Monster Muskies
Monster Muskies at Both Ends of the Lake
By Mike Seymour & Bill Hilts Jr.
The St. Lawrence River, flowing from the eastern basin of Lake Ontario, and the Niagara River, emptying into the lake's western basin, stand out as New York State's premier waters for muskellunge. In fact, the two rivers rank among the best muskie waters in the entire world. Not only do the St. Lawrence and Niagara rivers have a rich history of muskie angling, but, thanks to a strong catch-and-release ethic among modern anglers, the rivers promise to offer world-class fishing for future generations.
St. Lawrence River History
Among noteworthy names in the St. Lawrence's muskie history is Dr. Howeth Papst, a Syracuse dentist, who caught and documented 1,432 muskies, all of which were taken from his favorite trolling area between Grindstone and Wolf islands.
Any muskie enthusiast would recognize the name of Art Lawton, who was acknowledged as the world record holder for the 64.5-inch, 69-pound, 15-ounce fish taken in 1957. Lawton's record fish became the subject of controversy, though, when muskie researcher John Dettloff discredited the fish in 1992. While controversy exists concerning Lawton's near 70-pounder, historians can't contest the point that Art and his wife Ruth were first-rate muskie fishers who caught hundreds of big fish in the Clayton area.
Another muskie name surrounded by controversy is Hartman. Len and Betty Hartman, who fished in the Ogdensburg area, were recognized for their six 60-pound-plus muskies taken during the 1950s and '60s. But in 1995, Len Hartman admitted to muskie historian Larry Ramsell that he "padded" his 67-pound, 15-ounce fish before taking it to a scale.
Despite the controversy connected with the Lawton and Hartman fish, records clearly show that the St. Lawrence River annually produces the world's largest muskies, fish that weigh 40 to 50 pounds and measure 50 to 60 inches.
Niagara River History
Muskie fishing came into its own on the Niagara River in the mid-1960s when Hank Kurowski took over Chet's Boat and Bait and renamed the business Hank's Boat Livery. Hank's became the gathering spot for the river's muskie anglers whose numbers grew after Roy Campbell initiated a muskie competition in the early 1970s. This contest annually recognized the "Top Twenty" muskie anglers.
Among the most recognizable names in Niagara's muskie history are Clarence Gall and Tom Brown; who trolled in the Upper River. Amazingly, Gall documented boating more than 1,200 muskies. Fishing as partners, Gall and Brown once caught an impressive 63 fish on 63 consecutive outings.
Records at Hank's Boat Livery indicate that hundreds of muskies were kept annually in the 1960s, '70s, and '80s. In 1977 for example, Hank's records show that anglers took 598 muskies. In the 1990s, the Niagara Musky Association began recording data, and their records reveal that anglers are now releasing hundreds of muskies annually.
Modern Muskie Angler
If an angler caught a monster muskie 40 years ago, that fish was brought to the local bait shop for all to see. Quite likely a picture appeared in the local paper, and the angler received hero-like attention. If an angler catches a monster muskie today, most likely the fish is brought to boatside where it is unhooked and its size is evaluated before the angler carefully lifts the fish for a quick picture. Then the muskie is returned to the water, and the lucky angler heads to the taxidermist for a replica mount.
In recent decades, anglers have come to realize the fragility of muskie populations, and, as a result, over 90 percent of muskie fishers release their fish today. For the most part, evolving changes to protect muskie populations have been angler-driven. Groups such as Muskie Inc., Clayton-based Save the River, Niagara Musky Association, various guides' associations, and DEC have supported a catch-and-release ethic. In addition, minimum length requirements have been increased to the point where the St. Lawrence and Niagara rivers have become trophy waters. The current minimum length for a legal muskie on both rivers is 48 inches.
St. Lawrence River Tactics
Trolling minnow plugs is THE technique for taking St. Lawrence muskies. Among the most popular lures are Believers, Swim Whiz, Cisco Kid, Depth Raider, and Radtke Pike Minnow. Natural colors such as shiner, perch, and bullhead are the preferred choices of river guides.
