Guided Open Water Fishing Trips

What We Offer

  • 4, 6, 8 & 12 Hour Guided Fishing Tours on Great Sacandaga Lake, Pecks Lake, Indian Lake**, Lewey Lake**, Lower & Middle Saranac Lake** & (Housatonic River, MA (April Only)) in our 20ft Tracker Fishing Boat & 14’ Princecraft Boat

  • Catch Trophy Northern Pike, Walleye, Smallmouth Bass & Panfish

    PRICING

  • 4-Hour: $350*

  • 6-Hour: $400*

  • 8-Hour: $500*

  • 12-Hour: $700*

    *Pricing includes 2 anglers - $50 per additional angler - 4 Anglers Maximum

    A second boat option is available upon request.

    **Please Note a $100 travel surcharge is applied for any lake besides Great Sacandaga, Pecks Lake & Housatonic River.

  • 275 Lakeside Dr, Mayfield, NY 12117.

    Reets Bayside Marina is a beautiful marina to which Aarons Guide Service has exclusive access. We primarily use this meeting location on our Northern Pike trips as it is near many of the prime locations. Parking is free, and you can go ahead and park on the right side of the road, on the grass, next to Aaron's grey Toyota Tundra with trailer attached.  Proceed, down to the dock system and the boat. Again the parking and meeting location is on the right side (lakeside) of the road.

  • 108 Riverside Dr Northville, NY 12134

    Sport Island Pub & Restaurant in Northville, NY has partnered with Aarons Guide Service, allowing us to utilize their parking lot and docks! This grants you access to their private parking lot to avoid the crowds. Their dock system is private as well and finding and loading onto our boat is smooth as silk. .Please park past the restaurant at the END OF THE ROAD in the empty lot. Once parked, head back up toward the restaurant and you will see a beach gated off by a fence. Captain Aaron will provide you with the gate code before your trip.

    The family-owned restaurant and pub is a great place for a cold drink and a delicious bite before or after fishing. text goes here

  • Indian Lake provides an excellent chance at Northern Pike large and small as well as excellent Perch and Smallmouth Bass Fishing.

    Situated on the southern end of Indian Lake, the State Boat Launch provides ample parking along with bathroom facilities. There is no official address so simply type, “Indian Lake Boat Ramp” into google or copy and past this location code into Google Maps: MJ26+HH Sabael, Indian Lake, NY

    Please Note a $100 travel surcharge is applied for any lake besides Great Sacandaga Lake. Therefor please add $100 to any 4, 6, 8 or 12 hour trip for Indian Lake.

  • A true Adirondack wilderness experience, Lower Saranac Lake provides amazing Northern Pike fishing. While not always a big Pike, a 20 Pike catch day is not out of the question. Official meeting location is 4468 State Rte 3, Saranac Lake, NY 12983. Ample parking and bathroom facilities are available on site.

    Please Note a $100 travel surcharge is applied for any lake besides Great Sacandaga Lake. Therefor please add $100 to any 4, 6, 8 or 12 hour trip to Lower & Middle Saranac Lake.

  • Decker Boat Ramp

    298 New Lenox Rd, Lenox, MA 01240

Where to Meet

What To Bring

  • All tackle including, rods, reels, lures, & life jackets are included. Feel free however to bring your favorite rod or lucky lure!

  • A pair of polarized sunglasses and a hat are highly recommended.

  • Plenty of fluids to stay hydrated throughout the day.

  • Lunch, as we will NOT be providing food.

  • Rain Suit if rain is remotely forecasted.

  • A valid NYS Fishing License.

What to Expect

Northern Pike Trips (Spring & Fall)

  • If you are looking to catch a lot of Northern Pike this is NOT the lake for you. If you are looking to catch a TROPHY Northern Pike, this is absolutely the lake for you. While we do have 10+ Pike days, those are often considered rare. Our Northern Pike Trips On Sacandaga are not for the faint of heart. Great Sacandaga Lake holds the once-world record, and now United States record Northern PIke. The Pike in Great Sacandaga Lake are of immense size and overall low population, requiring strength, determination, and a serious learning curve to catch. While Captain Aaron Gaza is willing to teach any range of skill and age, those aboard must be prepared to cast heavy lures hundreds and thousands of times with big rods and reels provided by Aaron’s Guide Service. We cast 99% of the time and rarely if ever troll. Hours can go by without sight of a Trophy Northern Pike. It’s all about patience for when the water erupts and a fish of a lifetime is caught.

