2018 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 120 classes targeted for either novice or experienced anglers guaranteed to improve your skills. The curriculum includes the following:

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

GNFOE 2018 Walleye School

GNFOE 2018 Walleye School

The Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo is proud to announce the return of the “Walleye School” in 2018. As our demand for Walleye Education continues to grow, we will again this year offer more than 22 different Walleye Seminars. 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 & 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!!!

BASS PRO MARK MENENDEZ OF PADUCAH, KENTUCKY

BASS PRO MARK MENENDEZ OF PADUCAH, KENTUCKY

Breaking News in Niagara USA

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. 19-21 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 2018 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 will present multiple seminars including a Question & Answer “roundtable” with fellow Bass Pro Shaw Grigsby. Check out the list of Bass Seminars for the topic, time and location of Mark’s seminars.
"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 Friday, 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.

Shaw Grigsby

Shaw Grigsby

Bassmaster Elite Series pro Shaw Grigsby is a veteran of more than 340 Bassmaster tournaments, and for the past two decades, he has been the host of one of the longest running fishing shows on television; One More Cast with Shaw Grigsby. In his career, Grigsby has won nine Bassmaster Tour events, and finished in the top 10 59 times. He is a 16-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier and two-time Forrest Wood Cup qualifier who has posted total career earnings that eclipses $2.2 million dollars. He is a 2017 inductee to the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. While he is best known for his prowess as a sight fisherman, Grigsby is a versatile angler who loves to target smallmouth in the Great Lakes and all over the northern part of the country. Shaw will present multiple seminars including a Question & Answer “roundtable” with fellow Bass Pro Mark Menendez. Check out the list of Bass Seminars for the topic, time and location of Shaw’s seminars.

Grigsby resides in Gainesville, Florida, is married to his wife Polly, they have two adult children, Amy and Shaw, and two grandchildren Bryce and Charlotte.

In addition to his seminars, he will be giving product demonstration seminars for Rapid Fishing Solutions on a regular basis on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, one of his valued sponsors.

Mark Romanack - Fishing 411

Mark Romanack - Fishing 411

Mark Romanack, “the Outdoors Guy” is a life long outdoorsman and one of the nation’s most 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 others better 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 the https://www.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. Mark will be delivering the following Clinic:

Ultimate Walleye Clinic Sunday, January 21st – 1pm – 3pm | Ballroom A

Free Tickets to the first 100 who sign up at the Fishing 411 booth #64

Mark and Jake Romanack the hosts of Fishing 411 TV join forces in this intense two hour long course aimed at the serious walleye angler who’s interested in refining skills and maximizing their time on the water. Short video vignettes followed by a question and answer period are used to help anglers better understand modern walleye fishing presentations. Topics of interest include Spinner Trolling, Bottom Bouncer Basics and Beyond, Precision Trolling Crankbaits, Mastering the Jig and Structure Fishing Alternatives. Door prizes provided by Mark and Jake’s sponsors will be provided and a collection taken will go toward purchasing lifetime Fishing Licenses for Kids.

Those signing up for the clinic on Friday or Saturday at the Show will be given a complimentary re-admission pass to enter the Show on Sunday for the clinic.

Fishing 411 Fishing Trip Drawing

Want to fish with Mark and Jake Romanack of Fishing 411 fame for a day on Lake Ontario? You will have that opportunity thanks to a special drawing that will be taking place during the Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo Jan. 19-21, 2018. Not only will you spend some quality time on the water fishing, you will be able to learn from two of the best!

The Fishing 411 co-hosts have been bringing their film crew to Lake Ontario and the Niagara Bar for several years now and they try to make it a regular stop each spring, one of the premier spring salmon fisheries on the Great Lakes. They have also been one of the features of the Expo through seminars and an impressive booth display. If you would like to be considered for the trip, simply sign up at the Fishing 411 Booth #64. You could even be on one of the Fishing 411 TV shows!

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. Jake will be delivering the following Clinic:

Targeting Lake Ontario's King Salmon Clinic Friday, January 19th – 4pm – 5:30pm | Ballroom B

Jake Romanack of Fishing 411 TV has years of experience running the back of a Great Lakes salmon boat. This 90 minute seminar includes short video vignettes followed by a question and answer period aimed at helping anglers better understand modern salmon trolling tactics. Topics of interest include Fishing Sinking Segmented Lines, The Importance of Sub-Surface Speed/Temperature Probes, Using Cut Bait Rigs, Creating a Productive Scent Stream and Embracing Wobbling Plugs.

