Fresh Henderson Fishing Reports

On Sunday June 16th, we were fortunate to have the Dave Hardesty party join us for a beautiful day on the water! Dave and his group booked our Fishing Booker "Exclusive" package which is a 4 HR "in harbor" trip for Bass, Pike, Pickerel and Walleye. The morning started off hot as we tried setting our rods but were unable to get them all in the water before a fish would strike! We landed some beautiful Smallmouth Bass (the fish that made this harbor famous!) and a dandy pickerel before the bite slowed. Eventually the winds picked up just enough to cause a little chop, and that was the end of it! We trolled and tried multiple stickbait/spoon combinations but it seemed the light switch had been flipped and the fish closed their mouths! All in all it was a fun day on the water! Our first day of Summer is this Friday June 21st, and what a way to start summer 2019! There is some long overdue WARM TEMPS and SUNSHINE in the forecast...The weatherman actually used the words "delightful" and "comfortable" in the forecast! Amazing! Don't hesitate to book a trip for the upcoming nice weather! The fishing has been amazing so far this year! Reserve your date today!

Our corner (Eastern Basin) of Lake Ontario has a diversity of fish that is unmatched anywhere else on the lake! One of the most reputable fish in the Eastern Basin, is the Smallmouth Bass! Its the fish that made Henderson Harbor famous and the smallies are making a tremendous comeback with not only higher volumes of "fish caught", but larger than normal smallies! Bass fishermen used to get excited over a 4-5 lb smallmouth, as they should! A 4 lb smallie is a dandy fish!...BUT, they are now what we consider to be the more "average" fish! Since the introduction of Gobys into the great lakes system, the smallmouth have taken to gorging themselves on the new food source and it has in turn created some of the finest smallmouth bass fishing in North America! Fish that tip the scales at 5-6 lbs are not uncommon, and 7 lb smallmouth are becoming more prominent and no longer the "surprise" that they once were! Our season begins this weekend, and it is a PERFECT time to hit fish that are transitioning from the shallow water spawning beds to their deeper summer haunts. Trolling and jigging are the two methods we use for these fish, and for those looking to include trout, salmon, or even pike and walleye, this is a trip that can easily be combined all in the same morning. ESPECIALLY on a "Full Day" outing...OR, you could make it a multi-day trip! Hitting the smallies and other warm water fish one day, then trolling the deep waters for Kings and Lakers the next! Whatever your "flavor" of fish, our area of Lake Ontario is a fisherman's paradise! Contact us today for more information! - Capt Ben Roggie

Pictured above, some dandy Northerns taken yesterday while fishing the back bays of the Eastern Basin! Current fishing report - We cant beat the Lake Trout off the hook! And KING SALMON...yea, we got em! But "Ssshhhhh"...dont tell anyone! Our little secret!...Warm water fishery, well the photo above doesnt lie! Beautiful gators lie in the back bays just waiting to ambush our spoon patterns! The diverse options offered from the docks of our harbor are unmatched anywhere else on the lake, and here's why..... Im often asked by other Charter Captains, why I dont dock my boat on the South Shore of the lake. The answer to that is simple. Its "diversity". The Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario and its back bays "The Golden Crescent", have a standing reputation for a diverse selection of trophy class fish that is unmatched anywhere else on the Lake. Is there good Salmon and Brown Trout action on the South Shore? Most certainly. And warm water fish can be found there as well, but geographically the Eastern Basin provides the bays, tributaries, holes, shoals, islands, and bottoms (rock, mud, sand, weedbeds) that are needed for consistent and world class fishing for freshwater gamefish and cannot be found elsewhere on the lake. Furthermore, the Eastern Basin and its back bays give the angler an option that cannot be found on the South Shore...The ability to fish in virtually ANY wind! While Captains are cancelling at the docks from a West blow to our South, the angler with an open mind can still fish from our harbor in comfort! (See photo above, warm water fishing from the back bays with not a wave in sight!) To date, I have heard more "bad" reviews and fishing reports come from clientele that fished the south shore than clientele that have fished the Eastern Basin. At the end of the day, your going to have a good time and not bounce around in a boat like a rag doll from excessive wind and waves. The geographic contours of our corner of the lake make it the perfect place to plan a trip, with less concern about weather cancelling plans! It also gives the "multi-day" angler the option to add diversity and variety into their fishing trip! It is not uncommon for anglers to fish with us one day in the deep waters for trout and salmon, then fish with us on the next day in the back bays for our warm water fish species! Its an excellent way to enjoy a multi day trip experiencing the best that the lake has to offer each day! Before booking your next Lake Ontario fishing charter, inquire with us as to how we can tailor a fishing trip to your needs!

