By editor@springvillejournal.com | on April 07, 2022
Wait a minute, SLEEVELESS? Each of us can dream. Yes, I read somewhere that spring really is coming. I think it was the Farmer’s Almanac, it might have been the calendar. Honest, it is, but for now, for this year, it seems we need to maintain some of the keep-me-warm clothing and rain covers within reach. Many of our local streams are running clear with a slightly green color. Perfect for spring trout fishing, but we may need to keep that wind-breaker jacket on, then on some days with earmuffs.
12-year-old Bubba Cave and his dad, Joshua, enjoyed catching a steelhead while fishing from the Dunkirk Pier last Sunday, a bobber/jig rig dressed with a colorful butter-worm was the bait.
The Lake Erie ice is melted, but the winter winds have left our boat and shore angler access at local harbors in a mess. Barcelona Harbor near Westfield is closed up with a sandbar blocking the entrance. Sturgeon Point Harbor is visually worse than Barcelona. When I ventured to Barcelona earlier his week, excavator machines were waiting at the top of the boat launch hill for upcoming use. There were no machines noted at Sturgeon Point, only hopeful thoughts for a timely solution to sand removal from an army of boaters and anglers that fish from boats. The Sturgeon Point Harbor spring sandbar has been a repeated issue for decades. Perhaps the Army Corps of Engineers should develop a better harbor plan to provide access and safety for recreational boaters there. Our boat harbors at these two places are difficult to maintain. At Dunkirk, life at the boat launch and from the Central Avenue drive-on pier is good. That harbor is well-designed and is SUSTAINABLE. I also stopped at Silver Creek, near the Lake Erie access point, and drove up through the local VFW parking area to find several anglers catching steelhead. A word to the wise.
If catching a fish is on your outdoor agenda and heading out for extra garb and boots is not in your budget, but you have a fishing rod, the Dunkirk Harbor pier is always an easy option. Take the ride down there, pick a spot on the pier, bring a chair or two, some warm hot chocolate for the kids and some coffee for us older wanna-be kids with the car keys. Tie on a bare 1/16 to 1/8 ounce jig-head, any color, to the end of the line. Place a tiny round bobber about 3-feet up the line from the jig, then add a butter worm to the hook point of the jig. Butter worms vary in color but are often bright orange/pink and yellow in color. They are about 1-inch long and one-quarter inch wide and offer a sweet smell. They drive fish absolutely nuts, especially steelhead. Local bait shops carry them, but they are also available online. Steelhead are tuned to find scented bait better than most other fish. Imagine that, fish that can smell in the water. SPECTACULAR. If you are lucky, hang on to the fishing rod, these steelhead can offer quite a tussle, so don’t go too far from junior. Also, at the Dunkirk pier, remember that it is a breakwall. The standing surface is vertically 3-feet from the water surface. Don’t fall in! Stay safe. Add a wearable life jacket for the kids to be sure. When it’s time for the ride back, drive back up Route 5, you might consider a visit to the local winery stops with their spring sales in progress.
Boldly colored and bold in character, red-winged blackbirds offer their familiar song along local wetlands in spring.
By the last count, the Lake Erie grape belt comprises about 30,000 acres of vineyards and 20 wineries. The Chautauqua-Lake Erie region is the largest grape cultivating region east of the Rockies. It is the largest Concord grape-growing region in the world. The Concord Grape Belt was carved out by glaciers that left behind rich soil of just the right type, add the moderate Lake Erie climate, and Concord magic happens here. Our family makes a spring trip to visit Johnson Estate Winery in Westfield, Liberty Vineyards on Route 20 in Sheridan and Merritt Estate Winery on King Road in Forestville. These last two are not far from each other. Enjoy.
To get the kids started in fishing, get a rod and reel combination made for kids. The fishing engineers at Shakespeare have designed a fishing combo that extends to match the young angler’s height as they grow. The EZ-Grow 4+ Combo telescopes from 2 feet-10 inches to 3 feet.-6 inches and then to 4 feet-6 inches when completely opened. The easy-to-use push-button reel is pre-spooled with a monofilament fishing line and offers an oversized reel knob for easy reeling. The retail cost is $29.99 from www.purefishing.com . Local stores carry this rig and similar rigs. The key is to match the rod length to the height of the youth, experts say, for the best results and fun at the waterway. As long as mom or dad is nearby, use what you have and help them when they hook a fish. Don’t forget about using butter worms right at this time of year, but local red worms and salmon eggs also do very well. The results can be spectacular.
As our daylight period now extends for more than 12 hours between sunrise and sunset each day, air temperatures will begin to increase. After this long hard winter, we are not far from heading out to the outdoors, SLEEVELESS. Not far away.
On a sad note, my longtime fishing friend and fellow outdoor columnist at the Dunkirk Observer (newspaper), Eugene Pauszek, passed away last week. Gene had been doing well after several recent health concerns. Gene provided the leadership for the youth fishing derby events in Dunkirk, including fly-tying sessions for all ages at the Northern Chautauqua County Conservation Club. RIP Gene, you will be missed by many.
As we enter the second week in April, wild turkey hunters begin preparations for the one-month-long hunting season just ahead. The season will start on May 1 at 30 minutes before sunrise and end at noon each day through May 31. The season bag limit is two bearded birds, but only one per day. This is when most turkey hunters pattern their shotgun and wash their camo.
It’s time to get outdoors for us all! Enjoy!
April 11 – West Falls Conservation Society, monthly meeting, 55 Bridge St., West Falls, 8 p.m. start.
April 12 – Youth Archery Program (JOAD), West Falls Conservation Society, 55 Bridge St., register on-site, 6 p.m. start, $5 fee, Contact Pat Nash at 481-0539 for info.
April 18 – Adult Learn-To-Shoot Archery, West Falls Conservation, 55 Bridge St., $5 fee, open to the public, call Bryan Zeller at 826-4621 for info.
April 23-24 – NYS Spring youth turkey hunt weekend, for licensed 12-15-year-old hunters with a licensed mentor. Visit www.dec.ny.gov for info.
April 30 – Southtowns Walleye Harry A. Smith Annual Installation and Awards Dinner, 5895 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg, 5:30 p.m. start, live music, $35 ticket, call 639-9180 for info.
NOTE: Submit Calendar items to nugdor@yahoo.com at least 2-weeks in advance.
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