Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 10/12 – 10/18/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  This past week on the water was ABUSIVE, with wind and cold temperatures limiting our options almost daily. Still, it’s a testament to the region and my clients that we had solid action throughout.  The smallmouth bite in the upper and lower Niagara was consistent, we put together a nice box of walleyes on Lake Erie with some lake trout in the mix, and despite tough conditions, good times were had daily. Well, one day of nasty weather finally forced me off the water, and after 14 days straight, I wasn’t complaining. Through it all, my clients were game for the adventure, and we made the most of what Mother Nature gave us.

Days on the water: 6

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Erie, Upper Niagara, Lower Niagara, Lake Ontario

What we caught:  smallmouth bass, king salmon, walleye, lake trout

Tactics:  casting finesse baits; drifting live bait and skein; trolling spoons

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

10/12/2026 – Danny and Jen Day 2

While we were wrapping up our smalljaw session the day prior, Danny mentioned that if conditions allowed us to target something different the following day, they’d be up for an adventure. I suggested lakers and walleyes. Aside from the fact that catching both in the same session is awesome, it would shave about an hour and a half off their commute back to Ohio. Both said that sounded like a blast.

So, we met at Barcelona Harbor, NY, and went for it. In typical fall fashion, the lake forecast was off—Lake Erie was rolling out there, far bigger than predicted. Nothing too crazy, but it wasn’t comfortable.

After hunting for a bit, we got into some lakers, mostly small ones. Walleyes were fairly consistent throughout the morning. As the day went on, the lake got bigger and bigger, and the current was raging. Before I knew it, we were well on our way to Dunkirk. Not wanting to get too far from Barci, I pulled the lines and made our way back.

That ride was a wild one. By the time we got in line with the harbor, I asked Danny and Jen if they wanted to keep fishing in those conditions. I told them I was totally down but wouldn’t be upset if they wanted to call it a half day. Fairly weary from what we’d endured up to that point, we made our way in.

Memories made, plus a box full of walleyes.

10/13/2026 – Let’s Go For It!

Fished the Lower Niagara and Upper Niagara with Larry, Jim, and Tom. This trio has fished with me for years and is always a riot—lots of ball-busting and trash-talking. I aspire to be that way with my friends when I get to their age, lol.

When I spoke with Larry the afternoon prior, I mentioned that it was going to be a tough outing. We’d be dealing with a huge south wind that would have the current raging.  IN other words, I gave them an out.  However, I followed that up by telling him that if they wanted to go for it, I was confident we’d do well. They were all in.

This is as good a place as any to mention that Larry likes to use his own rod and reel whenever possible. He’s got a Zebco Bullet spincast reel mounted on an Ugly Stik. I’ve made fun of him for using it in the past—you know, being a grown man and all. However, for some unknown reason, he excels with that rod compared to mine, so I allow it.

Anyway, despite the wind, we did very well, landing A LOT of smallies, including some nice ones.

10/14/2026 – Steve and Zan Day 1

Fished the Lower Niagara and Upper Niagara with Steve and Zan. We spent a couple of hours casting crankbaits and fishing skein for kings to no avail. So, we went downstream to see what we could make happen despite a consistent NW wind. Unfortunately, the bass bite downstream was a grind.

I moved to the Upper Niagara and covered some ground. The bite was picky there, too, but we closed out the day with a few nice fish.

10/15/2026 – Steve and Zan Day 2   

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY, with Steve and Zan. Conditions were about as good as you could ask for—partly cloudy skies, slightly stained water, and a nice chop on the lake. We should’ve done well. Instead, it was a grind. I’m still scratching my head over this one.

We marked fish everywhere we went, but all we caught were small ones. Despite the cold, a steady NE wind, and a tough bite, the guys stayed in good spirits and gave it their all until we called it a day.

Days like this sting. You put in the effort, the guys are great, the conditions look good, and the fish just don’t cooperate. After a decade of chartering, a day like this still bothers me as much as it did when I started. That said, I’m thankful to have spent it with guys who understand that sometimes, that’s just how fishing goes.

10/16/2026 – Weather Day

Facing a huge SW wind and consistent rain, I opted to reschedule my trip for the day. I took the time to run errands and hit the gym. After 14 days straight, I was happy to spend a day off the water.

 Maybe I’m getting old, but I don’t remember getting this beat up by the weather in the fall. My memory is likely flawed, but the conditions I fished through over the prior two weeks felt more abusive than any stretch I can remember from previous falls.

You might notice in my pictures that I fished the same beat more than a handful of times. I covered a ton of water and didn’t spend much time in any one area, but in my defense, my options were limited.

I’ve mentioned this in previous reports, but no matter how wild the weather gets this time of year (within reason—I get it, that’s subjective, but the Warrior can take it), there’s always somewhere to tuck away. Unfortunately, I had to “tuck away” almost every day.

Anyway, all that abuse from the wind had me exhausted.  I forced a gym session—mainly to see how much it affected me.  I figured out that taking 2 weeks off of training at my age hurts.  Gotta re-balance

10/17/2026 – Greg and Tanner Day 1

Fished the Lower Niagara and Upper Niagara with Greg and Tanner. After six years of fishing with me, these guys have seen it all—insane bass sessions, as many walleyes as they wanted, kings through tempests, beautiful weather, and absolute grinds in horrendous conditions. Bottom line, they don’t cancel. They go for it no matter what, and it’s always a blast.

I called Greg a couple of days prior to let him know it was going to be another adventure and to dress for the worst. They’ve been in this situation before and were well prepared.

We faced 40-degree temps and a STIFF N wind that cut right through you. When that’s the hand you’re dealt around here, options are limited. We made the best of it, as per usual.  

10/18/2026 – Greg and Tanner (plus Nicki) Day 2

Fished the Upper Niagara with Greg, Tanner, and Tanner’s girlfriend, Nicki. As I mentioned above, these guys have been fishing with me for years. Nicki almost always comes up with them, but usually stays at the hotel to relax. Finally, the guys got her to join us, and I’m glad they did. We had a blast!

“Sometimes it’s a rock. Sometimes it’s a fish. If you’re lucky, it’s a potluck.” — Best line of the day, courtesy of Nicki. She’s not an angler, but she kept up with the guys and landed the biggest fish of the day. Of course—women outfish dudes every outing.

The photos say it all. It was an awesome session.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 10/19/2026 – 10/25/2026

I hesitate to comment on this in case I jinx it, but the forecast for this week looks wonderful. Wind, precipitation, and temperatures all look mild. It’ll likely be peak fall foliage, too. Get outside and enjoy it.

WNY weather is chaotic this time of year, but things eventually revert to the mean. What I mean by that is three-plus weeks of abusive weather is an anomaly. That trend always ends, and when it does, it’s usually followed by a long stretch of stable weather. If the forecast holds, that’s what we have in store.

I’m booked daily, and all my clients are solid. Unless something changes, I’ve got another seven-day stretch ahead, with plans to fish everything from Erie to Ontario at least once.

Stay tuned!

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 10/05 – 10/11/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  I want to send a huge thank you out to my clients from this past week-they fished through conditions that would keep most anglers inside. Wind made for challenging conditions, but we found ways to get it done across Lake Erie, the Upper and Lower Niagara, and the Lake Ontario Bar. The bass bite was excellent, including some giant smallmouth in rough conditions, while the walleye bite was tougher than expected despite plenty of fish and bait around. We also had a few shots at kings and got into some giant lakers. Fall fishing is in full swing, and there’s plenty to keep us busy.

Days on the water: 7

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Erie, Upper Niagara, Lower Niagara, Lake Ontario

What we caught:  smallmouth bass, king salmon, walleye, lake trout

Tactics:  casting finesse baits; drifting live bait and skein; trolling spoons

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

10/05/2026 – Rick and Von Day 1

Fished the Lower Niagara and Upper Niagara with Rick and Von. These guys have been fishing with me for a long time now and always crush it—they set the boat record for numbers of smallmouth last spring.

Facing a STIFF NW wind, the plan was to stay in the river and tuck out of it as best we could… except for one spot.

We spent about an hour and a half fishing for salmon in “the Hole” but didn’t get one. Then, we ventured to the Lake Ontario Bar. Consistent 5’+ waves greeted us, and I couldn’t have been happier to see them.

When it gets huge out there, the bass bite is incredible. It’s a roller coaster ride, but if you have the right constitution and can endure the chaos, you’ll be rewarded—and we were.

We hammered out there, landing numerous giants. We followed that up with a little recon on the Upper Niagara, where we caught a TON—mostly smaller fish, though.

Awesome Day 1 with these guys.

10/06/2026 – Rick and Von Day 2

Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with Rick and Von. After an awesome, albeit physically demanding, bass session, the guys wanted to try for some Lake Erie gold. I was all about it—I hadn’t fished walleyes in weeks, before the big temperature drop, and wanted to see what was going on out there.

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of walleyes and the amount of bait out there. I’ve never seen so many clouds of bait on Lake Erie. To my dismay, it was tough getting those walleyes to bite. We put our limit together, but the pace was nothing like it was during the summer.

