This week was a wild ride on Lake Erie, fishing out of Barcelona Harbor, NY, for walleyes. Early in the week, despite a couple days of small craft advisories, we crushed it, hauling in limits of walleyes on every session, mostly trolling for suspended fish feasting on smelt. A special trip with a client honoring his late father stood out, making for unforgettable memories. Boat maintenance and a last-minute cancellation gave me a couple of days to hit the gym and recharge. Then…Lake Erie flipped – dashing any hopes of an awesome Father’s Day. Dive into the full report for the highs, lows, and my ongoing battle with “gold fever.” 06/09/2025 – Maintenance Day The Warrior needed some TLC – oil changes, livewell repairs, some electrical work – nothing crazy. These issues popped up through all the hard usage over the past few months. When “ankle biter” problems emerge with the boat, it’s almost like I sustain a small injury too. When she’s not running 100%, I can feel it – but that’s likely my obsessive-compulsive disorder kicking in. Many thanks to the crew at Collins Marine for getting it all done in one day. **hidden content**, it Felt Good to be Back Fished Lake Erie out of Barcelona Harbor NY with Mike, Michael, and Frank – Buffalo Niagara locals and first-time clients. First – it was kinda big out there. SW winds gusting into the mid-20s had it rolling. The day started off with 1-3’ waves and quickly escalated to small craft advisory conditions. The guys didn’t care (my kind of people) – we caught the hell out of some walleyes and called it a little early. As much as I love fishing out of Barcelona, the only problem with the place is that there’s no cleaning station on site. So, I usually take the boat out and drive to the Hanover launch on Cattaraugus Creek to clean my fish. However, the lake was so big that nobody was at the Hanover launch/the cleaning station was locked. Thankfully, Mike had a place close by where we could make it happen. 06/11/2025 – Day Off Another day of strong southwest winds, with gusts hitting the mid-30 mph range, kept me off the water. A small craft advisory was in effect from morning through midnight. I made the most of it, hitting the gym and taking some time to relax. 06/12/2025 – Whispering and Assassinating Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Barcelona Harbor NY with the Whisperer and the Silent Assassin. She was rolling when we first got out there from all the wind raging through the area. However, as the morning went on, it laid down nicely and ended up being a gorgeous day. We started off bottom bouncing structure, but action was sporadic at best. Getting impatient, I decided to move out to deeper water to hunt suspended fish. That ended up being the right call as the bite was very consistent. We got our limit in a couple hours and rode the walleye train back home. No pictures taken. 06/13/2025 – Making Memories with Tom Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Barcelona Harbor, NY, with a new client, Tom. This trip was special—Tom recently lost his father and wanted to honor him with a walleye fishing day, inspired by a cherished memory of a great session they shared on Chautauqua Lake years ago. Despite the emotional weight, we had a fantastic day on the water, getting our limit with ease. We battled big NE winds and some huge waves, but that just seemed to activate the fish. No photos this time, just the memories. A fitting tribute. 06/14/2025 – Last Minute Cancellation Had a last minute cancellation that I couldn’t fill. So, I stayed off the water, went to the gym, and otherwise relaxed. 06/15/2025 – And then it Flipped Fished Lake Erie for walleyes out of Barcelona Harbor, NY, with Terry, Chris, and Riley. Two days in a row of BIG NE winds caused the lake to flip. For reference, earlier this week when I fished out of here, the surface temperature was 63-64 degrees. Today, it was 49-50 degrees – I even went a couple miles offshore looking for warm water and it was only 54 degrees. A 10 degree drop like this messes everything up – fish scatter, trying to follow the warm water. In other words, it was a dud of a session…soul crushing. You can read more about this phenomenon at this link. Seasonal Assessment/General Observations Spent four days on the water this week, fishing for walleyes out of Barcelona Harbor, NY. Apologies for the lack of photos—gold fever hit me hard. For those unfamiliar, gold fever is my annual obsession when walleye season kicks off. With fish aplenty, I get consumed with dialing in the perfect trolling spread, prioritizing quick, efficient catches over a laid-back day. It’s a blast, though I’ll admit my clients might start noticing my OCD quirks if I don’t rein it in soon. I’ll make a point to snap some pics in upcoming sessions. The walleye fishing out west is excellent right now – minus the lake flipping – but that should right itself in the next couple of days. Most fish were suspended, feas

