FLX Fish was founded in 2019 by myself, Michael Shaw. What would eventually become a Finger Lakes charter business actually started as nothing more than an Instagram page where I could share my catches and my time on the water.
As the page started gaining some attention, I brought on my brother-in-law, Dan Sullivan, as my co-angler. Dan is now not only my co-angler, but also a co-owner of FLX Fish.
Dan’s boat is where I spent many of my early days fishing the Finger Lakes and really honing my skills. We put in countless long days on the water, primarily trolling for lake trout and rainbow trout. Those hours taught me how to find fish, recognize patterns, understand how conditions affected them, and adjust when the bite changed.
Fishing the Finger Lakes went from something I loved doing to something I wanted to build my life around.
Taking the Next Step
In 2022, I officially received my U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license as well as my New York State guide’s license.
That opened the door for me to begin running the charter boat for the Inns of Aurora Resort & Spa on Cayuga Lake, where I offered trolling trips for lake trout and rainbow trout. I still captain the resort’s boat today.
It was my first opportunity to take everything I had learned fishing on my own and turn it into an experience for other people.
Dan also worked alongside me as my first mate, and FLX Fish continued to grow from the little Instagram fishing page we had started a few years earlier.
FLX Fish Becomes a Charter Business
In 2023, FLX Fish made its biggest jump yet.
It went from being primarily an Instagram fishing page to becoming an actual charter business.
I began running trips aboard Finger Lakes Boat Rental’s 26-foot Sea Chaser center console. Having access to a larger charter boat gave me the opportunity to take more customers onto the Finger Lakes and continue developing FLX Fish as a real guiding operation.
Every season brought more time on the water, more customers, and more lessons about what I wanted FLX Fish to eventually become.
Discovering the Future of FLX Fish
As I continued guiding, my fishing style began to change.
Trolling had been a huge part of how I learned to fish the Finger Lakes, but I became increasingly interested in vertical jigging for lake trout.
Instead of customers waiting for a rod to fire while trolling, jigging allowed them to be directly involved. They could drop the lure, work it themselves, watch fish react on the electronics and actually feel the strike.
That hands-on style of fishing was exactly what I wanted FLX Fish to be about.
Over time, vertical jigging became one of the things I specialized in, particularly for lake trout on Cayuga and Owasco lakes.
Building FLX Fish
Through 2024 and 2025, FLX Fish continued to evolve.
I spent more time guiding, learning new water, improving my electronics and refining the techniques I use with customers. The goal wasn’t simply to put fish in the boat. I wanted people to leave understanding more about the Finger Lakes, the fish that live here and how we actually catch them.
Each season also made it clearer that eventually FLX Fish needed its own boat.
After years of fishing and guiding from other boats, that finally happened.
Today I run FLX Fish from my own 17-foot Lund Explorer, a boat that fits the style of fishing I enjoy most. Its size and layout allow me to keep trips personal and hands-on, especially when vertically jigging for lake trout.
For me, buying that boat represented a lot more than simply owning another piece of fishing equipment. It was another major step toward turning FLX Fish into what I had pictured when the business first began.
Where We Are Today
What started in 2019 as an Instagram page for sharing fishing pictures has grown into something much bigger.
FLX Fish now gives me the opportunity to introduce people to the Finger Lakes and show them the fishing that made me fall in love with this area in the first place.
Dan still jumps in the boat with me from time to time and remains an important part of FLX Fish. He is also working toward getting his own captain’s license and guide’s license, with the long-term goal of eventually adding another boat to the FLX Fish fleet.
There is still a lot I want to build.
More water to explore. More techniques to learn. More species to chase. And plenty more days on the Finger Lakes.
But no matter how much FLX Fish grows, the idea behind it remains pretty simple:
Get people on the water, put a rod in their hands, and show them what fishing the Finger Lakes is all about.
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