New to Upper Niagara

[Andrew Porzio]

Hi, been fishing the harbor in fall for years. New boat and want to learn the upper Niagara. Need help getting started. Willing to cast or troll. Any suggestions on where to start?

[Tony Scime]

Hi Andy,

The NMA catch and release reports are a good place to start. They are updated on this site every month and provide the areas, lures, and techniques the most recent fish are being caught. In fact, they provide information on over 5,000 catches made over the past 30 years. You can learn a lifetime of knowledge by studying these reports.

Otherwise, the muskies are well distributed throughout the upper Niagara River. The most common starting place, however, is the area around Strawberry and Motor Islands. You can cast, jig, or troll. If you prefer casting, stay around the Islands in 5 to 10 foot depths. Anglers have success with any shallow water casting lures - bucktails, spinnerbaits, jerk-baits, and twitch baits. Use what you have confidence in - it will keep you on the water longer.  Focus on weedy areas, although some fish are caught over rocky areas.

You can also jig and troll the deeper edges along the Islands. Most trollers prefer trolling with and across the current, often bouncing bottom. But fish can be caught going up-current with the lures off bottom, especially at night. Proven trolling lures include Legend Perchbaits, Mr. Toothys, Believers, and Depth Raiders. Any of your favorite deep-diving lures which allow for bottom contact will also work.

The most popular jigging lures are Red October Bait Ninja tubes and Bondy Baits. Most jigging is done in 15 to 25 feet of water. Like trolling, it is important to keep contact with the bottom. Expect snags. When a snag occurs simply run upstream over the snag and you should free the vast majority.

The same techniques can be used the entire length of both branches of the Niagara, especially where weeds line the shoreline. Cast the shallow shoreline areas and jig or troll the deeper edges. Don't be afraid to explore and experiment.

Catching muskies will take time as there can be numerous fishless days. But the more you fish the more you'll learn and the more you'll catch.

Be aware that a Canadian license is needed on the West side of Strawberry and the entire West (Chippewa) Channel of the upper River.  

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Tony

 

[Andrew Porzio]

Thanks Tony! Awesome advice.

[Gary Shore]

Tony, you should write a book!

Tony Scime said:

Hi Andy,

The NMA catch and release reports are a good place to start. They are updated on this site every month and provide the areas, lures, and techniques the most recent fish are being caught. In fact, they provide information on over 5,000 catches made over the past 30 years. You can learn a lifetime of knowledge by studying these reports.

Otherwise, the muskies are well distributed throughout the upper Niagara River. The most common starting place, however, is the area around Strawberry and Motor Islands. You can cast, jig, or troll. If you prefer casting, stay around the Islands in 5 to 10 foot depths. Anglers have success with any shallow water casting lures - bucktails, spinnerbaits, jerk-baits, and twitch baits. Use what you have confidence in - it will keep you on the water longer.  Focus on weedy areas, although some fish are caught over rocky areas.

You can also jig and troll the deeper edges along the Islands. Most trollers prefer trolling with and across the current, often bouncing bottom. But fish can be caught going up-current with the lures off bottom, especially at night. Proven trolling lures include Legend Perchbaits, Mr. Toothys, Believers, and Depth Raiders. Any of your favorite deep-diving lures which allow for bottom contact will also work.

The most popular jigging lures are Red October Bait Ninja tubes and Bondy Baits. Most jigging is done in 15 to 25 feet of water. Like trolling, it is important to keep contact with the bottom. Expect snags. When a snag occurs simply run upstream over the snag and you should free the vast majority.

The same techniques can be used the entire length of both branches of the Niagara, especially where weeds line the shoreline. Cast the shallow shoreline areas and jig or troll the deeper edges. Don't be afraid to explore and experiment.

Catching muskies will take time as there can be numerous fishless days. But the more you fish the more you'll learn and the more you'll catch.

Be aware that a Canadian license is needed on the West side of Strawberry and the entire West (Chippewa) Channel of the upper River.  

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Tony

 

[Stephen Glassic]

Tony, among others, has written enough on this forum and in the rag to fill a set of encyclopedias on fishing the Niagara River.

[Scott McKee]

Hover over the Newsletter tab on our website, click Archive and you'll find just about every issue of our Catch & Release newsletter.  You'll have to sift through a few issues, but there are dozens of articles written by Tony, myself and our members that will help you catch more muskies on the river. 

Beyond our newsletter and release reports, I suggest going backwards in time reading our member's fishing reports in our forum.

Ultimately,  there is nothing like hands-on fishing experience. Go fishing. Don't worry about fishing "incorrectly." There are fish all over the river.  Chuck, jig, drag, and troll shallow, mid and deeper depths and have some fun.  Learning how to fish the river through trial and error are amomg my fondest experiences musky fishing.

Best of luck!