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Niagara River Saturday


Aaron Shirley

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Tony and I fished the lower Niagara River yesterday, and let me tell you, it was a wild day of fishing! while people were shoveling out their driveways, we headed for Bill's Bait and Tackle to pick up common shiners and head down to the Niagara for a day of walleye fishing since it closes at the end of Feb

 

We were the only boat down there on the canadian side. This picture is what greeted us on the way down to launch the boat.

 

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It didn't take long for the heavy wet snow to build up in the boat.. and slush up the river heavily

 

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We tried jigging, rigging and slow trolling, but found it very difficult to properly present our baits due to the heavy slush impeding our lines and trolling motor! We persevered regardless, but Mother Nature proved to outwit us for walleye fishing, as the icy Niagara slush set in and kicked our butts in the back eddies.

 

After hours without a bite through difficult conditions and frozen wet fingers, we decided to try steelheading faster water where the icy slush may not be as bad. This was a great decision! We got 14 bites in 3 hours, but only landed 7 or 8 of them. Still, a great 3 hours of fishing, and a great way to spend a snowy winter day.

 

Rainbow roe tied in Tony's secret bags worked like a charm. I got to really put the new Rapala Volt reel to the test with line-peeling steelies, and it was flawless. The best depths for us were between 18' and 22' along breaks. Water is clear with about 6' of 'steelhead green' heaven. The launch was a tough go, it's a good thing I took a shovel (thanks for shoveling Tony!). We eventually got out at the end of the day with 4 wheel low and shoveling.

 

A few more pics from the day with Niagara winter steelies

 

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A really tough and slow start for us, but we salvaged the day with a bang catching the more reliable chromers the Niagara River is so famous for.

 

Good fishing!

 

Aaron

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WOW! Very impressive Aaron and Tony! You guys work hard at it so you always do well. Thanks for posting this great report!

 

ps. ummmm since when have you grown a beard Aaron? Are you trying to emulate me? It won't work...you'll need to be much shorter, have white hair and be very bad at fishing.

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Beauty Fish! I really miss fishing the Niagara River, and I used to love going to Bill's Bait & Tackle.

 

If I want to catch fish like that at this time of year, I have to stand waist deep in the St. Mary's rapids, it's cold in May, it's unbearable in February. :D

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It was an awesome day to be on SOFTwater for a change, and not a bad Plan 'B' to resort to the Steelhead...BUT we were really after some Walleye!

 

The poor hook-to-land ratio was almost entirely because of me! I couldn't believe how many fish I hooked, got a couple of headshakes and a run or two out of and they would come off! I lost one fish that was a real beast too! I think Aaron, somehow by doing some Niagara River Sturgeon Voodoo, transferred his fish-losing curse from the past little while over to me :o

 

I'm going to have to rub some chicken bones together or something desperate...I even broke my own rod tip accidentally, that's never happenened to me before :wacko: !

 

Yes the secret is out...if a steelhead you catch in the niagara has garlic breath, you can blame me :D

 

Tony

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iam trying to get out myself but dont know were to access the river yet,but soon as i get some info ill see ya out there.

 

Queenston boat ramp is at the end of Dumfries road in Queenston.

 

Good luck, but take a 4x4 truck, shovel, salt and ice chisel with you for winter and early spring.

 

Aaron

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