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Tournament anglers faced muddy conditions
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| John Rusack, seated, tabulates the winning weights during the Rip Van Winkle Bassmasters Hudson River Partners Open bass fishing tournament at Historic Catskill Point as a small group of spectators look on. Held Sunday, the tournament drew 66 participants. (Dick Nelson, Hudson-Catskill Newspapers) |
By Dick Nelson
The sun may have been shining down on the 33 boats during the 19th annual Rip Van Winkle Bassmasters Hudson River Partners Open bass fishing tournament on Sunday — and the wind was blowing as hard as it usually does during this event — but Saturday’s downpour had the river and its tributaries looking like chocolate milk, and while it didn’t effect the enthusiasm, it most certainly hindered the catching.
Kicking off from Dutchman’s Landing at 7 a.m., less than half of the 66 competitors returned to the 3 p.m. weigh-in with fish.
“It was tough out there,” said Catskill’s Joe Law, who along with Skeeter Harvey never had as much as a bite during the eight hours he spent on the water. “No matter where we went, the water was muddy,” Law said.
But not everyone was in the same boat. Despite the muddy conditions, Connecticut’s Terry Baksay and Chris Bielert managed to bring in a seven bass limit (tournament rules) weighing 20.14 pounds. The catch landed them in first place, netting $1,500 in the process.
The Advance Auto Parts team of John Imbesi and Steve Daley finished second with six bass weighing 18.05, collecting $800. But those first- and second-place spots could have easily been reversed had Imbesi and Daley been able to bring one of the two fish that spit out the hook as they were bringing them to the boat.
Third place and $450 went to Germantown’s Randy Phelan and Rich Host with seven fish weighing 18 pounds even, while fourth place and $350 went to the Pennsylvania team of Rich Herkman and Darryl Esterly with seven bass weighing 16.09.
A cry of “fix” came from the small crowd of spectators when tournament director Skip Hommel announced the team of Pat Bedding and Dan Posta of Poughkeepsie and the team of Steve and Craig Hommel of Coeymans Hollow tied for fifth. Both teams finished with 14.07 pounds, and each collected $125. Bedding and Posta however picked up an additional $500 for a 5.15-pound lunker.
Meanwhile it was salmon, not bass, that Walt Bennett of Durham and Bruce Terrell of Livingstonville had on their minds when they drove out to Pulaski last week — and they weren’t disappointed. Because the water along the Salmon River was running high and fast the day they were there, they opted to fish Orwell Creek.
That turned out to be a good decision as each, using salmon eggs as bait, managed to hook and land three Chinook (King) salmon — several in the 20 pound class.
“It was great,” said Bennett, who hasn’t been out that way in four years.
Commenting on several observations, Bennett went on to say that things have changed considerably since the last time he was there. Not only were there less fisherman, but a number of businesses he frequented had gone belly-up.
Actually, Bennett’s assessment is right on the money. A study by Cornell University revealed that several counties along Lake Ontario could lose up to 300 jobs and $19 million in spending by 2012 if the current trend in fishing continues.
The study, entitled “Lake Ontario Sportfishing: Trends, Analysis and Outlook”, predicts fishing trips on the lake will decline by 32 percent over the next five years, brought on by a waning enthusiasm, invasive species and a poor economy.
The thrill of catching big salmon and trout has dimmed in recent years, and because of it, areas such as Pulaski, Altmar, Sandy Creek and Mexico that once drew thousands of anglers during the fall and winter salmon run have dwindled. And, those dwindling numbers have affected everything from lodging and restaurants to gas stations and tackle shops.
Actually, the novelty of fishing for big salmon started to peter off when the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) banned snagging of salmon in 1995. Not that the ban was a bad decision; prior to the ban it was like a zoo up there, and while the region was thriving, someone was always getting hurt, whether accidentally or purposely.
Not only that, but almost every county in the state lost an Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) or two when they were reassigned to the Salmon River and other Lake Ontario tributaries.
When I asked Bennett how many ECOs he and Terrell had seen during their stay, he said none... I guess things have changed.
In the meantime, the DEC recently announced that approximately 21,000 Deer Management Permits (DMPs) will be issued to hunters who were previously denied permits earlier this year during the initial DMP application period that ended on Oct. 1.
Along with his or her regular buck tag, a DMP allows hunters to harvest antlerless deer in a specific Wildlife Management Unit.
An average of 20 percent of the hunters previously denied permits in WMU 3C, 3F, 3G, 3H, 3J, 3K, 3N, 4A, 4F, 4G, 4H, 4O, 4P, 4R, 4S, 4T, 4W, 4Y, 5R, 5S, 6A, 6C, 6G, 6K, 6P, 6R, 6S, 7A, 7H, 7J, 7P, 8R, 8T, 8X, 8Y, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9N, 9P, 9R, 9S, 9T, 9X and 9Y will receive a DMP through the mail.
Selection for one of these permits will not affect any preference points issued to hunters who were not selected for their first choice area during the original application period.
In addition, DEC will also reopen the DMP application process starting Nov. 1 on a first-come, first-served basis for WMUs that have not reached target totals during the random selections. DMP applications will be accepted for the following WMUs: 1C, 3M, 3R, 3S (bowhunting-only), 8A, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8J, 8N, 9A and 9F.
Hunters may apply for up to two leftover DMPs in these units at any DEC license sales outlets. Hunters are encouraged to obtain the additional permits to take antlerless deer from these units and use the Venison Donation program (http://www.venisondonation.com/) to help provide food for families in need.
