First, I have a couple of questions. Have you ever fished the Niagara River? Have you ever fished it in the dead of winter? Well if you haven't you are missing some of the world's finest steelhead [rainbow trout] fishing right here at your back door where 11-15 pound fish are common.
Fishing the Lower Niagara River can be an experience of a lifetime; however, it is for the hearty. Special precautions have to be taken when fishing from a boat. We'll cover warm water fishing later when the seasons roll around.
First, dress warm and in layers, you can always remove those layers if it gets too warm but if you don't have them with you, you can't put them on. Of course good boots and gloves are necessary. [layer your socks]
The very best item to wear is a flotation suit worn by the savvy Charter Captains and the experienced fishermen. These are the same suits worn by the people that work the offshore oil rigs in Alaska and similar climates in other countries. They can be a little pricy for some but if these things save your life, how can a price be put on it? You can go to
www.outdoorsniagara.com and see photos of lots of fishermen using these suits.
Fishing from the boat in most cases is not too bad but you must always use extreme caution because of the ice chunks that have a tendency to show up when least expected.
Boat launching in the Lower Niagara is simplified by the Village of Lewiston, Launch ramp at the Lewiston Landing at the foot of Center Street. The village maintains the ramp year round and keeps it clear all winter. There is a sand/salt pile and a shovel provided if the ramp is a little slippery on some days.
The most successful fishermen will use either egg sacks, egg skeins, or Kwikfish tied off a three way swivel and a pencil shaped drop sinker. Egg sack colors vary but if you use the natural [orange] color that is a good place to start.
Kwikfish colors can vary day by day and sometimes hour by hour. A Kwikfish is a banana shaped lure and some will remember the Helin Flatfish lure that is a look a like. [ or Kwikfish is a Flatfish look a like] Helin Flatfish took many many bass from the upper Niagara in the old days just as they do today along side of the Kwikfish.
Like stated above the Kwikfish colors vary but a good choice to start is the silver with blue sides, silver w/ pink or green, and some times gold color with pink sides. Favorites are the K-9 or K-11 sizes. That will give you a start. You run these off a 3-way swivel with a drop down pencil sinker and start the sinker at a 1 or 1 1/2 ounce size. Again, that varies depending on the wind.
Aluminum boats are the wise choice for winter fishing. Fiberglass boats can take a beating from the ice chunks. 18 to 20-21 foot boats are the favorites by the regulars.
7 1/2 foot rods with spinning reel or bait casting reels will work fine. To rig these up, go to the
www.outdoorsniagara.com website and go to the fishing tips page here:
http://www.outdoorsniagara.com/fishing_and_hunting_tips.htm
Outdoors Niagara is the most informative and up to date outdoors website on the planet and "Never outdated ~ Always updated" The website always has updated fishing reports that appear weekly, and sometimes daily on our outdoors forum. Visit us and bookmark right away because you won't have time to go through it in just one visit. Guaranteed. Make sure you visit our outdoors forum and post your questions, buy & sell stuff and see what's on the outdoor scene. There is even a kid's page!
We cover and report on Lakes Erie, Ontario and the entire Niagara River.
Want to charter a boat? Outdoors Niagara has the largest listing of Charter Captains in New York State and Southern Ontario. Check it and see, you can find a Charter and book it right from the listings in your area which covers all of the western counties.
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Thanks for visiting! See you on the water!