Here is Eric Presto (PA) with a gorgeous Spring Brown taken during April 2022′.  The Saiff Charter Team takes fish like this throughout the spring of the year!  In 2023′, we have a “Full Calendar” for fishing during April on the South Shore of Lake Ontario.  While Capt. Bill Saiff III is wetting lines on the South Shore, our other Captains will be putting boats in the water in Henderson Harbor, NY (our Home Port) to begin regular operations in late April!  Anglers fishing with us in Henderson Harbor, NY will get to enjoy the “WESTVIEW LODGE” as a backdrop for our operations!  We have owned the WESTVIEW  LODGE for 18 years offering superb dining and comfortable lodging for our guests!  Everything a fisherman needs is located in one spot!  Anglers simply walk across the street in the morning to meet our fleet of boats when they hit the docks!  “It doesn’t get any easier than that”

Fishermen can reach us for booking the 2023′ season by calling us at 315-771-3514!  We would also encourage you to follow us on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM at Bill Saiff Outdoors.  We have thousands of followers and offer the most comprehensive analysis of Lake Ontario on a daily basis.  You will see why Bill Saiff Outdoors is the natural choice when booking a Lake Ontario fishing trip!

If you would like to see what fishing is like with the BSO TEAM, check out our full line-up of VIDEOS on our   YouTube Channel at Bill Saiff Outdoors.  Currently, we have over 160 VIDEOS posted on all of the fishing opportunities that we offer.  Let us take the guess work out of your next adventure!

Capt. Bill Saiff III

The months of January through March are the key months to secure your fishing or hunting dates for the upcoming season.

The BSO TEAM always spends a great deal of time in the off season, working with clients to ensure that they get the best possible dates. For over 38 years, our team has “under sold” and “over delivered” in the fishing market known as GREAT LAKES FISHING! The Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario is what we refer to as our “Home Waters” and nobody understands this part of Lake Ontario better than the Saiff Charter Fleet!

We have incredible Warm and Cold water fishing opportunities. When angling for warm water species, our clients can experience Walleye, Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass, Pickerel, Perch and a host of other warm water species. When an angler comes looking for cold water species, we can offer Lake Trout, Brown Trout, King Salmon, Coho Salmon, Steelhead and the occasional Atlantic Salmon. Everyone looks at a BIG FISH PICTURE and says: “I’d like to catch that”. When its time to book a trip, you must ask yourself the important questions: What is my available time frame? Can I fish during the week or must it be a weekend date? Will I be willing to fish all day for a few trophy sized fish? Is fishing action the most important aspect of my trip? Who are the people that will be accompanying me on this outing? What are their fishing desires? What species of fish are most important to me? etc….. At BSO – we refuse to tell customers what they want to hear just to sell a date! If you propose something that can’t be done – “we’ll tell you”! We have found that if you base your expectations on SOLID FACT, you are rarely disappointed.

Our mission is to listen to your needs and then match you with the correct Captain and Time Frame to give you the best chance to succeed. Our recommendation is to always call us early enough that we can work the calendar to your benefit. Please don’t worry about food or lodging as we have Bill Saiff’s WESTVIEW LODGE at our disposal where we have nominally priced rooms and amazing food. Of course, this is located conveniently across the street from where we pick our customers up with the boats. Lets get a big fish on the line for you this season! Call us at 315-771-3514 and we will help you with all your needs. This is my personal cell so if we don’t answer, please drop us a text message and we will get right back to you. Thank You for your patronage, Capt Bill Saiff III

All we can say is “WOW”!  This is unquestionably the BEST start to an ice fishing season that we have ever seen!.  The WESTVIEW LODGE is scheduled to re-open on January 25th so ice fishermen venturing into the Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario will have the PERFECT place to stay while they are fishing on the weekends.  Right now the BSO and Hardwater Ice Guides are plying the waters of Chaumont Bay, 3 Mile [Read More]

January, February and March are the prime booking months for both hunting and fishing!  These are the months when the majority of the industry’s Sports Shows take place.  This is also the time when customers are vying for position in the booking calendar.  Now is the time to get the jump on the rest of the market.  Our calendars are already built with repeat clients and we can immediately look for the best dates.   Here are some highlights and some ideas that we suggest for 2019′

(Ice Fishing)

Ice Fishing is starting within the next couple of weeks.  Early reports have limited ice forming on sheltered regions of the St. Lawrence River and Black Lake.  The team at BSO specializes in Yellow Perch [Read More]

In 36 years of professional outfitting, we have never seen King Salmon fishing better than it is starting out in 2018′  The combination of  strong bait fish populations, temperature and an over abundance of “naturally reproduced” Salmon has led to fishing conditions that rival the BEST we have ever seen!

There are two time frames that really exhibit the very best in King Salmon fishing.  The first is what we refer to as the “Hot Zone” period.  This time frame represents the last week of June through the month of July!  The “Hot Zone” features bright silver Kings from every year class.  Angler’s could take a 25 lb. fish followed immediately by a King that weighs in at 12 pounds.  Kings have to eat every day during the “Hot Zone”.  This is why they achieve 30 lb.+ weights in just 3 1/2 years!  This is good news for the [Read More]

Anna (New York) dropped the hammer on this big Pike along the weed lines just off Association Island in Henderson Harbor!

