2017 Top Attractions

WNY Fishing Academy

WNY Fishing Academy


The WNY waterways comprised of Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, the Niagara River and other inland bodies of water offer some of the best and most diversified fishing found anywhere in the country. The WNY Fishing Academy offers anglers the opportunity to attend free classes taught by local and regional experts very knowledgeable in fishing the WNY waterways.


The curriculum includes over 100 classes targeted for either novice or experienced anglers guaranteed to improve your skills. The curriculum includes the following:

  1. Lake Ontario Trout & Salmon
  2. Lake Erie Walleye
  3. Lake Erie, Ontario & Inland Lakes Bass
  4. Lake Ontario & Erie Tributary Trout
  5. Lake Erie Perch
  6. Niagara River & Chautauqua Lake Musky
  7. Ice Fishing
  8. Kayak Fishing
  9. Marine Electronics & Boat Rigging
  10. Fly Fishing

Ultimate Electronics Clinic for Fishermen

Ultimate Electronics Clinic for Fishermen

Sunday, January 22nd – 10:30am – 12:30pm

Join Captain Lance Valentine of Teachinfishin.com for an in-depth clinic designed to help Anglers catch more fish by fully utilizing the features / functions available on their Sonar and GPS units. As the sophistication of these units continue to increase and the prices continue to drop, most serious Anglers have both Sonar and GPS units on their boat. However, Angler education on how to most effectively use them has basically occurred thru word of mouth and trial an error. This two hour class offered, for the first time in Western New York, is targeted to fill this education void and teach Anglers how to make their units the most valuable tool on their fishing boat. Topics covered include the setup to maximize the useful “Fishing” information these units provide along with Sonar Interpretation and Advanced GPS Usage / Waypoint Management. Even though Captain Lance is an expert in Lowrance HDS units and will provide many specific tips and techniques for them, the clinic is taught so that it is relevant for all Anglers no matter what brand units they own or type of fish they fish for. The Clinic will be offered on Sunday, January 22nd from 10:30am – 12:30pm, for a price of $30 which includes admission to the show on Sunday. Seating is limited and quickly sold out for our 2016 show. Tickets can be purchased thru this site or at the door on Sunday, January 22nd if seats are still available.

Featured speaker at this year’s Niagara Fishing Expo

BASS Pro Mark Menendez of Paducah, Kentucky

Breaking News in Niagara USA: BASS Pro Menendez to Highlight Fish Expo

Bassmaster Elite Pro Mark Menendez of Paducah, Kentucky will join an impressive cast of speakers at the Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo to be held Jan. 20-22 at the Conference and Event Center Niagara Falls. Menendez, a regular on the Bassmaster Tournament Trail for 26 years, is slated to be a competitor in the Elite Series in 2017 once again.

His statistics are impressive. He has fished in 214 Bassmaster tournaments to date – placing in the money nearly 50 percent of the time. He’s captured first place three times; second place once; third place twice; and placed in the Top 10 and Top 20 22 and 44 times respectively; winning more than $1.25 million in career earnings. The 52-year-old angler is a graduate of Murray State with a degree in Fisheries Biology. He is familiar with the local waters of Western New York and his seminars will be “Great Lakes Power Fishing Tactics” and “Finesse Fishing for Great Lakes Smallmouth.” His presentations will be at noon on Saturday; 10 a.m. on Sunday.

"The combination of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, associated with the majestic Niagara River creates the most dynamic fishery in the United States,” insists Menendez, a Bassmaster champion. “The smorgasbord of game fish found here can fill anyone’s bucket list! And the waters in and around the Buffalo area hold more giant smallmouth than anyplace in the World!"

In addition to his two seminars, he will be giving product demonstration seminars for Rapid Fishing Solutions on a regular basis Saturday and Sunday, one of his valued sponsors. Menendez is one of the hardest working promoters and educators on tour and in that role he routinely averages more than 100 days a year working with the fans of the sport on behalf of his sponsors.