Was I rusty? Doubtful. I know my baits were crossing numerous fish. Maybe, with the temperature drop and the presence of all that bait, they need to eat less, and what’s available to them is MORE than adequate to keep them satiated.

It was weird. We’d go long periods without a bite, and then they’d fire. If you failed to capitalize on that window (i.e., dropped a fish), you’d have to wait a long time for the next one.

We did everything we could and worked our asses off to put a box together. From what I hear from the old timers, that’s what walleye fishing used to be like.  I’m not going to say that I enjoyed getting humbled by those fish, but the sensation had me intrigued if I could pull off a better outcome on a session later in the season. 

10/07/2026 – Frank, Walt, and Oliver Day 1

Fished the Lower Niagara with Frank, Walt, and Oliver.  We started the day off with a couple hours in “the Hole” targeting kings.  We made a few connections. 

We followed that up with an excellent bass session down river.  Awesome first day of their trip.  

10/08/2026 – Frank, Walt, an Oliver Day 2   

Fished the Lower Niagara and Upper Niagara with Frank, Walt, and Oliver. The day prior, Oliver was the only one who didn’t connect with a king, so the guys wanted to give it another shot for a couple of hours in the morning. Unfortunately, they didn’t connect.

Wanting to cover some new water with the crew, we migrated to the Upper. We had an absolutely wild session up there. Facing huge SW winds, we were confined to only a handful of areas. Thankfully, there were PLENTY of fish around.

Awesome session.

10/09/2026 – Frank, Walt, and Oliver Day 3

Fished Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara with Frank, Walt, and Oliver. Again, wanting to fish a new area with the crew, we opted to hunt giants on Lake Erie. Unfortunately, we didn’t connect with any biggies before the wind kicked up. Facing increasingly large waves, we retreated to the shelter of the river and repeated what we did the day prior.

These guys were in town for three days, and every one of those days, the weather was inhospitable, to say the least. Wind nearly wrecked our plans daily. However, that’s what’s awesome about the Buffalo Niagara region in the fall. There’s always somewhere to get out of the worst of it and have a good time. I’m thankful these guys were ready and willing to endure a little hardship—it paid off.

10/10/2026 – Back to Barci

Fished Lake Erie out of Barcelona Harbor, NY, with Don, Colby, and Tanner. Tanner reached out back in the summer looking for a unique fall angling experience. I offered him what I think is one of the best times on the water in October—catching giant lakers and walleyes at the same time. He didn’t take much convincing.

It took me a little while to find the lakers, but once I got on them, the action was consistent. We spent a couple of hours catching these beasts, with the occasional walleye mixed in. With sore arms, the guys asked if we could switch over to walleyes, so that’s what we did.

The walleye bite was similar to what I experienced on Tuesday. There was plenty of bait and fish around, but the bite came in flurries. We connected with plenty over a couple of hours, but didn’t get our 24. That was a little heartbreaking, but considering we only spent a couple of hours getting after it, everyone was happy with the result.

10/11/2026 – Danny and Jen Day 1

Fished the Lower Niagara with Danny and Jen, who were in town for their 30th wedding anniversary. When Danny called me, he asked if we could target smallmouth bass. I told him not to tempt me with a good time—fall ‘jaws are my favorite pursuit. Since they were in town for a couple of days and staying in Lewiston, NY, I decided to fish the Lower on Day 1.

This couple was an absolute blast to spend time on the water with. We caught a ton of bass and traded married-couple stories all day. There was never a dull moment.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 10/12/2026 – 10/18/2026

Thanks to some hearty clients, I was able to fish seven days this past week despite the wind forcing many anglers off the water. That trend will continue this week.

Strong winds, rain, and temperatures near freezing are all in the forecast. Thankfully, I have more hardcore anglers ready to go. I’m booked daily and ready to fish—we’ll see what happens.

If all goes well, I’ll fish Lake Erie, the Upper, the Lower, and Lake Ontario, targeting bass, walleyes, lakers, and kings.

Stay tuned!

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 09/28 – 10/04/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  This week was a bit of a transition, both personally and on the water. I came home from vacation in a rather unpleasant fashion, then spent the week getting a feel for the changes brought on by Lake Erie’s temperature drop. The Lower and Upper Niagara both produced some solid bass sessions throughout the week. There was also a great opportunity to talk fishing from an anthropological perspective and some much-needed downtime before finishing the week with a couple of family-focused trips.  Weather is increasingly becoming a factor—it’s October folks.  There are a lot of hardcore anglers on the docket poised for chaos.  Time to get after it!

Days on the water: 5

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Erie, Upper Niagara, Lower Niagara

What we caught:  smallmouth bass

Tactics:  casting finesse baits; drifting live bait

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

09/28/2026 – Hellish Vacation Ender

I was supposed to fly home from my bro Brian’s house in Richmond, VA. That didn’t happen.

I boarded the plane in Richmond and sat on the runway for close to two hours. My connecting flight—LaGuardia, NYC—was in the center of that “Nor’easter” that hit the Northeast. Apparently, there were too many planes grounded on the runway, so there’d be nowhere for us to land.

I’m not sure why it took two hours to tell us that, but… anyway, we weren’t going to depart anytime soon.

That messed up my connection. The next available flight was at 9:30 PM. Fearing that would get canceled, too, I opted to get a refund for my flight, rent a car, and drive home. I had a free day with National, so I used it.

And yeah, I drove 9.5 hours home.

I’ve done the drive from Fredericksburg, Quantico, and Woodbridge too many times. It’s very painful. This drive? Add another 1.5 hours to the pain.

I got home at 11:14 PM.

09/29/2026 – Back at It

Fished the Lower Niagara and Upper Niagara with Scott, Brian, and Rich. Since it was my first day back from vacation, I wanted to cover a lot of water to get a sense of what I’d missed.

While I was gone, consistent NE winds caused Lake Erie to flip. The water temperature on our side of Lake Erie dropped over 10 degrees. Our fish tolerate some wild swings in temperature very well, but no cold-blooded creature reacts positively to that kind of temperature drop.

So, covering water is what we did. I wasn’t thrilled with the result. We caught fish, but it wasn’t on fire by a long shot. Maybe it was just an off day. Maybe they’re still settling into the colder temperatures. Maybe I was off my game.

Anyway, it felt good to be back out there—albeit a little frustrating at times. Great company, though!

09/30/2026 – Charity Tournament

Fished the Lower Niagara for Frank Campbell as one of 15 boats participating in a charity tournament supporting Casting for Dreams. I fished with Stan, Stan Jr., and Jim. The bass bite was OK—we caught a lot of fish, but MANY small ones.

I fished with these guys last year and was happy we were able to fish together again. They’re a blast to spend time on the water with. Non-stop conversation.

10/01/2026 – Anthropology and Fishing   

Fished the Upper Niagara with Sedonna, an anthropology PhD candidate at UCLA. She’s working on a project that’s trying to better understand anglers and angling across cultures—motivations, behavior, ethics, morality, conservation, etc. She’s been fishing with guides around the country and interviewing (and fishing with) them. I was her latest interview.

As those of you who fish with me know, all you need to do is introduce a topic, pull my string, and I’ll go for hours. Sedonna was a blast to talk with—and she knows her way around a rod and reel!

We caught many. Here are a couple photos of the bigger fish she caught.

10/02/2026 – Day Off

The clients I had scheduled for this day had to reschedule. It was just as well—it rained all morning, and I needed the time to sleep in. After driving 9.5 hours on Monday and getting only a handful of hours of sleep, followed by crappy sleep and a busy schedule for a few days, rest was in order.

So, I slept in, went to the gym, did laundry, cleaned the boat, did a tackle inventory—you know, the basics.

It felt great to recharge.

10/03/2026 – Back at it with Kristina and Crew

Fished the Lower Niagara with Kristina, Matt, and Dave. I’ve been fishing with this crew for a few years now. In that time, Kristina has lost nearly half her body weight. It’s been an awesome transformation to see, and I’m proud of what she’s accomplished. She’s all smiles these days, and I always have a blast with whoever joins her.

We tried kings in Devils Hole for a couple of hours. There were 15, sometimes more, boats up there. It almost felt like the twenty-teens, when the salmon bite used to be good.

I saw four or five connections to salmon during that period.  I’ll say this much—it’s certainly possible to have an awesome session targetting salmon on the Lower right now. However, your timing would have to be perfect. In other words, there’s a lot of luck involved. You could go up to “the Hole” and find that a fresh pod of fish just stopped there to rest…and there are only a couple of boats around. If that happens, you’ll slay. You could also go up there and find that very few are in there, plus there’s a dozen boats…and that doesn’t change for hours.

Bottom line, if you really want to connect with a king on the Lower Niagara, you have to be willing to grind. Something awesome will likely happen over the course of a day, but plan on putting in work to make that happen.

Enough of that rant.

Wanting to bend rods, we went bass fishing. They did very well. The sun was out, the weather was gorgeous, and the bass wanted to play.

