New York bass anglers are some of the most dedicated bass anglers in the country. Across the state the majority of us are forced to put away the bass gear from Dec. 1 to the third Saturday in June to follow general statewide bass angling regulations. In 2005, that equated to exactly 199 days of no fishing for most bass anglers, and yet bass are still far and away the number one game fish in New York.

You can probably imagine the joy most bass anglers felt upon hearing that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) announced catch-and-immediately-release (C&R) bass fishing with artificial lures only on most state waterways from Dec. 1 to the third Friday in June.

For the majority of long-suffering New York bass anglers that news was about the equivalent of hitting the lottery. Of course we've all heard that after you win the lottery there's always some deadbeat long-lost relative that pops up wanting a piece of the winnings.

Well, New York bass anglers got a firsthand visit from "cousin Eddie" somewhere between the time the proposal first aired, a public comment period and an April 26 Oneida Lake Association meeting. At that meeting, the regional DEC manager announced that the NYSDEC was going to allow early C&R bass fishing on Oneida Lake, which is located north of Syracuse and will be hosting a Bassmaster Elite Series event in July.

I was there, and just as I'm thinking, Jackpot!, the regional manager continues on. He says that because of concerns raised by the Oneida Lake Association (OLA), the C&R start date was going to be pushed back 5 months from the proposed date of Dec. 1 to the first Saturday in May.

"Who told Cousin Eddie we won?"

If you know anything about bass fishing in New York, or the arguments raised by opponents or supporters of the C&R bass season, you immediately have to question the logic of an early May opener. Any bass angler will tell you that New York's bass are pre-spawn in early May and quite often still pre-spawn when June rolls around.

So the OLA supporting a C&R May opener did not appear to fall in line with either side's position. Opponents will say that date does nothing to protect the spawn, while those who favored the C&R season opening much earlier are wondering why the still have to stow the bass tackle during the open-water months of December and April.

Why then did the Oneida Lake Association choose to throw its support behind a first Saturday in May start date? Turns out that date is the opening day of the state walleye season, and the OLA board of directors and officers previously wrote that by opening a C&R bass season on Oneida during the prime walleye spawning periods of March/April, bass anglers or anglers posing a bass anglers would be more likely to illegally poach walleye during this timeframe.

A Big Deal?

Is it really that big of a deal that Oneida Lake bass anglers lose a few months of potential open-water fishing time? I mean, the new regulation is still better than what we had previously and a little compromise to ensure healthy walleye populations is a good thing, right?

Not if you stop and consider the obvious double standard, and more importantly what it is implying. The Oneida Lake Association board is convinced that allowing a C&R bass season during the walleye spawn will have an impact on the walleye populations. Why? Because bass anglers or anglers posing as bass anglers will illegally keep the walleye they catch, they claim.

Well excuse me, but what about all the yellow perch, bullhead, and crappie anglers that are on Oneida Lake starting at ice-out? How come the OLA doesn't have a problem with those anglers? Let's not forget that at the exact same OLA meeting it was reported that yellow perch are the most abundant species of fish in Oneida Lake and there is a huge contingent of anglers that call perch their favorite species.

How is it okay for "them" to be on the water, but not okay for "us?"

Wouldn't the "smart" walleye poachers just pose as perch, crappie, or bullhead anglers? By definition, poachers don't care about rules so the only people impacted by the OLA board's concerns are honest bass anglers.

I also firmly believe that by allowing bass anglers increased fishing opportunity, that will get even more people out there policing the water and offer an even better chance that would-be violators will get what they have coming to them.

Just a Lowly Bass Angler...

Somebody really needs to convince me there isn't a double standard being applied here. As a dues-paying member of the Oneida Lake Association and a bass angler, I'm struggling with how to interpret the OLA board's position.

Do they really believe that bass anglers pose a bigger threat to walleye populations than fishermen who pursue other species? Or is it that they perceive bass anglers as less ethical than other anglers?

As I survey the current fishing landscape, the bass anglers I have known and had the pleasure of being associated with have done nothing but practice and preach ethical behavior and conservation at the national, state and local levels.

But then again what would you expect me to say? I'm just a lowly bass angler.

Mike Cusano is the conservation lobbyist for the New York State BASS Federation Nation.