LEWISTON, N.Y. — It is always a plus when a plan comes together.
When the plan is to target big fish, positive results are a bonus.
For anglers living along the Interstate 81 corridor, most plans to catch a king salmon on rod and reel involve targeting the tributaries of upstate New York that feed the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario. Having such a world-class fishery just a few hours away is certainly a plus, but sooner or later one should plan a trip to tackle the big waters of western New York.
None of those waters is bigger than the mighty Niagara River, and once most area anglers make that first trip, they are hooked for good. Big fish like big water, and while big kings are caught throughout New York during the annual fall spawning run, the combination of big, fast-running water and the potential to boat a big salmon sets the Niagara apart from other tributaries.
Deep-V fishing boats with jet drives and 200-plus horsepower outboards is the way to fish the Niagara, which can overpower driftboats and wash away in an instant anyone foolish enough wade its banks. So it was that Mike Wytowich of Marion Heights and his fishing partner decided to put their plan in motion to target big salmon on the Niagara and made arrangements last October to fish with Wet Net Charters operated by Capt. Matt Yablonsky.
Arriving at the Barton Hill Inn and Spa overlooking the Lewiston Dock on the Lower Niagara River, conversation was exchanged over dinner with other anglers. Earlier that day many of them had met or, in some instances, exceeded their expectations fishing with Yablonsky and other members of the Niagara County River Guides Association.
Sportfish such as bass, salmon, steelhead, brown trout, lake trout and walleye are at home in the deep channels and pools of the Niagara, which separates the United States and Canada and flows northward from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario for 36 miles. It is the 14-mile stretch of the Lower Niagara from the Whirlpool north to the mouth of Lake Ontario that provides year-round fishing opportunities and gives hope of that monster king being a cast — or drift — away.
Knowing his clients were interested in size rather than numbers, Yablonsky fired up the 150-horsepower Yamaha that powers his 21-foot deep-v Lund and left the Lewiston dock for the Devil’s Hole area. His plan was to target the big kings that hold near the bottom by drifting egg sacks on a three-swivel rig using 7-foot St. Croix rods loaded with 25-pound test line on Okuma Chromer baitcasting level-wind reels.
“What we’re trying to do is bounce the sinker on the bottom and keep the eggs floating about four feet off the bottom,” Yablonsky said. “Keeping the eggs off the bottom and the rod tip about three feet off the surface are the keys to getting strikes and setting the hook.”
After several snags and missed hook sets, the anglers finally got the feel for the technique needed to connect with the salmon and soon began to catch some average-size kings. Each hookup resulted in line-pealing runs and plenty of action, but the leviathan the anglers sought continued to elude them.
Then that “next” drift came.
With the force of a runaway locomotive a salmon hit, bending the rod tip beneath the surface of the river and all but hooking itself in the process. Even before the cry of “fish on” Yablonsky saw what had happened and began to maneuver his boat so the fish could be fought.
During the next 12 minutes — a battle that seemed longer, much longer — the fish made several runs and nearly escaped when it took the line around a submerged rock. Fortunately, the fish was unable to get slack in the line and remained hooked to continue the battle.
Changing tactics, the big fish made a run at the boat in an attempt to free itself by putting slack in the line. Twice it circled the boat and that proved to be its downfall as the second pass moved it into slack water and allowed Yablonsky to net the fish.
Once aboard, the big hook-nose buck was found to be even larger than it had appeared in the water, measuring a full 38 inches and weighing 26 pounds. Indeed, the big river had produced in a big way — just as the anglers had planned.
Information about charter fishing trips with Capt. Matt Yablonsky of Wet Net Charters is available on the Web at www.getthenetwet.com or by calling (716) 550-0413; information about lodging at Barton Hill Inn and Spa is available on the Web at www.bartonhillhotel.com or by calling (716) 754-9070.