After 34 years of operation, Muskie Magic Charters owner heads into retirement

Despite the closures, he said he continued to pay all of the required insurances, his accountant paid the business’s corporate fees and all equipment was registered — all out of pocket. But, he said, it’s something he could no longer continue to do.

So after more than three decades of business, the final charter for Muskie Magic Charters is in the history books. It comes with a thick scrapbook filled with articles about his business and pictures of his clients holding what they’ve snagged in the St. Lawrence over all those years.

Mr. Lucas’s journey began in 1989 when he took a small business development course taught by Edward J. Fay and attorney William F. Maginn.

“With the assistance of the Massena Industrial Development Agency Director Frank Alguire, a business plan was developed and submitted to the SBA (Small Business Administration) and I was granted a low-interest loan for $50,000. With that loan and $25,000 of my own money, I got my start,” he said.

He hired the late Vincent F. Kirsch, a Massena attorney, to form a corporation and worked with attorney Daniel S. Pease on the paperwork.

“When (Mr. Pease) went out on his own, I transferred our business to him and he has advised our business for 34 years to this day,” Mr. Lucas said.

Next, he went to Snug Harbor in Plattsburgh to submit plans for a boat that would be built to his specifications. Once it was built and ready to launch, a booming business began.

“In the past 34 years, I estimate that I have guided over 5,000 passengers on the St. Lawrence River. We have had guests from every state in the U.S. and many from abroad. Our client base was 90% from outside of the area, family, friends, buddies and business partners. In recent years, we have been hired to take out government agencies and research scientists studying the cleanup of the Grasse River,” he said.

He said he’s had his share of celebrities on the boat, too. Among the passengers were Gail C. McDonald, past administrator of the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp.; famed chef Emeril J. Lagasse; and Frank Serpico, who was the subject of a book and movie bearing his name.

“Frank used to rent a cabin at Barnhart,” Mr. Lucas said.

Also climbing aboard were former baseball stars Dwight E. Gooden and Darryl E. Strawberry and most recently, former professional basketball player Christian D. Laettner.

“We had a trip booked with Louis Gossett Jr., but it was canceled due to the weather,” he said. “We helped produce about a dozen TV sports shows with at least one that was televised nationally.”

Mr. Lucas said he also had a large base of commercial accounts.

“But with the change in tax laws, corporations lost the write-off of entertainment expenses and commercial accounts dropped,” he said.

One of his goals was to ensure everyone, including the handicapped, could enjoy the fishing trips on the St. Lawrence River.

“One of our specialities on the boat was our handicapped accessibility. We could accept up to two wheelchairs. To accomplish this, we applied for a low-interest loan from the Adirondack Development Corp. With this loan, we purchased wheelchair ramps, as well as modifications to the boat. We purchased fishing reels with electric motors to assist those with physical limitations to land their catch,” Mr. Lucas said.

That allowed him to assist amputees, quadriplegics and many wounded veterans.

“After the repayment of the loan, we were presented with the Entrepreneur of the Year Award,” he said.

That wasn’t the only accolade he has received. Over the years, Mr. Lucas received awards, letters of thanks, as well as personal expressions of gratitude from other businesses in Massena for his contribution to bringing more business to the area.

“We even received a letter from Alcoa stating that they obtained a contract from a company that enjoyed perks of being entertained on our fishing trips,” he said.

He has done his part to promote Massena outside of the area, too. Representing St. Lawrence County, Mr. Lucas attended sports shows in regions such as Ottawa, Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

“I’ve had the privilege to meet a cross-section of society, and I’ve met some very wonderful people, even one we lost when he died in the World Trade Center,” he said.

In addition to losing a friend in the 9/11 attack, that event impacted his fishing charter. With enhanced security in place, a spot near the Robert Moses Power Dam became off-limits.

“It was the only place in New York state and many areas in the U.S. that you could catch such a wide variety of fish using one technique — muskie, walleye, trout, salmon and bass. I was given notice by the U.S. Coast Guard that they knew of my operations there, but it was no longer allowed. Business dropped off big time after word got out to previous customers,” Mr. Lucas said.

He unsuccessfully tried to get an exemption, but business continued.

“We readjusted our charter to the fisheries upstream and we rebounded after a couple of rough years,” he said.

But it took flooding and COVID-19 to bring the adventure to a close after 34 years.

“When I had the idea of a fishing charter in Massena, there were a lot of skeptics that said I would never make it, this was an industrial town, not a tourism destination. My goal was to make it in the business for at least 20 years,” Mr. Lucas said. “In the 34 years there have been mechanical breakdowns, medical emergencies, bad weather, competitors that have come and gone, downturns in the economy, deaths in the family, years with high water and bad fishing conditions. But in the end, I hold my head high and I am proud of what I have accomplished.”