Charter fishing trips catch on
Anglers don't mind paying their way as an alternative to boat ownership
Fishing charter captains throughout the Buffalo-Niagara region took stock of the nation's economy and wondered if this would be the year their businesses sprung a leak. It hasn't happened. Instead of enduring a decline, some local captains are filling their appointment books well into the summer as fishermen look for alternative ways to maximize their experience and minimize costs.
"We were all thinking, "Is this going to be the year where things start to taper off?'" said captain Joe Cinelli of Grand Island. ""Are we going to see people start to sit on the wallets a little more?' But that has just not been the case. We raised our prices a little bit last year and the year before because of the fuel prices, thinking that might scare people away but it just didn't. Last year was one of the busiest years that we've ever had. ... Right now we're turning people away. It's just that busy for us."
Angola captain Jim Hanley, who counts baseball stars (Wade Boggs), rock stars (Ted Nugent) and fishing stars (Bill Dance) among his past Northeast Outdoors clients, is experiencing the same intense demand.
"Last year was probably one of my busiest years and this year I was booked for the entire month of May," Hanley said. "June and July is starting to fill up."
However, Mark McGranahan of Tonawanda, operator of Sparky's Charter and Guide Service, says it's been more business as usual rather than business gone wild.
"It's been OK," he said. "It could always be better. I think that a lot of the customer base is out of town, which is fine, but people out of town have a better idea of what goes on around here than the locals do."
Cinelli's clientele demographic backs up McGranahan's claim.
"Twenty percent of my business is local business, and the rest comes from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and we get an awful big draw from the New Jersey area as well," he said.
Typically local charter excursions cost $325-$350 for six to seven hours for two fishermen, $400 and up with three clients in the boat. Cinelli and Hanley theorize that a downtrodden economy and upwardly mobile gasoline prices have fishermen looking to land more bang for their recreational buck.
"I think what's happening is people are not buying their boats anymore, or [they're] getting rid of their boats, and instead of the expense of making boat payments, insurance payments, gas and everything else, they're taking like one or two trips a year," Hanley said. "I have one guy who goes with me three or four times a year because he got rid of his boat, didn't want the hassle of going out and not catching fish. So it's cheaper for him in the long run to hire me for a few times, be on fish, not have to take the boat home."
"I have local customers who did exactly that," Cinelli said. "[They're saying] "I own my own boat. I've only gone out a couple times the last year. I'm paying money for storage. I'm paying money to have it pulled out. I got to find a place to put it and go through the hassle of having to load up all the gear and do everything. It's just easier for me to hire you for the couple days I'm going to go out. You know where you're going. You got all the equipment. I just have to get in the boat and go fishing.'"
McGranahan sees the logic.
"I never thought about it that way but if I didn't own a boat I would certainly just use a guide because the bottom line is we got the boat and the equipment and you step on and you step off, and all it costs you is a little bit of money," he said. "But compared to what a boat costs to run, I mean, even when you own a boat, every day it's something with them. It is a strong point."
The allure of Buffalo-Niagara fishing is its diversity, it's extended calendar, and a reputation that's wedded to them both. Aside from the deepest depths of winter, there's a fish to seek.
"We're really in an ideal spot," McGranahan said. "We're within two of the Great Lakes, so you got a cold water fishery in Ontario for salmon and trout, and Lake Erie of course is one of the finest smallmouth bass lakes in the entire country. Throw in some walleyes and you got yourself a little bit for everybody."
"Bass right now," Hanley said. "Come beginning of June I'll start doing bass and walleye. Believe it or not, I've even started to do some perch trips. The perch runs the last two-three years have been phenomenal. Guys will come along and catch a cooler-full of perch, which is probably the best eating of all of them. And big ones too. I mean 12-15 inch perch."
Says Cinelli: "I have a lot of customers that steelhead fish in the winter time that are getting older because I've been doing it for 25 years where they're like, "You know, we just don't like the cold anymore, what have you got where we can come up and wear T-shirts?'
"Our walleye fishing the last four-five years, it seems like every year gets better. We don't have to troll for them anymore, we're drift fishing for them and I've had customers who have been loyal steelhead fishermen for years in the lower Niagara River and now you get them up for a couple days of walleye fishing, and it's a lot of fun. They go out and they don't have to worry about frostbite, just a little bit of sunburn."
Economic woes on the water? For sure. Leisure boat sales throughout the United States dropped 30 percent in 2008. The National Marine Manufacturers Association forecasts another 20 percent decline this year. But it seems the waters of Erie, Ontario and the Niagara River aren't reflective of the times.
"I hate to say that the charter business is recession proof," Cinelli said. "But I'm telling you, over the last several years we really haven't been affected by the economy. If anything it's helped."
Location of charters mentioned
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