10/04/2026 – Family Session

Fished the Lower Niagara with Bill, Jim, and Anna. I followed that up with another trip, this time with Bill, Brooke, and Matt. This warrants some explanation.

Last spring, Brooke and Anna, Bill’s daughters, purchased him a gift certificate to fish with me. Wanting to fish with both his daughters, plus Jim and Brooke’s husband, Matt, Bill asked me if I would be willing to do two half-day trips. I said yes, and that the Lower Niagara would be perfect for that.

The morning session was excellent—calm conditions and sunny skies. Action was consistent, and we had a blast.

I returned to the dock to pick up the second crew, and on my way downstream, I noticed some rain coming in from the west. The wind picked up, the clouds rolled in, it rained for a few minutes, and everything changed.

We caught fish, but it was a grind compared to the morning. Still, we had fun, and it was great getting Bill together with his daughters for the day.  

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 10/05/2026 – 10/11/2026

We are in the thick of the fall pattern right now. Just a few weeks ago, I was able to fish seven days a week without weather being much of a consideration. That’s over. It’s that time of year when weather cancellations become a reality, and enduring a little bit of pain for big rewards becomes a couple-times-per-week situation. This upcoming week is no different.

Wind will be problematic a few of the days. The good thing about this time of year is that regardless of the wind, there’s always a place to fish where you can tuck out of the worst of it and still expect excellent action. That’ll surely happen this upcoming week.

I’m booked daily. I intend to spend time on Lake Erie, the Upper Niagara, the Lower Niagara and MAYBE Lake Ontario. I hope Mother Nature gives me the windows I need to make that happen.

Either way, expect to see some more bass action, some Lake Erie gold, and possibly a king or two.

Stay tuned!

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 09/14 – 09/20/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: This week had a little bit of everything—big Lake Erie waves, excellent walleye and lake trout action, some good smallmouth fishing, and a trip back to the Lower Niagara. I also continued experimenting with the laker/walleye program out of Barcelona, including some excellent jigging. There were plenty of firsts for clients this week, along with some memorable fish and good conversations. One cancellation finally ended the September streak, but it gave me a chance to get some boat maintenance done and hit the gym.  The Autumnal equinox is upon us folks, let the fall insanity begin. 

Days on the water: 6

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Erie, Lower Niagara

What we caught:  lake trout, walleye, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum

Tactics:  trolling worm harnesses, spoons, and stickbaits; casting finesse baits; vertical jigging; drifting live bait

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

09/14/2026 – Gold Mining Continues

Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with Mike and Mike, in town from Florida and Michigan. This father/son duo made the trip to the Buffalo-Niagara region to check out the Falls and do a little fishing. They wanted enough walleyes for a family fish fry that evening, and I told them I was confident we’d make that happen.

The lake was bigger than expected once we left the protection of the Catt. There was a stiff N wind blowing and consistent 1–3’ waves rolling out there. After a few minutes, Mike (the dad) remarked that he’d never been on the water in waves that big. He seemed somewhat excited about that idea. I replied that I do it all the time—it’s my favorite way to fish.

Weirdly, the bite started off super slow. We only landed a few fish in the first 45 minutes or so. There were plenty on the sonar, but only a handful of bites.

Then—chaos ensued, and we went on a tear.

Before we got our limit, the waves started to lay down. I proposed that we jig the last six fish, and the pace of that bite was just as fast as it had been earlier.  The calmer conditions also let us chat for a while and trade stories.  Conversation flowed and we caught fish throughout.  Awesome trip with great folks!

09/15/2026 – Day 1 with John and Friends

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with John, Paul, and Ken. The target was smallmouth bass, and we had near-perfect conditions for it—stiff wind out of the SE with just the right amount of chop.

We started in deep water, but the guys were having a hard time detecting bottom through the wind and waves cutting through the braided line. So, I made the move to shallower locations, and we got into them at a steady pace.

Numbers were excellent. Size was OK. Fun day getting out there in the waves, and we had the lake to ourselves. 

09/16/2026 – Day 2 with John and Friends

Fished Lake Erie out of Barcelona Harbor, NY with John, Paul, and Ken.  We started off targeting lake trout—that bite was excellent.  However, we didn’t land many big fish.  After wearing out the arms a little bit, we converted to walleye fishing.

We started off pulling worm harnesses for them.  That bite, as per usual, was consistent.  After we got close to our limit, we converted to jigging and closed out the day strong. 

After 2 days on the water, there were a lot of firsts for this crew.  John has been fishing with me for years and has caught everything there is to catch around here.  However, Paul caught his first bass and laker (and many more).  Ken caught his first walleye.  All had a blast and I’m thankful Mother Nature gave us good enough conditions to pull it all off.

09/17/2026 – Ernie Calandrelli Assist

Fished the Lower Niagara out of Fort Niagara with Turk, Chris, and Eugene. This was part of a multi-boat trip for Ernie Calandrelli. The goal was our limit of walleyes, so we got after it.

The crew was an absolute blast—conversation and ball busting flowed all morning long. Oh yeah, they landed some giants, too. It was the biggest box of nine walleyes I’ve ever put together.

I don’t spend much time on the Lower this time of year, as Erie commands my time and interest. Over the years—and this changes as the fishery changes—I’ve developed an annual pattern that works for me.

Folks always ask me what my favorite fish is to target or where I like to fish most around here. My favorite fish is a smallmouth bass—casting finesse baits for them is my favorite thing to do. However, I couldn’t—or wouldn’t—want to do that daily. My best response to the question is that variety is the spice of life for me. I like change.

I’ll be spending a lot of time on the Lower in the upcoming months. It’s showing signs of awesomeness already.

09/18/2026 – Choose Your Own Adventure

Fished Lake Erie out of Barcelona Harbor, NY with Dan, Jeff, and Brian. I fished with Dan and Jeff back in June—we landed our limit of walleyes and went bassing afterward. The day before this trip, I asked Dan what he wanted to do.

He said that he and Jeff still had some walleyes left over from the last trip, so they were interested in trying something new—with the caveat that it would be nice if we could get some walleyes, as Brian wanted to take a few home. My response was that I had just the itinerary: meet me at Barci and we’ll go giant hunting.

There was some BIG chop caused by ENE winds so the ride to the fish was adventurous to say the least.  The lake trout bite was ridiculous. We had at least four doubles and caught countless more. As I mentioned in last week’s post, I’m super careful with these fish and only take pictures sparingly in favor of keeping them wet and alive. Below is a small sample of what happened.

For all of them, these were the biggest fish they’d ever caught. After a few hours of this, with worn-out arms, we pivoted to walleye fishing. We jigged a couple and pulled harnesses for the rest.

Another awesome session out of Barci.

09/19/2026 – If it Ain’t Broke…

Fished Lake Erie out of Barcelona Harbor, NY with Jonathan, Darryl, and Zach. I fished with Jon and Zach for the first time back in April. That was a brutal day of bassing. The action was excellent, but the wind, rain, and cold froze our hands and caused us to end early. It was so cold that Jonathan couldn’t get his hand into his pockets to grab his wallet at the end of the day. I recommended that they book another day when it was warmer and that I’d take them on a different adventure.

So, we met at Barci and executed the laker/walleye multispecies program I’ve been doing lately. It was a gorgeous morning—light chop from an ENE wind, partly cloudy, and temperatures in the 60s. The laker bite was consistent. After a couple of hours, sore arms welcomed a change to walleyes.

The Waldo bite was OK—about a six-fish-per-hour pace. A lot of the fish were on the skinny side. There was no shortage of fish around, but for some reason, they were a little picky. Take that with a grain of salt, though—I’m comparing it to a summer of slaughter sessions.

It was a great day—a lot of firsts for the crew, plus biggest fish ever caught.

Making memories!

09/20/2026 – Sickness Cancellation

I was supposed to take out a father/son duo today.  However, the son called me the afternoon prior to tell me he’d been fighting a nasty flu all week and hadn’t recovered from it enough to enjoy a day on the water.  So, my September streak came to an end. I used the day off to detail the boat and hit the gym. 

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 09/21/2026 – 09/27/2026

I’ll be out of town next week—taking a trip to VA to visit my bro Brian. We’ll likely fish Smith Mountain Reservoir and maybe some of the Shenandoah National Park creeks. It’ll be nice to take a small break before fall insanity gets into full swing.

The mornings have been chilly of late, and some of the sunrises have been incredible. Wind is a near-daily consideration. Every day that passes, I can feel anxiousness building around me (and internally if I’m honest). It’s hard to describe, but you can feel it when you’re outside every day. Anyway, my fall schedule is packed, and things are about to get really wild.  Stay tuned. 

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 09/07 – 09/13/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report: This week had a nice mix of family fishing, experimentation, and some excellent Lake Erie action. The walleye bite remains strong, and I’ve been spending more time experimenting with jigging, which looks like it will become part of the program. The lake trout action was especially good out of Barcelona, including some first-time deep-water jigging, and the fish were consistently healthy and robust. A few trips also provided the kind of time on the water that makes this job rewarding beyond just catching fish.

