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Lower Niagara River Fishing Tips For
Newbies [And tough guys too]
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Pick the Right Gear – Attention Steelheaders! Bill Hilts Jr.Beginning of winter in Niagara. First and foremost, you have to be dressed for the part. Layers of clothing are the way to go, keeping that warmth in as much as possible. There are days when you can be overdressed, so being able to take off some of those clothes can be just as important. And no matter how cold it can get – remember that water flowing down through is pegged at 32 degrees – when you are catching fish, it just doesn’t seem to feel all that cold.Thanks to a new law that was enacted in 2009, all boaters (21 feet or less) are now required to wear a personal flotation device from November 1 through May 1 – unless you are on a charter boat. Charter vessels are exempt from this new legislation. That said, it’s still not a bad idea either way. We do recommend fishing with a charter person your first time or two on the river to learn the ropes. Capt. Frank Campbell actually provides survival suits for his customers as an added precaution – and to help keep his clients warm. It’s food for thought. If you are uncomfortable, you won’t have a good “total experience.” His personal touches keep his customers coming back year after year.For the fishing end of things, Campbell has some personal preferences that all contribute to his success. For example, his choice of rod allows him to catch more fish. “I use a Quantum Tour Edition seven and a half foot medium action rod with a soft tip. I’ve found that the fish will like to hang on to a bait for a period of time and the soft rod tip will help keep the fish available to customers longer. A stiffer tip will let the fish feel the resistance sooner, causing them to let go of the bait offering, whatever that may be – such as egg sacks, single eggs, egg imitations like yarn balls, or live bait like minnows. More on that a bit later. The rod also has slightly larger guides that will not freeze up as quickly in the cold.The next most important component is the reel. Campbell’s personal preference is a Quantum Energy baitcasting reel, outfitted with eight pound test Cajun fluorocarbon line. “I use fluorocarbon line for the visibility factor, especially when the water is clear,” insists Campbell. “I also don’t get as much line stretch, so it helps with the hook set. And when the water becomes super clear, I’ll drop my leader off the three-way down to six pound test and even extend the leader a foot or two.A three-way rig is the tried and true method for taking these trout in the winter. Using a three-way swivel, they will extend a leader off the trailing eye five to seven feet back before they attach the bait. Off the bottom eye is a foot of leader with some type of a weight attached. For rain fishing, Campbell prefers starting out with a one ounce pencil lead. If the water is really clear and he needs to get the bait away from the boat, he’ll trim that lead down – sometimes in half – to get the presentation required to catch fish. He may have to add weight if he’s fishing in deeper water, again another consideration when facing clear conditions. “In the winter, when the ice bridge forms below Niagara Falls and
Niagara River Tips and Tactics Continued ……. Presenting your fish offerings in a way that’s appealing to Best sizes for Kwikfish are K-8 and K-9. Top colors are silver, When wind isn’t as much of a factor, the trolling motor can be So just how good is the Niagara? Like with any kind of fishing,
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Hope this guideline helps the ones just getting started!This article with the following tips may help some fishermen and yet there are others that use their own methods quite successfully. This is meant as a general guideline to help “newbies” get started. The riggings here have proved to be quite successful with many seasoned Niagara River fishermen. There are more tips on this page so be sure to read them all! There are other articles and pages on this website that offer some great inside information on fishing the Mighty Niagara. Lines and leaders depend on whom you are asking. Most everyone fishes something similar.For Chinook [Kings] a good generalization would be 14 to 17 pound line from your rod, and some even use 20# line. Remember the heavier the line, the more water resistance and more weight required. Leader off the 3-way swivel to the bait would run 8 to 9 feet depending on the length of your fishing rod and if you are using egg sacks or skein. That will allow your bait to move freely and more natural. If using the favorite hard bait like Kwikfish lures, shorten up on the leader maybe to 5 to 7 feet. The leader line weight should be 14-15# or less depending on your rod length etc. clear mono, or a lot of river fishermen are using the new, thinner, stronger fluorocarbon lines. The line off your drop pencil sinker should be 8 to 10 inches and 8 or 10 pound test mono so you can break off easily in case of a snag. Sinker weight varies with the wind and the current. Generally start around 1 to 1 1/2 ounce, Pencil sinker. Pencil sinkers can be cut to size the way you want with a pair of side cutters or most needle-nose pliers have a cutter on them.Tips on Steelhead, Lakers, Browns, etc.Basically, rigging the same way you would for Kings will provide super results but DO lower your line poundage tests on your rod line, [suggest 8-10#] leader line [6-8#] and your drop sinker leader [6-8#] accordingly. Pencil sinkers can start at 1 ounce or less. In all cases, make sure you are either on the bottom or just inches above it. Niagara River Winter Steelhead offers some of the most fabulous steelie fishing in the United States.Pay Attention:
Shore Fishermen Tips;
OK. Shore fishermen. What baits do you use? Tough question. Everybody [See Photos Below] Spoons could be Little Cleos, mostly silver with a blue stripe 2/5 Spoons and spinners are best if used without snap swivels but we K.O.
Acme’s Little Cleo ~ Use 2/5 ounce in this Kwikfish
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