Outdoor Journal: Kids enjoy Make-A-Wish fishing tournament

PHOTOGRAPHER: EmilyRose

Kids pose with their trophies at the 21st Make-A-Wish Foundation’s Fishing Tournament.

Share on Facebook

Save

There is something about watching the excitement of a kid hooking a fish.

Last Sunday, there were 50 of these youngsters of all ages who were fishing in the Mike Ryan’s “No Fee” 21st Make-A-Wish Foundation’s for kids at Six Mile Waterworks in Albany.

Several days before the contest, DEC released trout into the lake. Since the beginning of these annual June contests, I enjoyed helping Mike and helping these kids catch fish. Mike has always found local businesses that donated products that were raffled off. This was also my 21st time that I raffled off myself to take a kid fishing.

I spent the morning showing kids and parents how to put worms on a hooks and casting. Mike worked the microphone and was the “get the bobber and hooks out of the trees” guy. I enjoyed watching those smiling faces when they came running to have their catches be measured.

Donated raffle items included 20 plus fishing rods and reels; tickets to restaurants and a number of retail stores and several bikes. And Mike made it sure that every youngster got a goody bag. All money donations went to the Make-A-Wish of NENY.

There was also a surprised visitor to the fishing contest who I hadn’t seen since I was a student in Vincentian Institute High School in Albany, State Sen. Neal Breslin. Sen. Breslin donated several items to the kids while we talked about old times.

At the end of the contest, there were 16 trophies presented, four places in each of the four age categories. Mike and Make-A-Wish would like to thank all of those that attended and donated products and/or money. It all goes to a very worthy cause. I will be taking two of these kids and their parents out fishing shortly.
I have a number of photos of these happy kids that you can view if you go to my blog at http://noonanpics.blogspot.com/.

BASS

Two days from now, many of our lakes and rivers will be filled with anglers for the opening of New York State’s bass fishing season.

I am sure that in lakes like Saratoga, the parking lot will be filled with bass boat trailers. And I wouldn’t be surprised if there were one or two bass tournaments out there, also.

My bass fishing/tournament bug began back in 1973, when Less Bonesteel and I bought a 16-foot Ranger bass boat with a 50 hpr outboard and joined the Capital District Bassmaster Club. It was the beginning of my bass tournament fishing career. I had six bass boats after that, the last being a 20 foot, fully rigged with the latest gadgets and a 200 hpr engine.

I am still a member of the club, but do not fish the tournaments, and my fishing/pleasure boat now is a 19-foot 2000 Lowe Roughneck deck boat with 50 hpr Johnson outboard. But it does have a live well to keep those bass alive should I get the urge to fish a tournament.

Now if you are interested in fishing these tournaments, I just received an email from the Mohawk Valley Anglers Trail Club, which will be hosting seven points contests that will include the Great Sacandaga Lake, Saratoga Lake, Mohawk River and Cossayuna Lake. It also has a three-man trail also on these same local waters. For more information, go to https://mohawkvalleyanglers.weebly.com/.

SPORTSMAN GARAGE SALE

The Iroquois Rod and Gun Club, located at 590 Feuz Road, Rotterdam, is having an indoor/outdoor sportsman garage sale on Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sale is related to hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking, camping, target shooting, archery, reloading and collectibles and tools. No firearms, ammunition or gun powder will be sold. For more information, call Gary at 518-526-2166.

BOWFISHING BANDIT CAUGHT

Earlier this month, DEC ECO Brian Canzeri was alerted to four fishermen illegally operating a 23-foot powerboat on the 1,700-acre Tomhannock Reservoir. ECO Canzeri arrived and waited in the dark for them to come off the water.

After interviewing them, they were issued tickets for illegal boating on the reservoir, failure to have proper reservoir permits and taking fish contrary to the regulations, since bowfishing is not permitted at the reservoir. One of the carp weighed in at over 30 pounds. They were also advised to dispose of the fish properly.

The next morning, on a hunch, Canzeri knew of a spring bowfishing tournament on Saratoga Lake and contacted ECOs Mark Klien and Steven Shaw to be on the look out for these men. Klien and Shaw were on hand when the four anglers attempted to enter illegal fish. These illegal fish would have won the top prize of $3,000 and were disqualified.

On May 15, ECO Matthew Baker received a call from Steuben County 911 of an adult male turkey hunter who had been admitted to the hospital with a shotgun wound. He was lucky and suffered only minor injuries from pellets lodged in his middle finger.

The hunter and his friend set out two turkey decoys in a field where they could not see each other. The subject was attempting to put up a third decoy without notifying his friend. He was dressed in camouflage and carrying the decoy in front of him as he began to move through the hedgerow and out into the field. When seen, the other hunter thought it was a real turkey and fired one shot.

The NYS police and ECO Shawn Dusssault, K-9 Ski, BECI Investigators LT. Chris Didion and Inv. Mark Wojkowiak and ECO Keith Levanway helped with the investigation.

Contact Ed Noonan at [email protected].