Days on the water: 6

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Erie

What we caught:  lake trout, walleye, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum

Tactics:  trolling worm harnesses, casting finesse baits, vertical jigging, drifting live bait

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

09/07/2026 – Labor Day Fish Fry

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Dylan and Colton. These boys are the sons of two of my closest friends. About a month ago, we planned a multi-family fish fry for Labor Day, with the boys and I responsible for harvesting the main ingredient that morning and bringing it home for a fresh-from-the-lake meal.

It was a gorgeous day—dead calm on the lake. We ran far offshore and got into fish almost immediately.  Everything was chunky. The walleyes hanging around the mid-60s seem to be eating a lot of perch, and that diet is making them thick and healthy.

We had an excellent meal that night, thanks in large part to the boys’ efforts on the water. They got plenty of high praise from the family.  It felt good catching dinner and eating it with a bunch of people you care about.

09/08/2026 – Poking Around with the Whisperer and Captain America

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with the Whisperer and Captain America. These guys fish with me often, and their freezers are already packed with walleye fillets. So, instead of adding to the stash, the goal for the day was to jig exclusively and see what happened.

When we set up, there was a light offshore breeze that had us drifting just under 1 mph. That allowed us to cover some water, and we started catching fish almost immediately. Then the wind died, the drift disappeared, and things turned into a grind.

A lot of folks have been jigging for walleyes lately to add a little challenge and, more importantly, get a better fight out of these deep-water fish. I’ve been hesitant to incorporate it into my program because what I’ve been doing is very effective—and I’m used to it.

But after fishing most of the summer one way, September is a good time to experiment, and I must admit—I’m sold. With the right conditions, jigging is an awesome way to catch deep-water walleyes. It’ll be part of the walleye program from here on out.

No pictures taken—all “eater” sized fish caught. 

09/09/2026 – Day Off

I wasn’t booked and the weather was kind of nasty – wind, waves, and rain.  So, I stayed off the water, hit the gym, and relaxed.  

09/10/2026 – Enjoying the Weather with the Whisperer

Fished Lake Erie out of Sturgeon Point with the Whisperer. My walleye supply was looking a little lean, and the Whisperer wanted to get out and enjoy a nice day on the water before heading off on a little vacation.

Quick aside—what exactly is “vacation” when you’re retired? There’s gotta be another word for it. A trip, maybe? Anyway, we decided to make a day of it.

We started off jigging and picked up a couple, but the fish weren’t stacked nearly well enough to make jigging particularly productive. So, we went back to my normal program and proceeded to hammer them.

No pictures. 

09/11/2026 – Back to Barci

Fished Lake Erie out of Barcelona Harbor, NY with Steve and Dan. I fished with these brothers for the first time back in March, when we ground out a day on the Lower Niagara in frigid temperatures. During that trip, they mentioned wanting to get into some big lake trout. I told them September on Lake Erie was an excellent time to make that happen.

It was a gorgeous day—calm, sunny, and not too hot. We got into lake trout immediately.  As soon as I sent the first rigger down, it got bit before I could even send the second one down. It was a frantic bite, and both brothers landed some quality fish within the first hour.

Feeling satisfied and confident, Steve asked if we could try jigging a few. I told him I’d never jigged for lakers in water this deep, but figured, why not—let’s give it a shot.

I joined them, and it wasn’t long before I hooked one. The brothers did the same, and we even had a few walleyes mixed in.

If you’ve been reading my reports for a while, you know I get giddy when I get to try something new—whether it’s a technique, a location, or just some goofy idea that might work. This was a lot of fun, and I’m thankful Steve and Dan were willing to give it a shot.

A quick note on targeting lake trout this time of year: It’s a blast, but unless you’re keeping fish, you need to be careful with them. These fish are coming up from below the thermocline—from roughly 50-degree water into 75-degree water—and they’re very stressed by the time you get them to the net.

Don’t muscle them up. Take your time and keep them in the water, even while unhooking them. If you want a picture, take it straight from the net, which should still be in the water. Quick snap, back into the water. The whole process should take less than 20 seconds.

Do that and they’ll swim away strong. Don’t, and there’s a good chance they’ll float away—and you’ve needlessly killed a fish that’s older than at least half the people reading this

09/12/2026 – Where’s Larry and Waldo

Fished Lake Erie out of Barcelona Harbor, NY with Owen, Jim, and Matthew. I’ve been fishing with Owen for at least six years. Until this day, we’d done just about everything that can be done around here—except Lake Erie lakers. So, that was the mission. Well, that, and Owen had a powerful lust for some Lake Erie gold.

There was a stronger-than-expected offshore wind kicking up waves big enough to occasionally roll over the stern. However, the lake trout were in a frenzy, and we did very well for the first couple of hours. Owen generously landed all the small fish and allowed Jim and Matthew to fight the bigger ones. Weirdly, we didn’t connect with any giants, but the numbers were excellent.

Feeling satisfied with the laker session, we converted to gold mining. That bite was surprisingly grindy compared to recent sessions. However, I likely feel that way after being spoiled by so many “quick box” sessions throughout the summer.

Quick side note: Matthew is a senior in college. He’s a late bloomer to angling but has become a huge fan of it. Everything he caught was bigger than anything he’d ever caught before. I love being part of memories like that.

09/13/2026 – Getting Deep – Mentally and Physically

Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with long-time clients and friends Matt, Natalie, and Rich. I’ve been fishing with Matt and Nat for over six years now, and we’ve gone on many different missions around the region. This time, Matt wanted to mine some Lake Erie gold, so we got after it.

The lake was WAY bigger than forecasted. Although it slowed us down getting into position, it didn’t hurt the bite at all. We absolutely hammered.

After boxing our limit, we hunted smalljaws for a bit. Unfortunately, that was a total dud. Not sure why. We marked plenty, but had few takers.

When I fish with Matt and Nat, conversations run wild. We cover everything from music, history, movies, and books to whatever else comes up. We got so deep into conversation today that time flew by.

Good times as usual.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 09/14/2026 – 09/20/2026

The forecast has been so incredibly inaccurate lately that I hesitate to comment on it. But, since that’s what this section is all about, I’ll say this: if it’s even close to accurate, it’s going to be an incredible week. Wind will rarely be a factor, and rain will be intermittent at worst. In short, every day should be fishable.

I’m booked daily and hope to execute all those trips. The plan is to fish out of Buffalo, the Catt, Barci, and the Lower.  I’ve been on a nice tear lately, and I’m looking forward to maintaining it.

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 08/31 – 09/06/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  This week was another chaotic one—some excellent fishing, some ugly weather, a lot of bouncing around, and a little wrench-turning in between. The walleyes continue to cooperate, including a first-ever walleye for a couple young anglers, while the smallmouth action is picking up. A couple of weather-related disruptions forced some improvisation, but there were plenty of good days on the water, including a pair of productive Buffalo trips over Labor Day weekend. Summer is coming to a close – I’m ready for the change.

Days on the water: 5

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Erie,Lower Niagara

What we caught:  walleye, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum

Tactics:  trolling worm harnesses, casting finesse baits, drifting live bait

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

08/31/2026 – Back to the Catt    

Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover with Ryan, Ayden, and Hayden. I’ve been fishing with Ryan and Ayden for a couple of years, but this was Hayden’s first trip with me. He’d never caught a walleye and had been looking forward to changing that.

As has become the norm lately, the forecast was questionable. The wind and waves weren’t terrible, but the lake was rolling, and intermittent rain occasionally turned into downpours. It didn’t matter much—the guys were hearty and stayed engaged through the worst of it, landing fish throughout. 

The bite was consistent all morning. Ayden landed the biggest fish, while Hayden caught the most—including his first-ever walleye. I was stoked for him to check that species off his list…and then some.

It also felt good to be back at the Catt. Not much has changed since my last trip out of here a week ago. The fish have moved a little deeper, but otherwise, it’s was business as usual.

09/01/2026 – Maintenance Day

I had this day blocked for engine and gear oil changes for my main engine and kicker.  Fall insanity is right around the corner so I wanted them to be fresh for all the action

09/02/2026 – Dodging Chaos

Fished the Lower Niagara with new clients Dale, Adam, and Bucky. Dale called me the night before and explained that they were supposed to fish out of Dunkirk the following day, but their captain had cancelled because the forecast called for torrential rain, thunderstorms, and big wind. He was hoping I might be available and wondered if I could get them out on the river. Thankfully, I wasn’t booked.

I told him we’d have to keep an eye on the forecast, but we could tentatively meet in Lewiston around 8:00 AM and see what happened. As I drove over the escarpment, the sky was nearly black. Large thunderheads blanketed the horizon. Chaos was imminent.

I met Dale in the parking lot while I was prepping the boat. We chatted for a minute before I felt the first couple drops of rain. We agreed it was probably smart to wait a bit and see what happened. Moments later, the sky opened up and chaos ensued.

