Syracuse.com - DEC conservation officers out in force this fall along the Salmon and Oswego rivers

[HuntingNY-News]

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Play it safe. Follow the rules or face getting a ticket.

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<div id="asset-11626146" class="entry_widget_large entry_widget_right"><span class="adv-photo-large"><img height="248" width="380" src="http://media.syracuse.com/outdoors/photo/11626146-large.jpg" class="adv-photo" alt="2012-09018-gw-salmon014.JPG" /><span class="photo-data"><span class="byline">Gary Walts/The Post-Standard</span><span class="caption">A fish hooked on somebody else's line leaps out of the water in front of Kevin McCarthy, of Baldwinsville, on the Salmon River in Pulaski.</span></span><span class="photo-bottom-left"><!-- IE6 HACK --></span><span class="photo-bottom-right"><!-- IE6 HACK --></span></span></div>

<p><br />Fishing was so good along the Salmon River late last week that one fishing guide called it “just ridiculous.” Anglers have also been lining up along the Oswego River this week to get a crack at the large numbers of spawning chinook or coho salmon there.</p>

<p>With all the fish and fishermen (and women) in the water, it’s no surprise that state Department of Environmental Conservation officers will once again be out patrolling these two waterways.</p>

<p>Last year, officers wrote 578 tickets and warned 249 other anglers about their actions. That was 150 more tickets than the year before. Among the factors was an increased presence of officers during night hours. Fishing is prohibited from one-half hour after sunset until one-half hour before sunrise.</p>

<p>“We’ll definitely have officers out there from pre-dawn to well after dark,” said Lt. Jim Reitmeier. “We ask, with all the crowded conditions, that anglers be respectful of each other.”</p>

<p>If last year’s tickets are any indication, anglers who don’t want to be fined should particularly avoid the following:</p>

<p>- <strong>Snatching or blind snatching.</strong> According to the DEC fishing guide, “snatching means taking fish not attracted by bait or artificial lure with hooks, gangs or similar devices whether the hooks are baited or not. Snagging, lifting and single-hook snagging are all types of ‘snatching.’”</p>

<p>Officers look for anglers making repeated or exaggerated jerking motions with their fishing rods.</p>

<p>- <strong>Distance between hook/lure and weight added to line/leader exceeds four feet.</strong> This illegal rig results in a whipping action of the baited hook in the water. Depending on the water flow and length of the leader, anglers end up foul-hooking more fish by doing this.</p>

<p>- <strong>Failure to immediately return or possession of foul-hooked fish</strong>. If a fish is hooked anywhere but in the mouth, it must be returned to the water immediately. Don’t try keeping it.</p>

<p>- <strong>Trespassing</strong>. Twenty tickets were issued last year for anglers who trespassed on the private Douglaston Salmon Run, on state-owned land near the state hatchery on Beaver Dam Brook and on other posted, privately owned stretches along the river. Obey the posted signs.</p>

<p>- <strong>No fishing license.</strong> Anglers are required to have a current fishing license on their person when fishing. Leaving it in the vehicle or back at the motel room doesn’t cut it. Expect a ticket if you can’t produce a license on demand.</p>

<p>For more information concerning regulations for fishing Lake Ontario’s tributaries this time of year, see the DEC fishing regulations guide. Violations can cost an angler up to $250, along with surcharges.</p>

<p><strong>See a poacher? </strong><br />If you suspect someone is violating the state’s fish and wildlife laws, call 911 or the DEC’s 24-hour dispatch at 877-457-5680. <br /></p>

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog