The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) issued a statement today reminding ice fishing enthusiasts to put safety first.  "Ice fishing is a popular sport in New York State and with the post-Christmas drop in temperature I am sure anglers are looking forward to an early start to the season this year" said NYS DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos.

Seggos encourages anfglers to wait until at least four inches of solid ice exists before waling out on the body of water.  According to Seggos "the rush to get out on the ice can lead to tragedy unless anglers remain vigilant to the condition of the ice.  Anglers should heed DEC's recommendations of at least four inches of solid clear ice before venturing out."

Governor Andrew Cuomo has designated February 17-18, 2018 as a "free fishing" weekend in which the normal license requirements are waived.  Additional information can be found at www.dec.ny.gov.

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