The last week of May 2025 was a wild ride on the waters of the Buffalo Niagara Region. It was a week filled with challenging conditions, memorable moments, and a mix of fishing fortunes. From a grind on Memorial Day to a thrilling ride through crashing waves on the Upper Niagara where an 8-year-old outfished everyone, each trip brought its own story. Slow days tested patience with young anglers, while veterans and college-aged crews brought lively conversations and decent catches. Some massive winds over the weekend kept me off the water/provided opportunities to rest. Here’s a glimpse into the highs, lows, and everything in between from a week of chasing fish and making memories. Seasonal Assessment/General Observations Smallmouth in Spawn Mode: Keep it Moving The smallmouth bass are almost entirely in spawn mode – hence all the smaller fish you likely noticed in the photos. The water is still chilly (Lake Erie June Temperatures Buffalo), but right in the sweet spot for them to get their “spawn on.” As I mentioned in last week’s report, if you target bass right now, you’re going to catch some spawners whether you’re trying to or not. Please, do something like what I do – cover a lot of ground/don’t soak areas. Let them breed with as little interruption as possible. Here’s an example of what not to do: for 2 days in a row, I watched 2 bass boats from West Virginia spot lock in a small nook on the lower Niagara for hours each day. By a small nook, I mean an area no bigger than 40 sq ft…and they stayed there for hours…both days. I drifted past them a couple times. Then I fished downriver for a while. Then I came back upriver to take the boat out of the water – they were still there. Please, don’t do this. It’s super greedy/gluttonous. The main counter to my position is that people really want to catch fish. Those WV boys trailered their boat all the way up here – they’re likely thinking that they’re gonna do what it takes to bend a rod. My response? Sorry, it sucks that you planned your trip here when you did. Play the hand you’re dealt – cover water and stop beating up on the same fish over and over and over. Transition Time With the bass on beds, my program for the next few weeks will incorporate a mix of activities. Walleyes are starting to show up more often – so I’ll spend part of the beginning of nearly every session targeting them. They aren’t schooled up in our basin by any means. However, there are enough around on structure that you can catch a “family fish fry” worth in a morning before transitioning to bass fishing for a bit. Following my big humbling on Lake Ontario this past Monday, I need some revenge. By all counts, the coho bite out there has been excellent with more and more kings showing up. I’ll get that dialed this week – and it’ll become part of the weekly plan until the big schools of walleyes make their way into NY waters. Fingers crossed – we’ll start seeing that happen in a couple weeks.

Buffalo NY Fishing Report **hidden content** by brookdog | May 22, 2022 Days on the Water: 7 Who we fished with: friends/clients Where we fished: Lower Niagara, Lake Ontario, Upper Niagara, Lake Erie What we caught: coho salmon, king salmon, smallmouth bass, walleye Tactics: neds, jigs, flies, jerk baits, crank baits, blade baits; trolling spoons and stick baits Commentary for the Week of 05/16/2022 – 05/22/2022 It was a week of spring weather – rain, wind, some cold, some heat, and some sunshine. The water warmed up rapidly due to all the 80+ degree days. That heat turned the bass toward the spawn and pushed the kings all over the place. In short, we’re past peak but there are still some great days to be had over the next week or so. Tap the icon below to listen to our latest podcast or subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. **hidden content** iOS - Buffalo NY Fishing Report - 05/22/2022 Daily Conditions Analysis Weather Breakdown Monday – Tough day. Wind, rain, and a big drop in temperature. Most folks would opt to reschedule their trip facing those conditions. The guys that fished with me Monday (and Tuesday) have been fishing with me for years. Rain, sleet, hail, snow, they’re