SMALLMOUTH BASS

        (Trophy Season) Pre Spawn April ~ June (Regular Season) Post Spawn July ~ October 
Buffalo, NY is a smallmouth bass Mecca and can arguably have some of the best bass fishing in entire United States. Our Bass are found along the entire Buffalo New York shoreline, with hotspots along rocky structure and drop-offs in 15-35 feet of water in and around the Buffalo harbor and head waters of the Niagara River. An average spring morning may see 20-30 bass caught with some days bringing upwards of 50 fish.  Most bass caught are between 2 and 4 pounds, but there is good opportunity to catch a hefty 5 ~ 6 or even a 7 pound bronzeback. many of the previous New York State record smallmouths have come from Lake Erie, with the current record standing at an impressive 8 pounds, 4 ounces. Western NY often gets visited annually by many of the best pro bass anglers in the world. 

WALLEYE

June ~ July ~ August 

For decades Lake Erie has been recognized as one of premier walleye fisheries in the country and the top walleye destination in New York. Walleye angler catch rates in Lake Erie have been excellent the past years and were at record levels in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Lake Erie has been in a period of above average walleye hatching success for over a decade, with exceptional walleye hatches in 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Due to this extended period of spawning success, the outlook remains excellent for Lake Erie walleye anglers in 2020 and for several years to come. The limit is 6 fish per person with a minimum length of 15 inches for Lake Erie NY Waters. Fish in the 18-22” range are the norm for us here lately. Daily limits are very common giving the right weather and conditions. Most anglers in our region find open water trolling and bottom bouncing to be the most effective way to target these fish if they are hugging tight to the bottom or suspended in the water column. Erie provides anglers a chance to catch trophy size walleye, with some exceeding 30+ inches in the 10-11 and even occasionally 12 pound range. 

BROWNS & STEELHEAD

November ~ May

Just when most people start to hunker in for the cold winter months in Western NY we are getting ready for prime time fast paced trout action on the River.  The Lower Niagara River is seated below Niagara Falls in the gorge and is known for widely its world class trout fishing. Depending on the time of year, you can catch king salmon, big majestic colorful browns, tons of large acrobatic steelhead and hefty lake trout. We target these fish using several methods. The most common and effective way is using 3 way swivel rig tipped with a egg sack or minnow while drifting down river in the boat working gravel beds and rock structure. We also use this same rig pulling plugs (lures) like kwik fish or mag lips. These fish can be found from Devils Hole above the NY power plant all way out to the mouth of Lake Ontario on the (Niagara Bar). Catching 8-10 fish a day is about average but 20+ fish days are common. 

LAKE  TROUT

November ~ May

Laker Trout are abundant in Lake Erie the Niagara River and Lake Ontario. These fish come in all shapes and sizes rom 5 pounds to 20 pounds and sometimes bigger. Notorious for peeling drag and bending the rod in half as they dig hard and fight to hard right until the very end. We like to target them vertically with spinning gear to add that extra excitement. Drifting live bait, beads, jigs and mag lip lures off a 3-way rig but trolling can be just as effective.

EXTRA CURRICULAR SPECIES

You Just Never Know !!
Spending as many days on the water as we do there is always that chance you may catch that fish of a lifetime no matter what species of fish we are targeting. We often catch Musky, Drum, Channel Catfish, Northern Pike, Carp and even Sturgeon not to mention several types of pan fish. All of the above fish have been essential to success on many occasions. When it comes to all of our fishing options, you can be assured we will do our best to make your day on the water a good one.