It all started when I was just a little fellow listening to the heart-pounding stories my father would tell of the wild Pike and Musky trips he would take with my grandfather deep in the Canadian wilderness. My grandfather, Milan Gaza, was a passionate Musky & Pike angler, guide and lure maker on Lake of the Woods and Eagle Lake, Canada from 1956 to 2009. Starting in the early 1960s, he taught my father everything there was to know about Musky and Pike fishing, doing this all the way until his death in 2009.

Some of my earliest memories in life are of my dad teaching me all the basics of fishing for Northern Pike, from proper casting techniques, to learning to fight, “play” and net the beasts. He would spend hundreds of hours teaching us how to cast and retrieve spinnerbaits, jerk baits, and spoons in the pursuit of the Northern Pike. From a very early age, it was the Northern Pike that stole my heart above any other species. That love and excitement for chasing these fish, blossomed throughout my high school years as I seemed to never miss a day out on the water.

It wasn’t until I fished Great Sacandaga Lake for the first time that my love for Northern Pike turned from a hobby to an obsession. I committed myself to hundreds of hours on the water in pursuit of these elusive giants. I began to fine-tune my techniques, discover better spots, upgrade my gear and technology, and in turn, bigger fish were caught. The thought of starting Aaron’s Guide Service began with the simple desire to be able to share the same love and passion I had for Northern Pike with others. This was something that my grandfather had in his blood and passed it right down to me.

In 2018, I began the extensive process of obtaining the many necessary licenses to start a fishing guide business. Since then, I’ve completed every license that New York State requires to become a guide. I’ve received my license to Guide in Fishing, Boating, and Canoeing (Guide #6184), PV (Public Vessel) License, First Aid & CPR Certification, and Boater Safety Course. We became a fully insured fishing charter and have turned the business into an official LLC (Limited Liability Company). We run upwards of 150 trips per year with many of our customers returning time and time again.

Throughout the years, clients have landed dozens of trophy Northern Pike on some of the same lures my grandfather left us before he passed. During the summer months, the focus turns to Walleye, Smallmouth Bass & Panfish. While we do catch Pike in the summer, we don’t target them due to high mortality rates of the warm air and water temperatures. Regardless of the species, Great Sacandaga Lake offers a world class fishery that thousands come to from all over North America to fish. Come aboard my 20ft Tracker Tundra equipped with a 150hp Yamaha 4-Stroke Outboard to catch the fish of a lifetime!

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