YESTERDAY marked the opening of the season in New York for a number of sweetwater gamefish, and with it comes some warnings.
Anglers can now get into some exciting action for walleye, Northern pike, pickerel and tiger muskellunge in upstate waters. And those of you fishing these waters also will play a big role in preventing the spread of potentially damaging aquatic invasive species and fish diseases.
Your fishing equipment, especially waders and wading shoes, should be dried for at least 48 hours before moving from water to water. If drying is not possible, equipment must be disinfected.
One of the easiest ways to disinfect gear is by soaking it for 10 minutes in a cleanser/disinfectant containing the ingredient alkyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride. It’s found in common household antiseptic cleansers such as Fantastic, Formula 409 and Spray Nine.
For more information, request the new brochure Stop the Spread of Aquatic Invasive Species and Fish Diseases in New York State from your local Department of Environmental Conservation office or go to the its Web site at http://www.dec.ny.gov.
So far this season, didymo, an invasive species, has been confirmed in the Esopus Creek in Ulster County. This is the first time didymo has been found in the Esopus a popular waterway for fishing, kayaking and tubing, and is a drinking water source for New York City.
Previously, didymo had been confirmed in the Batten Kill in Washington County near the Vermont border and in the East and West branches of the Delaware River.
Fish diseases also can be spread through the careless use of baitfish. There is a new Green List of baitfish species that can be commercially collected and/or sold for fishing in any water body in New York, where it is legal to use fish as bait has now been established in regulation.
The DEC’s Web site provides a wealth of information on freshwater fishing including hotlines/news for current fishing tips, fishing regulations and a listing of warmwater fishing locations in each DEC region.
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For saltwater anglers, the state has opened up the new Oyster Bay Waterfront Waterway access site in the Town of Oyster Bay on Long Island.
In addition to the ramp, the property has been converted to a park that contains a native coastal planting scheme and access to a refurbished 500-foot pier for fishing.
The boat ramp area will accommodate parking for 20 cars with trailers. Ramp users will be required to fill out an application for a permanent access permit. Applications can be found in the box next to the ramp. The top copy of this application should be placed on the dash board of the car, the bottom copy returned to the box. A permanent access permit will be mailed to the applicant. If you have questions call the DEC at (631) 444-0276.