down for the adventure. We made it work/fish were caught. Tuesday – At least it was sunny…but the wind was a bit intense. The Upper Niagara had 2-3′ standing waves throughout the day. Opted to power fish/throw crankbaits all day. It worked…VERY well. Wednesday – Perfect conditions all around – mild temps, small breeze, partly cloudy. Fished Lake Erie – numbers were OK but the size was incredible. Picked up a walleye in the mix too. Thursday – Fished the bar in the morning for cohos. Picked up a few and saw a few busting bait. Not a ton around anymore but they’re there if you want a great meal. Transitioned to the Upper for a short crankbait session. Friday – half day trip. Spent it in the harbor bassing. Nice day until the rain showed up. Saturday – sunny and warm but big winds out of the SSW. Had a last minute cancellation but was able to fill the date with one of my friends/clients that’s been dying to catch a king so we pushed through waves onto Ontario. Mission accomplished…and then some. Sunday – Fished Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara. Forecast turned out far worse than projected. Fog, rain, and extreme wind made it tough. We had a small window in the morning where we had a steady bite then things got tough. Seasonal Assessment/General Observations Water temperatures in the river are in the mid 50s now. The last time it was this warm this early was 2012. That’s crazy considering how behind things were only 2 weeks ago. The water temperature increased 10 degrees in 10 days due to all the 80+ degree temperatures we’ve been experiencing – it’s a little unsettling watching the rapid climb. Things chilled out a little bit this past week and flattened the curve but the rise continued nonetheless. Throughout the system, smallmouth bass are starting to get on beds. Not a shocker considering they to convert to spawning when the water temps hit the mid 50s. They’ll be in full spawn mode within days – in the river that is – the Lake Erie spawn seems to be spread out a little more – probably because of the deeper/colder water. You’ll notice from the pics that although we’re still getting great numbers in the river, the size isn’t what it was a week or so ago. Biggies are still coming out of the lake but the catch rates have been a little lower lately. It’s an interesting pattern I see year after year both with smallmouth bass and steelhead – the biggest/oldest/most mature fish show up to the spawning grounds first, followed by their younger peers. It makes me wonder where the biggies go when the younger fish arrive. Figuring that out is always on my mind but it’s hard to do recon with clients in the heart of the season. Stated differently, there’s always a little experimentation going on but my priority is to keep rods bent unless someone requests something different (like monster hunting). I only spent a couple days fishing Lake Ontario this past week. Cohos are still available on the bar – it’s wild watching them blast bait on the surface. The Niagara is still dumping emeralds into Ontario so although the coho bite is waning, you can still pick up a limit with a little bit of work. Over the past few outings, we’ve seen numerous kings and cohos smash bait right next to the boat…like…I looked down off the side of my boat, and watched fish come up, eat, and swim back down…awesome. Because the Niagara is running fairly warm now, pursuing king salmon action in the river plume isn’t a reliable play. The fish are spread out a little more so covering water is key. Looking Forward to the Week of 05/23/2022 – 05/29/2022 Weather Breakdown Fishing Conditions Looking Forward This upcoming week is looking OK. The beginning looks great. The middle looks dicey with a lot of rain and wind. Memorial Day

Days on the Water: 6 Who we fished with: friends/clients Where we fished: Lower Niagara, Lake Ontario, Upper Niagara, Lake Erie What we caught: king salmon, coho salmon, lake trout, smallmouth bass, northern pike (bycatch) Tactics: 3-way rigs with beads, jigs, or live bait; trolling spoons Commentary for the Week of 04/25/2022 – 05/01/2022 Strong week! Although we had another brief reversion to winter, the warming trend continued. We covered our entire fishery throughout the week with good results. Although it was slow to arrive, spring fishing is here my friends. Tap the icon below to listen to our latest podcast or subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. **hidden content** iOS - Observations from the Water - 05/01/2022 Daily Conditions Analysis Weather Breakdown Monday – Gorgeous