OUTDOORS: Local ice derby successful once again

The Catskill Mountain Fish and Game Club in conjunction with the Stoney Clove Fish &Game Club held their Annual Youth Ice Fishing Derby this past Saturday at Rip Van Winkle Lake,

also locally known as Tannersville Lake.

42 kids took to the ice on the bright, sunny, but cold and windy day. Fishing was slow with the youth ice anglers catching just 10 fish, all pickerel. That’s in stark contrast to the 175 fish of a variety of species caught at the lake at last year’s derby.

The cold and wind and somewhat uncooperative fish did nothing to dampen the spirits of both kids and adults in attendance however. Free hot dogs, soda, and hot chocolate in the heated concession building gave everyone a chance to warm up and eat in between flags.

Some kids and their parents toughed it out, remaining on the ice the whole time. A “made for the ice” portable converted 55 gal. drum stove gave everyone a chance to keep warm while out on the 10 plus inch ice.

While ice conditions were excellent on the lake that day, be sure to use caution as the weather has been highly variable this winter. Local water bodies range from having good, safe ice to having extremely thin, dangerous ice, with some having visibly open water.

Be sure to be vigilant and personally check not only the thickness but quality of the ice if your considering venturing on the “frozen” waters in our area. Needless to say, ice conditions can vary widely based on location.

Another reason participants remained in good spirits is they knew every kid, even if they didn’t win a trophy, would get to take home a great prize at the conclusion of the day’s activities.

Here are the kids that did win a trophy as well as a prize:

In the Senior Division, Andrew Jostlin, 14, of Westerlo won for largest fish, a 15-inch pickerel, and William VanValkenburgh, 11, of Tannersville, tied with Jaren Page, 12, of Platte Clove, for most fish caught.

For the Junior Division, 4-year-old, Sawyer Poladian of Tannersville, won for largest fish, and Jacob Fromer, 11, of Tannersville, tied with Jason Young, 8, of Hobart for most fish in the Junior Division. Congratulations to all the winners!

At the close of the derby, Bob Monteleone expressed thanks to all the individuals and businesses who donated prizes, and all those who volunteered their time and services to make the day a resounding success. He said the event would not be possible without their collaboration and support.

Happy Hunting, Fishing and Trapping until next time.

There’s a New Bait Shop in Town: “Jake’s Bait” is now open for business on the mountain top. Proprietor Bob Monteleone said he is fully licensed by DEC to sell bait and is currently selling minnows for $5.00/dozen at his location on County Route 25 in Haines Falls. Minnows will be available throughout the ice fishing season. He suggests you call 518-488-0240 to make sure someone is at the shop to provide bait when you need it.

Greene County Chapter Ducks Unlimited Annual Dinner/Auction March 21: Mark your calendars for this event. It will be held at Anthony’s Banquet Hall in Leeds on Saturday, March 21st. Doors open at 5:30 pm with dinner at 7 p.m. There will be a live as well as a silent auction after dinner with plenty of gun giveaways and other prizes.

Tickets are available online; just search using key words, “Greene County NY Ducks Unlimited Banquet.” For further information, call Dana Hanusik at 518-943-2729, Jeff Holiday at 518-943-1986, or Bob Sager at 518-731-6353.

Shooters Sports in Valatie Fur Buyer/Pistol Permit Class Schedule: Ron Alund will be at Shooters Sports in Valatie buying fur at the store on March 14th and April 11th 2020 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Proprietor, Chris Nastke said pistol permit classes are held at the store with instructor Lew Hatch every third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Call the store at 518-758-1488 for more information on how to sign up.

Remember to report poaching violations by calling 1-844-DEC-ECOS.

You can share any comments with our sports desk at sports@registerstar.com

*If you have a fishing or hunting report, photo, or event you would like to be considered for publication, you can send it to: huntfishreport@gmail.com