One of the un-sung HEROES of Lake Ontario Sport Fishing is the Northern Pike!  The Eastern Basin of Lake Ontario is home to some of the BEST Pike fishing in the Great Lakes System!  Each year in the spring and again in the fall, we assault the Back Bays in pursuit of this great sport fish.  Pike  are extremely good table fare and  any angler that has sampled on of our “Shore Dinners” prepared from Pike, can attest its excellent flavor.  Some anglers release Pike because they don’t know how to fillet them in a “Bone Free” state.  Our docks in Henderson Harbor are manned by proficient fish cleaners that know how to get the “Y” bones out of a Pike fillet!

Casey Gibbons (NH) holds one of several HUGE Northern Pike taken during the last week of May with the Saiff Charter Fleet!

The Back Bays of Lake Ontario are full of a variety of warm water species.  In addition to Northern Pike, anglers can expect to encounter Walleye, Pickerel and Small Mouth Bass!    The accessibility of these other species keeps “Action” on the rods throughout the day.  Most examples of Northern Pike will be in the 5-15lb. range with occasional examples breaking the 20 lb. mark.  We employ Planer Board techniques to present an 8 to 10 rod pattern across the known haunts of these big fish.

Here are my old friends Paul and Casey Gibbons with a big “Tanker Pike” that Casey took during the last week of May.  We caught several big Pike on this day as we trolled the broken shelf rock of Pillar Point.  This is a big Pike and we lost two that were even bigger!  We tangle with these big fish all throughout the spring until the weed growth makes it too difficult to fish for them.

In the fall of the year, the weed lines begin to die off and anglers can once again target the Pike that reside along them.  Once this occurs, we go to work fishing our spring “Hot Spots” plus some new edges that the Pike like to frequent in the fall.  Last year, my buddy Mickey Novak (Central New York Wildfowlers) joined me for an October 30th outing.  Here is the Jumbo Pike that Mickey took on the last day that we fished!

Mickey Novak with a great October Pike!

Mickey is an avid duck and goose hunter that also likes fishing.  I mention the duck and goose hunting because September and October are great times to enjoy one of BSO’s “Cast and Blast’s”.  This is the perfect time of year to experience great Puddle duck hunting or Canada Goose hunting and take in some fishing at the same time.  At BSO, we are a “Year Round” operation that serves the needs of the travelling sportsman during every season.   Take a look at the Bill Saiff Outdoors website and get a feel for all the things that we have to offer.  Remember:  when you come to fish with us, the WESTVIEW LODGE will be your base of operations.  We have a 178 seat restaurant, bar and 12 hotel rooms for your convenience.  The best part is that you simply walk across  the street to get on the boat each morning!  Everything you could possibly want is in one location!  Call us to reserve dates for your next adventure! 315-771-3514… See you on the water.  Capt. Bill Saiff III

In 2018′, the SPRING CLASSIC DERBY occurs on May 17th-20th.  This Derby which originates from Henderson Harbor, features 4 different fishing divisions.  The divisions include, Lake Trout, Brown Trout, Walleye and Northern Pike.  The Saiff Charter Fleet has won this tournament many times over the years including 2015′ when they swept the “Captain’s Purse” in 4-Divisions. [Read More]

One of the most written about time frames to fish King Salmon on Lake Ontario is the Staging Time frame.  This time period occurs from mid- August through mid-September.  King Salmon at this time are grouping to run tributaries.  At this time of year, Salmon are approx 3 1/2 years of age and are at peak weight.  They have fed voraciously in an effort to build body mass and strength.  Generally these big fish will stage in 60 to 130 ft. of water off the mouths of tributaries where they were stocked.  This gives anglers a unique opportunity to target them (in mass) before they run the tributaries to spawn.   [Read More]

Meet the BSO Team at the Bloomsburg PA “Early Bird Sports Expo” on Jan. 25th through the 28th.   Thursday through Sunday, our Hunting and Fishing Team will be at the EXPO!  This is one of our favorite times of year because we get to see all of our old friends, meet some new ones and share the memories of our days spent afield and on the water.  In the TECHNO AGE that allows a BLOG like this to be written, it is still a “Sad Substitute” for looking someone in the eye, swapping tales, answering questions, shaking hands and generally getting to know someone.  As communicators in the industry, we long for the engagement and want to see our clients more than once or twice a year! [Read More]

Every season, we get hammered with calls during the peak of the season!  Customers call when the mood strikes them and want a trip immediately……Unfortunately, we are attending to our regular customers at this time and when we don’t respond promptly it appears that we are not interested in the business.  This could not be further from the truth but there is only so much that can be done in a single day!  It is our “ULTIMATE GOAL” to take care of everyone and make sure that all are served well!  This BLOG is a request that you call EARLY for your bookings this season!  We dedicate the months of January, February and March to handling customers and their questions.  We are in the office every day and it is the BEST time to speak with us about any concerns that you might have! [Read More]