ALEXANDRIA BAY, N.Y. -- Joe Wilczynski and his wife have owned Hi-Da-Way Cottages in Alexandria Bay for the last eight years. He says the popularity of bass fishing in Northern New York has played a major role in his success.

"We get a lot of people coming up here from Rochester, Jersey, Binghamton, Connecticut, even some from New Hampshire," he said. "They come here for the St. Lawrence Seaway because the St. Lawrence Seaway has some of the best bass fishing in the whole area here."

And in a time where fishing is on a decline all over the state, bass fishing seems to be bucking the trend. Bass tournaments are popping up all over the state. And the New York Sea Grant is putting up $150,000 to figure out what more can be done to take advantage.

SUNY ESF in Syracuse will be working to figure out how to best bring in not only outside anglers, but get some locals out as well.

"What motivates someone to come to the community," New York Sea Grant Recreation and Tourism Expert Dave White said about the study. "What kind of services and facilities are they looking for and what kind of economic impact do bass anglers currently have. What might they have if you begin to welcome them and bring them into the community."

All that sounds great to Joe Wilczynksi, a fisherman himself. But he also hopes the study will show the need to clean up streams, back bays and tributaries, making sure the fish are here for the anglers to catch.

"Over the years they have become clogged," Wilczynski said. "It's poor land management. There's some pollutants out there. If we can clean up these streams over here, then we'll improve the natural spawning habitat for bass."

Wilczynski says cleaning up the water is a way to improve other types of fishing like walleye and carp as well. The study should be finished and presented by late 2010 or early 2011.