No worries, the remaining winter of 2024 offers local outdoor shows that can provide a perfect indoor adventure prospect where everyone can learn more about all things outdoors. In many cases, the outdoors is cost-free, can provide table fare, and is an excellent opportunity to prepare for the 2024 WNY spring and summer fishing season.

The Musky Expo held earlier this month in the friendly big-fish hamlet of Mayville saw a myriad of local lure-makers, seminar speakers and anglers taking notes to find a way to catch a musky. It was a fun show with a specific focus to incorporate more kids developing an interest in fishing with free lure giveaways for the youth. Good stuff.

Continuing through Sunday, the Greater Niagara Fishing Expo will offer a large outdoor show venue with vendor booths, learning-station exhibits, the walleye fishing school ($100), fishing manufacturers and outdoor experts in every corner. The educational seminars alone will provide detailed highlights on how to get started in fishing for bass, walleye, perch, trout and salmon. A walk around the show will offer an array of vendors and products, local bait shops, outdoor guides, and the NYSDEC free information stop-in-and-see booth.

The DEC staff will offer an open house at the show on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Cataract Room. Show-goers can meet and chat with the biologists and managers who oversee the fisheries of New York state. Fishery and wildlife experts will operate the tables and answer questions about Lake Erie and its tributaries; the Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers; Lake Ontario and its tributaries; Great Lakes fish production and stocking; Chautauqua Lake and inland fisheries management; law enforcement; and the newly revised DEC HuntFishNY app, which includes the popular “Tackle Box” interactive fishing map. The DEC will also participate in the Salmon School, Walleye School and Fishing Socials to meet with participants and provide insight into the management of our Great Lakes fisheries. As usual, DEC will continue to operate its popular booth in the main exhibit hall throughout the Expo, today through Sunday. These are innovative learning opportunities.

Captain Jim Klein of the Eye-Fish Lure Company of East Aurora will offer Lake Erie walleye fishing advice at the Greater Niagara Fishing Expo this weekend. Submitted photo

Anyone and everyone can add to their fishing knowledge as a first-timer or an advanced angler who needs one more secret to kick into the competition winners’ circle. The seminar speakers in the Greater Niagara Fishing Expo format include how, where, and when for specific local lakes and fisheries here. There are specific seminars for boat rigging, personal watercraft, kayaks, a marine electronics education seminar and more.

The word is out that Western New York has one of the top freshwater fisheries in the world. There are many fishery choices; maybe that’s the biggest bonus for living in WNY as a sportsman. Our smallmouth bass fisheries are most sought after, so says the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society. Each year, BASS releases a “100 Best Bass Lakes” list. Once again, in 2023, the waters of our Eastern Basin Lake Erie from Buffalo to Pennsylvania (including the Niagara River) cracked the top 10 bass lakes in the country. This is huge news in the bass fishing world, checking in at a solid ninth place. We did drop a slot from last year, but the recognition as one of the country’s top 10 smallmouth bass destinations is something to be proud of. Chautauqua Lake and Cayuga Lake also made the list of top northeast bass fisheries.

On that note, Scott and Alex Gauld, a father-and-son fishing duo from Tonawanda, will address bass fishing in the seminar program. Alex will cover the Niagara River with finesse tactics for smallmouth bass, and Scott will offer veteran pointers on how to find small spots that hold big fish. I have fished with these incredible anglers, and they can offer the smallest of tips that will make the biggest of differences. Alex has been involved in high school and college fishing competitions and can provide insight into what is involved with school fishing teams and how it has helped him grow as a fisherman.

The one big question that every angler that fishes for any species would like to know more about is boat electronics. From an electronics standpoint, the legendary tech expert Mark McQuown of Garmin will conduct seminars to help answer the tough questions.

“Garmin fishing electronics help you maximize your time on the water,” says McQuown. “Starting with our ECHOMAP Ultra and UHD2chartplotter lineup, which offers premium mapping, wireless networking, and sonar, these units help you find points of interest and fish. Our industry-leading Force Trolling Motor lineup will help you stay on the fish, and our LiveScope live-scanning sonar will help you target and catch individual fish.”

Yep, he is a sales guy, too.

Another knowledgeable electronics wizard is Capt. Lance Valentine of the widely established “Teachin’ Fishin’ School.” Valentine is one of the keynote speakers in the innovative Walleye School at the show. No matter what your expertise level is, Valentine will help you get the most out of your electronics. His expertise is with the Lowrance brand, but he can also help you with other popular brands.

Fish Hawk (downrigger temperature and subsurface speed) will also have a booth to help explain the importance of this electronic fishing tool at the location of your lures in the water column. The device allows anglers to decide where to fish and present their baits, especially in stratified lakes like Erie and Ontario.

Similarly, Darrell Huff of Smart Troll is another electronics tidbit expert in the expanded list of seminar options. When it comes to rigging your boat, be it for Great Lakes trolling, small lake or river fishing, or personal watercraft and kayaks, there are educational seminars available to anglers at all levels of expertise. I like the spectrum of possibilities to learn more about. The New York Kayak Bass Federation will be sharing rigging tips. The U.S. Coast Guard will also promote boater safety to help keep everyone safe on the water. Incidentally, 2024 is the last year you can operate a boat or personal watercraft (based on your age) without a boating safety certificate from New York State Parks (or other approved sources).

To enter the show, a daily adult pass is $10. A four-day multi-pass is $25. Kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult. All veterans, active military duty personnel, career and volunteer firefighters, and EMTs receive a $5 discount off the single-day pass. Tickets are available at the show or online at www.niagarafishingexpo.com. The show will be held at the Niagara Falls Convention Center, 101 Old Falls St., near the casino in Niagara Falls.

The last item for this week is a tribute to the late Toby Keith. He provided some of the most patriotic songs that helped the country recover from the 911 tragedy, and he was tireless in performing at 18 USO tours over his 62 short years of life. He helped entertain more than 250,000 military veterans worldwide while visiting 17 countries over his career. Toby Keith lost his battle with cancer last week Monday, and the free world lost a true patriot of American freedom and what it stands for. My favorite song? Red Solo Cup. Some days, it’s OK to fill it up and reflect.

CALENDAR

Feb. 15-18: Niagara Outdoor Expo, Niagara Falls; Info: 716-278-2100; www.niagarafishingexpo.com.

Feb. 17-18: Free NYS Fishing Days, no fishing license required.

Feb. 20: Children-In-The-Stream-Youth 4H Fly Fishing Program, Free, SUNY Fredonia Rockefeller Art Center — Costello Room, 7-8:30 p.m., Info: Alberto Rey: 716-410-7003.

Feb. 24: Ducks Unlimited, Northern Chautauqua Chapter — annual banquet and auction, Blessed Mary Angela Parish, 324 Townsend St., Dunkirk; $60/ticket or $90/couple; Info: 716-785-1409 716-410-2409.

March 8-10: WNY Sport, Travel & Outdoor Expo; Hamburg; www.eriepromotions.com/wny-sport-show.

Note: Submit Calendar items to forrestfisher35@yahoo.com.