Muskie season opens on the third Saturday in June, and even though muskies are catchable throughout summer, the majority of anglers concentrate their efforts during the fall months, a time when the fish are very mobile and they feed heavily. Many anglers prefer the midday hours in autumn, but the late afternoon and early evening hours can be extremely productive. In some areas, night fishing yields the largest fish.
Structure is the key to prime muskie haunts. The more structure in an area and the more varied that structure, the better the area is for fishing. Traditional hotspots along the river include Hinckley Flats Shoal, Featherbed Shoal, and Carleton Island near Cape Vincent; Forty Acre Shoal and Black Ant Island near Clayton; American Island near Morristown; the Sand Bar and International Bridge at Ogdensburg; and the waters below the Robert Moses Power Dam in Massena.
Capt. Bob Walters from Water Wolf Charters, who fishes the Clayton/St. Lawrence area, has added a new dimension to trolling for muskies. Bob has three Walker Strike Vision underwater camera systems on his boat. They are tied into three flat screen monitors, so anglers can watch all the underwater action. Bob has captured some unbelievable footage of muskies attacking various baits.
The Mighty Niagara
When it comes to the Niagara River, many anglers think of salmon, trout, walleye and bass. However, there's a growing contingent that feel one of the best fisheries that the river possesses is with its muskellunge population. And one of the best times to fish for these underwater behemoths is in the fall - especially October and November.
"I like to wait until after the main salmon run; when the water temperatures hit near that magic 50-degree mark, I start to target muskie," says Capt. Frank Campbell of Niagara Falls. Campbell is a full-time guide who fishes these waters in excess of 200 days a year. He'd probably fish more if the weather, water and his body would let him.
The upper Niagara River and the Buffalo harbor area are more conducive to muskie fishing. They're shallower with distinct weed beds, bottom structure and tributary flows. The area also has a very long history in pursuing muskellunge. From the days of Hank's Boat Livery and legendary anglers like Clarence Gall and Tom Brown to the present day group of die-hards spearheaded by the Niagara Musky Association (NMA), there's definitely a certain aura about the area and this fish of a thousand casts. One thing's for sure: this is one area you might not need a thousand casts for!
As the water temperatures drop and baitfish start to migrate into the river to winter over, so follow the muskie from Lake Erie. By the time the end of the season rolls around, if the water temperatures are right, the river winters over a significant number of these toothy fish.
"I'll try to find these hold-over areas and drift fish with sucker chubs," says Campbell, who practices catch-and-release on these fish. Using a three-way rig with a pencil lead to maintain contact with the bottom about a foot below the swivel, he'll work in a leader of about five to six feet long with a special spinner rig to attract muskie to the bait that is attached at the tail. The later in the season, the better the fishing can be.
To give you an idea of the potential of this fishing, the late Wayne Nestor of Long Island was filming a new television show called Angling Adventures. He was in desperate need of getting a couple shows in the can. The first filming was to be on upper river muskie fishing. He said, "Give me four fish and we'll have a show." Being more of a salt water guy, he didn't understand the task at hand - producing a muskie in and of itself would manage a show. The pressure was on.
Fishing with local expert Mark Maghran of Hamburg, who was the local guide we were dealing with, we immediately hit one fish in the 20-pound class trolling around the Buffalo Harbor area, in the shadow of the Buffalo skyline. Next fish was a 26-pounder, followed by a 27-pounder. We caught a smaller one during the course of the day to give Nestor his magic "four" for a show.
Many of the anglers like to troll with spinners or large body baits like Bagley DB-08, Swim Whiz, Believer and many others - including the old standby of a pikie minnow. Another approach is to cast jerk baits or large tube jigs inside the weeds or just on the fringe of them.
We already mentioned the Buffalo Harbor as a primary destination, so look no further than the regulations guide for Lake Erie, of which the harbor is part. The minimum size for a keeper muskie is 54 inches! That's a monster. However, even if you do catch a keeper, catch-and-release is always emphasized by the local anglers - especially those associated with NMA. In the lower river, Campbell feels that muskies are a very underutilized resource even though good populations exist. Fish are big and strong thanks to an abundance of prey. This excess of prey can actually have a negative effect by offering the fish a fresh meal whenever they want it. Trying to determine when these fish are going to feed is next to impossible.
In the lower river, Campbell likes to look for back eddies in drifts like Bombers and Queenston. The same three-way rig mentioned earlier is one of the best approaches below the falls, too. He'll use 20-pound test monofilament for the main line, with 20-pound test also rigged with a six to seven good lead. He'll also make up wire leaders to deal with the sharp muskie teeth, up to 30 pounds in strength. That could be the last 18 inches of the leader. He'll use size 4/0 or 5/0 to hold the bait and still be strong enough to hold the fish. Campbell prefers the seven-and-a-half foot Ugly Stick for rod selection because they have a soft tip and a head butt section. He matches that with a Pflueger Trion 66 reel for its smooth drag and strength.
Another lower river technique is to troll up and down the river in 20 to 30 feet of water. "Troll faster than you would for all other fish species," says Campbell. "Sometimes I'll even have 50-pound test Fireline to prevent stretch of my line. My best baits are 10 to 12 inches long like Ukko's or Believers. The best colors are usually sucker and firetiger.
Since the St. Lawrence and Niagara rivers are boundary waters between New York State and the Province of Ontario, an Ontario license is required when fishing the Canadian portion of either river. Anglers are advised that Ontario muskie regulations vary somewhat from New York ones so anglers should familiarize themselves with the Ontario rules prior to fishing.
Catch and Release
In addition to the challenge of catching a muskie, anglers also face the challenge of successfully releasing the fish once it is brought to boatside. Just as fishers have a game plan for catching muskies so should they have a game plan for releasing the fish. Such a plan includes having the proper release tools at hand. Such tools include a large net or cradle, a good set of needle-nose pliers, a pair of construction-grade bolt cutters, and a camera at the ready.
A major key to successfully releasing a muskie is to avoid stressing the fish. Despite its huge size, a muskie is truly a fragile fish. Anglers, therefore, must limit stress to the fish during every stage of the catch and release: the fight, the cradling, the unhooking, the lifting, the photographing, and the supporting of the fish until it swims away on its own. To eliminate stress, many experts advise unhooking a muskie at boatside rather than bringing the fish into the boat.
Hooking into a St. Lawrence or Niagara muskellunge is the ultimate thrill in freshwater angling, a thrill that is only matched by watching the muskie swim away after a successful release. The memories of both thrills can be captured in a photograph or a replica mount.
Go to Muskie Guides:
Captain Bob Walters
Water Wolf Charters
(315) 685-8508
www.waterwolfcharters.com
Capt. Frank Campbell
(716) 284-8546
fishinfc@aol.com
For more information on the Clayton-1000 Islands area contact the Clayton Chamber of Commerce at (800) 252-9806 or
www.thousandislands.com/claytonchamber/fishing.htm
For a free Greater Niagara Hot Spot Fishing Map, call (877) FALLS US. This is
also the local fishing hotline updated weekly.
To find out more about the Niagara Musky Association, contact Josh Ketry, Membership Secretary at (716) 563-0720. His e-mail address is trout_tapout@yahoo.com in case you want to contact him electronically.
Mike Seymour is a U.S.C.G. licensed guide who runs fishing charters in the Ogdensburg - Waddington section of the St. Lawrence River. For the past 15 years, he has written a weekly outdoors column for St. Lawrence County Newspapers. His magazine credits include eight different publications. Mike enjoys all kinds of fishing. You might find him fly fishing for native brookies on a small Adirondack stream or trolling for world-class salmon and lake trout in Lake Ontario's shipping lane. Mike can be reached at (315) 379-0235 or fishmike@slic.com.
Bill Hilts Jr., Niagara County's Sportfishing Promotion person for 19 years, has been an outdoor writer since 1980 when he took over a column started by his father, Bill Sr., in the Niagara Gazette. That has blossomed into four newspapers and several magazines. He's currently president of the Lake Ontario Sportfishing Council and is a past president of the New York Outdoor Writers Association. He's also an active member of the Outdoors Writers Association of America and a life member of the NRA, as well as other various organizations related to the outdoors. E-mail: Bhiltsjr69@cs.com