mostlymuskies

We did a day trip starting at 10 am and ran up river to the Buffalo Harbor.North Gap did not have much to show around the walls.All the bait fish we marked was in the Buffalo River.Speard out through the day we caught a 33"er at 11:20:am,42"er at 2:15 pm and a 37 1/2" muskie at 7:20 pm.We called it the day at 8 pm.Gale Force Winds coming for Wednesday & Thursday, waves may reach 12 ft!

We started out in the triangle area,not much there.Headed down river toward Beaver Island Marina all muskies were hugging tight to the bottom . Barometric pressure was 30:48 rising and wind was out of the Northeast.Moved down to the shipyards,crossing upstream infront of the gas pump we finally hooked up a fish.Up and into the net scoop came a nice healthy 40" muskie.We quit at 11 pm and will spend all day tomorrow in the Buffalo Harbor . surface water temp was 55.6 degrees and floating weeds were mostly dieing grass.

We spent tonight in the North Gap of the Buffalo Harbor,did not mark a lot,but managed a 33"er and 35 1/2" muskies near the mouth of the Buffalo River.Surface water temp was 55.4 degrees around the walls and 54.5 in the Buffalo River.Back to west river tomorrow night.

Last night was a little tougher night,clients only had a NY Fishing License so we started up in the Buffalo Harbor.We marked a few big hooks but could not get anything to hit.At 10:30 pm we dropped back down to the East River and the floating weeds were very bad.They quit at 11 pm with a skunk.After loading boat up I started to leave when one of my former DuPont employees showed up and talked me into going back out.He had a Canadian license so we went to the shipyards.First past we caught a 38",then washed lures the rest of the time out.I hate East winds!Water surface temp was 56.3 degrees and floating weeds in the west river were not bad.

Sorry,I have charters on the Niagara River right through the weekend and for 17 days in a row,sure would have liked to have been there!

Last night we had a little action in the west river,Chris Kempf caught 43",42" & 41" muskies out trolling the west river with me.Surface water temp was 56.5 degrees,floating weeds were bearable.All fish were in 12 to 14 ft of water,nothing over deeper water.Trolling speed was 1.7 mph upstream again'st 3.5 mph current following dropoff edges.

When I do muskie charters I do not have a 1st mate,I keep the boat on structure clean lines,instruct and net fish.This means a lot of fast moving to clear lines before the fish gets to the boat to net,usually all dome by me alone in 3 mph + current.Expenses are much less for me when fishing the Niagara River because it is a close drive to the river and boat gasoline will be minimal as long as I'm not running to the Buffalo Harbor & back,then $50 in gasoline out of $300 charter rate.But if I go to Chautauqua Lake and drive down and back pulling the boat and run from one end of the lake to the other I will use up $150 in gasoline,50% of the total charter cost.So I do not ask for a tip,but most clients do give me from $50 to $100 extra as tip.Just giving you an idea how it has worked for me over the years.

There was one 41"er caught and a few smaller muskies last night and today.Water is still stained and floating weeds are a nusence.I will get back out tomorrow night!

I did not make it out last night,packing barrels to ship to Guyana for January - February rainforest fishing guiding trip.I did get out on Friday and caught a 39 1/2" muskie in the Buffalo River at 10:05 am.Then the 1/4" hail came down and I had to duck my head up under the boat consol under the steering wheel.Called it the day after that and seeing more thick clouds heading my way.Surface water temp in the Buffalo River was 59 degrees,in North Gap was 58 degrees that is why bait fish & muskies were in the Buffalo River.

Go Manuel & Bills!!

I have not been back down to Chautauqua Lake,but I get texts from my friend Dr.Dave.He caught 4 muskies yesterday afternoon,so the trolling bite is still on.He is at number 98 muskies for the year using leadcore system,needs 2 more to reach 100 and 250 muskies recorded with Muskies Inc. To move to Masters Division. I'm sure he will get there today! Congrats Dr.Dave!

All the walleye's I have caught on Wiley Jtd 5 1/2" muskie crankbaits have been 28 to 30" in length from Chautauqua Lake.

Most people have no idea how quickly Hypothermia can take your life,especially in water where your body will cool 33 % faster then standing naked in cold air.Right now with 59 degree water,you would be unconscious in 1-3 hours and Death in 1- 5 hours.A Mustang Survival Suit will add another 1 to 2 hours to those times!In water temps below 40 degrees you have 15 minutes without Survival Suit and 30 minutes with it,might be long enough for someone to get you out of the water with the Survival Suit!Think! If you fish late in the fall in cold water time,buy a Survival Suit you owe it to your Family!

Today Chris Kempf & I saw the winds were turning the river brown and decided to get to the Harbor while it was still green tint there.Was a wet ride thru 25 mph winds and wite caps to North Gap.Was very rough fishing there so we ducked into the Buffalo River.At noon the rod on my side began to sing,after a short fight into the net she went.Then she twisted every hook up in the net bag and I had to cut 5 hook points on 7/0 treble's.Got on Legend Perchbait,that took awhile.The fish got extra stress because of this so I got a quick messurement and back into the water for revival.The fish came around so quick Chris could not get a picture of me holding her only this picture of her swimming back home! The winds went up to 35 mph + so we decided to get back to SBH before it possibly twisted the docks out of place,was a total wet ride back going into the wind with all the spray good thing it was not below freezing.Back out first time winds get below 25 mph !