Dan Keating

Dan Keating

Fishing Deep for Tournament Winning Kings Clinic

Sunday, January 21st – 12pm – 1:30pm | Walleye Trolling Room
Free Tickets to the first 100 who sign up at the Magnum Metalz booth #49
Most big water anglers are intimidated by the thought of heading offshore and targeting deep water for trophy kings. But Kings often make horizontal movements out to deep water. Dan Keating has been chartering since 1983 and has pioneered many of the techniques used to catch deep cruising fish. Learn to recognize what seasonal conditions and weather patterns drive kings deep and how to locate deep, open water fish.
Success begins by using the right tackle and this seminar we will examine cutting edge high-speed downriggers and the newest weights required to effectively troll deep. While downriggers are the tool of choice for probing the depths, we will look at how to add copper and Torpedoes off side planers. Dan will also teach you practical methods to deploy gear and minimize tangles. Learn which lures, bait and attractors will draw maximum attention and trigger strikes in the dark depths of the water column.
Captain Keating will discuss the impact of currents on fish locations and how wave action and subsurface currents impact a deep spread and lure speeds. Dan will also address how to weave multi-species rigs for steelhead and coho into the upper layers of the water column without interfering with your deep king spread.
Learning how to locate and target deep kings will turn many slow days into a huge success and you may just win a pile of cash next summer in one of Lake O’s tournaments! This Clinic is presented by Magnum Metalz.
Those signing up for the clinic on Friday or Saturday at the Show will be given a complimentary re-admission pass to enter the Show on Sunday for the clinic.

Joe Fonzi

Joe Fonzi

Joe Fonzi Eastern Lake Erie Walleye Clinic

Captain Joe Fonzi is one of the best Charter Captains in Western New York who depends on catching fish every day. Captain Joe has been fishing the waters of Lake Erie since he was a child and has been guiding on the Western New York waters of Lake Erie for 17 years. He is a respected pro staffer for Cabelas, Ranger Boats, Traxstech, Warrior Lures, and Mack Lures. He has qualified for two FLW Costa championships and has three FLW top ten finishes, all of them second place. Captain Joe has also fared extremely well in several Canadian Bass Circuits with 16 top ten finishes and 4 wins along with multiple top 10 finished on the Walleye circuits. This is a unique opportunity to learn the details from one of the best Bass & Walleye fishermen in WNY. It will help attendees to make the best of their time spent on the water chasing walleyes! Captain Joe will deliver the following Clinics:

Great Lakes Super Bass Clinic

Saturday, January 20th – 9am -11am | $20 Fee | Ball Room A

A ticket is required and can be purchased online thru this site or in person at the Show ticket Booth at the entrance.

Captain Joe will provide the details that he uses to catch Smallmouth Bass in Lakes Erie and Ontario throughout the Bass season. Joe will cover the impact that weather, water temperature, currents, structure and bait have on consistently catching Bass each day. Captain Joe needs to produce fish for his clients throughout the season and his arsenal of methods is quite varied. He will cover all his most successful techniques that a successful Bass angler will need to know to be consistently successful throughout the season. These will include fine details of his Boat set up, how he uses his Electronics, and his favorite tubing, swimbait, and dropshotting techniques that fit the conditions. Much of Joe’s success he attributes to using his Electronics. He has spent a significant amount of time this year capturing screen shots from his Sonar that will be used throughout the Clinic to help attendees better interpret what they are seeing and how he uses it to target where / how to fish for Bass.

Eastern Lake Erie Super Walleye Clinic

Sunday, January 21st – 9:30am – 11:30am | $20 Fee | Bass Room

A ticket is required and can be purchased online thru this site or in person at the Show ticket Booth at the entrance.

In this clinic, Captain Joe will provide the details that he uses to catch walleye consistently from Buffalo to Barcelona from the May walleye opener thru November. Joe will cover the impact that weather, water temperature, currents, structure and bait have on locating and catching walleye every day. Captain Joe needs to produce fish for his clients throughout the season and his arsenal of methods is quite varied. He will cover all his most successful techniques for each set of conditions Lake Erie throws at him. These will include fine details of his boat set up and how he uses his electronics; he will cover jigging, bottom bouncing and trolling and when to apply them; he will cover his “go to” baits, along with how he fishes structure in the different locations. Much of Joe’s success can be attributed to properly using his electronics. He has spent a significant amount of time this year capturing screen shots from his sonar that will be used throughout the clinic to help attendees better interpret what they are seeing and how he uses it to target where and how to fish for walleye.

