Do you need a fishing bender? Look no further than Buffalo Niagara
We’ve had the pleasure of executing numerous fishing benders all over the country in the past couple of decades. We cataloged many of them in our Re-Discover Your Region series of short films. However, it wasn’t until a client of ours executed a bender to Buffalo Niagara that I felt compelled to capture how perfect this place is for such an undertaking.
Lee paid us a visit on a fishing bender from NYC – it was a success! He caught lake trout, walleye, steelhead, and a bonus Atlantic Salmon. What a trip!
You may be wondering what a fishing bender entails. I offer this adapted definition taken from Urban Dictionary: “A term commonly used to describe a period of time (preferably more than 24 hours) spent escaping life’s harsh realities (marriage, work, etc). Fishing hard all day, every day is a must. Anything goes.”
The original definition of the word bender involved alcohol consumption. Don’t get us wrong, we love a good beer and Buffalo Niagara is home to numerous, incredible breweries. However, pounding brews isn’t the focus of this short essay. Exploring as many angling opportunities a region has to offer in a short period is what we want you to consider.
Why Go on a Fishing Bender?
So why would one execute a fishing bender? The answer boils down to one thing – time is limited. You may have limited paid time off from work and need to maximize every day you take. Your work/life balance may be preventing you from fishing as much as you’d like. A small sliver of availability may have opened in your schedule and you’d REALLY like to spend it fishing. Whatever the case, a successful fishing bender can cure your mental and physical ailments or fill your bucket with some much needed time outside. The key word in that last sentence is, “successful.”
The Main Ingredient for a Successful Fishing Bender – LOCATION!
A good plan is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for a successful bender. There are many logistical issues for consideration before kicking it off – flights, hotels, food, rental cars, etc. Of course, you also have to consider the fishing – season, species, guides, gear required, etc. Every angler has different preferences for these things so I won’t anchor on the subject. The most important question one must answer before considering all of this is, “Where should I go?”
Since we’ve done quite a few of these before, we offer the following ingredients for a “bender convenient” location:
– Getting there should be easy. Flights should be inexpensive and of short duration. Even better if there are numerous departure/arrival times offered throughout the day.
Just an example of how affordable it is to travel between major cities. In the above cases, from NYC or Boston to Buffalo, NY
Just an example of how affordable it is to travel between major cities. In the above cases, from NYC or Boston to Buffalo, NY
– Billeting options must be convenient and diverse. From camping to 5 star hotels, the more the better to accommodate all demographics/tastes.
– Tied to the bullet above, ideally, your billeting options should be close to where you’ll be fishing. The last thing you want to do is have to put in some serious road time in the morning after arriving the night prior.
– Diverse options for food – the more the better to accommodate all tastes. It’s also optimal if the region offers something unique – like incredible chicken wings, beer, and fish frys. Check out these videos to see some examples of a solid fishing bender.
– There should be plenty of guides around that are willing to grind it out with you. It’s especially helpful if those guides can offer you some ideas of things to do off the water.
– Connected to the previous bullet – there should be something to do when you get off the water. You’ll likely be a bit tired after fishing hard all day. Although crashing in the hotel room is definitely an option, it should also be an option to do something entertaining other than sleep. Bar hopping, movies, sporting events, brewery tours, shopping, etc. – whatever interests you.
– Finally, the area should fish well all year. It doesn’t make much sense to plan a trip to a location only to find out there is intense runoff, the season is closed, it’s too cold/hot for your tastes, etc. If it fishes well year round – you’ll always have options.
Where to Look?
Your ideal fishing bender location will exhibit most if not all of these characteristics. Such locations aren’t hard to find. Think about it – every major population hub in this country became a hub for a reason. If that city is over 100 years old, chances are it’s located near a significant body of water. Back then, that source of water enabled the survival of the population and became integral for it’s economy. In many instances, that is still the case today. You’re challenge is finding the ideal spot for you. One that puts as many checks in the box as possible.
Conclusion
A fishing bender is an excellent option to just get away, take a break from normalcy, see something new, and recharge. The best bender locales are easy to get to, offer numerous options to meet your tastes, and will not break the bank. At this point, you probably predicted that I was going to conclude with notion that Buffalo Niagara is the best spot to execute a fishing bender. Well…you’re right. Buffalo Niagara has all of the above and more. Click here to see what I’m talking about. If you have that burning desire for a quick getaway – look no further. Give us a call – we’ll help you plan.
Notes from Last Week (20180325 – 20180331)
Once again, we had wind and unseasonable cold BUT the sun did poke out from the clouds on a couple of occasions. Oh yeah, and it rained! Although we received a ton of precipitation and it blew out just about every creek, we needed every bit of it. Many of the tribs were running VERY low and clear at the start of the week. Not wanting to poke around skinny water all day, we spent all of our time on the big water. The Niagara gave up some gems and rewarded us for getting outside. I’ll let the pictures tell it.
Looking plush with water
An Atlantic Salmon in the Niagara River – a rarity around here
Love that pattern on the back of a lake trout
Plan for Next Week (20180401 – 20180407)
That big dose of rain we received filled up our tribs with some much needed water. By the time of this writing, many will be coming into fishing shape. The weather forecast for this week looks cold and windy but it also looks like there will be plenty of sun. Although we’re not too stoked about the continued cold, the tribs will likely be in excellent shape all week. That’s perfect because this last push of rain likely enabled many spring run steelies to enter the tribs as well as drop backs to move around a little more freely. We’re going to spend the bulk of the week taking advantage of this. We’ll also spend a day or two on the big water – just because. Give us a call if you want to be part of this story.