Menendez isn’t the only bass fishing expert sharing his intimate knowledge at the Expo. Buffalo-area Bass Pro Brad Brodnicki of Amherst will be in the spotlight all weekend, too, along with other members of WNY Bassmasters. They will all be providing bass seminars targeting all levels of proficiency. Whether you fish from a boat or on shore, like to cast or bottom-bounce, use artificial baits or live bait; there will be relevant seminars for you to attend. In addition, there will many manufacturers on hand to share insight and point you in the right direction to make purchases of equipment. Rods, reels, lures, electronics and other fishing gear will be available for purchase – even boats!

Bass is only one species that anglers can enjoy at the show. In addition, there will also be seminars on salmon, trout, walleye, perch and musky; seminars on electronics and boat rigging; expert talks on kayak fishing and tributary fishing. Nearly 130 seminars can be found during the three days.

Free Line Winding

Blood Run Tackle will be offering FREE line winding services again in 2017. Bring your center pin, spinning reel, salmon or walleye trolling reels down to the show. Purchase discounted show pricing main line, backing and leader and Blood Run Tackle will wind them for free off a line winding machine. Free Line stripping included.

Featured products include fresh Float Fishing Mainline, Bloodline Coated Braid, Walleye Copper, Tournament Mono, and more. New reels will also be sold at the show, so you can buy them and have them filled while you wait.

Ultimate Walleye Clinic

Mark and Jake Romanack the hosts of the hit television series -- Fishing 411 -- will be conducting an intensive two hour seminar aimed at helping anglers to be more successful at targeting walleye on Lake Erie.It would be hard to find two anglers with more collective walleye fishing experience. These men are ardent trollers who have spent countless hours fishing the open waters of Lake Erie for trophy walleyes. Just some of the topics of interest that are sure to be covered in this seminar include crankbait trolling, using planer boards, fishing diving planers, using downriggers, snap weight trolling, techniques for drifting and trolling live bait and much more. This special 2-hour workshop on advanced Walleye Techniques will cover every new angle for fishermen who want to climb to the next level of catching walleyes.This hands-on multi-media seminar uses video clips and graphics from the hit World Fishing Network series that helps visitors better understand and master both traditional and modern walleye fishing methods.

Free admission to this clinic! Register at the Fishing 411 Booth and get your free ticket to attend. Those signing up for the clinic on Friday & Saturday of the Show will be given re-admission passes to enter the Show on Sunday for the clinic. Donations from the event will go toward sending kids to the DEC Youth Conservation Camp. Thank you for all you do! Visitors to the Ultimate Walleye Clinic will also have an opportunity to win amazing door prizes provided by Mark and Jake’s sponsors. To learn more about the 2017 Ultimate Walleye Clinics, visit www.Fishing411.net and click on the “seminars” tab.

GNFOE Introduces  “2017 Walleye School”

The Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo is proud to announce that a brand new “Walleye School” will become a part of the overall show experience for the first time in 2017. This “School” will more than double the amount of walleye education from past shows to meet the demand for Walleye education. With the walleye fishery “booming” on the eastern end of Lake Erie, and walleye being the most popular fish to target in WNY, we have created this “School” to help meet the needs of our WNY Anglers.

The “School” will offer Three Days of Intense Walleye Information:
Over 20 Free Seminars featuring more than a dozen regional and local experts including Mark Romanack, Lance Valentine & Captain Pete Alex, to name a few.

Two separate curriculum's focusing on “trolling” or “rod-in-hand” fishing techniques.

No registration required, seats available on a first come first serve basis, so plan on arriving early!

See all you Walleye Fans at the Expo!!!

