Syracuse.com - Great weather and good times mark "Take a Soldier Fishing" event on Oneida Lake

[HuntingNY-News]

More than 125 soldiers from Fort Drum were taken out on the lake by 70 volunteer boaters who provided poles, tackle and life jackets, free of charge. Watch video

Brewerton—Oneida Lake was dotted with fishing boats and army camouflage at the annual Take a Soldier Fishing event Saturday.

The free event was hosted by the New York Bass Chapter Federation (NYBCF), and with at least a third of its attending members being ex-military, bringing active duty soldiers out for a free day of fishing hit close to the organization's heart.

NYCBF Conservation Director Burnie Haney spearheaded this event with colleague Mike Cusano as a way for active duty soldiers to interact with the community.

"As former military myself, this is one way I can help to make sure the community understands what these young men do...that's really why I put this together," said Haney, who is a retired G3 Sergeant Major.

 

More than 125 soldiers from Fort Drum near Watertown came down for the event, and were taken out on the lake by 70 boaters who provided poles, tackle and life jackets for those who needed them, free of charge. About 50 boaters were directly involved with NYBCF, and the others came from around the country to help out at this event, Haney said.

Open fishing lasted for about four hours, followed by a free lunch, raffles and a competition for the biggest fish in five categories—including carp, bluegill, bowfin and sheep head.

Haney held his first Take a Soldier Fishing event at Henderson Harbor in 2006 in conjunction with an American Bassmasters tournament. After that, he moved it to Oneida Lake because "it's more of a central location where all of our anglers can drive an equal distance to get here." Sponsors include Bass Pro Shops, Onondaga County Parks and the Region 7 New York DEC.

Sergeant Jesse Colby of Concord, N.H. and Sergeant First Class James Crawford of Bend, Ore. were attending the event for the first time. Crawford has been on eight deployments in 24 years as a soldier, and had previously been part of a security detail at The White House.

"The best thing about this is to be with people from this area," Crawford said. "I've fished a lot, but it's great to know what works and what doesn't out here, and learn from these guys because the fishing different everywhere you go."

Colby is part of a Warrior Transition Unit—a unit to transition wounded or sick soldiers out of active duty—because of Type 1 Diabetes. He said he is offered a fair amount of trips and activities where all expenses are paid by an organization like NYBCF.

"But as a regular active duty soldier, there's not a ton of opportunities like this," Colby said. "I was stuck in Germany for two years, where the waters are all private, so I'm just glad to get out on a public lake somewhere and fish."

Former Salt City Bassmasters president and ex-soldier Pat Grady of Baldwinsville brought his boat and tackle out to this event to assist the soldiers for the third year in a row.

"Some of these guys are seasoned pros and brought their own tackle, and others, this is their first time out," Grady said. Bass Pro Shops donated 135 rod and reel combinations for the event, but Grady said the anglers who bring the soldiers out provide them with extra bait and tackle for specific fish and areas of the lake.

The anglers here enjoy helping the soldiers learn new fishing techniques and providing a free activity for them, Grady said. "I've never had a soldier who didn't catch a fish, and I've had some rather neophytes out here," Grady said. "This is really the highlight of my fishing year."

Crawford said this event is one of few chances he's gotten while on duty to do what he loves—outdoor sports.

"Fort Drum is kind of isolated," Crawford said. "So this event is great for guys like me who love to hunt and fish, and it gives an opportunity for us to meet people of this community and enjoy a day of fishing with them."

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog