Topwater Safari on the St. Lawrence
Topwater Safari on the St. Lawrence
Hi, I'm Captain Max, and I'd love to welcome you aboard Topwater Safari. The St. Lawrence River is arguably the finest smallmouth fishery on the planet, but this healthy ecosystem offers so much more. Whether we are chasing trophy smallmouth and largemouth or targeting northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, and bluegill, the action is world-class. Between the crystal-clear water and the incredible scenery, every trip is a visual feast.
You will be fishing from a brand-new 2025 Xpress X21, fully rigged for a premium experience. I've equipped the boat with the largest LiveScope screen on the market, making for an incredibly interactive day. We will watch fish interact with our baits in real-time, often seeing them from 100 feet away before they ever know we're there. Beyond the screen, we do a lot of traditional sight fishing where we use our eyes to spot fish roaming the flats or tucked against boulders. I provide all high-end rods and reels, and we will be utilizing the newest techniques and baits to ensure you have the best edge possible.
To ensure we are protecting the fishery and following local regulations, my calendar is divided by season. From May 1st through June 14th, we focus on perch, walleye, pike, and bluegill while catch-and-release bass is closed. From June 15th through July 3rd, bass season is live and we focus exclusively on smallmouth and largemouth. I will then be away for five weeks mentoring the next generation at Candlewood Kids Fishing Camp on Lake Champlain, but I will be back on the river from August 8th through October 15th for the prime late-summer and fall bass run.
As a younger 27 year old guide, I bring a high level of energy and a modern perspective to the water. I'm genuinely passionate about the outdoors and love teaching the why behind the bite. I especially enjoy fishing with kids and families—there's nothing better than seeing a young angler hook into a St. Lawrence giant. I hope to fish with y'all soon!
Hi, I'm Captain Max, and I'd love to welcome you aboard Topwater Safari. The St. Lawrence River is arguably the finest smallmouth fishery on the planet, but this healthy ecosystem offers so much more. Whether we are chasing trophy smallmouth and largemouth or targeting northern pike, walleye, yellow perch, and bluegill, the action is world-class. Between the crystal-clear water and the incredible scenery, every trip is a visual feast.
You will be fishing from a brand-new 2025 Xpress X21, fully rigged for a premium experience. I've equipped the boat with the largest LiveScope screen on the market, making for an incredibly interactive day. We will watch fish interact with our baits in real-time, often seeing them from 100 feet away before they ever know we're there. Beyond the screen, we do a lot of traditional sight fishing where we use our eyes to spot fish roaming the flats or tucked against boulders. I provide all high-end rods and reels, and we will be utilizing the newest techniques and baits to ensure you have the best edge possible.
To ensure we are protecting the fishery and following local regulations, my calendar is divided by season. From May 1st through June 14th, we focus on perch, walleye, pike, and bluegill while catch-and-release bass is closed. From June 15th through July 3rd, bass season is live and we focus exclusively on smallmouth and largemouth. I will then be away for five weeks mentoring the next generation at Candlewood Kids Fishing Camp on Lake Champlain, but I will be back on the river from August 8th through October 15th for the prime late-summer and fall bass run.
As a younger 27 year old guide, I bring a high level of energy and a modern perspective to the water. I'm genuinely passionate about the outdoors and love teaching the why behind the bite. I especially enjoy fishing with kids and families—there's nothing better than seeing a young angler hook into a St. Lawrence giant. I hope to fish with y'all soon!
Customer reviews
Rating
Anglers' gallery (27)
All reviews (23)
Had an unreal fishing trip in Florida, easily one of the best experiences I’ve had on the water. Ended up catching a personal best bass, which made the whole day even more memorable. Captain Max was top-notch—super knowledgeable, knew exactly where to go and what to do, and made sure we were always in a good spot to catch fish. On top of that, he was really friendly and easy to talk to, which made the whole trip even better. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience—definitely recommend to anyone looking for an awesome day fishing.
Captain Max is one of the most genuine, intelligent people I have ever met. Throughout the entire trip he ensured that myself and my friend were well taken care of. We blew through 8 dozen shiners as he constantly put us on fish. Not one, but 2 PBs were broken. As a photographer as well, he took time out of his day to drive around to different locations looking for wildlife to make the memories even better. I could not recommend Topwater Safari enough, I will 10000% be booking with Max again.
I have done salt water charters before this was my first time doing a freshwater charter for bass and it was amazing. we caught bass right away at the first spot and hooked into a few one right after the other on the shiners. Our captain Max was also very knowledgeable about the birds so as my group was catching fish we also got to learn about the different birds around us. No big trophy fish but cant have everything in a fishing trip or it would be a catching trip.
If you are looking for a knowledgeable captain that can find the fish Max is your guy. My son and buddy each caught 2 4-5lbs bass on our 2 hour trip and a bunch got off because of our poor fishing skills not Maxes. We also saw a bald eagle which was cool being from Canada. Max is a great guy and cares about his fishing clients. I highly recommend him to anyone!!!!
Max is a great guide, very knowledgeable and was perfect for the 3 of us to go bass fishing in the afternoon; especially on short notice. Highly recommend his charter, as he is patient & ensures a great fishing experience with livescope tech, coupled with his unique knowledge of the local waterways, best fishing locations, and bait to catch the big fish!
Trip availability and prices
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Customer reviews
Rating
Anglers' gallery (27)
All reviews (23)
Had an unreal fishing trip in Florida, easily one of the best experiences I’ve had on the water. Ended up catching a personal best bass, which made the whole day even more memorable. Captain Max was top-notch—super knowledgeable, knew exactly where to go and what to do, and made sure we were always in a good spot to catch fish. On top of that, he was really friendly and easy to talk to, which made the whole trip even better. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience—definitely recommend to anyone looking for an awesome day fishing.
Captain Max is one of the most genuine, intelligent people I have ever met. Throughout the entire trip he ensured that myself and my friend were well taken care of. We blew through 8 dozen shiners as he constantly put us on fish. Not one, but 2 PBs were broken. As a photographer as well, he took time out of his day to drive around to different locations looking for wildlife to make the memories even better. I could not recommend Topwater Safari enough, I will 10000% be booking with Max again.
I have done salt water charters before this was my first time doing a freshwater charter for bass and it was amazing. we caught bass right away at the first spot and hooked into a few one right after the other on the shiners. Our captain Max was also very knowledgeable about the birds so as my group was catching fish we also got to learn about the different birds around us. No big trophy fish but cant have everything in a fishing trip or it would be a catching trip.
If you are looking for a knowledgeable captain that can find the fish Max is your guy. My son and buddy each caught 2 4-5lbs bass on our 2 hour trip and a bunch got off because of our poor fishing skills not Maxes. We also saw a bald eagle which was cool being from Canada. Max is a great guy and cares about his fishing clients. I highly recommend him to anyone!!!!
Max is a great guide, very knowledgeable and was perfect for the 3 of us to go bass fishing in the afternoon; especially on short notice. Highly recommend his charter, as he is patient & ensures a great fishing experience with livescope tech, coupled with his unique knowledge of the local waterways, best fishing locations, and bait to catch the big fish!
