It wasn’t the outcome that local bass angler Brad Brodnicki of Buffalo was hoping for. The top three anglers in the TNT Fireworks BASS Nation Championship held on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala., Nov. 9-11 received a berth at the Bassmaster Classic March 24-26 on the Tennessee River out of Knoxville. After three days of tough fishing conditions on Pickwick, Will Davis Jr. of Sylacauga, Ala., came from behind to win the tournament with a total weight of 43 pounds, 8 ounces. Second place was Wil Dieffenbauch of Morgantown, W.Va., with 37-5 and third was Jonathan Dietz of Corry, Pa., at 33-7.
“My goal was to win but top three would have been a success for me,” Brodnicki said. “Fishing on Pickwick was tough to say the least. Practice proved that fish were not grouped up, and more than one fish in an area was tough to come by. I caught some fish throughout the day but in different areas scattered around the lake. I found one shoal that was holding fish, but it was a 50-minute ride. The only thing I could get them to bite was a topwater bait, a Berkley J-Walker 120.”
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The first day, he caught only two legal fish. He caught four the second day and made the cut for the final day. The third day, it was two legal fish again, returning short fish to the water. His hook-up ratio was one fish for every three that hit. He had his chances and finished seventh among 114 competitors (including 58 boaters). “I believe I was around the right size fish to do very well but topwater fishing makes it difficult to hook up with every bite.”
Brodnicki’s final total was 22-10.
Davis was the only angler to catch a limit of five fish each day in the tournament. He only caught 16 fish total, but they were spread out over three days. He also caught the biggest fish for the tournament, a 5-pound, 4-ounce smallmouth.
NYPA fishing facilities shut down
The New York Power Authority has closed its fishing facilities, including the fishing pier at the base of the Robert Moses Niagara Hydroelectric Power Plant, for the season. The announcement was made Nov. 15, two weeks earlier than the traditional Dec. 1 closure, due to the pending weather situation. The fishing access located near the Upper Mountain Fire Company on Upper Mountain Road at the Lewiston Reservoir and at the water intakes along the upper Niagara River is closed.
In addition to the fishing platform, the lower parking area and shoreline stairway is closed for the season. It will re-open on April 1 if snow and ice have cleared the river system. The fishing cleaning station will re-open once the threat of freezing temperatures has passed. For more information on the fishing platform, call 286-6662 for a recorded message.
Trout Unlimited honors veterans with free membership
As a special tribute for Veterans Day, Trout Unlimited is inviting veterans to join by offering a complimentary one-year trial membership in honor of their service. It is part of TU’s Service Partnership program, a nationwide effort to bring people together with a focus on fish and water. Also included in the partnership are law enforcement, medical personnel and fire service. Check out gifts.tu.org/vsp_join?ms=MEM-WFO-WCOMPVET-FY23.
The free one-year membership for new members has all the benefits of a paid membership. If you want to request a membership for a specific chapter that could be outside of your ZIP code, email trout@tu.org.
“That’s thousands of veterans and first responders who were taken in by their local volunteer community, introduced to the therapeutic benefits of fly fishing, and invited to participate in ongoing activities and even volunteer leadership,” said Beverly Smith, Trout Unlimited’s vice president for volunteer operations. “This has been a critical reprieve for so many of our nation’s heroes after some challenging years of Covid-related isolation.”
Area waterfowl seasons reopen Nov. 26
Western Zone duck season as well as South Area Canada goose season will reopen Nov. 26 after a brief closure. Duck season will be open from Nov. 26 through Jan. 1, 2023. Remember that the daily limit of six ducks includes all mergansers and sea ducks (scoters, eiders and long-tailed ducks) and will not include harlequin ducks. No more than two mallards may be taken (one of which may be a hen), three wood ducks, two black ducks, one pintail, one scaup (two may be taken per day from Dec. 13 through Jan. 1), two redheads and two canvasbacks as part of your six-bird limit. Only four sea ducks may be harvested as part of the daily limit, of which no more than three scoters, three long-tailed ducks or three eiders (and no more than one female eider) may be taken.
South Area goose hunters, including much of Western New York and the Southern Tier, have the most liberal season in the state. The second half split runs from Nov. 26 to Jan. 15, with a daily limit of five birds per person per day. For a description of the boundary lines, view the hunting regulations guide or visit dec.ny.gov.
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