It’s more than Fishing

You could feel the tension and excitement as I walked across the parking lot. The morning sun was just showing itself to the world as the event coordinators raced around making sure that everything went off without a hitch. I made my way down to the river bank where boats and anglers lined the docks and bay. With calm faces and nervous hands anglers frantically double and triple checked their boats, electronics, and fishing gear. Cameramen standing on the docks and in the boats captured every moment.

Everything came to a halt when the announcement was made for a prayer and moment of silence. We all bowed our heads as we prayed for the anglers to have a safe day on the water. Next up was our National Anthem. With hats off and hands on our hearts we sang along. I swelled with a feeling of pride in my country and in my little community that pulled this major event off. This event wasn’t just any fishing tournament, this was the MLF Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Title Championship. Some of the most elite anglers in the world were standing right here in little ol' Massena anxiously waiting to get the day started. Once the start command was given and the mighty horsepower of their outboard motors was released and the intake again sat in silence.

Big red tents and sponsorship banners lined the parking lot as I worked my way back to my truck. I stopped to look over the lavish trucks and trailers that sat in the parking lot. The biggest companies in the fishing industry were there and they really wanted you to know it.

As I drove away I thought to myself “ How cool would it be to do this for a living? Travel the country and get paid to fish." Just as soon as that thought came, it left with the thought of “I couldn’t imagine having to depend on my fishing skills to pay the mortgage and make sure the kids had food on the table.” As I pulled into my driveway I saw my beater kayak leaning against the garage. I decided that today would be a good day to go fishing. No stress about how many or how big the fish are, just plain old non sponsored, non stressful fishing.

I dragged my kayak into the bourbon stained water of the Grasse River and perused my tackle box. Thoughts of my grandfather ran through my head. Days spent on the Grasse River in his old row boat fishing for bass or whatever else would bite. Searching the banks for the perfect cover and picking out just the right lure in hopes of a big bite.

We didn’t wacky rig, Texas rig, walk the dog, drop shot, or Carolina rig, we just fished. We’d bounce mister twisters off the bottom, reeled in a repala, or threw a top water jitterbug towards the bank. They all worked well for what we were looking for. As I worked my way upstream I decided that a small rapala would be the first lure of the day. Long casts to the river bank and a slow retrieve back to my boat would be the tactic for the time being.

A few rock bass and a shiner seemed to enjoy it as my mind drifted back to my grandparents' camp. Memories of standing impatiently in my grandparents' bedroom doorway waiting for my Papa to wake up so we could go fishing. I’d stand there at ungodly early hours in hopes he might wake up even earlier than we had discussed the evening before. I was as excited as a child on Christmas morning waiting to open presents. After a half hour I decided to change things up a bit. Next up I decided to use a hula popper. The rather large frog-like creature hit the water with a big splash. The lure bubbled and bounced as I reeled it in. Cast after cast I was again brought back to years gone by. I reminisced about sitting with my grandfather watching Don Meissner and Bill Dance in hopes of learning some new secret trick of the trade. I would hang on every word they were saying in hopes of learning how to land a monster. A large swirl and my popper sinking below the surface brought me out of my daydream. I attempted to set the hook but missed. “Whatever it was, it was big,"I thought to myself. After several more casts I decided to change up my lure one more time. My last choice for the day would be my favorite top water lure, the jitterbug. Its shiny silver bill shined in the sunlight. Memories of fishing off my grandparents' dock, casting to the edge of the reeds in hopes that Ol' Spike, our resident small mouth, would strike in the evenings sunset came racing back to me. Carefully I selected an opening in the lily pads.

As the yellow jitterbug wobbled its way across the water’s surface, a giant splash 10’ from the river bank could be heard. The smallmouth leapt out of the water with my lure in its mouth. The drag on my reel sang as the adrenaline ran through my body.

Keeping tension on my line I kept reeling in. After what seemed like a five minute fight, I had a beautiful bass in my boat. It’s hues of gold, bronze, copper and green glowed in the sunlight. Carefully I removed the hook, thanked him for the wonderful memory and gently slid it back in the water.

