Bill Hilts, Jr.: Remembering New York’s rainbow/steelhead record fish 20 years later
Do you know what the New York State freshwater fish record catches are?
Based on my personal experiences, I would have to say most people would not. They may know a few of their favorites (ballpark weights) but actual records would be limited. I had a couple friends through the years catch record fish and either didn’t realize it or didn’t care to enter it for personal reasons. One was an 18-plus pound walleye in the lower Niagara River 30 years ago.
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2024 New York Great Lakes Preview: How good can the fishing be on Lake Erie?
“It’s getting better all the time!”
If the Beatles were still around today, they may have written a song about Lake Erie and its tremendous fishery that emphasized how good it is … and that it keeps getting better all the time, year after year. This year appears to be no different when you look at the big picture.
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2024 New York Great Lakes Preview: Lake Ontario full of promise and choices
Lake Ontario, a shared natural resource between two countries, may have been named after the Iroquois Native American word meaning “beautiful lake” or “sparkling water.” The name appeared on maps for the first time as early as 1656, shortly after the first Europeans called it “Ontario” 15 years before that.
There is a long and storied history in this Great Lake, a body of water that receives most of its sustenance from the upper four Great Lakes – primarily through the Niagara River as a final conduit. Fish and fishing have been an important component to its history, and it still is today.
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Things looking great for New York’s Great Lakes fishing in 2024
New York State is blessed with more than 7,500 lakes and ponds, 70,000 miles of rivers and streams, and hundreds of miles of coastline. Yes, New York, our own Empire State! At the top of the list of sport fishing attractions in the state is the Great Lakes.
New York is bordered to the west by Lake Erie and the Niagara River. To the north, its Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River. They all connect to form one of the greatest freshwater fisheries in the world and we get to call it our own.
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Bill Hilts, Jr.: Remembering New York’s Bob Cinelli — one of the top Great Lakes charter captains
P.T. Barnum once said that the noblest art is that of making others happy. Bob Cinelli was one of those people, especially when he was fishing – a true ambassador for New York’s natural resources as one of the top Great Lakes charter captains. I know firsthand.
Pen-rearing projects boost salmon stocking in New York
For over 25 years, pen rearing projects for salmon and trout have been implemented in Lake Ontario to help the stocking efforts of New York DEC’s Bureau of Fisheries. In 2024, there are nine cooperative pen-rearing projects in the basin, including nearly 823,000 Chinook salmon and over 70,000 steelhead.
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Bill Hilts, Jr.: Crossbow education needed for hunting image
Crossbows have been a part of my big game hunting life for 35 years. It began in southeastern Ohio as part of a media weekend run by Horton Crossbows at a place they called Camp Opportunity.
I still remember the first time a shot a crossbow, sitting next to my father at stationery targets 20 yards from us. The first time we shot one, we looked at each other and agreed that we had not been fully educated. They were both fun and effective.
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Bill Hilts, Jr.: New York’s Erie Canal System is a fishing secret
In 2025, the Erie Canal will be celebrating a milestone of historic significance. It will be the 200th Anniversary of the continuous operation of “Clinton’s Ditch,” a manmade marvel in its day that focused initially on commercial transportation operations.
It has become a different kind of outdoor wonder today. The Erie Canal is now a recreational byway that transects New York State from Buffalo to Albany for 363 miles, with a special attention on historical tourism, boating, and, yes, even fishing.
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Delta Waterfowl establishes Niagara Frontier chapter in New York
Delta Waterfowl, one of the leading conservation groups dedicated to waterfowl and waterfowl hunting, is expanding its footprint in the Empire State.
According to Bob Sieman, of Amherst, N.Y., current chairman of the committee overseeing the new chapter, the group was formed just this year (2024) to the delight of waterfowlers in Western New York.
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