Rain came down in sheets and the wind howled. I sat in Dale’s truck with him just to get acquainted, but we could barely hear each other over the noise of the wind and pelting rain.

Then, as quickly as it arrived, it was over.  We saw a window and took advantage of it.

The bite, unfortunately, was lackluster. We caught a lot of small bass—a younger year class than I’ve ever seen down there. While I was happy to see so many young fish around (it’s a good sign of successful spawns), catching small bass isn’t exactly the experience I want my clients to have.

Still, we made lemonade and at least got on the water rather than sitting around inside all day. I’m sure I’ll see these guys again.

09/03/2026 – Fun Family Outing

Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with Lauren, Jason, and Joe. Lauren booked the trip for Joe, a young and enthusiastic angler who also happens to love eating fish. On the way out to the lake, I told him he was in for a real treat—he was going to catch a LOT of walleyes and leave with enough fish to keep him supplied through the winter. He already had a few recipes picked out and was looking forward to putting them to use.

As promised, the family hammered fish all morning. Joe caught the bulk of them, but Lauren wasn’t far behind. Everyone had a blast, and so did I.

It’s always great seeing a family genuinely enjoying their time together on the water. This was one of those trips that was just fun from start to finish.  I’m sure I’ll see them again.

09/04/2026 – Last Minute Cancellation

Had a trip on the docket but received a text early morning the day prior that one of the crew was running a high fever so they needed to cancel.  

09/05/2026 – Back to Bassing

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo with new clients Josh, Doug, and Mark. The goal was to put the guys on some biggie smalls, so that’s exactly what we set out to do.

It was a gorgeous day—no wind, mild temperatures, and scattered clouds. Perfect conditions for fishing, but unfortunately it was also Labor Day weekend, which meant everyone with a boat was out there enjoying their final summer weekend on the water. In other words, it was a zoo.

I did my best to avoid the crowds, but there was only so much dodging I could do. We had fun nonetheless. The crew was competitive, everyone managed to put a few tankers in the boat, and we even had a couple of personal bests mixed in.

Not a bad way to spend the last big weekend of summer.

09/06/2026 – Where’s Waldo

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Chris, Roman, and Tino. Chris and the boys had a hankering for some Lake Erie gold.

Currently, launching from Hanover, NY is the best play for a short run to the fish if you live around Buffalo, NY.  However, with it being Labor Day weekend and the weather looking perfect, I had visions of long lines, crowded ramps, and an even longer wait at the cleaning station. So, I decided to launch from Buffalo and make the long run offshore instead.

It was a beautiful morning and the lake was flat. We were in the zone in about 30 minutes and started looking for Waldo.  The bite was a little slow at first, but it steadily improved as the morning went on. We had our limit in the boat after a few hours and headed back in.

The best part? There was nobody around us all morning—and when we got back, the cleaning station was a ghost town.

Sometimes the long run is worth it.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 09/07/2026 – 09/13/2026

The forecast for this week is calling for more chaos, albeit with a little respite from what we’ve been seeing lately. Other than Wednesday and Thursday, which look pretty dicey with big wind and rain, the rest of the week looks pretty good.

The docket is a little light this week. Thankfully, the only two days I don’t have booked are Wednesday and Thursday, which I probably would’ve had to reschedule anyway.

Walleyes and bass will continue to be the targets, but I’m planning on doing a fair amount of bouncing around. If all goes well, I’ll fish out of Barcelona, the Catt, Buffalo, and Lewiston this week. It’s that time of year when I start getting the itch to shake things up and see how the fall is developing around the region.  Stay tuned!

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 08/24 – 08/30/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  Another week of mixed weather and conditions, but plenty of good fishing when we could get on the water. The walleyes and bass continue to cooperate, although wind and waves dictated where and when we could fish on several days. There was also some downtime and a meaningful reminder that there’s a lot more to this job than simply catching fish. We finished the week with some great family time on the water—a fitting way to wrap up August.

Days on the water: 5

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Erie,Lower Niagara

What we caught:  walleye, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum

Tactics:  trolling worm harnesses, casting finesse baits, drifting live bait

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

08/24/2026 – Whispering and Assassinating    

Fished the Lower Niagara with the Whisperer and the Silent Assassin.  Remember, these guys never cancel. So, with the potential for rain and big WNW winds—and a small craft advisory on Lake Erie—we opted to fish the Lower Niagara instead.

In a rare turn of events, the Whisperer—who is definitely not a bass guy—absolutely hammered the ‘jaws. Don’t get me wrong, the Assassin caught more than a handful himself, but none of them met the standards required for a photo.

After a fruitful bass session, we switched over to walleyes for a couple of hours. We landed a few, including a nice one caught by the Assassin.  Unfortunately, I somehow managed to drop it before handing it over for a photo.

This is an extremely rare occurrence. I attribute it to the cocky and lackadaisical attitude toward walleyes that I’ve developed after landing well over a thousand of them so far this summer.  It won’t happen again.  Well…anytime soon, anyway. LOL.

08/25/2026 – Happy Belated Father’s Day

Fished a half-day trip on Lake Erie out of Buffalo with Tom and his twin daughters, Alexis and Alyssa. The girls had purchased the trip for Tom as a Father’s Day gift, and the family was excited to spend some time together on the water—it had been a long time since they’d last done so.

The lake was fairly big to start. Southwest rollers left over from the day before were colliding with northwest winds, making for some interesting conditions. When facing situations like this, I leave the protection of the harbor walls, motor out a bit, cut the engine, and let everyone get a feel for the conditions.

I gave them a choice – fish though sporty conditions on the lake, or head to the river.  Everyone looked around and said they were down for an adventure.  Music to my ears.

Within five minutes, Alexis and Alyssa doubled up, and the action continued throughout the session. We caught plenty of fish, laughed a lot, and had an excellent morning on the water.

Father/daughter trips are some of my favorites. They’re almost always lighthearted, relaxed, and a lot of fun—and this one was no different.  I’m looking forward to seeing them again.

08/26/2026 – Paying Our Respects

I spent the front half of the day detailing my boat in preparation for the evening ahead—spreading the ashes of my friend and colleague, Hans Mann, on Lake Erie.

That evening, a small group of captains and members of Hans’ family departed from Sturgeon Point and made their way out to “the line,” where we said our final goodbyes and spread his ashes.

I’ve avoided talking much about Hans’ passing in these reports. For some reason, writing about it here has felt a little selfish.  But the truth is, I owe a lot to that man.

Hans was always there for me.  When I needed someone to bounce ideas off of, trade knowledge with, ask for advice, or simply vent about captain stuff, he made time to talk. He was a mountain—both in stature and personality—and his presence was impossible to miss.

I miss him.  It’s not the same out there without him.

08/27 – 8/28/2026 – Men Arise/Thumbs Up Assist

Fished for walleyes out of Sturgeon Point as part of a large group of captains organized by Joe Fonzi of Thumbs Up Guide Service. Together, we took more than 170 men fishing over two days. The guys were part of an organization called Men Arise, which focuses on equipping men in mind, body, and spirit.

The plan was straightforward: starting at 9:00 AM, each boat would take four guys out for three hours, return to the harbor, swap groups, and do it again.

Mother Nature had other ideas.

Day 1 started with 2–4 foot waves, and the conditions quickly took their toll. About half the boats didn’t last long—seasickness and general discomfort sent them back to the harbor. Those of us who made it through the first session didn’t catch much. The waves made it difficult to get offshore to where the fish were, and as the lake continued to build, we eventually had to scrap the second half of the day altogether.

Day 2 was much better. It was still rough first thing, but we were able to get farther offshore and, as a result, found more fish. By late morning, the waves settled down enough that the second group was able to put together a good box.

I didn’t take any photos. It was just super busy work from start to finish.

I will say this, though: there are plenty of fish off Sturgeon Point. The problem is that you need to get offshore quite a ways to find a consistent bite. Given that, you’d be better off launching somewhere else.

08/29/2026 – Last Minute Cancellation

Had a trip on the docket but received a text at 4:30AM from the guy I was supposed to fish with stating that he had a nasty sore throat and was fighting a cold and needed to cancel. So, I went to the gym, cleaned the boat, and enjoyed the rest of the day off with my daughter. 

08/30/2026 – Father and Son Session  

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo with Steve and his son, Charlie, who is 8 years old. I’ve been fishing with Steve since before Charlie was born. If you’ve been reading these reports for the past couple of years, you probably recognize him. We usually fish together a day or two in the spring and fall, chasing salmon and trout.

For the past couple of years, Steve has asked me what age I think is best to get a kid on a charter. It’s a good question. I’ve taken kids as young as four, and I’ve fished with plenty of five-year-olds. The problem is that kids between four and eight can be wildly different in their ability to spend several hours on the water. Strength, patience, curiosity, and attention span are all over the place at that age. Some are an absolute blast to fish with. Others become a burden to their parents and don’t last very long.

Eight-year-olds, in my experience, are almost always capable of making it through a full session and getting something out of the experience.