    We only offer EXCLUSIVE Trophy Northern Pike trips from May 1st into mid-June and again from mid-September to mid-November. This is due to the Northern Pike shifting below the thermocline in the summer months. Drawing them up rapidly into the warm surface temperatures will increase mortality rates dramatically.

    Pike Season is closed from March 14th until May 1st in NY to allow for the big females to spawn (Lay eggs). Once the spawn ends, these starved trophy pike go on feeding binges on virtually anything that swims prone. This results in exciting and heart-pounding action on Aarons Guide Service. These feeding binges only happen in select locations on the lake and Captain Aaron has spent many years discovering these locations and now shares those spots with clients who book with Aaron’s Guide Service.

    Chasing Trophy Pike in the fall is an exciting experience. The biggest Northerns head back up into the cooling, shallow waters and feed heavily before the winter comes. Once again, only select locations on the lake produce these giants and Captain Aaron has devoted his time to finding the best Fall Pike locations.

  • If you’re looking to catch good numbers of Northern Pike with a chance at landing a trophy as well, then Indian Lake is the right choice for you. Nestled in the lower Adirondack wilderness, the majestic beauty of the mountains coincides with some motor boats and houses all while providing excellent Pike, Bass and Panfish fishing. Indian Lake has an excellent population of Northern Pike of all sizes along with great populations of Smallmouth Bass and Panfish.

  • If you’re looking to catch higher numbers of Northern Pike and less interested in catching a trophy all while being immersed in a remote Adirondack Wilderness experience, this is the lake for you! The Saranac Lake chain is a true fish haven. With little to no houses on the lake, your dream of catching unlimited numbers of Pike, Bass and Perch theres no greater place on earth than Saranac Lake, NY to go fishing!

  • Because Pike season is closed in New York in Late March and April, we offer guided trips on the Housatonic river south of Pittsfield Massachusetts for Big Pike. We have over 10 years of experience guiding here. We offer these trip only in our small 14’ princecraft boat limiting the trips to 2 angler + Captain. This unique Pike fishery allows us to fish long stretches of the river. 10+ pike days are not uncommon with some trophies often mixed in. These fish lay in very shallow water making for an exiting river adventure. It isn’t uncommon to see Black Bears, Bald Eagles, Loons and sometimes never see a person all while being immersed in the beauty of the Berkshire Mountains.

Multi-Species Trips (Spring, Summer & Fall)

  • Rain, shine, cold or warm the bass, walleye, and panfish are always abundant on Aaron’s Guide Service. 20, 30, 40 & 50 fish days are certainly not uncommon as Aarons Guide Service rewrites the stereotype that “fishing is boring”. No matter the age, or skill, a variety of techniques and ways to catch these energetic creatures will be taught.

    The Walleye, Bass & Panfish (Perch, Bluegill, Rock Bass) can be caught year-round and there really isn’t a “slow” time for them. Walleye are deemed the most delectable freshwater meal by many and assuming they are caught during the open season (After May 1st), a limit of 5 per person can be kept!

    Whether it’s on the rocks, in the weeds, or in the open water, Captain Aaron has discovered all the best spots that Great Sacandaga Lake has to offer and shares them all with those who book with Aaron’s Guide Service.

  • Indian Lake is beaming with a wide variety of species and our Multi-species trips are an excellent opportunity to have an amazing day of action! Whether its Northern Pike, Smallmouth or Largemouth Bass, or even panfish, these waters are filled to the brim with high numbers of fish!

  • Ever see the pictures of stringers full of dozens of fish and desire that kind of action yourself? The Saranac Lake chain has large Bass, Healthy populations of Northern Pike and thousands and thousands of Perch! There’s never a dull moment on these waters all while being immersed deep in the Adirondack Wilderness.