According to DEC big game specialist Jeremy Hurst, leftover DMPs will not be available by phone, by mail or via the Internet. During this extended application period, DEC will issue DMPs for an individual WMU all day once a WMU is opened for leftover issuance. The status of permits will be reviewed daily and any filled units will be removed from the list of those available with no further applications accepted for those units. Applicants who previously paid the $10 application fee or are exempt from the application fee will not be charged for this additional application.
Dropping anchor ’til next time.
Kicking off from Dutchman’s Landing at 7 a.m., less than half of the 66 competitors returned to the 3 p.m. weigh-in with fish.
“It was tough out there,” said Catskill’s Joe Law, who along with Skeeter Harvey never had as much as a bite during the eight hours he spent on the water. “No matter where we went, the water was muddy,” Law said.
But not everyone was in the same boat. Despite the muddy conditions, Connecticut’s Terry Baksay and Chris Bielert managed to bring in a seven bass limit (tournament rules) weighing 20.14 pounds. The catch landed them in first place, netting $1,500 in the process.
The Advance Auto Parts team of John Imbesi and Steve Daley finished second with six bass weighing 18.05, collecting $800. But those first- and second-place spots could have easily been reversed had Imbesi and Daley been able to bring one of the two fish that spit out the hook as they were bringing them to the boat.
Third place and $450 went to Germantown’s Randy Phelan and Rich Host with seven fish weighing 18 pounds even, while fourth place and $350 went to the Pennsylvania team of Rich Herkman and Darryl Esterly with seven bass weighing 16.09.
A cry of “fix” came from the small crowd of spectators when tournament director Skip Hommel announced the team of Pat Bedding and Dan Posta of Poughkeepsie and the team of Steve and Craig Hommel of Coeymans Hollow tied for fifth. Both teams finished with 14.07 pounds, and each collected $125. Bedding and Posta however picked up an additional $500 for a 5.15-pound lunker.
Meanwhile it was salmon, not bass, that Walt Bennett of Durham and Bruce Terrell of Livingstonville had on their minds when they drove out to Pulaski last week — and they weren’t disappointed. Because the water along the Salmon River was running high and fast the day they were there, they opted to fish Orwell Creek.
That turned out to be a good decision as each, using salmon eggs as bait, managed to hook and land three Chinook (King) salmon — several in the 20 pound class.
“It was great,” said Bennett, who hasn’t been out that way in four years.
Commenting on several observations, Bennett went on to say that things have changed considerably since the last time he was there. Not only were there less fisherman, but a number of businesses he frequented had gone belly-up.
Actually, Bennett’s assessment is right on the money. A study by Cornell University revealed that several counties along Lake Ontario could lose up to 300 jobs and $19 million in spending by 2012 if the current trend in fishing continues.
The study, entitled “Lake Ontario Sportfishing: Trends, Analysis and Outlook”, predicts fishing trips on the lake will decline by 32 percent over the next five years, brought on by a waning enthusiasm, invasive species and a poor economy.
The thrill of catching big salmon and trout has dimmed in recent years, and because of it, areas such as Pulaski, Altmar, Sandy Creek and Mexico that once drew thousands of anglers during the fall and winter salmon run have dwindled. And, those dwindling numbers have affected everything from lodging and restaurants to gas stations and tackle shops.
Actually, the novelty of fishing for big salmon started to peter off when the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) banned snagging of salmon in 1995. Not that the ban was a bad decision; prior to the ban it was like a zoo up there, and while the region was thriving, someone was always getting hurt, whether accidentally or purposely.
Not only that, but almost every county in the state lost an Environmental Conservation Officer (ECO) or two when they were reassigned to the Salmon River and other Lake Ontario tributaries.
When I asked Bennett how many ECOs he and Terrell had seen during their stay, he said none... I guess things have changed.
In the meantime, the DEC recently announced that approximately 21,000 Deer Management Permits (DMPs) will be issued to hunters who were previously denied permits earlier this year during the initial DMP application period that ended on Oct. 1.
Along with his or her regular buck tag, a DMP allows hunters to harvest antlerless deer in a specific Wildlife Management Unit.
An average of 20 percent of the hunters previously denied permits in WMU 3C, 3F, 3G, 3H, 3J, 3K, 3N, 4A, 4F, 4G, 4H, 4O, 4P, 4R, 4S, 4T, 4W, 4Y, 5R, 5S, 6A, 6C, 6G, 6K, 6P, 6R, 6S, 7A, 7H, 7J, 7P, 8R, 8T, 8X, 8Y, 9G, 9H, 9J, 9K, 9N, 9P, 9R, 9S, 9T, 9X and 9Y will receive a DMP through the mail.
Selection for one of these permits will not affect any preference points issued to hunters who were not selected for their first choice area during the original application period.
In addition, DEC will also reopen the DMP application process starting Nov. 1 on a first-come, first-served basis for WMUs that have not reached target totals during the random selections. DMP applications will be accepted for the following WMUs: 1C, 3M, 3R, 3S (bowhunting-only), 8A, 8F, 8G, 8H, 8J, 8N, 9A and 9F.
Hunters may apply for up to two leftover DMPs in these units at any DEC license sales outlets. Hunters are encouraged to obtain the additional permits to take antlerless deer from these units and use the Venison Donation program (http://www.venisondonation.com/) to help provide food for families in need.
According to DEC big game specialist Jeremy Hurst, leftover DMPs will not be available by phone, by mail or via the Internet. During this extended application period, DEC will issue DMPs for an individual WMU all day once a WMU is opened for leftover issuance. The status of permits will be reviewed daily and any filled units will be removed from the list of those available with no further applications accepted for those units. Applicants who previously paid the $10 application fee or are exempt from the application fee will not be charged for this additional application.
Dropping anchor ’til next time.
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