Rod, Gun & Game: We’re fishing on thin ice with warm lake temperatures

My grandson has been asking me to hit the ice this year, but we haven’t done so yet this season. I like 6 inches of ice before my boots get too far from the shoreline. While safe ice has been coming and going this year, the deeper northern chill through this week and the weekend will help stabilize many smaller inland lakes around Western New York with thickening ice, including on the south end of Silver Lake.

At Silver Lake, most angler access is taking place from Silver Lake State Park in the southwest corner, though some anglers also access the lake via the parking area near Mack’s Boat Livery in the southeast corner. Fat northern pike are among regular catches by anglers’ dangling live suckers or large chubs from tip-up rigs over the relatively shallow weed beds that are prominent in the southern lake area. Jigs tipped with grubs and pieces of minnow bait are working well for anglers using lightweight ice fishing rods on bluegills and small perch.

Cuba Lake, Honeoye Lake and Red House Lake in Allegany Park are among other local inland lakes where brave anglers have tested their winter ice fishing skills on thin ice this winter.

Shore anglers are lining the edges of Erie Basin Marina on sunny weekends this year and catching perch and crappie.

The usual ice found around shore in the Upper Niagara River boat marina and boat launch areas on Grand Island, as well as along the New York shoreline, has not formed. Each weekend, dozens of anglers cast sinker rigs or bobber rigs with grubs, minnows or worms and catch panfish and the occasional black bass.

Most of the marina areas are filled with large schools of baitfish minnows that include emerald shiners, spottail shiners and fathead minnows. The water is black with baitfish in some marina areas.

Inland streams are easily accessible for winter steelhead anglers, also a very popular winter past time here in Western New York. Upper Eighteenmile Creek in Hamburg and Cayuga Creek in Lancaster and Cheektowaga have been offering excellent lunker fishing when water levels are low. Egg sacs, egg pattern flies, tiny hair jigs or ice-flies tipped with waxworms or spike grubs fished under a float with open-face spinning gear have all been working. For steelhead in winter, fish when the sun is highest, since fish will be most active with warmer water temperatures that occur at that time.

If you are unfamiliar with steelhead fishing tactics or suggested equipment for our huge Western New York fish, take the time to review the Department of Environmental Conservation’ website for tips on steelhead fishing our local streams. For fishing tips and equipment advice, visit www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/60290.html. For regulations on Great Lakes Tributary Fishing visit www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/71612.html.

The DEC needs you: Angler Diary Program
The DEC Region 9 Fisheries Unit is planning to run an angler diary program for Wiscoy Creek in Allegany and Wyoming counties during 2012 and is currently in search of volunteer trout anglers. If you fish Wiscoy Creek and would like to keep a diary for the DEC, call the fisheries office at 372-0645 or email fwfish9@gw.dec.state.ny.us. The program will run March 1 - Oct. 31. This program duplicates the one run in 2009 and will be used in conjunction with a late-summer electrofishing survey to evaluate the fishery’s overall quality. In 2009, more than 93 anglers participated in the program.

E-Duck Stamp
A new e-Duck Stamp could become a permanent part of federal law under legislation passed by the House two weeks ago.

Since the mid-1930s, migratory waterfowl hunters have been required to buy the federal migratory bird hunting and conservation stamps, or duck stamps, at post offices or sporting goods stores. Four years ago, eight states joined a pilot program allowing them to sell temporary duck stamps through the Internet.

The bill passed 373-1. It now goes to the Senate and, if passed, would give the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the authority to make that program permanent and extend it to all states. The electronic stamps are valid for 45 days, giving hunters time to get their stamps through the U.S. Postal Service.

The program makes it easier for hunters to buy the federal stamps and state hunting licenses online. The stamps also give birders and other non-hunters free access to the nation’s 553 wildlife refuges.

Send information 10 days in advance to nugdor@yahoo.com.