DEC offers free fishing for Veterans Day

Nov. 8—The state Department of Environmental Conservation will offer a free fishing day Saturday in recognition of Veterans Day.

This means that both state residents and nonresidents who are 16 and older can fish without a freshwater fishing license or recreational marine fishing registration. Those younger than 16 are always allowed to fish without a license.

DEC offers free fishing on Feb. 18 and 19, June 24 and 25, Sept. 23 and Nov. 11 each year.

On its website, DEC states, "These days offer the perfect opportunity to try out fishing for the first time, to get back into the sport, or to take a friend or the whole family along to fish! Even though a license is not needed, all other fishing regulations apply."

In Dexter, Fish Island Park and the public boat ramp are popular locations to catch a variety of freshwater species, including walleye, smallmouth bass, rock bass, king salmon and steelhead.

Runs of steelhead typically begin around this time of year.

These species can also be caught in the Sandy Creek, South Sandy Creek, Salmon River and other Lake Ontario tributaries. Real and imitation trout or salmon egg sacs are the typical bait, often fished under a float, using a long rod that can handle the fish's powerful runs.