Scott Brauer

Scott Brauer of Gasport, NY is a professional angler and the owner of Maki Plastics, an innovative ice fishing bait company. He is an Ice Team Pro Staffer for Clam Outdoors. Scott spends much of his time travelling the ice belt promoting the great sport of ice fishing. It’s not uncommon to see Scott at just about any ice fishing venue, especially here in Western New York where he conduction on-ice clinics and in-store promotions involving hard water angling. Scott will be presenting the following clinic:

Finessing Techniques with Plastics Clinic Saturday, January 20th – 1:30 –3:30 | $20 Fee | Walleye Trolling Room
*Tickets can be purchased online thru this site or in person at the Show ticket Booth at the entrance.

Plastics are Fantastic, whether thru the ice or in open water including Lake Erie Perch.

"Matching the Hatch" is a phrase often kicked around in the fishing world, the expression comes from the fisherman's attempt to imitate natural insects with artificial imitations in order to fool fish. Fish often ignore all other bait offerings and get lock jaw during major hatches- getting familiar with the bugs, insects, larvae and nymphs that are present in a lake is quite simply a process that is not hard to master, and is a necessary skill for the serious angler. During this class we will examine lake biology, insect hatch timeline, baits and delivery tools and matching the right rod and reel to increase your catch all year long.

Scott Brauer is the Brain child behind Makiplastic Bait, an aquatic insect nerd and national award winning educator. He will lead participants through questions from the class and add in lessons from fish including underwater video of how fish react to what we are doing above. There will be giveaways from all of his sponsors throughout this in-depth look at how to fish plastics and how to fool even lockjaw fish!

Ultimate Marine Electronics Clinic

Saturday, January 20th – 11:30am -1:30 pm | $20 Fee | Bass Room

A ticket is required and can be purchased online thru this site or in person at the Show ticket Booth at the entrance.

You can’t fish if you aren’t fishing where they are! Join Captain Lance Valentine and Captain Dean Cushman of Walleye101.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 is targeted to fill this education void and teach Anglers how to make their units the most valuable tool on their fishing boat. Lance and Dean spend thousands of hours on the water each season both using and teaching Sonar/GPS usage and excel at teaching the basics and advanced features of today’s sophisticated electronics units. Topics covered include basic unit setup, Sonar Interpretation, Side/Down Scan, Advanced GPS usage, Waypoint management and custom mapping. Even though Captains Lance and Dean are experts in Lowrance HDS units 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. Be sure to bring a notebook!

Friday, January 19th – 6pm – 8 pm | $20 Fee | Ballroom A

A ticket is required and can be purchased online thru this site or in person at the Show ticket Booth at the entrance.

Productive walleye trolling is so much more than driving around with lures behind the boat! Join Captain Lance Valentine and Captain Dean Cushman of Walleye101.com for an in-depth clinic covering everything you need to know to become a more productive open water troller. Lance and Dean will cover using electronics, basic equipment and rigging, setting a proper trolling spread, using Off-Shore Inline planer boards, boat rigging, speed and depth control, how to pick the best presentation, how to work a pattern and more. This will be a “high-speed” class, so bring a notebook and your questions. Little things make a big difference when trolling, so join Captain Lance and Dean as they share their 4 decades of trolling experience on Lake Erie!

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.

Sammy Cappelli

Sammy Cappelli

Sammy Cappelli and his partner won the nation's most prestigious Walleye tournament (the Cabela’s National Team Championship) held in June 2017 on Lake Erie. They bested the field of 250 boats over the 3 day Tournament to win $25,000 cash, two new fishing boats for a total take of $175,000 in cash and prizes. This tournament is the super bowl of Walleye fishing as it features the best Walleye anglers from around the country competing to be the champion. Sammy will be delivering the following Clinic:

Tournament Winning Techniques for Big Water Walleye Clinic | Saturday, January 20th – 2:30pm-4pm | Ball Room A

*Free Tickets to the first 100 who sign up at the Blood Run booth # 44

Join the 2017 Cabela's National Team Champions Sam Cappelli and Erick Williams as they share their tournament winning tactics that will help you catch more walleye.  Combined, the two have over 25 years of experience fishing walleye tournaments in numerous states and different bodies of water including small inland lakes, large lakes, large bays, reservoirs and rivers. Topics discussed are tackle Preparation including Line Selection and reel calibration, How they use their sonar Electronics to identify key structure points holding big fish, Lure Selection, Boat Control and How to Read the Water to find big walleyes. Attention to very small details and subtle rigging techniques are the difference between the rest of the field and the winners circle.  This Clinic is presented by Blood Run Tackle Company and giveaways/raffle prizes will be part of the presentation.

Those signing up for the clinic on Friday at the Show will be given a complimentary re-admission pass to enter the Show on Saturday for the clinic.
 

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. His seminars are extremely informative, whether you are someone just starting out or a long time veteran on the water. Frank will be delivering the following Clinic:

Lower Niagara River Fall/Winter Trout Clinic Saturday, January 20th – 5 – 7 pm | $20 Fee | Ball Room A

*A ticket is required and can be purchased online thru this site or in person at the Show ticket Booth at the entrance.

As the seasons begin to change in Western New York, there are captains like Frank Campbell who get excited about the Lower Niagara River trout fishery every fall and winter. Capt. Frank, with Niagara Region Charters, has been plying these waters for over 25 years – fine tuning has approach for one of the premier fall and winter trout fisheries in the country. For this particular Clinic, Campbell will share his insight through this special classroom setting. Of course, you can also take it a step further and reinforce your learning with some special on-water classroom instruction Jan. 18-22 with Campbell or any one of the other professional captains who will be assisting in this effort. Canadian anglers will also be able to benefit, using this same information in their own waters.

Utilizing one of the Conference and Event Center’s seminar rooms, Campbell will give in-depth details and instructions that will help make you more successful on the water. At the same time, it will afford you the opportunity to ask those questions you have always wondered about. Some of Campbell’s focus will be on:

• The type of terminal tackle needed under the varying conditions.
• Learn about the right rods, reels and lines to use (and buy) in relation to the fish and bait.
• Not all eggs are created equal. Find out why.
• How and why to cure your eggs.
• Artificial eggs (beads, yarn flies, etc.).
• Using live bait and how to tweak it to catch more fish.
• The three-way rig.
• Plugs – different types and best color combinations for conditions.
• What areas of the river you need to choose under certain weather conditions.
• What are the best steelhead drifts? Where are the best areas for monster browns? Is Artpark the only area to pursue lake trout?
• Newest tips and tactics that are working right now.
• Learn what we were catching along with how and why during the Expo trips being offered.
• Safety precautions for anyone fishing in the lower river.

Attendees of the Clinic will also receive samples of some of the products being talked about. You do not have to participate in the on-water educational trip to attend the Clinic. If you are seeking knowledge on lower river fishing, this is one session you won’t want to miss. It will help you extend your fishing season every year, too.

Mark McClutchey

Mark McClutchey

Salmon Tournament & Derby Winning Tactics Clinic

Sunday, January 21st – 10am – 11:30 am | Ball Room B

Free Tickets to the first 100 who sign up at the Anglers Avenue booth #153

Captain Mark McClutchey owns and operates Diabolical Sportfishing, a Great Lakes fishing charter service based in Northern Michigan.  Captain Mark and his Diabolical teammates are fresh off of winning the biggest Great Lakes Salmon Tournament payout ever, $70,000 for the King of Kings Tournament this past July out of Toronto. They have won numerous other salmon tournaments across the Great Lakes, including the Salmon Showdown TV series, Lake Michigan’s Tournament Trail, and back-to-back winners of Lake Ontario’s Wilson Harbor Salmon Slam. Captain Mark, along with Diabolical Teammate Captain Dan Lasky, represented the USA at Trollmaster Bornholm 2017, one of the world’s largest international salmon tournaments held each year in the Baltic Sea.  Captain Mark also manufactures tournament grade cut bait rigs through his company Diabolical Custom Tackle. 

Captain Mark specializes in fishing cut bait rigs for Salmon. He will share the techniques he utilizes to fish cut bait rigs in Lake Ontario that has allowed him to be so quickly successful in a new lake to him. He will go thru in depth the key details of his program including how he tunes his bait (with underwater video). Russell Gahagan, another excellent tournament fishermen, owner of Anglers Avenue Pro Shop and sponsor of this Clinic will be assisting Mark. Russell is known throughout the Trout & Salmon community as an innovator due to the custom color combinations that he has come up with over the years that become the hot baits year after year. Russell will review what he expects will be some of the hottest combinations for 2018. If you are a Lake Ontario Angler who wants to be more productive catching big Kings on in 2018, you will want to make sure you get a ticket for a seat in this clinic.  

Those signing up for the clinic on Friday or Saturday at the Show will be given a complimentary re-admission pass to enter the Show on Sunday for the clinic.
 

Dan Colville

Dan Colville

Dan Colville is one of the leading Center Pin Float Fishing Anglers in the Great Lakes. He will be delivering the following Clinic:

Center Pin Float Fishing Techniques Clinic

Sunday, January 21st – 1pm-3pm | Ball Room A

Free Tickets to the first 100 who sign up at the Blood Run booth # 44

Dan Colville, owner and designer of Colville Precision Reels in Buffalo NY shares his decades of experience on Center Pin float fishing for steelhead and salmon. Center Pin float fishing for tributary steelhead and salmon is quickly becoming the most effective method of covering water and finding active fish. Small details and subtle techniques can spell the difference between a so-so and lights-out days, and Dan Colville will cover all aspects of this exciting and productive style of fishing. From reading water currents, breaks, coloration to matching with floats, lines, leaders, rods, hooks and bait presentations...everything will be covered. Be prepared to ask questions, take notes and receive some free terminal tackle and promotional giveaways from Blood Run Tackle, the leader in float fishing gear

Those signing up for the clinic on Friday or Saturday at the Show will be given a complimentary re-admission pass to enter the Show on Saturday for the clinic.

Combining Lead Core & Copper Trolling Spreads for Lake Erie Walleye Clinic

Combining Lead Core & Copper Trolling Spreads for Lake Erie Walleye Clinic

Friday, January 19th – 4pm – 5:30pm | Ballroom A

Capt Don Ruppert and 1st mate Scott Wind own and operate WaveTamer Sportfishing and have Charter and Tournament fished for over 20 years. Their fishing regions are expansive but 80% of their focus is on walleye fishing throughout Lake Erie. The team has been working with many key manufacturing groups for many years within the sport fishing industry to further develop products and techniques to increase the success rates of catching walleyes. These include Okuma, Offshore Trolling Products, Raymarine, Mustad, Yaleye Lures and several others. These efforts provide successful charter trips every year and consistent tournament finishes year after year.

Captain Don will offer a deep dive into the details about some new techniques on how to integrate Lead Core and Copper lines with Custom Downrigger spreads for Trophy Lake Erie walleye. His presentation will include underwater footage showing Walleye reacting to different presentations. He will also go thru how he successfully incorporate light weight plastic harnesses into a crankbait spread along details specific of lures choices and what position they are placed within the spread.

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.

LOTSA Salmon School

Attention Great Lakes Salmon Fishermen! On Saturday, January 20, 2018 the Lake Ontario Trout & Salmon Association (LOTSA) is proud to (once again) host its well-known in-depth Salmon School. This highly acclaimed school, now in its 11thyear, has become the premier Salmon School anywhere in the Great Lakes. What started out as a local event 10 years ago now sees many diehard salmon anglers from across the Great Lakes and Canada attending. The School, coupled with all of the trout and salmon exhibitors at the Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo, makes this a “must attend” three-day winter event for many.

The School consists of six hours of detailed instruction taught by three expert captains and this year they are:

Capt. Captain Richard Hajecki (Crazy Yankee Sportfishing out of the ports of Oak Orchard, Wilson & Rochester NY); Capt. Greg Amiel (Fishing 4 Tails guiding service out of multiple Canadian Lake Ontario ports and Capt. Jason Coslow (KC-1 Sport Fishing out of numerous eastern Lake Michigan ports).

Salmon School Registration

The registration price includes free admission to the Greater Niagara Fishing and Outdoor Expo on Saturday and Sunday, your 2018 LOTSA Membership, 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, it is a terrific value and a great way to start your 2018 season. Where else would you want to be in the Great Lakes on a 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? Doors open at 7:30 for check in and the class runs from 8:30 to 3:30.