LOTSA Salmon School

Attention Salmon Junkies! On Saturday, January 21, 2017 the Lake Ontario Trout & Salmon Association (LOTSA) is proud to (once again) host its well-known in-depth Salmon School. This highly successful school, in its 10th year, boasts six hours of detailed instruction taught by three expert captains and this year they are: Capt. Bob Songin (Reel Excitement Charters out of the ports of Oak Orchard & Wilson, NY); Capt. Russell Gahagan (Anglers Avenue out of Sheboygan, MI); and Capt. Jerry Felluca (Rebel Charters out of Sandy Creek, NY). These three captains offer a huge amount of on-the-water experience trolling for trout and salmon along with a proven tournament track record of high placement in the most prestigious tournaments over many years. They are a much diversified set of instructors and will provide a class full of insights and details that no one single instructor would be able to provide. They are all skilled communicators and are very well known for sharing their fishing knowledge and daily fishing trips with anglers to help them to be more successful fishing the lake. Each brings their own unique set of trolling skills, techniques and knowledge to the class. Given the depth of the knowledge base of these instructors and their proven ability to educate anglers, we expect this school to be another high quality, comprehensive, in-depth, information-packed event that our attendees have come to expect from this annual day-long instruction.

Capt. Bob Songin has been salmon fishing the western end of Lake Ontario for over 30 years as a professional, running a full time service fishing over 120 days a year. He makes his home out of the Orleans County port of Oak Orchard/Point Breeze most of the year but actively fishes the Niagara County port of Wilson to take advantage of the great spring salmon fishery during the month of May.

Capt. Bob was the founder of the first net pen program on Lake Ontario, managing the construction of the pens and the activities of the project for 18 years. This involved the coordination of the care, feeding and release of more than 1.4 million salmon fingerlings and 200,000 yearling steelhead for Oak Orchard harbor. This project helped promote the imprinting and survival of the fish stocked at the Oak Orchard site, providing for better fishing for all stakeholders. He has unselfishly given his time and energy over many years to participate in fisheries management activities with the DEC to help all of us enjoy a quality Lake Ontario fishery.

He has also been a regular participant in the derbies and tournaments fishing both the north and south shore of western Lake Ontario and has won or cashed numerus times during his tournament career. Some of his accomplishments include first place finishes in the ESLO derbies, Orleans County derbies, Niagara Pro-Am tournament and St. Catharine’s Scotty contests in Canada. With many additional top 10 finishes, Bob has learned to successfully adapt to the changing conditions of Lake Ontario over the years. He has become proficient in the different techniques available to entice bigger salmon to take his offerings on a regular basis. Bob has also been a long standing member of “Team Dreamweaver” and on the pro-staff of “A-Tom-Mik Trolling Flies.” He also produces the daily fishing report “At the Oak” when at his home port and “At the Bar” when fishing in Wilson to provide honest information to help anglers become more successful and encourage more participation in the Lake Ontario fishery.

Russell Gahagan has been fishing Lake Michigan his entire life on three different levels – for fun, for charter fishing and for tournament fishing. As a kid, Russell was a first mate for Dumper Dan Charters and over a 10-year span ran over 1,200 charters. This experience gave Gahagan a great advantage as he started competitively fishing on Lake Michigan in the early 2000s. Russell’s team, Anglers Avenue, primarily fishes the Tournament Trail on Lake Michigan. Russell is an 8-time event winner and has qualified for the Salmon Showdown Finale four straight years.

In the mid-2000s Russell was one the innovators of the flasher/fly program on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan. He was responsible for developing many of the patterns made today by Michigan Stinger, Pro King and more. His shop Anglers Avenue leads the way in salmon tackle innovation, always having the newest tackle and even custom tackle exclusive to them. This ability to innovate and be a step ahead of everyone has been a huge reason why he has enjoyed success for many years on Lake Michigan.

Capt. Jerry Felluca has lived right on the Lake Ontario shoreline his entire life and has fished Lake Ontario for over 40 years. He is a 31 year US Coast Guard licensed captain and was the youngest person on Lake Ontario to a receive license. He is co-owner of LakeOntarioUnited.com website which is Lake Ontario’s largest online website.
He actively participates as a spokesman for anglers on the fishery with the Great Lakes Fishery Commission as an Advisor for Lake Ontario/New York. This also includes other annual meetings on Great Lakes issues.