Variety is the name of the game here in the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario! Over the holiday weekend we had 2 groups that experienced just that, one being a Fishing Booker group! Browns although plentiful on the fish finder, were a tough bite over the weekend. Yet we managed to put a few on the boat along with some other fish to include a beautiful smallmouth which was released. The variety in this area of the lake is not only spectacular, but unmatched by other areas. The option of being able to experience world class fishing for both warm and cold water species from the same harbor gives "flexible" anglers the option to fish for the species that will give them the best rod action and not be forced to fish for a species that simply isn't biting at that particular time. The James Ryan party experienced exactly that on memorial day! With a slow Brown Trout bite over the past few days, we took the fact that they had children into consideration and went straight to the deep waters for Lake Trout. A quick limit gave the kids plenty of excitement and then allowed us to target the "tougher" fish...KING SALMON!...Those that claim that better fishing opportunities can be found elsewhere on the lake have little to no experience fishing the eastern basin, and to believe such tales is foolish thinking! Monday we proved that point spending the day searching for Kings, and what we found were some dandy mature hens. One of which tipped the scales at 22lbs! We don't follow the crowd here, in fact we try to get as far from it as possible and more often then not, it pays off! The anglers best interest is always in our minds. We tailor the trip to your specific needs and wants, and give you an honest report about what is going on in the lake. This allows you to make your own (accurate) decision as to what to target on any given day! Consider us for your next Lake Ontario fishing adventure, and find out why our competitors clientele are choosing to fish with us!

Our spring thus far has been a success to say the least! Return anglers as well as first time anglers on board our boat have experienced first class fishing experiences with both exceptional fish numbers and variety! The shallow waters of the lake have been producing dandy "football" browns with strikes coming mostly from spoon patterns, but occasionally off of a stick bait pattern trolled off the boards. While Brown Trout are the target species in the shallow waters, we have taken both King Salmon and Lake Trout this spring from the same patterns trolling for Browns! Mixed coolers with a fish variety are very common this time of year! Steelhead, Walleye, and Northern Pike are also taken on occasion from a brown trout trolling line! There are still a handful of dates left for May, and June availability is filling quickly! Take a look at our calendar for open dates! These shallow water fish will be available through mid June!...But what about the deep water? Lake Trout have been productive in the 120 to 150 foot mark, with several HEAVY fish hitting the deck! In fact, our anglers competitively participated in the Henderson Spring Classic Derby this past weekend, placing SEVERAL big fish on the leader board! We know how to fish when the pressure is on! Call us today for your spring or summer adventure, and ask about upcoming derby dates!

The Annual Henderson Spring Classic Derby has been set for May 16th through the 19th and we will be entered with a competitive edge! Classes for this derby are Brown Trout, Lake Trout, Walleye, Northern Pike, and Pickerel. Anglers that choose to fish with us during these dates will have the opportunity to fish for TROPHY class fish for a chance on the winner's board at the end of the derby! Prize money will go to the angler who catches and enters the fish. We have exceptional experience putting trophy class fish on our boat, but anglers must enter in order to win! Last season we had several fish that would have placed in the top 10 in local derbies, and total combined payout of these fish would have been OVER $5000!!! We put the fish on the boat! All you have to do is book the date, and enter the derby!...As usual, the Captain and crew are always registered for the Lake Ontario LOC spring, summer, and fall derbies. Again we recommend that anglers purchase a day pass to these derbies as grand prizes for winning fish are as high as $25,000! Don't hesitate! Contact us today to set up your date! Let us give you the competitive edge!