Trolling on Lower Niagara River?

[vmuravin]

Hi All,

I am thinking of going to lower Niagara river this weekend, but not sure I want to do vertical jigging... I realize this may not be traditional for this area, but can one troll with downriggers up and down the river? Let's say I will launch from Queenston docks; seems it is the only launch in the area. By the map, it is about 40 fow and it it stays this way or gets deeper up or down the river for a good few miles. Can't I just troll with riggers or bottom bouncers or just plain sinkers with TX-22 close to the boat? Thinking of several feet or fluoro leader and a lure or jig with plastics or kwikfish or crank or spinner as I did on lake Erie... Anyone done that? Any suggestion or tip is very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance. Cheers.

 

[Tyler0420]

I don’t believe anyone downrigs the Niagara. What happens when a ball gets caught in a rock? You’ll be sunk in no time. Most people are bottom bouncing with a 3way set up. Drive up river and drift down.

 

[vmuravin]

Thank you for the response Tyler. Are you saying the river is that strong, i.e. it can sink you rather than act like an anchor? Hmmm... I did not think it is that bad... so I guess bottom bouncer or TX-22 close to the boat is the only option, besides VG.

 

[Puddle Jumper]

Thank you for the response Tyler. Are you saying the river is that strong, i.e. it can sink you rather than act like an anchor? Hmmm... I did not think it is that bad... so I guess bottom bouncer or TX-22 close to the boat is the only option, besides VG.

The river is that strong ...in the strongest part of current

 

[Puddle Jumper]

I think you could drift anything...spoon, lure , minnow
In the current the fish are tight to bottom
In the eddies they could be suspended

Drift with bottom bouncers would be beat option.

If lake is calm ... Troll or drift near mouth of river and around BAR.......lakers, browns, Chinook there now and wouldn't be surprised if get some bows still coming into river

 

[Puddle Jumper]

It's an amazing river ...never know what you might catch.

10 years ago while boat I was in got rainbow and pike ....another boat got muskie and walleye. Late April early may

Pike and walleye open May 1

 

[vmuravin]

??? many thanks @Puddle Jumper. Appreciate it. I am a newbie, still under severe influence of adrenaline , and looking at this weekend's weather only makes it more severe ... and hence so many questions still. Cheers.

 

[wknd_warriors]

Drifting with bottom bouncer and 3 way swivel is def the way to go. Last time out we used minnows and caught steelhead and walleye although they were out of season

 

[one.last.cast]

Hi All,

I am thinking of going to lower Niagara river this weekend, but not sure I want to do vertical jigging... I realize this may not be traditional for this area, but can one troll with downriggers up and down the river? Let's say I will launch from Queenston docks; seems it is the only launch in the area. By the map, it is about 40 fow and it it stays this way or gets deeper up or down the river for a good few miles. Can't I just troll with riggers or bottom bouncers or just plain sinkers with TX-22 close to the boat? Thinking of several feet or fluoro leader and a lure or jig with plastics or kwikfish or crank or spinner as I did on lake Erie... Anyone done that? Any suggestion or tip is very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance. Cheers.

You Can't troll the river due to strong currents messing up the action of your lure. Also there are too many rocks on the bottom to get your downrigger ball snagged on. It would be very dangerous to be snagged on bottom with your riggers. Bottom bounce like they do on the Detroit river using the electric trolling motor to keep your drift same as the current. Its a lot harder than it looks. If it is calm you can troll with down riggers at the Bar or just drift the mouth using swim baits on 3/4 once jig heads.

 

[vmuravin]

Thank you all for the responses... I will follow then what we do on Detroit River... Cheers Vlad

 

[Ticker]

You could hand line like they do on the Detroit river
Not sure how effective that be
But that's another totally different set up

 

[vmuravin]

Detroit river is about vertical jigging, is it not? i.e. You basically navigate your trolling motor as necessary (every few moments, while keep saying that if not crappy weather on lake E or lake O, I would be there by now ?) until you drift while your line is as vertical as possible... I still think that one day I will go with riggers on Niagara river... with a senior fishing buddy who as crazy as me ?... I get the risk but running the balls 10-15ft above the bottom in an area with so much fish should be ok while watching the depth...

 

[hvyhaul]

Keep your cable cutters within easy reach.

 

[vmuravin]

Thanks... I will take 2 or 3 ?

 

[Ticker]

Detroit river is about vertical jigging, is it not? i.e. You basically navigate your trolling motor as necessary (every few moments, while keep saying that if not crappy weather on lake E or lake O, I would be there by now ?) until you drift while your line is as vertical as possible... I still think that one day I will go with riggers on Niagara river... with a senior fishing buddy who as crazy as me ?... I get the risk but running the balls 10-15ft above the bottom in an area with so much fish should be ok while watching the depth...

Look up Detroit river hand lining
Lots of people fish it that way very effectively
As for riggers on the Niagara " I have fished it dozens of times " highly dangerous the drop off of the river bed is extreme and the current is unpredictable and fast
The rigger cables could easily get in your prop , we dont even use riggers too close to the Niagara bar as the current can tangle up your ball and lines
But hey if you want to try it best of luck and stay safe

 

[vmuravin]

I will look it up, thanks. As for riggers, I was actually hoping to go up the river, not down, where the depth is much deeper and more or less the same and stay within that area... not where it goes up and down by like 30-40 ft... but will think twice before I do. Cheers.

 

[Josh Roelofsen]

The river current is far too fast for lures to work anywhere near properly trolling upstream. Backdrifting is the go to technique for a reason. Slipping downstream with the current you can use several different presentations effectively, upstream no.....I agree with riggers being a VERY bad idea in the river.

Josh

 

[live2fish]

I will look it up, thanks. As for riggers, I was actually hoping to go up the river, not down, where the depth is much deeper and more or less the same and stay within that area... not where it goes up and down by like 30-40 ft... but will think twice before I do. Cheers.

You WONT be going UPRIVER rigging EVER that I can guarantee. Out in the middle of the river under the bridge there are spots shallow enough that I have seen rocks within inches of the surface. Also there is only so far up River you can legally go. And it’s not deep all the way up like you seem to think it is. Once you are above the hydro dams there are spots where rocks make it impossible to go up further unless you use a boat like they do on the tours. As well the deepest spot is over a hundred feet and it’s DOWNRIVER of the bridge and in the middle of the river, and it’s deep cuz of the hydro dams. You definitely shouldn’t be going on the river until you know it as well as me or others that have gone on it a lot, I’d highly recommend a guide like Paul Castellano of Cast Adventures. He’s the guide I used to learn about up river from the launch.

 

[vmuravin]

Thanks for this @live2fish ... Understood. Okay, after your and other responses, I think I should probably give up the idea. I suppose I will start with something like 3 oz bottom bouncer and hook to it with 6-8 ft of 20 fluoro to a coyote or kwikfish or a jig+plastic and then just drift with the river... Thanks again.

 

[jerk bait]

Thanks for this @live2fish ... Understood. Okay, after your and other responses, I think I should probably give up the idea. I suppose I will start with something like 3 oz bottom bouncer and hook to it with 6-8 ft of 20 fluoro to a coyote or kwikfish or a jig+plastic and then just drift with the river... Thanks again.

White Twister or white swim bait on a heavy jig head will basically out fish all other baits and catch anything that swims there. Literally been in the boat when white twisters outfished other baits 10 to 1. It was literally shocking. Others were using black, yellow grey didnt matter white was best .