Water temps now below 60 degrees in the Upper Niagara River.With the quickly dropping water temps the muskies and bait fish are now moving up shallow and near Creek mouths that have warmer water.So in trolling you should be working over 10 to 13 ft depths on the edges of deeper water from 20 to 25 ft.Speed is very important,up stream if your going 1.7 to 2.0 mph over bottom gps,the river current is also moving past the crankbait at 2.5 to 3.0 mph,so your crankbait is 4.0 to 4.5 mph in lure action.At cross stream angles your pulling at an angle to that current so you can go from 2.0 to 2.5 mph to keep the same 4.0 to 4.5 lure action.Once you go down stream your going with the current and you need to slow down to the point you still have crankbait action,around 4 to 4.5 mph over ground gps.It also takes 1/2 the line out to get depth going down stream with the current.

Most important when hooking a muskie trolling up stream is to turn out to the side to get even with the muskie so you are drifting down river with the fish equally instead of the current pushing the boat down river to toward the fish.Always try to use your net from the downstream current side of the muskie as you scoop current will balloon open the net and you will have less chances of getting hooks in net bag and fish flapping outside of the rim.Very soon the muskie action is going to pick up with fall upon us,freezing temps this weekend.

fishsevern,Good Luck this year on the west river.We will return to the west river tonight and work our way from Frenchman Creek to Black Creek in the dark hours.I hope to get back into the river action after spending a few nights in the Harbor with limited success.

Chris Kempf & I went to the Buffalo Harbor about 7 pm.We started trolling in the South Gap 58 degree surface water and very much a dead sea.We then went out into the 4 ft rollers and washboard and crossed out into 35 ft water going to the North Gap.Water surface temp raised to 59 degrees outside South Gap & up to 60 degrees approaching North Gap outer departure bouys.Still.not marking much at all.Around Donley's Wall to Green Flashing Bouy's going intob Black Rock Canal we began to mark smaller fish & walleyes along the edge.Up the Buffalo River the water temp dropped from 61 degrees last night to 58 degrees tonight,lots of bait fish but no big muskie hooks.Everything in muskie hooks be marked last night were no where to be found tonight.We gave up at 11 pm and went home skunked!

Water temps are dropping and outside air temps are dropping,fishermen will start bulking up with layers of warm clothing.Just a word of caution about PFD'S and soaked layers of clothing and the extra weight,will you stay afloat?I did Man Overboard Drills this past summer.Wearing only heavy layers of clothing alone will take you down quickly and make it hard to get back in the boat.If your outboard motor has a trim button on the side of the motor,stand on the trim plates of your outboard and raise yourself out of the water with trim.Now layers soaked with water and different types of PVD floatation could not keep you afloat depending on your weight.An Inflatable PVD will not keep you afloat if your over 250 lbs and have layers of soaked clothing that may weigh another 50 lbs,your going down.This is why I recommend using a Mustang Survival Coverall.The Mustang Suit not only will keep you warm out of water but keep your body warm in the water long enough to save your life.Pillow on the back will keep your face turned out of the water if you blackout due to freezing cold water.All those warm clothes may keep you warm but may end your life if you go overboard wearing them.

Fishing the Buffalo Harbor has been nice not having to clean floating weeds every 5 minutes like in the river.Water temps are still 60 degrees and need to drop to the mid 50's before mass quantities of bait fish show.None of the smaller muskies we are catching now up there now have that bleached markings look that the muskies have that spend most of their time in deep water.So we are catching only local fish so far and mostly all smaller male fish.I will give it a couple more days of harbor fishing as I wait for the floating weeds to slow back down in the river,then go back to the bigger muskies present in the west river.

Was on again off again about going tonight with the West winds,finally picked up the client from the motel and headed to the Harbor.Much rougher water then last night,but fishable.The first trip up the Buffalo River gave up a 37" muskie.About an hour later we caught a 40"er trolling up the General Mills Slip.Water temp was 60 degrees in the Buffalo River and 60 degrees in the North Gap.Heading down the road for a hot coffee,back out tomorrow night.

Tough fishing in the waves in the Buffalo Harbor,only a 34" & 35" muskies,did not mark much.Water temp 60.5 degrees in North Gap,61 degrees up the Buffalo River.Back to the west river tomorrow night.

If RayJ from Pa shows tonight we will have to go to the Harbor behind the protection of the walls to get out in the high SW winds.Water temps are below 60 degrees so there could be action in the rolling waves! Go Bills!

Riley,I will be back out Sunday night as well,the floating long string grass weeds were a big problem the other day.

Tommy Rinehart caught a nice 43 1/2" muskie last night before the rain up infront of Strawberry Island!

Tonight we started near Frenchman Creek,lots of big hooks,no hits.We moved down to Beaver Island Marina,more big hooks,closed mouth.Dropped down to Shipyards and caught a 30 1/2" muskie almost scraping the wall near the gaspump.Crossing the river to the pine tree near the Homeland Security Camera Pole,up on the edge we caught a chunky 40"er.We quit at 00:30,could not take anymore of cleaning off weeds,floaters were very bad.Water temp was 59 degrees,slob time very soon!

I heard today the casting was very good at Mayville Flats.