
Ice Fishing Central New York Teen Catches “Unicorn” Fish in Lake Oneida
New York's first free fishing weekend of 2025 is around the corner, just as one lucky local teen reeled in a prized fish no one has seen in decades.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced that the first pair of free fishing weekends is next weekend, February 15 and February 16.
The date is to celebrate President's Day Weekend, as the holiday falls on Monday, February 17, this year.
The DEC also released its schedule of all upcoming free fishing days, with three other individual dates on the calendar for 2025.
The days are:
- June 28 and June 29
- September 27 for National Hunting and Fishing Day
- November 11 for Veterans Day
Anyone, including non residents, who are over 16 years of age can fish without a freshwater fishing license across the Empire State.
It should be noted anyone under 16 can fish for free regardless of state law.
For those hoping to catch a prized fish should prepare to hit Oneida Lake because a local teen managed to snag a fish no one has seen in literal decades.
Normally, the lake is stocked with walleye, bass, perch, pickerel, pike, carp, shad, sturgeon, and more. But one fish has remained off of that list since the 90s and its return has sent shockwaves across the region.
New York Upstate has the video of the magical moment:
Parker Williamson, a 15-year-old from Sodus, was ice fishing when he reeled in a 42-inch, 18 pound pure muskellunge, or musky. The fish was so huge, it barely fit through the hole the fishermen cut into the ice.
Muskies are among the hardest freshwater gamefish to catch because these giants are powerful swimmers.
So how did Williamson catch it? He used a jigging rap that was tied to a 6 pound leader - nothing else.
NY Upstate reports the catch may have been the first one in decades, "And the first by a recreational angler."
Townsquare Media has reached out to Robert Mallory, who was with the teenager when the rare fish was caught and are currently waiting to hear back.
Experts also confirmed what Williamson caught was likely a pure musky and not a northern pike hybrid mix that's commonly referred to as a tiger.
Muskellunge are most commonly found in the Great Lakes Region around Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
As for how it got to Lake Oneida , there is one theory. Bill Evans, manager of the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Oneida Fish Hatchery in Constantia, told the outlet it is likely the fish traveled from Lake Ontario, though the Oswego River, past Three Rivers, and into the Erie Canal before coming to its latest pitstop.
Williamson didn't keep his rare find and instead returned it to the waters; which is a decision many anglers might not have agreed with considering muskies are among the most coveted fish to catch as trophies.
With the first free fishing weekend coming up, fishing enthusiasts might want to test their ice fishing luck on Oneida Lake. Maybe you, too, will catch a "unicorn."
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