Dust off your fishing poles and tackle gear because this weekend is free fishing days in New York. The almost annual Crappie Derby has been scratched again this weekend but that doesn’t mean no fishing in the Southern Tier. The first of several free fishing events in New York state is scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday. New York residents and non-residents are permitted to fish for free without a fishing license at any of the state’s 7,500 lakes and ponds or 70,000 miles of rivers and streams. The free Fishing Days began in 1991 to give people who might not fish a chance to try it at no cost, to possibly introduce people to a new hobby and to encourage people to support fishing by eventually purchasing a New York State fishing license.
