The New York State Ice Pro-Am Series ice-fishing tournament scheduled for Friday through Sunday on Chautauqua Lake has been canceled.

Series officials said they talked with Chautauqua County tourism, visitors bureau and law enforcement officials and unanimously decided to cancel the event because of ice conditions deemed unsafe.

The statement from the NYS Ice Pro-Am Series: “We need a solid 4 (inches) of safe ice across the entire waterway we are fishing, which is not found on Chautauqua Lake at this point. There are fishable areas with up to 6 (inches) of ice, but it would be impossible for us to safely outline each area for our anglers. The current temperature forecast is also not conducive to enough ice building, and will likely just maintain the current ice in place.”

Registered teams were to be contacted about their options.

Try your hand at ice fishing at Presque Isle State Park Feb. 16.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will provide the equipment and expertise during the family-themed event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Waterworks Pond, near the Rotary Pavilion.

There’s no cost to participate, and no fishing license is required.

The event will be held whether there’s ice or not. No registration is necessary.

Van Tassel Timberland Bait’s ice-fishing tournament on Canadohta Lake has been delayed until Feb. 23.

Jerry Van Tassel this morning said the snow cover on the lake forced him to move the tournament back two weeks from its scheduled date of Feb. 9. The tournament that had been scheduled to take place Feb. 23 on Conneaut Lake has been canceled.

To participate, get tickets at Timberland Bait Shop by the morning of Feb. 23. The shop will be open for bait and tackle purchased the Thursday and Friday before the and the morning of the tournament.

The tournament is scheduled to start at 7 a.m. and run through 4 p.m. Prizes will be awarded starting at 4:30.

Categories are musky, northern pike, walleye, crappie and perch.

For information, call (814) 694-3474 or (814) 882-8369.

This week’s snow doesn’t do much for our ability (or desire) to get around in northwestern Pennsylvania, but it has created lots of reasons you should consider getting out when it’s safe to do so.

Peek’n Peak has 27 trails and five lifts open as of this morning.

Mount Pleasant of Edinboro has a 6-inch to 16-inch base and is getting snow and making snow.

Wilderness Lodge is gearing up for a great weekend of cross country skiing.

Snowshoe hikes are on for Saturday at Erie Bluffs State Park and Pymatuning State Park and weekdays and snowy Saturdays at Jennings Environmental Education Center in Slippery Rock.

Snowmobile club members from the the McKean Snowriders and Presque Isle Snowmobile Club among others will be looking to get out on the trails.

Ice isn’t safe enough yet for ice fishing, but it won’t be long at this temperature. Here’s a look at some essential ice-fishing gear for the season ahead:

If you’re planning to head out on the ice around Erie for some fishing, you clearly haven’t looked outside this week, or at the weather forecast.

Anglers were on Presque Isle Bay and Misery Bay in small numbers this past weekend, but conditions have deteriorated badly. Even on thick ice you’d be hard-pressed to find a body to tell you conditions are safe; right now, no one will.

If you’re the adventurous or foolhardy sort, at least follow some general rules, courtesy of author Ben Moyer and Pennsylvania Angler & Boater magazine:

• Never fish alone.
• Test the ice.
• Wear a life jacket.
• Wear ice picks.
• Carry rope.
• Make an emergency plan.
• Be aware of changing conditions.
• Stay away from structure.
• Carry a change of dry clothes.
• Dress right.

Have a tip of your own? Leave a reply.

Van Tassel Timberland Bait’s popular ice-fishing tournaments are scheduled to take place in February.

The Canadohta Lake tournament is scheduled for Feb. 9, with a Feb. 23 make-up date.

The Conneaut Lake tournament is scheduled for Feb. 23

Tickets are $15; register at Timberland Bait Shop, 36320 Dutch Hill Road, Union City.

Kevin Ferrie of Erie caught the biggest walleye and won $300 Saturday at VanTassel’s Timberland Bait’s annual ice-fishing contest on Canadohta Lake.

Ferrie’s walleye was 19 3⁄4 inches and weighed 2 pounds 13 ounces.

The prize of the day was a 291⁄2-inch, 6-pound 3-ounce northern pike. Meadville’s Chris Chiesa pocketed $400 for catching the largest pike.

Chris Chiesa, of Meadville, with his prize-winning northern pike. Photo by Darl Black.

P.J. Brenot, of Cochranton, caught an 11-inch yellow perch and won $50, and Dan Palmer, of Parker, won $50 for his 121⁄4-inch crappie.

Bailey Kozalla, 12, of Saegertown, was the kids winners with a 20-inch, 2-pound 8-ounce walleye. She won $20.

No legal-sized musky were caught.

Timberland Bait’s scheduled tournament Saturday on Conneaut Lake has been canceled because of lack of ice.

VanTassel’s Timberland Bait’s annual ice fishing tournament Saturday at Canadohta Lake is scheduled to award as much as $500 to anglers who catch the longest fish in a classification.

The contest is scheduled to run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A tournament scheduled for Feb. 4 on Conneaut Lake was postponed to Feb. 25 because of insufficient ice.

In each event, the longest musky brings $500, the longest pike $325, and the longest perch and crappie $50 each.

Registration is $15 for each tournament at Timberland Bait, 36320 Dutch Hill Road, Union City. Registration also will be available the morning of the Conneaut Lake tournament.

For information, call (814) 694-3474 or (814) 882-8369, or visit www.timberlandbait.com.

The ice fishing contest scheduled for Saturday on Canadohta Lake has been postponed until Feb. 18.

VanTassel’s Timberland Bait’s annual tournament is scheduled to award as much as $500 to anglers who catch the longest fish in a classification.

Weather permitting, the rescheduled contest will run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A tournament scheduled for Feb. 4 on Conneaut Lake was postponed to Feb. 25 a week ago because of insufficient ice.

In each event, the longest musky brings $500, the longest pike $325, and the longest perch and crappie $50 each.

Registration is $15 for each tournament at Timberland Bait, 36320 Dutch Hill Road, Union City. Registration also will be available the morning of the Conneaut Lake tournament.

For information, call (814) 694-3474 or (814) 882-8369, or visit www.timberlandbait.com.

An ice fishing contest scheduled for Saturday on Conneaut Lake has been postponed until Feb. 25.

VanTassel’s Timberland Bait’s annual event in Crawford County is scheduled to award as much as $500 to anglers who catch the longest fish in a classification.

Weather permitting, the rescheduled contest will run from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. starting at Fireman’s Beach.

A tournament scheduled for Feb. 11 on Canadohta Lake has not been moved as of this time. The postponement date, if necessary, will be Feb. 18.

In each event, the longest musky brings $500, the longest pike $325, and the longest perch and crappie $50 each.

Registration is $15 for each tournament at Timberland Bait, 36320 Dutch Hill Road, Union City. Registration also will be available the morning of the Conneaut Lake tournament.

For information, call (814) 694-3474 or (814) 882-8369, or visit www.timberlandbait.com.