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Before you drive to the dock
Licences, packing, meeting spots and payment, answered by the King Slayer crew.
Twenty-two answers below, taken from the way King Slayer actually runs trips. Call 1-888-462-3995 if yours is not here.
Every angler buys their own before travelling.
Yes. Everyone on board between the ages of 18 and 64 needs a valid Ontario fishing licence. You buy it yourself before the trip at huntandfishontario.com, and bring it with you on the day. If an angler in your party falls outside that age range, check the current rules at huntandfishontario.com before you travel.
During April and May, and again on winter river trips, we may cross into New York State waters to reach fish. Everyone on board needs a valid New York State licence when that happens. A one day licence costs roughly $15 CAD and you can buy it online in advance or on the day of your charter.
No passport is required to fish in New York State waters with us. You still need a valid New York State licence for those days. If a member of your party cannot cross the border, let us know in advance so the captain has that information well before your charter date arrives.
Buy your Ontario licence at huntandfishontario.com and your New York State licence at decals.east.licensing.app. Both sell online, so you can sort the paperwork out at home rather than on the drive down. The New York one day option is also available on the day of the charter if plans change late.
The boats carry the fishing gear. You bring the rest.
Bring a valid fishing licence, food and drinks with no glass bottles, seasickness medication, sunglasses, sun protection, soft soled shoes, clothing suited to the time of year, and a cooler with ice for your catch. Kids 12 and under need a child sized life vest. One more rule: no bananas.
Wear soft soled shoes, since work boots mark up the decks. Sunglasses matter more than anglers expect on open water, and sun protection goes with them. Your captain will advise on clothing for the time of year once your date is set, because a spring morning and an August afternoon call for different layers.
Yes. Bring a child sized life vest for anyone 12 and under. By law, everyone 16 years or younger has to wear a life vest for the entire time they are on the boat, so the vest needs to fit properly rather than simply be on board with you.
Yes, pack whatever food and drinks you want for the day, with one restriction: no glass bottles on board. Cans, plastic and soft coolers all work. Bring seasickness medication such as Gravol or Dramamine if open water bothers you. Sunglasses are on the list too, and the crew flags them as very important.
Yes, bring a cooler with ice so your fish travel home cold. On Lake Ontario trips the crew cleans and bags your catch, so it is ready to load when you reach the dock. On packages 4 through 6, time is set aside at the end of the trip for the captain to clean and bag fish.
The meeting point follows the water you booked.
Lake Ontario charters leave from the St. Catharines Marina in St. Catharines, our home port. The marina sits 10 minutes from the QEW, 15 minutes from Niagara Falls and an hour from the GTA. Packages 1 through 5 all launch from there between spring and fall.
Niagara River trips launch from the Queenston Boat Ramp. The ramp is 5 minutes from Highway 405 and the Queenston Lewiston border crossing, 10 minutes from downtown Niagara Falls and an hour from the GTA. Package 7 runs from there through the fall, winter and spring season on the lower river.
Your captain picks the Lake Erie launch and tells you which one to drive to. The options are Fort Erie, Port Colborne, Dunnville and Nanticoke, and the call is made on current fishing conditions rather than a fixed schedule. Package 6 runs June through August, so confirm your port before you set out.
Two payments: the deposit, then the balance on the day.
The deposit is $200 on packages 1 through 3 and $100 on packages 4 through 7, due at the time of booking to reserve your spot. Pay by credit card or Interac e-Transfer to kssportfishing@gmail.com. Credit card payments carry an additional 5% to cover processing fees.
The remaining balance is due the day of your trip. You can pay in Canadian or US cash, by e-Transfer, or by credit card with the same additional 5% for processing fees. That leaves two payments in total: the deposit that holds your date and the balance on the day you fish.
Yes. Every price on the charter list includes HST, so the number you see is the number you pay before any extras. On packages 1 through 3, an extra guest is $100 up to a maximum of seven. An extra hour on the water is $100 on packages 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7.
Tipping is your call and it is never expected. Guests who choose to tip generally leave between 10% and 20% of the charter price, and the amount should reflect how the day went and the expertise your guide brought to it. The crew appreciates gratuities without ever counting on them.
The 10 day window decides your deposit.
Cancel at least 10 days before your scheduled date and you receive a full refund. Cancellations inside that 10 day window, or a no show on the day, forfeit the deposit. The window is counted from the charter date, so mark it when you book rather than later.
If your trip is cancelled for bad weather such as high winds or a storm, the charter is rescheduled at your earliest convenience and your deposit stays in place. Ask for a recent fishing report when you call to rebook, because the crew encourages that call before any trip.
Cold months move the fishing onto the lower Niagara River.
Winter river trips run November through April from the Queenston Boat Ramp on the lower Niagara River. Package 7 is a five hour trip for one to three guests at $650 with HST included and a $100 deposit. The trolling gear is put away for those months in favour of conventional tackle.
The cold season targets are steelhead, brown trout, lake trout, walleye, smallmouth bass and salmon. The crew bottom bounces, casts and jigs for them with conventional tackle rather than trolling. Call before you book and ask for a recent fishing report, which the crew encourages on every trip.
Yes. Inflatable PFDs are provided on winter trips and must be worn at all times while you are on the water. That rule sits on top of the standard one, where anyone 16 years or younger wears a life vest for the whole trip in every season, winter included.
Two partner properties sit a five minute walk from the Queenston Boat Ramp, which suits an early launch in the cold months. King Slayer guests save 15% off regular room rates at both and receive a complimentary bottle of wine on arrival. The stay and fish page has the details.
Book online any time, or call and talk it through. Deposits are $200 on packages 1 to 3 and $100 on packages 4 to 7.