Crew

It took me quite a few years (60 to be exact) to decide to become a Fishing Guide. Though it was mentioned to me by countless fishing pals since my 20’s, I had a stable career already and my fishing was my release, and I didn’t want to complicate my FUN thing. I was an Air Traffic Controller for 26 years, the last 10 of those years were as an Air Traffic Supervisor. This career not only joined me with constant supply of “fishing buddies”, many that I found quite adept at local tactics and “hotspots”! It was common knowledge in the ATC control rooms and towers, that Frankie was either going fishing after the shift and/or tomorrow morning. What made my fishing world even more slick, was the National Weather Service office was also at same or close facility, providing us aviation weather forecasts and weather displays, that doubled as great after work boating and weather briefing. Every work station had both a wind gage, and also a radar scope…. I was as dialed in weather wise that an Angler can be.

During my career, I worked in Rome, Syracuse, and Albany, NY; then Grand Rapids, Michigan and Cleveland, Ohio. This got me close and extremely aquatinted with 3 Great Lakes (Ontario, Lake Michigan and Lake Erie. The NY Finger Lakes, especially Seneca and Cayuga Lakes were also my favorite Trout, Land-Locked Salmon, perch destinations. I resided for a few years on or close to Oneida Lake, where I actually learned to fish (walleye, jumbo perch, smallmouth) several days a week during summers with my Dad, and every Saturday the 3 of us with my Uncle. I also found my love of Seneca Lake where Big Frank taught me tips and tactics to pursue trout via trolling. In Rome I was still close to those waters, but even closer to the Adirondacks, where I’d attempt to adapt similar tactics, but much simplified in my Radisson lightweight canoe with tremendous results for beautifully speckled colorful chunky brook trout, and hard-hitting often leaping rainbows. In Grand Rapids Michigan, I was fortunate to hook up immediately with 2 local “Lake Michigan Ringers” in Chad and Brent who made a lasting impression. Brent’s bag was presentation and I still hear his voice when I’m selecting lures for any species, and Chad literally had the fastest first step and instinctual reactions…. It was a tip from Brent on a lake he never fished that was a factor scoring me a first place finish for Rainbow Trout in the 2023 National Lake Trout Derby on Seneca Lake.

Upon retiring from Air Traffic in 2014, I moved to Malta, NY and began publishing Angler Magazine of Upstate NY for several years. then I wrote Outdoor and Fishing articles for several local tourist magazines. It was in those ventures that I started rubbing elbows with fishing guides on a daily basis, and was fortunate to often fish with several prominent NYS licensed guides and competitive fishing Pro’s. They cumulatively persuaded me that my personality was a natural fit as a tour guide. My fishing background and knowledge was deep, and most importantly one guide mentioned my ATC and weather background truly qualified me to become a NYS Licensed Guide and Certified Public Vessel Operator… thanks pal. I only worked in Albany Control Tower for 1 year, but I fell in love with fishing (catching) on Saratoga Lake and I also was in love with my not wife yet and crew-mate Lisa, and they both were in Malta, NY. So I retired here, got married to Lisa and live in Balston Spa, NY less than 10 min from our boat slip. In my 50 years of fishing Upstate NY waters, I have found no “hotspot” more conveniently located and easily accessed for us to catch ample amounts of fish, in a reasonable short time-frame as at our location at South Shore Marina, so give US a call/text and let’s DO SOME CATCHING…!!