The School sells out every year as many of the attendees come back year after year which is the ultimate testimony to the value of attending the school. Signups will be available through the LOTSA web site (www.LOTSA1.Org"). Early signups are encouraged to give the instructors enough time to build the curriculum for the desired topics and so that you are guaranteed a seat to avoid being left out in the cold.

*SOLD OUT*

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 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.

Captain Richard Hajecki

Captain Richard Hajecki

Captain Richard Hajecki has been fishing Lake Ontario for 30 years. His father introduced him and his brother, Captain Craig Hajecki, to salmon and trout fishing when they were just six or seven years old. The addiction took hold and Captain Richard became the household alarm clock every weekend of the season! Captain Richard started out fishing the ESLO Derby, which changed hands and became the LOC Derby with family and friends. Around 2004, the Hajecki family decided to give tournaments a try on the amateur side, and they had some success. In 2007, they switched over to the Pro side of tournament fishing and they won their first event - the Orleans County Pro-Am! Since then Captain Richard has led team Yankee Troller to 10 tournament wins, 36 Top 5 placings, and 16 Top 10 placings since 2007. Each season he participates in tournaments held in both countries and on both ends of Lake Ontario. One of Captain Richard’s biggest accomplishments was in 2013 when he led team Yankee Troller onto winning the Lake Ontario Challenge Cup Championship. When Captain Richard isn’t tournament fishing he is chartering under his business Crazy Yankee Sportfishing. He is generally the first boat in during late March as he probes the waters off Rochester for Spring Brown Trout. Around May 1st he can be found off the Niagara Bar catching Spring King Salmon out of the Port of Wilson. Once the West end tournaments are over he heads back to the Port he calls home at Pt. Breeze on the Oak Orchard River. You can follow Captain Richard’s fishing reports on his blog as well as his business’s Facebook page – Crazy Yankee Sportfishing. He is sponsored by Cannon Downriggers | Humminbird Electronics | Bay Rat Lures | Dreamweaver Lures | A-TOM-MIK Manufacturing | Daiwa Rods and Reels | Smart Troll | FishUSA | McCoy Fishing Line | Familiar Bite | Under Armour.

Greg Amiel

Greg Amiel

Greg Amiel is a 44 year old Richmond Hill, Ontario resident, owner of Fishing 4 Tails guiding service. As a Multi-Species Pro Angling Specialist, Greg fishes on average 150 days a year on the water. His character is driven to fish, with always wanting to gain more knowledge in a better bite, new techniques and figuring out daily fish patterns. Greg has won many tournaments and derbies throughout Lake Ontario for salmon and other species in the past 10 years. Greg and his family currently hold 11 IGFA World Records.

Greg targets fish of all species from musky to salmon in his surrounding waters. Ontario is a goldmine in terms of the many lakes and multi species all within a couple hours drive. With his salt water background, he is able to apply many different strategies, to increase his odds in tournaments and keeping his clients busy reeling in fish. He is able to teach anglers various techniques with his broad knowledge of seasonal patterns, lunar phases, water quality, baitfish movement and the when and where of fishing. He is sponsored by Lund, Mercury, Scotty, Gibbs Delta, Smooth Moves Seats, Shimano, J.B.'s Fishing Depot, Off Shore Tackle and Wack 'M Tackle.

Jason Coslow

Jason Coslow

Jason Coslow has been chasing salmon and trout in Michigan waters (rivers, streams and Lake Michigan) since he was old enough to hold a fishing pole. His addiction to tournament fishing started over 20 years ago and he has become one of the most successful and most respected captains on the Tournament Trail. Jason is a charter captain and leads one of the winningest teams, KC-1, on Lake Michigan. He is well known by his clients as a great teacher that will take the time to share his knowledge and experience with anyone who asks. Lastly, Jason and his team took the title of Salmon Showdown Broadcast Champions in 2016.

The Salmon School 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. As the Great Lakes continue to change and become a much more challenging fishery, knowledge is often the difference between having a couple of bites or having steady bites throughout the day.

The LOTSA Salmon School is a custom class built from the input from the attendees on what is most important to them to cover. It is not an “off the shelf” class for the masses. Each attendee will have the opportunity to submit their top three topics that they want to have covered in the class. The instructors will then use this input to customize the curriculum to cover these particular areas.

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, Fillet Away Fish Mats, have a great new product that every angler who fillets fish will want to see.in action. Captain Tim Thomas will review the product during the filleting demonstration and will be offering show discounts along with free giveaways of the Mats to session attendees. 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.