day. Lake Ontario was glassy. Bite came in flurries but we managed to pick up kings and lakers. Tuesday – Fished Lake Ontario and the Upper Niagara. The reversion to the winter began with temps in the upper 30s and low 40s and a WNW wind. Launched on the Lower Niagara. Lake O was a bit choppy. Trolling game was slow out deep so we moved in and fished the bar. Picked up a king and laker right away. Took the boat out and moved to the Upper Niagara. Did awesome on bass. To be clear – those clients were bass anglers and wanted to try a little something different before going bassing. That’s why we left Ontario so quickly after that action. Wednesday – Sporadic rain. Frigid temperatures. NE winds. Sub optimal to say the least. Fished the Upper Niagara. Bite was slowish but we managed some biggies in nearly every spot. Thursday – Huge NW winds. Lake Ontario got massive. It’s a tough wind for just about everywhere around here except for some of the sheltered areas in the river. Opted to reschedule. Friday – Fished the Upper Niagara. Conditions were perfect but the bite was slow. Boated a few biggies and fish out of nearly every spot. Not sure what happened. Had good anglers. Saturday – Fished Lake Ontario. Conditions were perfect – light and variable winds – sunny – boats could spread out. Bite was excellent for kings and lakers. Boated some NICE kings. Divers and riggers fished well throughout the water column. Felt like you could do nothing wrong. Sunday – only a little bit of drizzle. Slight east winds on Lake Erie and the upper Niagara. We fished both and caught a lot of biggies. Seasonal Assessment/General Observations Spring insanity is in full swing. Catching kings, rod-in-hand on the bar is a blast. It’s also awesome to get on a good bite trolling – especially when doubles happen or big kings run through your spread. Spring kings is in full swing…cheese – I know but it’s good times when you hit it right. I’m a little apprehensive about commenting too much about the smallmouth bass bite. I’ve only fished Lake Erie twice this year so it’s difficult for me to provide an accurate picture of what’s going on out there. I’m sure they’re getting shallower by the day – moving into creeks or their spawning flats. My outings on the Upper Niagara haven’t been consistent. However, I’ve only fished the Upper Niagara with clients a half dozen times this season. I’ve had a couple of awesome days and others that were just so so. The fish are moving around a lot. I’ve been finding them in solid numbers in little pockets throughout the day. In other words, they aren’t set up in their pre-spawn lies just yet – more like just passing through. Seems like the migration is happening slowly this year. I’m optimistic the best days are yet to come. Side note – I don’t fish Lake Erie much this time of year. It’s not that I’m against it but I have other preferences. This mid April – late May window is the only time of the year the smallmouth bass bite is on fire in the Upper Niagara. Don’t get me wrong, the fall bite on the Upper Niagara (and the lower for that matter) is amazing too – but only in a couple zones. This window we’re in now, the entire Upper Niagara is in play. In other words, I want to fish it while I can. I also want to experience spring kings as often as possible…decisions, decisions. Lake Erie is low on the priority list right now. No worries – that’s the only place I’ll be fishing from June – October so Lake Erie will gets due soon enough. Looking Forward to the Week of 05/02/2022 – 05/08/2022 Weather Breakdown Fishing Conditions Looking Forward This upcoming week is looking OK. There will be some problematic winds spread throughout but nothing so big that would prevent us from fishing – we’d fish sheltered zones when the winds get big – remember the wind rules I described in this report – Buffalo NY Fishing Report for April 10, 2022 – Brookdog Fishing. It also looks like we’ll have a couple wet days in the mix. No matter – the fish are wet already and they can’t feel a cold wind. We’ll dress for it and fish on. We’re booked daily this upcoming week – mostly bass with a