Charlie was a perfect example. He was patient, curious, excited, strong, and focused—and Steve has clearly taught him well. He fought every fish like a champ, and despite sporadic rain throughout the day, he never complained once.

The fishing itself was a little grindy. We had enough action to keep the anticipation high, but it certainly wasn’t on fire. Most of the fish were on the smaller side, with one notable exception: Charlie hauled in a 10+ pound drum.

Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos—Steve handled that responsibility. But that’s okay. I was too busy watching Charlie outfish his father.

Not a bad way to spend your first charter.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 08/31/2026 – 09/06/2026

It looks like the chilly mornings will continue throughout the week. Rain may make things uncomfortable from time to time, but nothing looks prohibitive. Thankfully, wind shouldn’t be much of a factor either, aside from perhaps a little on Tuesday and Wednesday.

School starts here on Tuesday, tourism season is all but wrapped up, and many freezers are already full of walleye meat. In other words, we’re entering the transition month.

For all of those reasons, September has always been one of the tougher months for me to fill with bookings. The fishing should remain excellent, but the number of anglers looking to get on the water is about to drop precipitously.

I’m booked most days this week, but not all of them. I’ll be using some of that extra time to work on a little project I’ve been developing for next summer.  Think multi-day event, excellent lodging, incredible food, and plenty of good times.  More to come as it develops.

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 08/17 – 08/23/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  This was one of those weeks where I somehow managed to fish but spent an unfortunate amount of time dealing with everything required to make fishing possible. Between trailer hubs, truck brakes, thunderstorms, and small craft advisories, maintenance and weather kept me off the water more than I would’ve liked. The time I did spend on the water was worthwhile, though—from a deep-water chrome hunt out of Barcelona that turned into another easy walleye limit, to an Upper Niagara tour for a visiting angler from the UK, and a father who endured an absolutely miserable bout of seasickness so his son could keep catching fish. Not exactly the busiest week on the water, but definitely one with plenty of stories.

Days on the water: 4

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Erie,Upper Niagara

What we caught:  walleye, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum

Tactics:  trolling worm harnesses, casting finesse baits, drifting live bait

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

08/17/2026 – “You’re a Good Dad, Trevor”

Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with new clients Trevor, Matt, and Trevor’s son, Brody.  Northwest winds kicked in earlier—and stronger—than expected. It wasn’t huge out there, but it was a washing machine. The northwest wind was colliding with southwest rollers left over from the day before. When the wind makes a quick change and waves from the new direction collide with waves from the previous direction at a 90-degree angle, things can get messy.

The boat was listing side to side and front to back. It’s an unsettling motion and almost guaranteed to trigger seasickness if you’re susceptible to it.  About 30 minutes into the trip, Trevor looked at me and said, “Ryan, random question: What do you do if you have to throw up?”  My heart sank.

The vomiting began shortly afterward—and didn’t stop.  Brody and Matt were doing fine, although Brody did throw up once before recovering completely. Trevor, however, was in rough shape. Still, with his son catching fish and having a good time, he told me he’d battle through.

Thankfully, the fish cooperated at a rapid rate, and we were able to catch our limit and get back to land so Trevor could finally recover.  That’s a good father—willing to endure a whole lot of misery so his son could catch some fish.

08/18/2026 – Checking in on the Lower

Fished a half-day trip on the Lower Niagara with Brian and his son, Issac.  It was a grind in nearly every zone except for one. We caught a lot of bass, although all but a couple were small. Issac is new to fishing, and while he enjoyed fighting them, he wasn’t particularly interested in holding them for photos.

I struggle with situations like this. I’ve had a few kids lately who don’t want to hold the fish they catch. I’m very happy their parents are getting them out on the water, but, in my mind, holding a fish is part of the fishing experience.  So, when a kid refuses, I always wonder what they’re there for.

I usually try to encourage them by showing them how I handle the fish and explaining that there’s nothing to worry about. At the same time, every kid (and parent) has his or her own pace. There’s a balance between encouraging them to step outside their comfort zone and turning the experience into something stressful.

Issac made some progress.  Hopefully, I’ll see him again and we can work on it a little more.

08/19/2026 – Maintenance Day

I’ve mentioned before that this is the “Year of the Trailer.” This is my 11th year chartering, and up until this season, I’d never had an issue with a boat trailer. I’ll be honest—when buddies had problems with theirs, I often found myself thinking, What the hell are they doing to those things?  Well…I get it now.  I’ve had issue after issue with mine this year, and it’s been incredibly frustrating.

It’s weird to think about, but rarely is the boat itself—the actual fishing platform—the problem. The greatest vulnerabilities are the main engine, the trolling motor, and the trailer. They all carry nearly equal weight when it comes to your ability to fish. If one of those things goes down, you ain’t fishing.

Anyway, when I pulled the boat out of the water the day prior, I noticed grease bubbling out around 3 of the hubs. Clearly, that wasn’t normal. So, I called Dr. Trailer in Tonawanda, and he was able to get me in right away.

It turns out the manufacturer had overfilled the hubs with grease. For context, all the hubs were newly replaced during the work I had done back in mid-June.

I’m not going to get technical about what happened next—because, as many of you now know, I tend to break things when I have tools in my hands. All I know is that Dr. Trailer inspected everything, installed new caps, and called me to let me know the trailer was good to go.

Another crisis avoided – but I lost a day of fishing.  It would’ve been a tough session dodging thunderstorms anyway.   

08/20/2026 – Whispering and Assassinating    

Fished Lake Erie out of Barcelona, NY with the Whisperer and the Silent Assassin. The plan was to find some steelhead first, then finish the day by getting our limit of ‘eyes.

Why Barcelona? It’s the New York launch closest to deep water. My hypothesis was that if we were going to find steelhead, we’d have to go deep—really deep. Over 130 feet, where there would be plenty of cold water for them to hold.  So, that’s where we went.

After a couple of hours of fishing, we caught plenty of lake trout and a few walleyes, but no steelhead. Eventually, we gave up the chrome chase and converted to gold.  Rod-in-hand game.  We caught our limit with ease.

It felt good to fish out of Barci again. The last couple of years, the Whisperer and I made our first walleye pilgrimage of the season out of there in early June. This year, the walleyes moved in close to Buffalo early, so we never made the trip.

It ended up being a downright enjoyable session. Despite some big-ish waves, the bite was consistent, the air was cool enough that I wore a jacket for most of the day, and the wind kept the bugs away.

Relaxing fishing, good company, and a box full of gold.

08/21/2026 – Another Unplanned Maintenance Day

After dropping off the Whisperer and the Assassin the day before, I started hearing a harsh grinding noise coming from the front wheels of my truck.

Going back to my earlier commentary about maintenance, I forgot to mention one pretty important piece of the equation: the truck. I guess it’s obvious, but it’s often understated. If you want to get the boat on the water, the truck is just as important as everything else.

When you’re trying to maximize your time on the water, maintenance of all these big assets becomes a significant part of the operation. You can schedule preventative maintenance (and I do)—oil changes, recommended outboard service, the 1,000-hour service, and so on—but that means setting aside days when you could otherwise be chartering and earning.

Then there’s the stuff you can’t schedule. Flat tires—I’ve already had one this year, on the trailer of course—and deteriorating brakes just pop up, especially when you’re running as many trips as I do.

Fortunately, Certified Auto Brokers, where I buy my vehicles, was able to get me in quickly. Although I had the truck’s brakes replaced last year, I spent close to nine months towing the boat while the trailer’s brakes weren’t functional. That put a lot of additional stress on the truck brakes.

So…yet another charter canceled because of emergent maintenance.

At this point, I can’t think of much else that could go wrong this year. Other than an accident on the water or on the road—which, admittedly, probably shouldn’t even have been said out loud. 

Lately, I’ve spent quite a bit of time thinking about boat and vehicle depreciation curves overlaid with maintenance costs throughout the ownership cycle. Non-sexy business operations stuff, but important nonetheless.

I’ll publish my conclusions at the end of the year.

08/22/2026 – Returning the Favor

Fished the Upper Niagara with Jaime—my wife’s cousin’s daughter’s fiancé. You get all that?

He was in town for my wife’s sister’s daughter’s wedding. In short, my niece. A large contingent from the UK came over for the ceremony, and Jaime was among them.

My wife, daughter, and I visited my wife’s family in the UK in the summer of ’24, and that’s when I first met Jaime. He’s an angler, and when he found out I wanted to fish while we were there, he was stoked to help me chalk up the UK.  So, naturally, he put me on carp.

This time, it was my turn to return the favor.  With a bass tournament making Buffalo off-limits and a tight timeline—we had to be at the wedding by 3:00 PM—I decided to give Jaime the grand tour of the Upper Niagara. We hit some reliable zones, explored a few new ones, and caught fish throughout the morning.

It wasn’t on fire, but that hardly mattered.  Jaime’s mind was blown.

8/23/2026 – Weather Day

Scattered thunderstorms and a small craft advisory forced me to reschedule my trip. 

