Jana Lantry is the DEC Region 6 fisheries manager.

“I grew up fishing, as did my husband,” she said. “He’s a fisheries' researcher, and that’s kind of our thing.”

Fishing can be a lot of fun, and to keep it that way, DEC staff are asking anglers to be mindful of the rules.

“We have to have regulations in place to both conserve, enhance protect fish populations, and also provide the greatest number of anglers with a diversity of fishing opportunities,” Lantry said.

Some standard regulations are that a person may not possess or intentionally kill or injure fish other than the sizes specified and allowed for a given water, catch and release angling is only allowed during the open season for certain species and it is illegal to fish or possess threatened or endangered fish. Also, there are some exceptions, but usually a fishing license is required for anglers age 16 or older.

“In the rare occasion that people see someone violating those regulations, in most instances we get a phone call, DEC or either at our regional office or the environmental conservation officers get a phone call with people reporting those violations,” said Lantry.

At the end of the day, DEC staff remind boaters to clean, drain and dry their watercraft and equipment before leaving to stop the spread of invasive species.

DEC staff encourage people to visit the DEC’s website or call if they have any questions.