Days on the Water: 6 Who we fished with: friends/clients Where we fished: Lower Niagara, Lake Ontario, Upper Niagara What we caught: steelhead, lake trout, king salmon, smallmouth bass Tactics: Lower Niagara – 3-way rigs with beads, jigs, or live bait; Lake Ontario – trolling spoons and stick baits; Upper Niagara – blade baits, swim baits, drop shots Commentary for the Week of 04/11/2022 – 04/17/2022 Things are heating up quickly – water temperatures broke into the 40s on boat Lake Erie and Lake Ontario (and the water in between). We caught our first king salmon and our first smallmouth bass of the season. It’s only going to get better from here. Bass are getting caught on Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara. The lower Niagara continues to be slow for steelhead compared to previous years but if you put in a little work, you’ll catch fish. Lake Ontario is fishing well for cohos and lakers with an occasional king in the mix (watch out for all the floating wood – it’s like a minefield out there). Tap the icon below to listen to our latest podcast or subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. **hidden content** iOS - Buffalo NY Fishing Report - 04/17/2022 Daily Conditions Analysis Weather Breakdown Monday – Fished Lake Ontario – gorgeous day. Wind didn’t kick in until late. Did well on lake trout and boated the first king of the season. Tuesday – Had some engine trouble the evening prior so I had to reschedule my trip for the day. Collins Marine got her up and operational in a few hours, so I was ready to fish the following day. Wednesday – Started off on Ontario – lots of floating timber and dingy water color made it tough. Converted to fished the Lower Niagara. Big SW winds had the current raging. Converted to the Upper Niagara. Caught a few bass. Thursday – Big winds out of the west made things tough. Devils Hole was raging faster and bigger than I’ve seen it in a long time. Tough day but we caught fish. Friday – rescheduled the trip. Wind advisory and small craft advisories were in place starting mid morning from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario – winds were huge out of the SW. Could’ve gambled with a very early morning session on Lake Ontario but had a dad and young daughters on the calendar – not a great idea. Saturday – Perfect day to fish Lake Ontario. We did well on lake trout and boated a couple cohos too! Sunday – fished the lower Niagara – slow day Seasonal Assessment/General Observations I don’t know what to say about the steelhead run this year – it should be in full swing right now and it isn’t. In fact, the steel we boated this week were on the small side – which is typically a sign that the run is getting close to the end. I’m concerned about future years as are many of my colleagues. It’s important for us to figure out what happened – mainly to learn if this is going to become a trend going forward. However, I’m not hopeful that we’ll ever reach a consensus about the issue. I have some theories but I’ll save that for a blog or a conversation on our podcast. On the bright side, our water temperatures are heating up nicely. Smallmouth bass are starting their pre-spawn feeding frenzy – and that’s only going to get better in the upcoming weeks. In the Upper Niagara, they are setting up along current breaks and ambushing emerald shiners (the river is LOADED with them) – packing on weight so they can get through the spawn. I love fishing for them this time of year because you can cast nearly everything in your tackle box and the bass will attack it. As I mentioned in the daily breakdown, salmon are starting to show up too. It seems like they are covering the entire water column on most days. I’ve been sticking around that 50-100 FOW water range and using the brightest spoons and stick baits in the collection. Just like the bass action – things are just getting started. The next couple of weeks are going to be awesome. Looking Forward to the Week of 04/18/2022 – 04/24/2022 Weather Breakdown Fishing Conditions Looking Forward This upcoming week is looking pretty good. Temperatures will make a brief reversion back to the cold stuff in the beginning of the week followed by a general warming trend as we get closer to next weekend. As with last week, wind will continue to be the biggest obstacle. Unfortunately – without ice cover – huge winds out of the southwest/west will generate big waves on Lake Erie. Those waves will stir up the water, fill it with sediment/mud, and send it downstream into the Niagara making the fishing tough. With that forecast in mind, there’ll be a lot of last-minute calls about when and where we’ll fish. I’ll certainly spend some time on the upper Niagara and Lake Erie early in the week followed by some Lake Ontario sessions later on. I’ll also give steelheading a brief commitment on a couple of days (I’m not ready to give up on them). We’re booked daily and you know me – covering water throughout the fishery is the goal this time of year.

