Fishing the Niagra River

Fallsnewspress.com - Niagara River provides fishing challenge in all seasons

Most fishing spots have a prime season for catching fish.

For most waters, spring and summer are the common hot times. Mention fall and winter and many anglers just shrug their shoulders.

Well, the Niagara River is a unique fishing spot because it is hot during all four seasons of the year.

Connecting Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, not only does this rather short river have large amounts of resident fish, but it also experiences migrations of fish from lakes Ontario and Erie.

The most common tactic for catching these fish uses a three-way swivel rod with a pencil lead for a sinker. A fluorocarbon leader tied to a hook baited with live bait completes the outfit.

The means angler is actually fishing -- feeling the bite and setting the hook the old-fashioned way.

Here's a brief primer on some of Niagara's top fish:

Salmon

King or Chinook salmon start making forays into the lower Niagara in September.

Migrating upstream from Lake Ontario, some of these fish exceed 30 pounds. These are the giants that test the mettle of the angler and his tackle. Clusters of salmon eggs are the bait of choice for salmon.

During the salmon season, an occasional steelhead (rainbow trout) and brown trout also are landed.

Once in a while, a sturgeon will grab the bait. Though some exceed six feet in length, if landed, they must be released.

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