Ice fishing is common in Minnesota and Wisconsin, as Nicole Stone and her newborn daughter share the winter fishing experience in a heated ice hut. Photo courtesy of Nicole Stone

The holidays are over and, for some folks, that’s good news. 2023 was a great year for summer fishing and winter hunting in Chautauqua County. The inside word is that 2024 could be an even better fishing experience, especially with regard to the Lake Erie fishery.

More on that later.

For now, with all the holiday gifts and fun celebrations in the rearview mirror, there’s now time to rest, recuperate and think about cleaning up our hunting and fishing gear from last year. Important stuff. It’s also time to prepare for the upcoming outdoor shows just ahead in 2024.

There is little disagreement from anglers who fished Lake Erie this past year that the fishing was great, even beyond belief. Walleye and yellow perch fishing were off the chart. Boat launches were filled to capacity, and nearby landowners at area launches were allowing permission for overcrowded trailer parking lots, especially at Sunset Bay in Irving, Chadwick Bay in Dunkirk and Buffalo Harbor State Park. This problem highlights an issue that New York state really needs to address. Access to Lake Erie needs expansion. Instead of spending time and money on bad New York laws (burdensome new gun laws, new tax laws) that are hurting good people, one resolution for Albany to consider is to address this age-old Lake Erie access issue. Please? Related, how about adding a fish-cleaning station to the Barcelona boat launch? Yes, we know it won’t be a simple sewer fix, but make a plan, petition Albany to create a budget for it, and let’s get the ball rolling. Let’s make believe Barcelona Harbor boat launch is a boat launch on Lake Ontario that has so many state-funded facilities for all to enjoy.

The governor’s decision to add a new NYS public firearms policy for a background check and a new fee when purchasing ammo was such a wrong decision. It has handcuffed large stores and small shops alike with burdensome delays and increasing loss of sales and tax revenue. The people operating the system in Albany apparently don’t know how to run it. Training them before enacting the policy would have been a good idea. There are frequent software glitches and additional related delays that burden the customer and the store owner. For 2024, I’d sure like our legislators to get on the same page regarding their understanding about firearm safety, responsible firearm ownership, training requirements, and the issues surrounding our Constitution concerning the Second Amendment. That would involve NOT ignoring how to control the illegal guns entering our cities and the criminals that use them with disregard for other lives. It would involve NOT ignoring the real issues of violent crime with a firearm and illegal firearms. It WOULD involve meeting with law-abiding, tax-paying constituents to understand why they want a gun to protect their families in an emergency.

Why recreational shooting, hunting, and safe and responsible firearm ownership are rights and privileges, forming the backbone of making the United States of America the democracy it is. The Constitution explains so many details. We have to wonder how many legislators have read it from start to finish, and likewise, the Bill of Rights. Yes, times are changing, but we are a great country and a great place to live for good reasons. It starts with our history. Let’s not make living in a free country harder for responsible residents. The Gazzola vs. Hochul case is a lawsuit in progress that seeks relief from the challenging provisions of the New York State new gun and ammunition laws for firearms dealers. Time will tell as this case may rise to the Supreme Court.

On the good side of things that came from Albany in 2023, the wording identified in the Americans with Disabilities Act was reviewed and allowed hunters with disabilities to use a crossbow during the entire archery season. The DEC approved nearly 3,000 applications through their online approval process. A good thing. Best of all, recipients reported that the

online process worked flawlessly. I have met two people who were part of this group, and they were overjoyed to be able to hunt during the warm early archery part of the season. Of course, it has been quite warm this year through the entire big-game season. The snow and ice are coming (ice fishermen are hoping). In any case, hats off to Albany and the DEC on this one.

One of the guys who was instrumental in promoting the use of crossbows and the ADA initiative was a man I met during an outdoor writer conference in Lake George a few years back. Rick McDermott was tireless in his efforts to expand the use of crossbows in New York state, often comparing New York to Ohio for loss of revenue for not allowing greater use of crossbows across the board of NYS early-season archery hunters. McDermott and his wife were both lost in 2023 during a terrible vehicle crash. They will both be greatly missed by the outdoor community.

One other area in need of official New York state help from Albany is with our one-facility pheasant rearing efforts. At one time in New York state, seven pheasant-rearing facilities supported the conservation efforts of keeping these birds a part of our resident avian population. The Avian flu shut down our one and only facility in early 2023, and all the birds were depopulated due to this disease. No backup facility. That’s irresponsible by New York state. Closing the other facilities was part of a budget constraint process over several years. Let’s consider having two pheasant-rearing farms.

Finally, as we prepare for the possibility of yet another ice-free winter, it may mean no safe ice-fishing. Even in other states, safe ice has been waning in recent years. Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin are among the exceptions. At Lake of the Woods resorts, there is already safe ice of a foot or more. Friends up there have shared some decent pictures of crappie and walleye catches from inside heated cabins placed on the ice up there. It’s a full-time winter business in those two states. Check out my friend in the photo, Nicole Stone and her newborn daughter with a nice fish from winter in their local north there. Visit Stone at www.virtualangling.com and on Meta (Facebook) at Nicole Stone Outdoors to learn from her colorful and informative video how-to lessons about ice fishing in winter for crappie and walleye. The ice on Chautauqua Lake and area inland lakes may be just around the corner. Winter fishing can be intimidating, and playing football in winter can be too. The Buffalo Bills might be hoping that the coldest days of winter might be a week or two away. So, ice anglers get ready.

As we move into the second week of January, do check over your outdoor gear and gadgets before you forget exactly what you remember needs your attention. This is the time to do that. Check over your firearms, compound archery gear, arrows, spinning reels, trolling rods, the hooks on your lures, and related gear. It’s a good time to reverse the line on your fishing reels. The line near the bottom of the spool is new, never-used line. Don’t toss it out and buy new. Many anglers perform this task each year and enjoy the cost savings.

On the other hand, winter is a good time to hibernate. Or head south for a few days with your feet on some warm sand or in a 90-degree swimming pool with a chilled beverage and a Panama hat just for fun.

God bless. Happy New Year to all.

CALENDAR

Jan. 16: Children-In-The-Stream-Youth 4H Fly Fishing Program, Free, SUNY Fredonia Rockefeller Art Center — Costello Room, 7-8:30 p.m. Info: Alberto Rey: 716-410-7003.

Jan. 18: Southtowns Walleye Association of WNY, monthly meeting, 7 p.m., 5895 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg.

Jan. 20-21: Wolcottsville Gun Show, 6337 Wolcottsville Road at the fire hall in Akron, Visit www.nfgshows.com for info.

Feb. 3-4: Musky Expo 2024, Chautauqua Suites, Westfield. Info: Katia Rivers, 585-287-7578 Note: Submit calendar items to forrestfisher35@yahoo.com.