WHAT WE'RE FISHING FOR

In this section I would like to introduce you to exactly what fish we are pinpointing, when, how and what to expect out of them. The seasons bring with them new ways of catching fish, and, most importantly, new windows into catching different varieties of salmonids.

THE SEASONS

Spring

Ah, the season begins. All winter long we crave the big lake, and, of course, the fishing it brings with it. And spring is the perfect way for us to get back into the swing of things! During the first few weeks of spring, we often scour the shallows for feeding brown trout and coho salmon, and lately have been seeing scores of king salmon as well in the process. It is at this time that we engage our planer systems, and will run multiple lines with stickbaits, as well as shallow water spoons and cranks. As the water warms up, we move further offshore, and begin to target lake trout and kings as they migrate into the warmer temps to begin the early summer gorging.

Summer

This is the season that we engage our main tactics. Starting with our downriggers, as well as still engaging our planer boards, we start searching for temperature breaks, known as thermoclines, to locate feeding salmon and steelhead. It is at this time we begin running our 'wires,' as we have come to call them. These set-ups provide some of the heaviest, most aggressive bites known to freshwater fishing, and will put chills down any fisherman's spine, novice or pro. These three tactics combined start to build up our catch ratios, and the big guys come rolling in!

Fall

The finale of all finales, this is the time the largest fish are landed. Kings and browns begin to trannsform into spawning mode, and with that, excite towards new levels of aggression never before seen. We slowly move from our offshore haunts and follow these fish back to where the season began, the shallows, and pluck away at them with precision and diligence. As the deeper water wires grow quiet for the season, mostly downriggers and planer systems account for our catches in the fall, sometimes right inside the Genesee River itself. Although we primarily target Kings in the fall, scores of large trout move in right alongside, and can provide for an exciting palate of fall fishing!



THE SPECIES


Chinook(KING)Salmon


The name of this fish says it all! The King of all fish in Lake Ontario, this tackle-burning monsters grow to sizes of over forty pounds! These fish will put you to the test and have been known to take up to an hour to land. Runs of up to almost 1000 feet are not uncommon, with hundreds of feet of line tearing off the reels in mere seconds! Kings are usually season-round biters, although the good bite usually doesn't kick in til mid-summer. These are trophy-class fighters, and one should be proud to tango with one of these behemoths. They average 15-25 lbs, although it is not uncommon to break thirty pounds in the late summer and fall! This fish exemplify REEL SERIOUS extreme fishing- be ready!

Coho Salmon


Smaller cousins to the Chinook, Coho Salmon are highly acrobatic, super-aggressive, and numerous when in season. Arguably one of the tastiest salmonids, these lil silver streaks can be a nice addition to your trip, and your table as well! Double and triple headers are not uncommon. Coho average around 5lbs, but have been boated to sizes of almost twenty pounds! A springtime specialty of REEL SERIOUS CHARTERS, you will be sure to smile when hooked up with cousin Coho!

Steelhead(Rainbow Trout)



These guys are known for their super-high jumps, lightening-fast runs, and uncontrolled, multi-directional fights when hooked up. I have seen steelhead bite 90 feet deep and break surface with a 2-3 foot jump in less than five seconds, so let that be a testament as to their amazing agility and bullet-fast swimming! Steelies are most often caught in our offshore trips late spring-fall, with summer producing the best numbers and sizes. The average steelhead ranges from 4-8lbs, with monsters in the high teens and low twenties caught with REEL SERIOUS CHARTERS every season. Maybe you'll be next!

Lake Trout



The berthas of the deep, lakers are often caught in depths from 90-160 foot, and almost always sit on the bottom. These guys are known to be like lead weights during a fight, and one could swear that they are magnetized to the bottom. Big lakers will fight you hard and strong to stay DOWN, and this is their characteristic fighting pattern. Great for beginners, these guys are caught best from late spring until late summer. The average laker is 7-10lbs, with fish over 20 lbs caught in a mild frequency as well. A specialty for REEL SERIOUS fishing!


Brown Trout


The springtime brings with it scores and scores of these brutes, the famous season-beginning brown trout. Strong, solid fish that are caught in great numbers in the spring when they move to the shallows to gorge themselves on spawning baitfish. Brown trout are usually around 4-7lbs, although some goliaths are caught every season in the high teens and low twenties. They often bite two or three fish in a few minutes, and can lead to some REEL SERIOUS springtime action when multiple anglers are towing them into the boat at once!