He is a well-known and successful tournament fisherman with a resume of Pro-Am wins in Oswego, Rochester and Sodus along with a Lake Ontario Pro-Am Lakewide Pro-Am Challenge Cup win. He has first place division wins in ESLO/LOC derbies for lake trout, rainbow trout and salmon. He is a two time Grand Prize winner of the Orleans County Derby. He has won the Niagara County Pro-Am Buffalo Sabres Alumni Fishing
Day with the largest Salmon in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He won the 2015 Grand Prize in the Red Cross Tournament (Rochester) and took first place in the 2015 Sandy Creek Shootout (Hamlin,NY). He actively participates in most tournaments around Lake Ontario including the Canadian ones on the north shore.

Felluca is most proud of doing these accomplishments as he is a part time charter captain and a “weekend warrior” like most fisherman on the lake today. He credits fishing against the top Professionals in the tournaments for shortening his learning curve to help him compete successfully over many years. He is always learning and notes that he learned a lot more from losing tournaments than he did when he won. Jerry is looking forward to sharing his experience and knowledge to help Lake Ontario fisherman become more productive in the time they have fishing the lake.

The class is not meant for novices to the Lake Ontario fishery. It is a “hard core” salmon class targeted toward providing the “experienced weekend warrior” with additional insights and details to improve their catch in the limited time they have on the water. In a year of challenging fishing like we just experienced the past two years, this knowledge is often the difference between having a couple of bites or having steady bites throughout the day.

The LOTSA Salmon School is also a custom class that is built from the input from the attendees on what they want covered. It is not an “off the shelf” class for the masses. Each attendee will have the opportunity to submit their top 3 questions on areas that they want to have covered in the class. Those questions will be submitted with their registration to the event. The instructors will then use this input from the attendees to customize the class to cover these particular areas. The registration price includes free admission to the Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo Jan. 20-22, 2017 Saturday and Sunday, a hot buffet lunch on Saturday with beverages available throughout the class and a “goodie” bag consisting of the “go to” baits of the instructors. The class (and Expo) is held at the Conference and Event Center Niagara Falls in a “state of the art” conference room with a large screen, stage, good seating with tables and a good sound system that all make for a comfortable venue throughout the day for everyone attending. Given the quality of what you will be taught, coupled with the lunch, “goodie bag” and free admissions, we think it’s a terrific deal and a great way to start your 2017 season. Where else would you want to be on a Western New York Saturday in January than at a nice and comfortable venue talking salmon fishing with a room full of individuals with the same common interest that you have?

What LOTSA has seen over the years is that the majority of the attendees come back year after year and the event sells out! So, sign up early at www.LOTSA1.org to avoid being left out in the cold.

Mark Romanack - Fishing 411

Mark Romanack - Fishing 411

Mark Romanack, “the Outdoors Guy” is a life long outdoorsman and one of the nation’smost active members of the outdoor media. A graduate of Northern Michigan University with aB.S. Degree in Conservation, Romanack has spent his entire career working to help othersbetter understand and appreciate the outdoors. Romanack’s outdoor career started in 1981 as an Environmental Educator. While working as a naturalist, he began to write outdoor articles for hunting and fishing magazines to supplement his income. His first article was published by Michigan Out of Doors Magazine (the nation’s largest independent conservation organization). This part time hobby quickly grew into a full fledged career with to date more than 3,000 writing credits in over 60 different local, regional and national magazines. Currently Romanack writes frequently for host of magazines and also produces a weekly outdoor blog on Facebook and thewww.fishing411.net site.

