Published: September 15, 2008 10:43 pm      

HILTS: Fish Odyssey to Remember Pete DeAngelo

The 32nd Annual AES/Greater Niagara Fish Odyssey Derby, the fall classic for Niagara, Erie and Orleans counties, is on the calendar for Sept. 20 to 28. Starting this year, the derby will be a vehicle to remember some of the standout friends of the sportfishing community. TheNiagara County Fisheries Development Board made that decision earlier this year and the first person selected was the late Pete DeAngelo of Lockport.

DeAngelo was active in the local fishery in a number of ways. His daughter and son-in-law, Amy and Wes Walker of Burt, run The Slippery Sinker tackle shop in Olcott and he would help out from time to time. Attached to the tackle shop was Pete’s Place Guest House, a favorite accommodation for anglers coming into the area. So he was in the thick of the fishing scene, providing information to prospective anglers and a regular with the Niagara County Fishing Hotline information network.

He also volunteered time and effort into things like the Niagara County Fisheries Development Board and the Newfane Marina Committee as a regular member for many years. In addition, he would volunteer his services to help educate the next generation of fishermen during special fishing days at Burt Dam and the Town of Newfane Marina. As a result, it’s only appropriate that we remember this special guy during a derby that focuses on kids and the local resources.

The Fish Odyssey is a great way to expose kids to contest fishing — in a good way. There are a wide variety of fish species to try and catch such as panfish, salmon, walleye, bass (both largemouth and smallmouth), trout (steelhead, lake and brown) and carp. The top three catches in each one of those categories wins a plaque and a merchandise prize. At the awards ceremony, every kids who attends and is registered in the event walks away with a nice prize — whether they catch a fish or not.

And, if they beat the minimum weight for the honorary chair-chimp, Charlie, they can win yet another prize for their efforts. Charlie’s challenges to beat will once again be: salmon — 20 pounds; bass — four pounds; walleye — seven pounds; trout — 9 pounds; carp — 15 pounds; panfish — one pound. For more information visit www.FishOdyssey.net or www.outdoorsniagara.com. The cost of the junior division for kids 15 years of age and under? FREE! And you can even register on-line. Special thanks to Odyssey sponsors AES Somerset, Akzo Nobel and Shakespeare Fishing Tackle.

If you’re between the ages of 12 and 15, you can register in the Adult Division by paying the $20 entry fee. However, if you do that, you can’t compete in the Junior Division, too. Categories for the Adult Division will be the same as last year: salmon; smallmouth bass; lake trout; walleye; rainbow/brown trout (combined); and carp. The prize structure is all cash for the adults, with a Grand Prize of $2,500 (based on 300 entries); first place, $500; second place, $250; third place, $125. As in years past, the first place winners in each of the divisions will be placed into a hat at the awards ceremony (set for the New York Power Authority Wildlife Festival Sept. 28 at 4 p.m.) to determine who’s going to win the Grand Prize. Last year, it was Paul Brown of Ransomville collecting the big prize. And, if everything goes as planned, there will be a similar “grand prize” for the kids courtesy Mark Cerrone Construction.

For more information on the Fish Odyssey, log on to www.fishodyssey.net. You can register, check out the rules or see where the weigh stations or registration outlets are. Weigh stations this year are A-1 Bait in Lewiston; The Boat Doctors in Olcott; Niagara Outdoors in North Tonawanda; Narby’s Tackle and Superette in Kent; and Big Catch in Buffalo.

Lower River walleye contest

A-1 Bait and Outdoors Niagara.com are sponsoring a Lower Niagara River Walleye Contest on Saturday. The timing for the tournament was purposely and conveniently held during opening weekend of the Fish Odyssey so that anglers could get into both. Cost is $20 and you can register on line at www.outdoorsniagara.com or you can visit A-1 Bait Supply in Lewiston or the Town of Niagara. Fishing takes place from sunrise to 2 p.m. with weigh-ins to follow at Fort Niagara from 1 to 2 p.m. Good luck and good fishing!

NRAA bass incentive

The Niagara River Anglers Association is also providing an incentive for their club members to register for the Fish Odyssey. A $150 Shakespeare rod and reel combination is up for grabs for any NRAA member weighing in the largest smallmouth bass during the nine-day fishing contest. There’s no extra cash involved. Just pay the $20 to be in the Adult Division of the Fish Oydssey and when you weigh a bass in, mark the weigh in sheet that you’re an NRAA member. It’s that simple! It looks like it will be another great fishing contest, a celebration of sorts that helps us recognize the outstanding natural resources that we have here in Western New York. Register for the Fish Odyssey today at www.fishodyssey.net.

Youth waterfowl training program

The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, in partnership with the Lake Plains Waterfowl Association, will be conducting their 35th Annual Young Waterfowlers Training Program on Oct. 18 at the Iroquois NWR headquarters. The headquarters is located at 1101 Casey Road, Alabama and is open free of charge for junior hunters between the ages of 12 and 17.

The program will offer a full day of waterfowl hunting information and orientation designed to improve the skills of young waterfowl hunters preparing to hunt this fall. It will also prepare them for the youth-only hunt waterfowl hunt day on the Iroquois NWR slated for Oct. 26. Participants must not reach their 18th birthday by the day of the hunt to be eligible. Pre-registration is required but this does not guarantee participation because space is limited, with preference given to first-time participants.

Junior hunters who have been through the program two or more times must still pre-register and will be notified by mail if they have been selected.

To pre-register, send a post card to: Youth Waterfowl Hunt, Iroquois NWR, 1101 Casey Rd., Basom, NY 14013-9730 or e-mail fw5rw_irqnwr@fws.gov. Be sure to include your name, address, telephone number, date of birth, how many times you have participated in this program before and which session(s) you will be attending. To register by phone, call 585-948-5445 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Deadline is the close of business on Sept. 29. The morning session consists of a Waterfowl Identification Class from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The afternoon session will deal with decoys and calls, ballistics, clothing and equipment, hunter ethics and safety, an overview of the refuge waterfowl hunt program, as well as a retriever demonstration and a trap shoot. Before the day of the youth hunt, participants will be paired with non-hunting guides who will coach.

Bill Hilts Jr. is a past president of the New York State Outdoor Writers Association. Contact him at bhiltsjr69@cs.com.