OBSERVER Photo by Gene Pauszek The Chautauqua County visitors booth, with a walleye and sauger taxidermy display, was a popular site on Saturday.

The Second Annual Lake Erie Outdoor & Fishing Show held on Saturday was another success. The first event was held last year, also at the Clarion Hotel, located on Lake Shore Drive in Dunkirk, and it would appear that Mr. John D’Agostino, the Publisher of the OBSERVER, has found a recipe for providing a blend of the outdoors along with springtime activities that will appeal to a large receptive audience.

The influx of visitors was steady all day long, not a big rush at the show opening at 10 a.m. People were on the floor with plenty of room to maneuver, and the vendors and presenters had the opportunity to spend some quality time with the spectators. Vendors selling fishing gear were pleased with the results of their sales, and they provided some new “hot, must have” colors for the upcoming walleye season.

The Department of Environmental Conservation Fisheries Unit leader Jason Robinson gave one of the first presentations, which assured anglers that 2019 has the potential to be a record year for walleye and yellow perch. If you missed the DEC seminar, you will have a second chance on Thursday at the Southtowns Walleye Club at 7 p.m. to hear an expanded seminar on the state of Lake Erie. See the Calendar for details.

I believe there were five food vendors at this year’s presentation, with thumbs-up approval coming from the happy customers who visited them. The flow of customers continued to be steady into the afternoon. The Chautauqua County visitors booth was a popular stopping site, with taxidermy fish mounts alluring passerbys. If you have never had the opportunity to try offshore walleye or salmon/trout fishing, I urge you to contact our area sport fishing charter services. WARNING: The fishery is so good and the members of the Eastern Lake Erie Charter Association are so knowledgeable, you might get hooked on fishing!

The $5 entry fee at Saturday’s event provided close to 50 door prize give-aways. Thanks go out to our merchants and vendors for their generosity. The date has already been set for next year’s event, which will be on April 25, also at the Clarion Hotel, Marina & Conference Center. It should be another success.

Note that the warmer weather did bring out the fishermen on the city pier on Saturday. There is a lot more open water now, but there are numerous ice chunks floating in the harbor that would make boat traffic tricky. The City of Dunkirk recently announced that construction on the pier will begin on Monday. No official word on whether or not there will be public access during that period.

Calendar: The Ellery Rod & Gun Club located on Pancake Hill Road, Bemus Point will host their Spring Shoot today, starting at 9 a.m., which will include Lucky Shot and Slug. Bring your own size 7 1/2 or size 8 shot shells. Breakfast will be served from 8 a.m. until 11 for $6. Raffles too! Open to the public.

The Sportsmen’s Show sponsored by the Little Valley Volunteer Fire Department will continue today at the Cattaraugus County Fair Grounds located off Route 353, Little Valley, NY. Show times are 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. $5 admission. Call Jim Miller at 938-6928 for information.

The Department of Environmental Conservation in co-operation with NYS Assemblyman Sean Ryan and The Southtowns Walleye Association, will be presenting the New York Sea Grants State of Lake Erie meeting this Thursday, April 11, from 7 p.m. until 9 a.m. Topics covered will include the status of cold water communities by DEC biologist Jim Markham, warm water fish communities by NYSDEC Unit leader Jason Robinson, an update on Barotrauma in Lake Erie Perch by Jesse Lepak of Sea Grant, and Inspiring Environmental Leadership and Stewardship by Sandy Smith from Nichols School Faculty. The presentation is free and open to the public and will be at the Southtowns Walleye club located at 5895 Southwestern Blvd, Hamburg.

On April 13-14, there will be a gun show at Ashtabula County Fairgrounds (Ashtabula County Expo Center Building), 127 North Elm Street, Jefferson, Ohio. Show hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Call Larry at 792-9972 for information or go to LRsportingEvents.com.

The Bear Lake Rod & Gun Club will host a hunter Safety Training course on Saturday, April 13 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. To register for this one day course you must register online at NYS DEC Hunter Bowhunter-Trapper Ed Course Sign Up Link. For questions go to vince@villageofwestfield.org or call 753-6347.

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.

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.