Romanack made the move to outdoor writing full time in 1986. Since that time he has published 13 different printed books on fishing, including the widely popular Precision Trolling “Troller’s Bible” series of depth guides. Romanack has also released a growing number of Kindle “e-books” including Spinner Fishing Secrets, Walleye Jigging Tactics and Walleye Crankbait Trolling Strategies. In addition to writing and photography, Romanack has become a sought after public speaker on a variety of freshwater fishing topics. Considered one of the nation’s leading authorities on walleye fishing and all things trolling, Romanack conducts more than 40 multimedia seminars annually on a variety of fishing topics.In 2007 Romanack plunged into the television world by hosting and field producing a new TV series called Fishing 411 broadcast nationwide on World Fishing Network. Currently filming season 10, Fishing 411 has grown rapidly both in distribution and popularity reaching millions of homes on Dish Network and a host of cable TV providers. The Romanack family is also very active on the popular social networking venues. In addition to maintaining two Facebook accounts with over 20,000 followers, the Fishing 411 team provides social networking content in the form of video, photography and written communications for all of their sponsors. Brands currently supporting

Fishing 411 include Evinrude, Starcraft, Off Shore Tackle, Jay’s Sporting Goods,Ontario’s Algoma Country, Smooth Moves, Lowrance, MotorGuide, Trailmaster Trailers,Yakima Bait, Fish Hawk Electronics, Lurk Divers, the Ultimate Sport Show Tour and Cisco Fishing Systems.Romanack lives in Northern Michigan with his wife Mari, sons Zack and Jake and theirhunting dogs Mason, Stormy and Drake. Mark can be reached via e-mail atmark@fishing411.net, https://www.facebook.com/mark.romanack and https://www.facebook.com/Fishing411.

Show Special: LOWER NIAGARA RIVER

The Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo is pleased to announce a unique offering for our show this year Lower Niagara River Trout fishing trips offered the mornings before, during and after the expo. Six exciting days to 'scratch your fishing itch' and take your first boat trip in 2017 while with the GNFOE!

These trips are being offered at “show special” pricing, including a day pass to the Expo. It gives you another reason to make the Greater Niagara Fishing & Outdoor Expo the destination to attend Jan. 20-22, 2017!! Winter in Niagara USA: There’s a good chance that there will be some part of Niagara Falls frozen, there will be some snow on the ground … and there will be trout in the Niagara River below Niagara Falls.

The lower Niagara River offers a world-class winter boat fishery in a 10-plus mile stretch of fish-rich water. It should be on everyone’s bucket list. And if you enjoy catching trout, the winter is one of the best times to be on the water drifting for steelhead, domestic rainbows, lake trout and brown trout.

No trolling here: It’s rod in hand as you bounce bottom for these trophy trout. Catch and release is highly recommended. Yes, we said “on” the water.

Niagara USA has a fleet of charter captains that work the river waters throughout the winter, no matter how cold it gets out there. These oxygen-rich waters will not freeze up and anglers target trout from Devil’s Hole to the Niagara Bar. Make sure you dress for the experience. It does get mighty cold at times, but hopefully the fishing will be hot enough to keep you warm! Guides will be able to take you out for a morning of fishing from Lewiston to let you sample this dynamic fishery. Make sure you have your NY State Fishing License, too.

Sign-up is simple as you can sign up as an individual and there is no need to secure two other people in order to book a trip. Cost is $100 per person for the trip. There will also be a closed-door in-depth classroom instruction in place during the Expo that you can sign up for with a separate fee for anyone interested.

**Seats are limited and available on a first-come basis. **

A Unique Class Room & River Experience

An On-Water Lesson That Can’t Be Beat!

Something brand new with the Greater Niagara Fishing Expo this year was the offering of a unique 3-1/2 to 4 hour on-water educational fishing lesson on the Lower Niagara River at a cost of just $100 per person.

As an incentive to register early, Capt. Frank Campbell of Niagara Region Charters has put together a special classroom session for Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m. which includes a packet of goodies from Pautzke, Buck Knives and Yakima, valued at $25.

While attending the Saturday afternoon session is not required, space is limited to the first 20 anglers who sign up, starting with the order you register for the lower river fishing adventure. First come, first served!

Listen to a Niagara River trout fishing seminar at the Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo AND get out there and do it.

Jake Romanack - Fishing 411

Jake Romanack - Fishing 411

Captain Jake Romanack is both one of the youngest and most experienced charter captains on the Great Lakes.

