The Larry

“The Larry”

By Chris DePaola

Not so long ago, the St. Lawrence River and Thousand Islands was acclaimed to be the best muskie fishery in the world. Affectionately called “The Larry,” the St. Lawrence is approximately 630 nautical miles in length. One hundred fifteen of those nautical miles from Lake Ontario comprise the border between the Province of Ontario and New York State. An invisible borderline runs down the middle of the river and separates the two countries for 115 miles. The remaining 515 miles are entirely within Canada.

The river can be divided into three sections: the fresh water, which extends from Lake Ontario to just outside the city of Quebec; the St. Lawrence estuary, which extends from Quebec to Anticosti Island and the gulf of St. Lawrence, which leads into the Atlantic Ocean. As the St. Lawrence slides past the beautiful Thousand Island area, it moves northeast towards the city of Montreal. This part of the river contains seven locks that were key to unlocking the Great Lakes to the world, creating the famous St. Lawrence Seaway. Completed in 1959, the locks lift and lower large ships for 226 feet.

The St. Lawrence produced a huge 69-pound, 15-ounce monster caught by the late Art Lawton in 1957. This catch was the world record for nearly three decades. Numerous 50 and 60-pound fish appeared in regional fishing contests through the 1960’s. The river’s reputation declined in the 70’s and 80’s. Fifty-pound fish disappeared, and forty-pound fish were rare. Lawton’s record fish was removed from the world record annals in 1992 when a Midwestern-based muskie historian cast serious doubt on the legendary catch. Due to poor documentation, the International Game Fish Association and the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame also threw out several other St. Lawrence River catches. The St. Lawrence River was thought to be too good to be true and many muskie fishermen turned their attention to other blossoming fisheries.

In the 1980’s, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources began to identify and protect muskie-spawning grounds along the river. Thanks to this, and the catch and release ethic, the fishing began to improve. Today, the fishing is outstanding according to several local guides. So this summer, I cleared my schedule and I made my first trip to the St. Lawrence. I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical due to all the bad press this river has received over the years. With the exaggerated catches and environmental problems, I really didn’t know what to expect.

As I met my guide, Marc Coulter, from Cornwall, Ontario, early the next morning, I was pleased to hear the fishing had been good. We started the day by trolling the rock shoals that had been producing consistently for Marc and his customers. As the morning passed, Marc gave me a history lesson on St. Lawrence muskie fishing. Marc explained that the majority of the muskie fishermen concentrate their efforts on the three areas of the river: the famous 40-acre Shoal, the Carelton Island area, and Wolfe Island. Marc tries to find areas that are often overlooked. He has discovered several productive spots between Massena, New York, west to Cape Vincent. As Marc was showing me one of his spots, my rod “exploded.” I grabbed it from the rod holder and fought my first St. Lawrence muskie. Several minutes later, I was looking at a beautiful 47-inch fish in the net. I began to believe that maybe everything I had read recently about the St.Lawrence was true. Maybe it was back! We finished the day going two out of three. That night over dinner, we reviewed the day’s fishing. I was very interested in learning more about the St. Lawrence. We discussed issues like the size limit (which is 48-inches river-wide) to seasonal locations. Fishing methods like deep-water trolling versus casting were also debated. I had a difficult time sleeping, anticipating all the possibilities the next day could bring.

We began the next morning by stopping at Tim Horton’s to pick up some much-needed coffee. As we were driving to the ramp, I asked Marc how he got started muskie fishing. Marc said it all started several years ago when he was fishing the Canadian Bass Tournament circuit. He was taking muskie by accident each tournament. Marc began to think maybe muskies were accessible all season and he has proven this to be true. While the fall months seem to produce larger fish, the summer months of July and August have produced good numbers of fish, too.

Rain gear was the attire of the day and as I struggled to put on my rain gear, I wondered what the change in weather would do to the fishing. We fished Marc’s spots, and nothing seemed to work. Then, as we worked a rock shoal, my line counter reel screamed, like I had just hooked a runaway train. I could not believe how strong this fish was. Several minutes passed before I felt I was gaining control in this battle. We still had not caught sight of this fish and I strained my eyes looking for some sign of how large she was. Finally we got a glimpse of her, and she was a beast. The clear water allowed us to see every headshake and roll. I knew this fish was over the 50-inch mark; I just wondered how much over. The net suddenly looked inadequate. She made several more powerful runs before she was safely in the net. An unbelievable specimen with not a mark on her, and she measured out at 52 inches. I have been fortunate over the years to net my share of fish over the fifty-inch mark. While some may have been heavier, none were as beautiful. As she swam away, Marc lit up a victory cigar. He said, “Now you are a believer!” He was right; I already have a trip planned for next year. For a list of proven guides, fishing reports and lodging information, you can contact the Thousand Island International Council at 1-800-847-5263.