June 01, 2012 - Field Notes
Noteworthy News from the Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources
In This Issue:
- Experience Lake Ontario's World Class Trout and Salmon Fishery
- Beyond Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Events
- Rare Freshwater Mussel Found in Monroe County
- Commercial Fishery Updates for Summer Flounder and Scup
- Celebrate National Boating and Fishing Week
- Nesting Sites Prepared for Common Terns
- Comment on Proposed Changes to River Herring Regulations
- Recreational Sporting Season Reminders
- More Noteworthy DEC News
- "Did You Know...?" Fact Featuring the Turkey Vulture
Large Chinook salmon caught
in Lake Ontario.
~Photo courtesy of Tom Smith
Experience Lake Ontario's World Class Trout and Salmon Fishery
This spring, many Lake Ontario anglers are reporting the best trout and salmon fishing ever experienced. Based on catches so far, some salmon may exceed 40 pounds later this year. Join in the fun and catch the largest salmon in the Great Lakes. Information on where to fish, when to fish and how to fish this spectacular trout and salmon fishery is available on DEC's Great Lakes Fishing webpage and on county tourism websites (counties surrounding Lake Ontario include: Jefferson, Oswego, Cayuga, Wayne, Monroe, Orleans and Niagara).
Beyond Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Events
Take a Beyond Becoming an Outdoors-Woman course in the beautiful Adirondacks this June. Two future courses are listed below. To register for either course described below, contact Sheila and Sonny Young at 518-395-8194 or e-mail adkfoothills@yahoo.com
- Saturday, June 9 - Stalking the Adirondack Ostrich
Search for and learn to identify the ferns and flowers of the Adirondacks. Cost is $30 per person. - Saturday, June 16 - Spin Casting Mountain Lakes and Ponds
Learn techniques and tactics for catching trout, pike and other fish found in Adirondack lakes and ponds. Cost is $70 per person, and enrollment is limited.
Rare Freshwater Mussel Found in Monroe County
A rare rainbow mussel (Villosa iris), listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in New York State, was recently found in Moorman Creek, Monroe County. A YouTube video (External Link) captures this mussel as it displays its lure to mimic a crayfish and attract a hungry fish. When the mussel feels a fish trying to take a bite, it releases numerous young mussels named "glochidia" that attach to the fish's gills or fins. The unsuspecting fish provides food and aeration for the young mussels and a ride to a new home. Once the mussels metamorphose into juveniles, they drop off the fish and burrow into the stream bottom, and the fish swims away unharmed.
Commercial Fishery Updates for Summer Flounder and Scup
Effective Friday, June 1, the commercial fishery daily trip limit for summer flounder decreased from 210 pounds to 140 pounds and will remain in effect until further notice. The daily trip limit for scup increased from 500 pounds to 1,000 pounds and will remain in effect through June 30. For more information on these and other fisheries, visit DEC's Commercial Fishing Limits webpage.
Celebrate National Boating and Fishing Week
This year's National Boating and Fishing Week will be June 2-10. This is the perfect opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy the wealth of waters New York State has to offer. During this weeklong celebration, DEC will be offering free fishing clinics at multiple locations described below.
- Saturday, June 2
- Iroquois Lake, Schenectady County - Schenectady's Central Park, 10am-2pm
- Sauquoit Creek and Tributaries, Oneida County - New Hartford Athletic Park, 9:30am-2 pm
- Carpenter's Brook Fish Hatchery, Onondaga County, 9:30am-1:30pm
- Saturday, June 9
- Tifft Nature Preserve Family Fishing Day, Erie County, 9:30am-1pm
Visit DEC's 2012 Free Fishing Day Clinics webpage for more details and to find additional clinics offered year-round.
Common tern (top, photo courtesy
USFWS) and pea gravel nesting
substrate.
Nesting Sites Prepared for Common Terns
Through a DEC contract with Riveredge Associates LLC, artificial nesting sites are maintained each year to increase the breeding success of common tern colonies in the St. Lawrence River. To prepare for the arrival of breeding terns this summer, four nesting sites near the Thousand Islands Bridge were enhanced. Two sites received 27,000 pounds of 1/8-inch pea gravel to cover up old coarse gravel, and another two sites received new interior fencing, an ice boom and almost two tons of stone to replace washed away areas. Throughout the summer and with assistance from volunteers, these sites will be monitored for tern productivity. For more information on this project and to learn how you can get involved in monitoring common terns, visit the Save the River website
Comment on Proposed Changes to River Herring Regulations
Changes to regulations governing the harvest of river herring (alewife and blueback herring) are being proposed to reduce fishing mortality and sustain populations. The proposed changes aim to restrict the current fishery in the Hudson River and its tributaries and to close the fisheries in all other waters of New York State that have runs of river herring. These include the Delaware River, all streams in the Bronx, Kings, Manhattan, Nassau, Richmond, Suffolk and Queens counties, and Westchester County streams that empty into the East River or Long Island Sound. Comments will be accepted through July 16. For more information, please read Proposed Changes to New York State River Herring Regulations on DEC's press release webpage.
Recreational Sporting Season Reminders
The reminders listed below include open and final recreational season dates for the weeks of June 1 through June 15. For all hunting, trapping and fishing seasons in New York State, visit DEC's Outdoor Activities webpage.
- June 15 - Opening Day for Black Sea Bass Fishing
For season details, visit DEC's Saltwater Fishing Regulations webpage. - June 15 - Last Day for Catch and Release Largemouth Bass and Smallmouth Bass Fishing
Opening day for smallmouth and largemouth bass fishing season is Saturday, June 16. For more information, visit DEC's Statewide Freshwater Angling Regulations webpage. - June 15 - Opening Day for Frog Hunting/Fishing
More details on this season are available on DEC's Reptile and Amphibian Hunting Seasons webpage.
More Noteworthy DEC News
Below are noteworthy DEC press releases not to be missed!
- National Archery in Schools Program Growing in New York
More than 15,000 students from 122 schools around New York State participate in this rapidly growing program that helps teach the sport of archery. - DEC Reopens Sag Harbor Cove for Harvest of Shellfish and Carnivorous Gastropods
This reopening follows extensive testing of shellfish (clams, mussels, oysters) for biotoxins. - If You Care, Leave It There
Finding a young animal on its own does not mean it's been abandoned. If you see a fawn or other newborn wildlife, enjoy your encounter, but keep it brief, and maintain your distance. - $451 Million Cleanup of Onondaga Lake Enters Dredging Phase
A June 15 information meeting is scheduled for the community. - Parking Tickets to be Issued at Black Pond Wildlife Management Area
Overuse of sand dunes and the beach clogs the roadway and impairs emergency response. - Sporting License Sales Discontinued at Watertown State Office Building
This decision was made due to an abundance of alternate vendors in the area.
Did You Know...?
A turkey vulture peers over a decaying fish along
the Great Lakes shoreline.
~Photo by Laurie Dirkx
Named for its resemblance to wild turkeys and for its scavenging behavior, the turkey vulture is one of the most widespread bird species in North America. While saving energy by soaring on thermal pockets, the sharp-eyed turkey vulture scans the ground for carrion. With its heightened sense of smell, it can detect the tiniest amount of odor (about a few parts per trillion) from decaying animals, virtually guaranteeing a meal.