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 08/24/2026 – 08/30/2026

This week looks more like fall than summer.  Day-time highs will be cool – staying below the mid-70s with lows in the 50s.  If the forecast holds, rain and big wind/waves will make the front part of the week difficult to get on the lake(s).  However, the back half of the week looks wonderful.

I’m booked daily, but I might miss a day due to weather – hopefully not.  Walleyes on Erie will continue to be the main focus but I’ll do a little bassing out there too.  I’ll check in on the Lower and Upper at least once.

Stay tuned!

FINAL REMINDER

This is the last time I’ll annoy you with this notice.  If you haven’t booked your fall trip yet, now’s the time to get in touch.

I only have a couple days open in September, and it’s one of my favorite months of the year. The crowds begin to thin out, the weather is often outstanding, and both the walleye and smallmouth bass fishing can be exceptional.

I don’t have much left in October, only a couple days at the end of the month —another fantastic month for walleyes and smallmouth. On top of that, there’s a chance to target fall-run king salmon and giant Lake Erie lake trout.

Finally, I have a handful of openings in November, which coincides with the peak of the fall trout spawning run. No matter which month you choose, fall offers some of the best fishing of the year and plenty of opportunities to get after it.

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 08/10 – 08/16/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  Another 7 straight days on the water, folks, with a little bit of everything thrown into the mix. The walleye bite remained ridiculous, with limits coming easily most days despite crowded launches, dead-calm conditions, and a few questionable forecasts. Smallmouth cooperated when the conditions were right, including one particularly wild day of Warrior weather. We had some memorable moments along the way—a birthday trip, an 8-year-old catching his biggest fish and out-fishing Dad and Grandpa, a long-time neighbor finally getting his first walleye trip, and a newly engaged couple overcoming a stolen-passport fiasco just to make it to the boat. Throw in a few last-minute opportunities and a couple of weather-related curveballs, and it was another week full of good fishing, good people, and good times!

Days on the water: 7

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Erie,Upper Niagara

What we caught:  walleye, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum

Tactics:  trolling worm harnesses, casting finesse baits, drifting live bait

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

08/10/2026 – Getting one Over on the Meteorologist   

Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with Fritz and Craig.  Fritz has been fishing with me for years. He usually comes to town in the spring and fall with his childhood friends, Mike and Tom. This time, he and Craig were passing through Western New York on their way home from a stay at Craig’s family cabin in Georgian Bay. Fritz figured he’d reach out and see if I could get them on some walleyes. I happened to have an opening, so it worked out perfectly.

In the days leading up to the trip, the forecast looked ugly—rain, scattered thunderstorms, and strong winds. To make things even more dramatic, NOAA had issued a small craft advisory for Lake Erie beginning late that morning.  It wasn’t looking good.

However, it looked like so long as we started early, we might be able to get a decent window before things deteriorated. As it turned out, that window was there—and then some.

The rain never touched us, and the wind didn’t kick up until after we were off the water. We hammered walleyes for a couple of hours before pivoting to bass fishing. The walleye action was so good that I barely had time to take photos.  The bass action was good too.

Fritz and Craig were blown away by how incredible the fishing was. I’d say we got one over on the meteorologist.

Awesome session!

08/11/2026 – Birthday Session

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with new clients Bill, Jacob, and Johnny.  It was Jacob’s birthday, and all he wanted was to go fishing. He didn’t care what we caught—he just wanted to bend some rods and have a good time. Bill, Jacob’s dad, was on board with that, but added that it would be great if we could get into some walleyes. I told him we could make that happen.

The walleye bite was grindy at first. We were seeing more drum and perch than ‘eyes, and with the lake dead calm, I didn’t want to waste the morning. I made a long run offshore to see what we could find.  We found them—and hammered.

With our limit in the box, we pivoted to bass fishing. Jacob spends a lot of time catching crawfish in the creek near his house and wanted to learn how to rig them as bait. I was happy to oblige.

Not a bad way to spend a birthday.

08/12/2026 – Thumbs Up Assist

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with A.J. and Dwayne, along with Jimmy Rores of Big Greek Charters.  Joe Fonzi of Thumbs Up Guide Service had a scheduling conflict and needed a couple of boats to step up and cover a trip. Jimmy and I were happy to fill in.

The forecast was way off—this time, NOT in our favor. Lake Erie was rolling, and it was classic Warrior weather. The guys were blown away by how well the boat handled the conditions.

As is usually the case when the waves are cranking, the fishing was excellent. The smallmouth were fired up and feeding aggressively. We caught MANY before the thunderheads started building.

This was a corporate trip focused on getting clients together and having some fun, so there wasn’t much interest in sticking around to test the weather. We called it early and headed in.

It was a blast while it lasted.

08/13/2026 – Ruined at 8 years Old

Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with Jeff, Taylor, and Max—who is 8 years old.  This was one of my favorite kinds of trips: three generations of men spending the day together on the water. There’s something pretty special about that.

As we were leaving the launch, I noticed Max was wearing gloves. I asked him why, and he told me he wasn’t comfortable holding fish. I told him that would probably change by the end of the day.  It did.

After he reeled in his first walleye, Max held it for a photo without the slightest hesitation. It was great watching him overcome that fear almost immediately.

The family proceeded to hammer walleyes throughout the morning, putting together their limit with ease. We had a nice west wind blowing, so we switched over to bass fishing—and that was excellent too.

Max proceeded to land a biggie smalls, several more bass, and a tanker walleye. By the end of the morning, the 8-year-old was out-fishing both Dad and Grandpa.  He’ll fish for many years and may never again have a day quite like the one he had at eight years old.

Awesome day!

08/14/2026 – Friday is the New Saturday

Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with Jim, Ron, and Riley.

To start, the launch was once again jammed. It was a gorgeous day—clear skies with light and variable winds. I should’ve known it was going to be a zoo.

I headed east, away from the crowds, and we proceeded to hammer immediately. Lately, the walleye action has been so good that I’ve been fishing only three rods—and I haven’t been using a net. I simply grab the leader and snatch the fish out of the water by the belly or gill plate.

Who needs a net?  It just takes longer to get the fish from the water into the box. You might be wondering, “What if you lose them?”  So what. We’ll catch another one in a couple of minutes.

Before long, the bugs came out and it got HOT and humid. Still, we put our limit of ‘eyes in the box with ease. We attempted to do a little bass fishing afterward, but that was a dud. With almost no wind, we were roasting out there and barely moving.

Friday is definitely the new Saturday.

08/15/2026 – A Day to Remember

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Cody and Sydney, who were in town from Ohio.  Sydney booked the trip as a surprise for Cody’s birthday. The night before, she surprised him with the fishing trip.  Much to her surprise, he returned the favor by surprising her with a marriage proposal.  Then the drama started.

They were staying in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and we planned to meet at 5:30 AM to beat the crowds. The forecast looked beautiful and summer is coming to a close soon – I knew it’d be a zoo out there.  Unfortunately, that’s not when we linked up.

At 4:30 AM, I received a text from Sydney: their passports had been stolen.  Apparently, someone had broken into their car and taken everything—including their passports.

They called the police to file a report.  Six hours later, the police still hadn’t shown up. At that point, I encouraged them to try crossing the border and see what happened. Worst case, customs would pull them over and they’d finally get the attention they needed.

So that’s what they did.

Meanwhile, I’d already been through half a French press of coffee when I got the original text. I was way too amped up to go back to bed, so I headed out and fished the Upper Niagara by myself. I found some fish—not a ton—but I did catch fish in a location I’ve never fished/been meaning to fish for years. 

Around noon, Sydney messaged me to say they made it across the border and were on their way.  Yes!

We ended up fishing a half-day around Buffalo for bass. It was crowded, mostly with pleasure boats, and the fishing was a little grindy—but it had its moments.

After everything they’d been through that morning, I was just happy to get them on the water and give them a chance to end a very dramatic day on a much happier note.

Oh, and congratulations again to the newly engaged couple!

08/16/2026 – Harvest with the Neighbors

Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with Tony, Mike, and Martin.  Tony is my next-door neighbor. We talk almost daily while I’m in my driveway cleaning the boat after a day of fishing. We’ve been neighbors for 10 years, yet somehow I’d never taken him walleye fishing.

A last-minute cancellation opened up a spot, so we decided to fix that.  Another 24 walleyes saw their first—and last—nightcrawler.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 08/17/2026 – 08/23/2026

Once again, the forecast for this week looks very nice.  Cool temperatures will dominate the front half – then back to heat over the weekend.  The wind might be a factor here and there – but nothing concerning.  Scattered showers will make an appearance too – but nothing prolonged. 

I’m booked daily – most will be walleye trips but as per usual, I’ll check in on the smallies too.  However, that’ll be in the river because the Turtlebox Bassmaster Open at Lake Erie starts this week. 

That tournament will make the Buffalo Safe Harbor Marina a no-go zone through the weekend.  I stopped by there on my way home today to spray down my boat and the parking lot was already jammed with lots of branded trucks and bass boat trailers.    

Stay tuned!

REMINDER

If you haven’t booked your fall trip yet, now’s the time to get in touch.