The son of outdoor writer and TV host Mark Romanack, Jake has been fishing since he was old enough to hold up a trolling combo. “Jake grew up on the Great Lakes mastering both the fundamentals and the finer points of trout and salmon trolling,” says Mark Romanack. “Jake spent three years acting as a first mate on a dozen different charter boats before he stepped up and got his own “captains” license.

These days Captain Jake specializes in educational charters, seminars, YouTube videos and co-hosting TV productions as part of the family business Fishing 411 Productions.

“Modern Salmon Tactics” takes an in-depth look at targeting trout and salmon on the Great Lakes putting emphasis on using lead core and copper lines fished on in-
line boards, fishing Tadpole Divers on boards, double stacking diving planers, fishing meat rigs, attractor fishing tactics and refined methods for downrigger fishing.

Captain Jake Romanack lives in Northern Michigan, but travels frequently to target trout, salmon, walleye and other species around the Great Lakes region. Jake can be reached via e-mail at Jake@Fishing411.net and also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jake.romanack? fref=ts or via his cell phone at 231-878-2017.

Matt Yablonsky

Matt Yablonsky

Capt. Matt Yablonsky of Youngstown is owner and operator of Wet Net Charters, a business he runs out of Western New York in the Great Lakes of Ontario and Erie. He also focuses on the Niagara River during certain times of the year, giving him a true year-round angling operation for customers. He’s been fishing these productive waters for nearly two decades, half of that as a licensed captain. His specialty has to be considered the Niagara Bar area, the outflow into Lake Ontario out of the mouth of the Niagara River – an area he focuses on for the lakes’ numerous derbies and tournaments. If his name sounds familiar to you, he is a regular in the winner’s circle when it comes to these fishing contests – especially the Lake Ontario Counties Trout and Salmon Derby where he has been a Grand Prize winner and has numerous first place trophies to show for his efforts. He has also been featured in several television shows such as Illinois Outdoors, as well as numerous magazine articles in publications like Great Lakes Angler, The Fisherman, Lake Ontario Outdoors and more. His insight into fish and fishing the area is helpful for anyone interested in learning more about the Great Lakes, especially as it relates to salmon and trout.

Lance Valentine

Lance Valentine

FREE UPDATES ON HDS LOWRANCE UNITS

Lowrance Electronics Pro-Staffer Lance Valentine will be giving some expert instruction on the use of marine electronics. And if you actually own a HDS Lowrance Unit, bring it to the show and receive a free update from Valentine at his booth. You are guaranteed to learn something new when you listen to Valentine on using this important fishing tool.

Cleaning & Cooking Your Catch

Cleaning & Cooking Your Catch

Capt. Frank Campbell of Niagara Region Charters will be starting things off by getting your fish ready for the frying pan! Captain Frank will go through the process of filleting your fish - from how to prepare your catch for the cleaning table to removing bones and skin if you so desire. Sponsor of the session, Buck Knives, will be offering up free giveaways (knives and hats) promoting their new line of fillet knives. ""The key is a super sharp knife," says Campbell, who cleans fish nearly every single day. "Buck's new knives are so sharp and durable that they will hold up and keep its edge through several cleanings." Then the chefs from the Conference and Event Center will be cooking the final product for a tasty treat to be enjoyed by all in attendance.

Frank Campbell

Frank Campbell

Capt. Frank Campbell of Niagara Falls with Niagara Region Charter Service is a full time guide with over .20 years of guiding experience on Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the Niagara River. Spending an average of 200 days a year on the water has enabled Capt. Frank to be one of the most knowledgeable skippers in Western New York. He has been featured on numerous television shows including In-Fisherman, Keith Warren Outdoors, O’Neil’s Outside, Bob Redfern Outdoors, Mid-West Outdoors, and Angling the Great Lakes along with the CBS Morning Show. He has also been featured in media print for many magazines including In-Fisherman, Outdoor Life, Fishing Facts, Salmon Trout & Steelheader, Great Lakes Angler,
New York Outdoor News, Lake Ontario Outdoors, as well as in ESPN Outdoors.com. Campbell also gets involved to give back, serving as the chairman of the Niagara County Fisheries Development Board for over 10 years and also served as chairman of the Board of Directors for Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation. His seminars are extremely informative, whether you are someone just starting out or a
long time veteran on the water.

