OBSERVER Photo by Gene Pauszek Southtowns Walleye Association is making big plans for this year's derby.

In just a few more months it will be June, and many of us will be mowing our lawn twice a week.

The season opener for walleye will be May 4 this year and the 35th annual Walleye Derby for Southtowns Walleye will take place from Saturday, June 8 until Sunday, June 16. If you fish walleyes, you may want to consider getting into this years event. Prizes will include over $100,000 in cash and merchandise, but they also give away Early Bird prizes at the monthly meetings leading up to the derby. Many of the prizes are worth more than the cost of the mandatory $35 club membership and $50 derby entry fee.

This year features another new perk for joining early. If you pay your entry fee by the Thursday, Feb. 21 meeting, you will qualify for a 65 Quart Kenai cooler by Grizzly, valued at several hundred dollars. Members must be present at four of the six meetings from January-June in order to be eligible. No exceptions. Attend four meetings, get your entry form punched and you qualify. In addition there will be a separate $250 cash drawing too, so the rest is up to you. Hopefully we will see you at the meeting on Thursday.

To continue with more good news concerning walleye derbies, it looks like the Con Club will increase the entries to 110 for this year. They are contemplating a $50 price increase in the registration fee for 2019, but this derby remains one of the most affordable, and popular walleye derbies in Western New York.

Calendar: Note that the free NYS Winter Fishing Days conclude after today.

There will be a pistol course at the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club on Saturday, Feb. 23 from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. There is an $80 fee for this course. To register, or for more information Contact Gary Dudek at 366-3397.

The Con Club will host their annual Chicken BBQ to benefit the Take-A-Kid- Fishing program on Sunday, Feb. 24. Dinner is from 1-3 p.m. Purchase $10 pre-sale tickets at the club. Take-A-Kid Fishing takes place the first Saturday in June. This year will be June 1.

The next meeting of the Southtowns Walleye Association will be Thursday, Feb. 21 at the club located at 5895 Southwestern Blvd. Hamburg. The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. Open to the public. This months guest speaker will be Bay Rat lures, with information on how to effectively utilize trolling spoons with Jet Divers.

The Friends of the NRA fundraiser/banquet will be held on Saturday, Feb. 23, at the Samuel Derby American Legion Post 556, located at 9 Meadow Lane, Frewsburg, 14738. Cash bar and silent auction is from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., with the prime rib and live auction from 6 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Early bird tickets must be in by now. For information, call Jennifer Schmitt at 487-2487.

The W.N.Y. Sports and Travel Expo will be at the Hamburg Fairgrounds, on March 7-10.

The next gun show will be on March 2 and 3 at the Hickory Post VFW located at 5550 East State Street, US Route 62, East of PA. 18, West of Mercer on 62, Hermitage, PA. Saturday show times are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. while Sunday will be from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. There will be another show on March 16-17 at the Harborcreek Fire Dept. Social Hall located at 7275 Buffalo Road, US Route 20, Harborcreek, PA. Show times are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

The Lake Erie Outdoor & Fishing Show will return on Saturday, April 6 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Clarion Hotel in Dunkirk. For information contact the OBSERVER at 366-3000 extension 420. This event started up last year and turned out to be a big success, and this year could be even better!

The NYS Youth Wild Turkey Hunting weekend is April 20-21.

Free Monday night fly tying instruction has resumed at the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club, located at Mullet Street in Dunkirk. Classes are for all levels of fly tying, but especially for beginners. No equipment is necessary. All participants get to keep their productions. Classes are from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The classes are open to the public. Sometimes they even have homemade cookies! Note that The Children of the Stream Youth Fly Fishing Program have changed the dates to their program to Mondays from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Costello Community Room (P84) in the new addition to the Rockefeller Arts Center at SUNY Fredonia. This program is in its 18th year of providing weekly free fly tying and fly fishing classes to both youths and adults in our area. You do not need any prior experience to attend these classes, and the course is geared towards ages 10 and older. For more information contact Alberto Rey at 410-7003 or alberto@albertorey.com.

The Northern Chautauqua Ducks Unlimited Annual banquet and Live Auction will take place on Saturday, March 9 at Blessed Mary Angela Parish Social Center located at 324 Townsend Street, Dunkirk. The doors open at 5 p.m. To purchase tickets on line go to NY.ducks.org or call Ron Romance at 969-5166.

If your club or organization is holding a hunter safety training/trapping course or a turkey shoot or any other outdoors event, and would like to see it posted in the calendar, send information to the OBSERVER, 10 East Second Street, Dunkirk, NY 14048, or call the sports department at 366-3000 ext. 5 after 6 p.m.

Note: If you have a big game fishing or trapping success story you would like to share, call 366-1772, or 467-2079 and leave a name, phone number and a time you can be reached. You can also call 366-3000, ext. 5, after 6 p.m. or email sports@observertoday.com.