Fly fishing is a distinct and ancient angling method, most renowned as a method for catching trout and salmon, but employed today for a wide variety of species including pike, bass, panfish, and carp, as well as marine species, such as redfish, snook, tarpon, bonefish and striped bass. There are many reports of fly fisherman taking quite unintended species such as chub, bream and rudd while fishing for 'main target' species such as trout. There is a growing population of anglers whose aim is to catch as many different species as possible with the fly.

Ice fishing opportunities abound in New York State. Winter anglers catch a variety of fish; primarily perch, sunfish, pickerel, northern pike and walleye. In addition, many waters throughout New York State are open to fishing for trout, lake trout and landlocked salmon. Check the "Special Regulations By County" sections of the Fishing Regulations Guide.

Fishing through the ice requires skill and knowledge as does open water angling. But, anyone can ice fish successfully if he/she does the homework. Learning about the water to be fished, the equipment and its capabilities, proper clothing and safety precautions are all part of a successful, enjoyable winter fishing experience. Perhaps the best way to get started is to accompany a friend or neighbor on a half-day ice fishing outing. If you are unable to locate anyone to go with, the next best alternative is to visit a tackle shop in a popular ice fishing area. The proprietors are interested in seeing that you have a successful and enjoyable trip and will provide you with all of the necessary equipment. You may also watch for announcements of local ice fishing contests or tournaments run by local sportsmen's clubs -- ice fishermen tend to be a highly social group, eager to share tips, techniques and stories.

For a first trip, try to pick an opportune weather day -- remember those blustery January days will soon fade into mild February and spring-like March days which often provide some of the most productive ice fishing of the season. Whatever the day you decide to go ice fishing, be sure to check the ice for safety.Ice fishing is the activity of catching fish with lines and hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Fishermen may sit on the stool on the open expanse of a frozen lake or sit in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.

The marine waters of New York host varied and exciting fishing opportunities. Long Island is ideally situated so that both southern and northern fish species frequent our waters. You can fish for Atlantic cod, winter flounder and mackerel in the spring, or try your luck for bluefish, summer flounder and spanish mackerel when school is out. The coast-wide recovery of striped bass means New York's waters once again teem with these gamefish. Checking out our State Angling Records for saltwater will give you an idea of the variety of local fish species and the sizes that they can attain. In any given year, one or more of these records can be broken. Perhaps by you.

If you are interested in finding out where to launch your boat or to fish from the shore, visit the Marine Public Access page. This page lists the telephone numbers for the parks, agencies and municipalities that manage the facilities you can use to get to the water. The rules and fees that apply to these facilities differ widely, so make sure you check with the appropriate authority before you travel.

Before setting out to catch your own recording breaking fish, be sure to check the saltwater fishing limits on our web. Saltwater flyfishing is done with heavier tackle and typically uses wet flies resembling baitfish. However, saltwater fish can also be caught with "poppers," a surface lure similar to those used for freshwater bass fishing, though much larger. Saltwater species sought and caught with fly tackle include: bonefish, tuna, dorado (mahi-mahi), sailfish, tarpon, striped bass, salmon and marlin. Offshore saltwater species are usually attracted to the fly by "chumming" with small baitfish, or "teasing" the fish to the boat by trolling a large hookless lure (Billfish are most often caught using this latter method).

Saltwater species when hooked cannot be "palmed" with the hand on the reel. Instead, a good saltwater reel must have a powerful drag system. Furthermore, saltwater reels must be larger, heavier, and corrosion-resistant - a typical high-quality saltwater reel costs 500.00 USD or more.

Saltwater fishing may be done from shore, such as wading for bonefish or striped bass, or offshore for larger species from boats of varying size.

Hooks for saltwater flies must also be extremely durable and corrosion resistant. Most saltwater hooks are made of stainless steel, but the strongest (though less corrosion resistant) hooks are of high-carbon steel. Typically, these hooks vary from size #8 to #10 for bonefish and smaller nearshore species, to size #3/0 to #5/0 for the larger offshore species.

Fly fishing for trout is a very popular sport which can be done using any of the various methods and any of the general types of fly. Many of the techniques and presentations of fly fishing were first developed in fishing for trout.

Bass fishing is the sport of angling for the North American gamefish known colloquially as the black bass. There are numerous black bass species considered as gamefish in North America, including largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieui), Kentucky bass or spotted bass (Micropterus punctatus), Guadalupe bass (Micropterus treculii), and many other species and subspecies of the genus Micropterus. Though referred to as bass, all are actually members of the sunfish family (Centrarchidae: order Perciformes).

The fly angler uses a rod longer and lighter than those used for cast and spin fishing. Fly rods can be as short as 2 m (6 ft) long in freshwater fishing and up to 4.5 m (15 ft) long for two-handed fishing for salmon or steelhead.

Since walleyes have excellent visual acuity under low illumination levels, they tend to feed more extensively at dawn and dusk, on cloudy or overcast days and under choppy conditions when light penetration into the water column is disrupted. Although anglers interpret this as light avoidance, it is merely an expression of the walleye's competitive advantage over its prey under those conditions. Similarly, in darkly stained or turbid waters, walleye tend to feed throughout the day.

"Walleye chop" is a term used by walleye anglers for rough water typically with winds of 5 to 15 mph (7 to 24 km/h), and is one of the indicators for good walleye fishing due to the walleye's increased feeding activity during such conditions.

Because walleyes are popular with anglers, fishing for walleyes is regulated by most natural resource agencies. Management may include the use of quotas and length limits to ensure that populations are not over-exploited.

Striped bass are perciform fish found all along the Atlantic coast, from Florida to Nova Scotia, and are caught as far north as Hudson Bay. They are of significant value as sporting fish, and have been introduced to many areas outside their native range.

Pike angling is becoming an increasingly popular pastime in the UK and Europe. The key thing for anglers to catch these big pike (Esox lucius) is that they need a very good food source, so trout resvoirs etc are a primary food source for Pike also another key factor to catch these large pike is that if the have not been fished for and left alone the stress that other pike get from anglers causes them to not be as big, this is where these legend record pike are coming from because they have had a very good food source and been left alone for a long time. Effective methods for catching this hard fighting fish include dead baits, lure fishing, and jerk baiting.

Lake fishing for pike from the shore is especially effective during springtime, at which stage the big pike move into the shallows to spawn in reedy areas, and afterwards many pike remain there to feed on other spawning coarse fish species to regain their condition after spawning.

Angling (or Fishing) for Crappie is popular throughout much of North America. Methods vary, but among the most popular is called "Spider Rigging," a method characterized by a fisherman in a boat with many long fishing rods pointing away from the angler at various angles like spokes from a wheel.[11] Anglers who employ the Spider Rigging method may choose from among many popular baits. Some of the most popular are plastic jigs with lead jig heads, crankbaits or live minnows. Many anglers also chum or dump live bait into the water to attract the fish hoping the fish will bite their bait. Crappie anglers share information about habitat, seasonal habits, and how to catch Crappie at http://www.Crappie.com.