With one more stroke of its tail it splashed me with water as it swam away. As I paddled my way back to the boat launch I noticed a change in the sound the water made as it brushed against my plastic haul. I swear it sounded a bit more like the water slapping against the old metal bow of my grandfather's rowboat many years ago. Pulling up to the boat launch I couldn’t help but smile as I watched a grandfather and grandson sitting on the river bank fishing together. I could hear the young boy explaining to his grandfather that the next one they caught was going to be a monster. Whether that young man grows up to be in the MLF championship or just finds peace in sitting on a river bank, a cherished memory was being made.

I bet that if you asked any of the professional anglers in the MLF tournament they could share stories like mine. With a smile on their face they could trace back memories of an old rowboat, canoe, or sitting on the banks of some river next to a campfire. I’m sure most of them had a mentor like a friend, father, mother, or grandparent that stoked the fishing flame inside of them. Even though they have worked hard to make a career out of fishing, I bet that little kid inside of them still comes out every time a fish hits their bait. Fishing is so much more than just catching fish. It’s about making memories in the outdoors.

Whether you are softly landing a dry fly on a small trout stream alone or you are doing 70 mph down the river in a bass boat with a cameraman filming every move you make, you are there because you love the sport. This passion expands from the mother and daughter casting worms to sunfish to the guy holding a million dollar check on the big stage. You don’t need the $90,000 truck and the $200,000 boat to make memories on the water. A quick trip to the local Walmart can have you all set up for under $50. The thrill and the excitement of a fish on the line is the same for everyone no matter what you are using. I encourage everyone that's ever been fishing to take a moment and reminisce about a fishing trip from your youth. Put yourself back in that place. Relive that moment with your grandfather, uncle, dad or mom. Now think about how you can help make that same memory for someone else, because we know it's not about the fishing, it's about the time spent outdoors with someone you love.

About this location:

Massena sits on the northern border of New York state and is home to three rivers that are known for some of the best fishing in the world. There is close to 10 miles of each river running through this community. The St. Lawrence River was listed as the nation's best bass fishery by Bass Master magazine in their July/August 2019 issue.

The St. Lawrence is home to 85 species of fish including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, muskies, walleyes, bull head, northern pike, perch, drum, and carp. The Massena area has four boat launches including the completely remodeled launch at the Massena Intake where the MLF Championship is taking place.

There’s also plenty of river bank fishing opportunities as most of the river bank is public access on NYPA property. Whether you have a 300HP Mercury or a small kayak, this river offers great fishing to everyone.

The Grasse River sits approximately 2 miles south of the St. Lawrence and flows through the heart of this wonderful community.

In my opinion it is very underrated and not talked about nearly enough. I grew up fishing the Grasse and I have caught bass, walleye, northern pike, as well as many panfish. I do know that it’s also home to some amazing muskies. This river’s water levels do fluctuate a lot over the year. As the snow and ice melts off in the spring it can be a raging river. By August there are sections you can walk across and not get your ankles wet. I have found ways to adapt to these changes by wade fishing with a fly rod when the levels get low.

There’s also many miles of the river just west of Massena that have perfect fishing conditions all season. Access is a bit limited in the Massena area but the Town of Louisville just west of the Massena line on State Route 37 has a wonderful “small boat” launch.

Recently they cut back some of the growth along the bank to offer better bank fishing opportunities as well. If I had to choose one river to fish in Massena it would be the Grasse. With so many great memories of fishing this river with my grandfather, I never give up a chance to fish it.

The Raquette River runs through the southern end of Massena. This river is almost never talked about but does hold a wonderful fishery as well. I don’t fish it often enough but the few times I have fished it I’ve always caught bass as well as many different panfish. Massena had two access points for this river.

One is the boat launch at Springs Park just off of South Main St on West Hatfield. The other launch is located on the eastbound lane of State Route 37 just before the Canadian border crossing. Both of these sites are set up for kayaks, canoes and I have seen a few small jon boats launched at these locations as well.

No matter what freshwater species you are on the hunt for, you should consider making Massena your fishing basecamp. With two beautiful NYS campgrounds, several private campgrounds, hotels, and Airbnb's there are plenty of places to lay your head.

If you need even more species to add to your list, Massena sits within 30 minutes of some of the best trout streams and lakes, and ponds New York has to offer. So If you are looking for a summer vacation full of fishing or looking to make your way on to one of the professional fishing circuits I would recommend checking out all the fishing opportunities Massena has to offer. When it's time to make some wonderful memories of your own, remember Massena is home to some of the greatest Northern NY Adventures out there.

Aaron Hardy

Northern NY Adventures