Joe Fonzi

Joe Fonzi

Joseph Fonzi

"Born and raised in Western New York along the Niagara Escarpment, Joe Fonzi has spent most of his life in the outdoors: fishing, hunting, and trapping. Joe began his outdoor adventures as soon as he was old enough to keep up with his dad and grandfathers, who did it all from fly fishing to trapping. He still owes much of his success to the lessons and ethics that were set forth by these early mentors.

Joe is a graduate of both, New York State school of Environmental Science and Forestry (BSF); and SUNY Brockport, where all of his emphasis was placed on environmental studies. His graduate work was in fisheries management with importance placed on freshwater ecosystems; he participated in a 2 year fisheries inventory study of the New York canal system from Lake Erie to the Hudson River. For the past 16 years Joe has held a US Coast Guard license he’s used turned his passion for fishing into a successful fishing charter business. Captain Joe, charters fishing trips on lakes Erie and Ontario, spending almost two hundred days a year in his Ranger boat, targeting smallmouth bass, perch, and walleyes.

When Joe isn’t guiding, he tries to fit in as many fishing tournaments as possible. With finishes in the top 5 of both the National Bass and Walleye circuits Joe has accomplished something that most anglers don’t even attempt. Other tournament accomplishments include: 3 top ten finishes in the FLW and qualifying for the FLW Costa championship both years he completed the circuit. Joe has also had success north of the border with several wins and top 10 finishes in both the Canadian Sport Fishing League (CSFL) and the Renegade Bass Circuits.

Joe holds pro-staff positions with several outdoor equipment companies including Mack’s Lures, Warrior Lures, and most notably Ranger Boats (for the past 8 years.) Joe is entering his second year as a Cabela’s pro staffer, he often participates in the Cabela’s day’s events at the Cheektowaga location. Joe also does several seminars each year for local sportsmen’s clubs and outdoors shows in both the US and Canada, talking on a wide range of subjects from fishing ethics to tournament-winning strategies."

Brad Brodnicki

Brad Brodnicki

Western New York’s own Bass Tournament Pro Brad Brodnicki of Amherst, NY will be one of the Headline speakers for the 2017 Expo, providing free bass seminars throughout the show. Black bass anglers enjoy some of the best bass fishing available anywhere in the country right here in Western New York and Southern Ontario. Whether you choose to fish for smallmouth or largemouth bass in the Great Lakes waters of Lake Erie or Ontario; the Niagara River both above and below Niagara Falls; Chautauqua Lake, the Finger Lakes or the many smaller waters throughout the area – bass are plentiful and easy to catch … if you know how.

Brad has been bass fishing competitively throughout New York State for over 18 Years. He has competed in numerous tournament trails including the New York Bass Federation, New York TBF, BFL, ABA, BASS Open and FLW Open Series. He holds multiple State Angler of the Year titles with many first place finishes under his belt, making him very familiar with all of the local waters in and around Western New York. Brodnicki also works with many manufacturers on pro staff including Abu Garcia, Berkley, Fenwick, Pflueger, Plano, Frabill, and Cabela’s.

Brad, along with other members of WNY Bassmasters, will be providing bass seminars targeted to beginners and all the way through to the Bass Tournament Angler. Whether you fish from a boat or on shore, like to cast or bottom-bounce, use artificial baits or live bait; there will be relevant seminars for you to attend. Pound for pound, bass provide the best fight of any freshwater fish. Kick your 2017 bass fishing season off the right way by attending some seminars, talk one-on-one with the Bass Pros and pick up all the gear you need to be successful from the retailers at the show.