsdale High School in Cattaraugus County. The top male archer in the tournament was Jake Hafner with a score of 287. Jake attends Schroon Lake Central (High) School in Essex County.
Students that place in the top 10 in each of the three divisions, by gender, qualify to compete and represent New York at the national NASP tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 11 – 13. This year, New York is sending 60 eligible students from 17 schools to the national tournament.
Ryan Huggins, the assistant NY State NASP Coordinator and Melissa Bailey, the NY State NASP Coordinator promoting NASP to physical education teachers across the state.
Chris VanGorden from the Palmyra-Macedon and Lori Weykman from the Phelps-Clifton Springs Central School Districts in western New York both agree that “NASP is a valuable program that has created opportunities for a great number of kids that may not have otherwise been involved in a sport in our schools. We have seen first-hand the increase in self-esteem in our students who have participated in the NASP Program.”
Michael Sharp, a physical education teacher at Schroon Lake Central School, in Essex County said, “NASP is probably the best program that I have ever introduced into my curriculum; it inspires all types of students to participate. The kids absolutely love it!”
The rain keeps coming and the lake level keeps rising. Property owners along Lake Ontario are bracing for even higher water and hoping that we don’t get a strong wind from any northerly direction.
Let’s start with the inland waters report.
Lake Alice hasn’t totally cleared of muddy water yet, but it is offering some great opportunities for Bluegill, Crappie, Perch, Rock Bass, White Bass, Bullhead and Channel Cats.
The Lake Ontario tributaries still have some Steelhead and an occasional Brown trout along with suckers, perch, bass, pike and Bullhead.
On Lake Ontario, great catches of Brown trout, Coho’s and some Steelhead are being reported, along with Lake Trout that are out deeper. There’s even a few reports about Chinook Salmon being caught.
Those fishing the big lake should be ever mindful of the great amount of debris that the Lake Ontario high water conditions have deposited in the lake, some of which you can see and some that is just below the surface.
Monday, the DEC stocked 7,000 Steelhead up by Captain’s Cove and then 133,160 Chinook Salmon at Lake Breeze Marina. The salmon were supposed to be held in pens, but the decision was made to direct stock them due to the high temperature in the “Oak” with the protection provided by the muddy water conditions. This was a hard decision to make but in my opinion it was the very best decision that could have been made.
A week from this Friday will be the opening of the Spring LOC Derby which will run through May 14th this year.
With the fishing conditions being what they are, we should see some great weights on the leaderboard.
From Point Breeze on Lake Ontario, the World Fishing Network’s Ultimate Fishing Town USA and the rest of Orleans County. We try to make everyday a great fishing day in Orleans County.
Spring 2017 will be Above 20,000 Bird Hunter Average
Successive Mild Winters Help Reproduction
2-Bird Season Bag Limit, May 1 -31, 2017
Experts predict that a rising turkey population and healthy tom gobblers will be the norm in New York State for 2017, mild winters have helped the birds survive and thrive. Joe Forma Photo
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is opening spring turkey season on May 1 in upstate New York north of the Bronx-Westchester County line, the agency announced today.
“Hunting is an excellent way to connect people to the natural world,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said. “Spending time afield with a new hunter is a chance to teach them about conservation, the environment, and wildlife. It’s the perfect opportunity to put novice hunters on the path to becoming safe and responsible hunters.”
DEC reports that the turkey population experienced reproductive success in the summer of 2015, and combined with relatively mild winters in 2015-16 and 2016-17, it is anticipated that the spring harvest will be up from last year and above the five-year average (about 20,000 birds). The estimated turkey harvest for spring 2016 was 18,400 birds, and nearly 6,000 junior hunters harvested an estimated 1,300 birds during the two-day youth hunt in 2016.
Details: NYS Spring Turkey Season: May 1-31, 2017
Hunting is permitted in most areas of the state, except for New York City and Long Island.
Hunters must have a turkey hunting permit in addition to their hunting license.
Shooting hours are from one-half hour before sunrise to noon each day.
Hunters may take two bearded turkeys during the spring season, but only one bird per day.
Hunters may not use rifles or handguns firing a bullet. Hunters may hunt with a shotgun or handgun loaded with shot sizes no larger than No. 2 or smaller than No. 8, or with a bow or crossbow.
Successful hunters must fill out the tag that comes with the turkey permit and immediately attach it to any turkey harvested.
Successful hunters must report their harvest within seven days of taking a bird. Call 1-866-426-3778 (1-866 GAMERPT) or report a harvest online at DEC’s website.
For more information about turkey hunting in New York, see the 2016-17 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide or visit the “Turkey Hunting” pages at DEC’s website.
New York has an extremely safety-conscious generation of hunters, largely due to the annual efforts of more than 3,000 dedicated volunteer sportsman education instructors. DEC suggests hunters follow the cardinal rules of hunting safety: assume every gun is loaded; control the muzzle; keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot; be absolutely sure of your target and what may be beyond it; and don’t stalk. Set up with your back against a large tree and call birds to you. To find a sportsman education class in your area, go to the Sportsman Education web page on DEC’s website or call 1-888-HUNT-ED2 (1-888-486-8332).
To view a video on hunter safety tips, watch DEC’s Hunter Safety video on YouTube.
Muskegon, MI (August 14, 2017) – Fooling a deer’s eyes and ears can be relatively easy. Stealth and woodsmanship play critical roles, as does modern camouflage. His nose, on the other hand, takes more, a lot more.
Other hunters like Don and Kandi Kisky are equally passionate about defeating the four common types of odors that kill hunts. The self-proclaimed Whitetail Freaks harvest massive mature whitetails year after year through meticulous property management, endless scouting and the ScentLok advantage.