September still has plenty of availability, and it’s one of my favorite months of the year. The crowds begin to thin out, the weather is often outstanding, and both the walleye and smallmouth bass fishing can be exceptional.

I also have a few dates available in October—another fantastic month for walleyes and smallmouth. On top of that, there’s a chance to target fall-run king salmon and giant Lake Erie lake trout.

Finally, I have a handful of openings in November, which coincides with the peak of the fall trout spawning run. No matter which month you choose, fall offers some of the best fishing of the year and plenty of opportunities to get after it.

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Observations from 08/03 – 08/09/2026

Here’s our latest Buffalo NY fishing report:  This week had a little bit of everything—annual checkups, old Marine Corps connections, returning clients, last-minute trips, and three very different days with Paul and Henry. The fishing stayed strong despite some challenging conditions, including crowded water, scattered fish, thunderstorms, and some serious waves. We found plenty of walleyes, discovered some new water on the Niagara, and had excellent smallmouth action mixed in with the inevitable drum. Throw in a few personal bests, a lesson or two for the captain, and some classic Warrior weather, and it was another busy but memorable week.

Days on the water: 6

Who we fished with: friends/clients

Where we fished: Lake Erie,Upper Niagara, Lower Niagara

What we caught:  walleye, smallmouth bass, freshwater drum

Tactics:  trolling worm harnesses, casting finesse baits, drifting live bait

Detailed Reporting/Daily Observations

08/03/2026 – Medical Day  

I blocked off a day this week to knock out my annual preventative care appointments at the VA. One of the reasons I schedule them in the middle of summer is because I want my dermatologist to see me when I’m at peak sun exposure. Good news—I got a clean bill of health.

Other than wearing a sun hoodie every day on the water, I use a little zinc oxide on my nose—that’s it. After spending virtually every day outdoors from mid-March through late fall, I’ve found my skin adapts to the point where I don’t feel the need for much additional sun protection. I know that’s not the prevailing view these days, but it’s been my experience. It does strike me as unfortunate that so many of us spend so little time outdoors that we think of the sun as something to fear rather than something our bodies need exposure to.

Now for the bad news. At 48, my eyesight has apparently decided it’s time to humble me.  I also saw the optometrist this week. My long-range vision is still excellent. However, lately, I’ve noticed it’s tough for me to read the fine print in low light conditions. I just thought the fine print was getting “finer” these days. Then came the close-range vision test.

I could read every line, but that bottom one was just a little blurry.  The optometrist swapped a lens and asked, “How does it look now?” My heart sank. It was perfectly clear. I’m still in denial.

08/04/2026 – Small World

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with new clients Joel and Bennett.

On the run out of the harbor, Joel asked what I did before becoming a charter captain. I told him I was in the Marine Corps. He followed up by asking where I was stationed, and before long we realized we’d both served under the same command. He checked into the unit not long after I left. Small world.

As it turns out, Joel also knows my buddy Brian—who many of you have seen in my travel blogs—as well as several other Marines I served with over the years.

After retiring from the Corps, Joel moved back home to Buffalo to take over his father’s business. His son, Bennett, loves fishing, but catching has been a little harder to come by. Joel figured a charter might improve the odds.  It did.

The walleye bite was outstanding, and Bennett spent the morning setting “personal best” after “personal best.” The bass fishing, on the other hand, was surprisingly slow. We had to work for them, but we still managed to cap off a memorable day on the water.

08/05/2026 – I Need Some “Yellows” in my Life

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Ron.  Ron has been fishing with me for the past few years. Health issues kept him off the water for much of last season, and he told me he really missed having a stash of Lake Erie walleyes in the freezer over the winter. He wasn’t about to let that happen again.  So, we made sure it didn’t.

The walleyes cooperated, we put together a great box of fish, and Ron’s freezer will be well stocked for the months ahead.

08/06/2026 – Paul and Henry’s Annual Visit (Day 1)

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Paul and Henry.  This father/son duo has been fishing with me for three years now—always three days over the summer. Henry was only getting into fishing when they first started fishing with me. Now, at 13, he’s become an avid angler. It’s been great watching him develop over the years.

For Day 1 of their visit, we targeted walleyes. We got our limit, but it wasn’t easy. And that’s entirely on me.  I’ll admit it—I’ve been on such a long streak of getting limits by simply putting out a spread and covering water that I became complacent.

Here’s the thing about fishing out of Buffalo right now: it’s not easy. Well, not compared to the Catt, that is. There are millions of fish around Buffalo, but they aren’t all walleyes. You’ll encounter large schools of drum, white perch, and yellow perch, all of which can bog you down when you’re trying to target ‘eyes.

In other words, simply putting out a spread and covering water isn’t always the best strategy in this situation. It has worked for me every day for nearly two months, but scenarios arise—as they did on this day—where it pays to be more minimalist and work a school when you find it.  That’s how I used to fish for walleyes in years past – somehow, I buried that down and forgot to employ it as a tactic on this day.  Lesson re-learned.

08/07/2026 – Paul and Henry’s Annual Visit (Day 2)

As a rule, when I have anglers in town for more than two days, I always spend at least one of those days on the river. I think it’s important—for everyone involved—to change the scenery.

For me, it keeps me sane. It breaks up the routine and keeps me from feeling like I’m doing the same thing over and over again. For my clients, it keeps them more engaged, exposes them to the different options we have in this region, and gives them new challenges. In other words, I think it makes their trip more interesting.

The river is typically hit or miss in the summer. Weeds, boat traffic, and scattered fish can all make things difficult. Every once in a while, though, something magical happens.

We started the day on the Lower Niagara, but there was a charity tournament underway and the river was congested. We picked away at a few small bass on the bar and managed a walleye between all the boats. After about an hour, though, I’d had enough. I decided it was time to move to the Upper Niagara.

We ended up covering a lot of water and eventually settled into an area I’d never fished during the summer. We hammered.  There were plenty of fish, including some quality ones, and we had a blast figuring it out. A day on the water when I learn something new is always an awesome day for me.  Henry and Paul had a pretty good time too.

08/09/2026 – Paul and Henry’s Annual Trip (Day 3)

We delayed our start due to thunderstorms and torrential rain. The skies were dramatic—the lightning and fast-moving clouds were captivating, to say the least. Once it all passed, we made our way out in pursuit of smallies and the inevitable drum.

Henry had himself a day. He landed some quality ‘jaws, a nice white bass, MANY drum, and a walleye—a grand slam!

As the morning progressed, the waves built to consistent 2–4 footers. It was awesome out there. I even got in on the action, standing on the back deck and surfing those big waves.

I love those conditions. I call it Warrior weather. There’s something about being out there when the adrenaline is flowing, whitecaps are everywhere, and the boat is riding those big waves. Even when you’re mostly catching drum, everything screams DRAG!

Until next time, my friends!

08/09/2026 (morning) – Back to Gold Mining

Fished Lake Erie out of Hanover, NY with Mark, Ryan, and Ansley.  It was ridiculously busy, but it didn’t matter.  The action was insane as per usual.  I stretched the day out as best as possible – but we still got our limit with ease. 

The wind died off as the day went on – so the bugs came out and it got HOT and humid.  Thankfully, they were happy to get off the water and on to “necropsy time!”  Fun session with a great family. 

08/09/2026 (afternoon) – Last Minute? Why Not?

Fished Lake Erie out of Buffalo, NY with Josh, Trisha, and Josh Jr.  I was driving home from the Catt when Josh gave me a call. The family was in town from Pennsylvania to attend Bills training camp and wanted to squeeze in a little fishing before heading home. I told them they were in luck—I was getting close to Buffalo and could meet them shortly. They were staying at LECOM, so it was only a short commute to the launch. Couldn’t have worked out better.

Despite the heavy boat traffic and dead-calm conditions, the bass action was excellent. Of course, the drum came out to play too.  It was a short but very productive session, and everyone was very happy with how it worked out.

Seasonal Assessment/General Observations

Buffalo NY Fishing Report – Forecast for 08/10/2026 – 08/16/2026

The forecast for this week looks very nice.  Much cooler temperatures are supposed to set in for most of the week.  The wind might be a factor here and there – but nothing concerning – just adventurous. 

I’m booked daily – most will be walleye trips, but I’ll check in on the smallies at least a couple of times throughout the week. 

Stay tuned! 

REMINDER

If you haven’t booked your fall trip yet, now’s the time to get in touch.

September still has plenty of availability, and it’s one of my favorite months of the year. The crowds begin to thin out, the weather is often outstanding, and both the walleye and smallmouth bass fishing can be exceptional.

I also have a few dates available in October—another fantastic month for walleyes and smallmouth. On top of that, there’s a chance to target fall-run king salmon and giant Lake Erie lake trout.

Finally, I have a handful of openings in November, which coincides with the peak of the fall trout spawning run. No matter which month you choose, fall offers some of the best fishing of the year and plenty of opportunities to get after it.

Stay healthy, my friends.  Mentally and physically,

Ryan