Days on the Water: 3 Who we fished with: friends/clients Where we fished: Lower Niagara, Lake Ontario What we caught: steelhead, lake trout Tactics: 3-way rigs with beads, jigs, or live bait; trolling spoons Commentary for the Week of 03/20/2022 – 03/27/2022 My predictions for the week were…off to say the least. Lots of wind, flowing ice, cold, and some rain – my plan to fish every day got squashed. Scroll down for the daily report. For the audio version of this report and much more, tap the link or image below: **hidden content** **hidden content** iOS - Observations from the Water - 03/27/2022 Daily Conditions Analysis Weather Breakdown - Monday – gorgeous day. Mild temperatures in the upper 40s, little to no wind, excellent water clarity. Did some more recon on Lake Ontario – fished for lakers out deep and trolled shallow for browns (there was a good mud line set up). - Tuesday – another perfect day. We fished Lake Ontario and boated some lake trout trolling spoons out in the deep stuff – chartreuse and gold flutter spoons worked best. Mild NE winds cleared up the shoreline negating the possibility of browns. - Wednesday – Temperatures dropped a little. Wind was raging out of the east and we received over a half inch of rain. Opted to reschedule the trip. Lots of ice got pushed over the Lake Erie ice boom due to the wind. East winds trapped much of it in the upper Niagara against the shore. - Thursday – fished the Lower Niagara and a little bit of Lake Ontario. Some of the ice that got pushed from Lake Erie the day prior made it’s way downstream. It wasn’t a huge problem but there were lots of large ‘bergs we needed to dodge throughout the day. It fished well for the first couple hours – most of the fish ate live minnows but we caught one on an orange bead. Made a transition to Lake Ontario – wind kicked up BIG so we came back in. Water picked up significant stain as the day went on – a result of the rain we received the day prior. Back half of the day was a grind. - Friday – Had a last minute cancellation. Conditions were somewhat painful – wind and cold. Didn’t fish. - Saturday – more wind, colder temperatures, snow and rain throughout the day. Had regular clients that were going to drive in from Maryland. Opted to reschedule vs. fishing in harsh conditions. - Sunday – winter cold – temps in the 20s. BIG NW winds and snow early in the day – opted to reschedule. Seasonal Assessment/General Observations Although my day-by-day predictions for this past week were off, the larger observation of a reversion back to winter weather came to pass. Although it’s officially spring, Mother Nature ain’t ready to let us stay in tank tops, shorts, and flops – comfortably that is. Remember this blog The Annual Pattern of Life in the Buffalo Niagara Region (**hidden content**) – I discussed in detail how the dates we assign to seasons are reference points at best. Although I’m not stoked about the fact that I lost trips this past week, I’m not upset about things staying cold for a little while longer. I’ve mentioned this before but it’s worth repeating – if it’s safe, I’m always ready and willing to fish. However, when it’s freezing, the wind is howling, and stuff is falling out of the sky, I’m brutally transparent with my clients about what they can expect on the water and always give them the option to reschedule vs enduring what will likely be a painful session. Most reschedule – but a hardcore few opt to make a day out of it. I’m happy with either course of action as long as my clients are. The prolonged colder period isn’t a bad thing in my opinion. Sure, it sucks still having to wear the heavy bibs and gloves, but a gradual warming would be optimal. There’s still some ice left on Lake Erie – something like 0.5%. In other words, it’s almost gone but what remains is stuck behind the ice boom in front of Buffalo, NY. That ice is helping to keep the water temperatures cold – just like an ice cube in a cup of water. Warmer temperatures will slowly melt that ice and then warm the water. A slow warming period often leads to a prolonged crescendo of action in the heart of spring. Bass stay active/spawn later. Salmon stay shallower and easier to find for longer. Steelhead remain in the river longer. Stated simply – the slower the water warms = the more consistent action will be across a longer period. The last time that happened was 2019 – it was an awesome spring. We’re more on a 2020 pace right now – that was an awesome spring too (despite the pandemic) but the peak came and went quickly. I’m hoping for a something in between. Bottom line – water temperature matters A LOT. Check out these links if you want to monitor this too: Lake Temperatures (**hidden content**) Ice Cover: NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory – Ann Arbor, MI, USA Niagara Iceboom Camera Screens (**hidden content**) Looking Forward to the Week of