Syracuse.com - Figura looking for stories/pictures from CNY ice fishing scene (Jan. 27, 29)

[HuntingNY-News]

Have a winter-time, outdoors story idea? Contact Outdoors Editor David Figura at [email protected] or call 470-6066. This week he's writing about an indoor pistol shooting league and Makiplastics, a company that makes small, plastic baits for ice fishing.

What a heck of a winter. It was nearly 50 degrees out this morning when I walked down to the road to pick up my paper. Is the local ice fishing season underway -- or what? Haven't heard much from readers on conditions and catches. What's the story?

Meanwhile, the lack of snow has prompted a search for winter-time story ideas unrelated to snow and ice (at least until it comes). Any suggestions? Any help readers could give me would be greatly appreciated. Email me at [email protected].

Submitted photoI call this photo "eye candy" for ice fishermen. Matt Kadlubowski shows 17 perch and a walleye he caught through the ice on the north shore of Oneida Lake last weekend. The biggest perch was 14 inches. Can anyone else top this catch?

Meanwhile, here's what's on tap for this week:

FRIDAY:

Main piece: We visit the Syracuse Pistol Club and check out its Wednesday morning indoor handgun shooting league.

Column: Precede to this week's sportsmen's outdoor show at the State Fairgrounds, which begins Friday and ends Sunday.

SUNDAY:

Main piece: A look at the Makiplastics company, which makes "micro-plastic" baits for ice fishing. It began with a couple of local guys on a front porch in Lakeport looking at the available lures for ice fishing and saying, "Dude, we can do better than that..." Interesting story.

Column: Still considering. Several topics include the effects of the unseasonably warm weather on wildlife, fish, insects, etc, what's going on with the Conservation Fund budget and other issues.........or possibly an update on the whole crossbow issue. Stay tuned.

ANYTHING ELSE READERS OF THIS REPORT WOULD LIKE TO SEE ME WRITE ABOUT?

The effectiveness of this report is two-fold. First it lets readers know what's coming up story-wise. It also allows readers a chance to affect coverage and provide sources for upcoming stories. Bottom line: Keep in touch and give input. You could make a difference as to what appears week to week on the outdoors page! Sunday's piece on Pauline Eggers came from a reader who reads this weekly report!

Email me at [email protected] or call 470-6066.

If you want to join The Post-Standard's Outdoors Group and get this emailed directly to you, subscribe here. Members of this group can respond to me directly by hitting reply after reading the email.

FIGURA ON FACEBOOK:

For those who are on Facebook, I also have a PS Outdoors page there, which I check several times daily for feedback and story ideas. I also post personal fishing and hunting and other outdoors-related photos from time to time and I ask members to do the same. When you join, please be sure and hit the "like" button.

View the full article on The Syracuse Outdoors Blog