Captain Ernie Calandrelli

Ernie Calandrelli
Location: Niagara River, New York
Credentials: For 22 years, Calandrelli has been guiding clients on the Niagara River to lake trout, brown trout, and steelhead weighing up to 22 pounds.
Number of years guiding: 22
Contact: (716) 609-3064

Favorite Spinner: Mepps Aglia Long
Color: Silver
Weight: ½ oz.
Details: “Truthfully, I’ve been using these lures since I was a kid and they’ve always produced. They just catch everything, so I’ve never switched spinners. I like to run spinners off of three-way swivel rigs. I tie the main line to one eye, a four-foot leader connected to the lure on the second eye, and a sinker on a second leader to the third eye. Not only does the rig get the spinner down, but there are a lot of snags and spinners aren’t cheap. Usually all you lose is the weight if you hang up.”

Favorite Spoon: Little Cleo
Color: Nickel/Blue
Weight: ¾ oz.
Details: “Cleos are a little wider than other spoons, so they produce a slower wobble. Slow speeds catch more fish in my area, and with these lures you don’t have to rip them to achieve the right action. Getting a spoon in the zone on days when wind and current are running the same direction can be tricky. Don’t be afraid to use your trolling motor to counteract that and slow the boat down. Spoons that don’t get near the bottom won’t catch anything.”

Favorite Jig: Riptide Shad
Color: Black Pearl
Size: 2 in.
Weight: 3/8 oz. jighead
Details: “Soft plastic with kicking tails really have an advantage in faster water because the vibration they produce helps the fish feel them. That’s important when the jig is only in the zone for a short time. I rig shads on a 3/8-ounce jighead and fish them a lot for lake trout on the famed Niagara Bar. The trick for success is not to jig aggressively, but let them drift naturally. You want the jig bouncing, if not dragging, across the bottom.”

Luhr Jensen Kwikfish

Favorite Hardbait: Luhr-Jensen Kwikfish K10
Color: Silver
Size: 3 3/16 in.
Details: “Even when the fishing is very tough, Kwikfish have always produced for me. Of course, you’ve got to be able to fish them correctly, but troll one in front of a steelhead any time of year and you’re hooked up. Most guys run Kwikfish on three-way rigs, but I prefer to slide a worm sinker on the main line ahead of a barrel swivel, then tie a 10-pound fluorocarbon leader with lure to the swivel. This rig seems to hang up a lot less and gives the Kwikfish better action.”