This past weekend my son won a fishing derby and walked away with a new fishing pole from French Louie ADK Sports in Inlet. After catching and releasing 17 fish, the longest being an 8-inch pike, he walked away with the prize.

Putting a fishing rod in the hands of a child is one thing, stopping at every Adirondack pond and lake between Inlet and Saranac Lake is another. Since I am the only member of the family that doesn’t fish, my lack of fishing license means that it is illegal for me to untangle rods, bait hooks or take fish off of lines. Even though my children do not require a license, other fishing rules do apply to them.

I may not fish, but as long as my children do it is good to have a general working knowledge of the fishing seasons. Though each segment of the Adirondacks varies, in some places brook trout season is coming to a close as of October 15. Between October and November is brook trout spawning season so in order to keep the fish supply in par with the demand, fishing in certain Adirondack streams and ponds is off limits.

The newly updated New York Freshwater Fishing Regulations Guide (2012-2013) lists all the special regulations according to the nine New York State regions. Each regional chart demonstrates special regulations, open season, species, minimal length and daily limit. If you or your child is going to be out in the water it is good to know what the regulations are.

In the Adirondack Northeastern Region 5, which includes Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Saratoga, Warren and Washington counties, trout fishing at select rivers and streams will end on the October 15 deadline. Don’t worry.  The season starts up again in spring. In the Lake Champlain region the only type of fish that has a season is black bass. Trout, walleye and more are available all year long.

My children and I have a successful fishing relationship. I am often reduced to just car driver and boat rower.  I can’t touch a pole because I don’t have a license. I have just as much fun taking pictures and reading a magazine. Both my kids learned years ago to bait their own hooks and how to release a caught fish.

My son didn’t catch anything with his new pole this time, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. He has another week to search for that elusive brook trout. If that doesn’t work, from the list of available fish in Adirondack waters, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to search for something else.

Photo of children fishing used with the permission of AdirondackFamilyTime.com