Watch Episodes Filmed on Aaron’s Guide Service

In the spring of 2023 & 2024, we had the pleasure of having Captain Aaron’s brother Sam from SG Angling aboard along with his film equipment. He filmed exciting 6 & 8-Hour Northern Pike trips capturing some of the heart-pounding moments on Aaron’s Guide Service. In some of the film, Captain Aaron was referred to as “Gabe” which is Aaron’s middle name and nickname within the family.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The best time to catch a Trophy Northern Pike is the spring and fall time. The post-spawn bite from May 1st (opening day of Pike season) until Mid-June and again from Mid-September until Mid-November is when some of our biggest Pike get caught. We do not offer trophy Pike trips on Sacandaga during the Summer months of Late June to End of August as water temperatures become to warm to ethically catch them.

  • Except for the first two weeks in May, there is no specific time when Pike fishing is better during the day. Due to the water temperatures being cold in early May we find that Pike feeding is typically more active in the afternoon as sunlight allow to heat up the shallows. All other times of year however, Pike feeding is 100% dependent on weather and barometric pressure changes. Throughout the year, we have caught big Pike in the early morning, mid-morning, afternoon and evening.

  • Absolutely! Specifically for younger children, elderly folk and those just looking for a relaxing day on the water, our multi-species for walleye, bass, perch and rock bass are a perfect fit. We typically vertically jig with live bait or cast with small artificial lures making for an exciting, easy day on the water.

  • Absolutely Not! While baitcasting rods and reels give you significant advantage with casting distance, accuracy, stress off wrists etc. we always have plenty of spinning rods and reels ready for use.

  • This is covered in the Guided Trips Section of the Website but below is a summary for the open water.

    All tackle including, rods, reels, lures, & life jackets are included. Feel free however to bring your favorite rod or lucky lure!

    A pair of polarized sunglasses and a hat are highly recommended

    Rain Suit if rain is remotely forecasted.

    A valid NYS Fishing License.

    Payment can be made in the form of Venmo, Paypal, Zelle, CashApp, Cash or Check

  • While you are more than welcome to bring you own gear, it is essential to have the right set ups, line weight and leader selection. See the next questions for all recommended tackle.

  • For line, we prefer 65lb test or greater braided line. KastKing Superpower 60lb test is excellent, affordable line. We use prefer 100lb test Fluorocarbon pre-made leader. ZLeaders has a great array of leaders. We recommend using a medium heavy or heavy action rod (greater than 7ft long). A 300 size baitcasting reel or 3000 or 4000 sized spinning reel is best. For lures we use most baits sold on Muskyshop.com.

  • Our new booking software allows you to pay your deposits and final payment right online with a credit or debit card. While we do accept cash or check, paying your invoice online is preferred.

  • We require a $200 deposit once you book the trip to lock the date in. Final Payment is due at completion of trip.

  • While the deposit is 50% refundable, we are happy to transfer it in full to another day if cancellation is needed. Exceptions to the 50% refundable policy are if the captain deems the weather conditions unsafe (Lightning greater than 50% chance forecasted), High Winds (30+ MPH).

  • While a tip is never required, it is always appreciated, specifically when the captain goes overtime to get a big fish and when a big fish is caught. Tips range from $50-200 or 15%-20% of the trip. Tips are used toward gas, tackle, insurances, maintenance on boat, trailer and truck, website and marina fees to name a few expenses.

  • Our guide service policy is that due to the low populations of Northern Pike on Great Sacandaga Lake, they must be released (only exception is if the fish somehow dies on us (very rare)). Within NYS Fish seasons and slot limits you can keep all other species and we do provide fileting services for an additional $20.

  • We do not provide lunch, so please pack food and drinks accordingly. There are several restaurants on the lake that we are happy to stop at \ for dine in or take out.

  • Absolutely! We work closely with other guides in area and can offer a multi-boat trip typically accommodating 6-8 people total

  • Yes, if you are 16 years of age or older, you’re required to purchase a NYS fishing license. Even if you aren’t fishing, and maybe helping your kids and you touch the rod, you’re required a fishing license. If you’re on the ice and not fishing you need a license regardless.

  • Yes, Aarons Guide Service LLC is a fully insured guide service. Captain Aaron is a fully licensed NYS Guide (#6164). The boat is a certified Public Vessel inspected by DEC every year. Captain Aaron is certified in First Aid and CPR with First Aid available on board and on the ice.