Frequently Asked Questions

May is a great time to catch walleyes and perch on Lake Erie! The best perch fishing is in April. I recommend fishing as early as possible in May to catch both perch and walleyes.

My charters do fish if there is light rain during our fishing trip because it still can be fun. My charters do not operate in heavy rain, lighting or when there is a small craft advisory posted for your fishing day. Also, on Lake Erie I will not take anyone fishing when the National Weather Service forecast sustained winds of 15 MPH in any direction. Winds of this speed produce waves between 3 and 5 feet – not fun to fish in. If your fishing trip is cancelled because of the weather, you can either have all your deposit returned or pick any open date on my calendar you would like to fish. It is your choice.

I will be happy to show you the techniques that I use aboard my boat to catch walleyes and answer any of your questions. Walleyes are constantly moving throughout the day and throughout the season. So, the techniques I use to target walleyes are always changing because of the wind, water clarity, sun position, clouds, water temperature, weather (high or low pressure) and the cycle of the moon. It’s a lot a fun!

My Availability Calendar is always open for next year on my web site. In the calendar for the month of October in the upper right corner of that month is a small arrow key. Press the arrow key until the month you wish to fish next year is shown. All the dates in green are available to fish. If you want to book over a weekend this can be arranged. However, the wait times at the ramp are longer because of the additional boat traffic associated with the weekends.

Yes. I offer private fishing charters from one through four people fishing on my boat. You would need to pay the rate for up to two people fishing and go alone or invite a friend along for free.

Yes, as long as you can act like an adult. You can bring and drink alcoholic beverages in moderation on my boat if you are above 21 years of age. Please note the following policy regarding your behavior on my boat: If I, your Captain, deem it necessary to cancel your charter due to your behavior you will owe me the complete cost of the fishing charter and no refunds will be offered.

The best time of the year to fish with young children on Lake Erie is from mid-June to mid-September. The water and air temperature on Lake Erie is the warmest and therefore the most pleasant time of the year to be on an open fishing boat. We will be catching either walleyes or smallmouth bass during this time. Both are a lot of fun. Smallmouth bass jump which is always a thrill. Walleyes we take home to eat for dinner. Just let me know what the children prefer to fish for the night before so I can bring the appropriate live bait.

Yes, it is possible for a combination walleye and perch trip in the first two weeks of May. The best perch fishing is April through mid-May. The walleye fishing is great from mid- May through the end of October. 

The best time to fish on Lake Erie is usually the mornings. The biggest issue on Lake Erie is the size of the waves caused by the wind. Typically, during the night, the winds lessen in velocity and in the morning the lake can be almost smooth. As the sun heats the earth during the day, the wind velocity and the wave height  typically increases throughout the day. 

There is no head on my open fishing boat. There is an emergency toilet on my boat if necessary. My recommendation is for you to schedule a half day charter. Or, for a full day charter, we can schedule a return to port about half way through the trip so that everyone can use the flush toilets available at the marina.

The earlier in May the more productive the perch fishing. However, the best combination in May is smallmouth bass and walleyes. We can fish for smallmouth bass and walleyes all month long in May. We fish around 30 feet of water using jigs, spoons and blade baits and we catch both species as we drift over humps and rocks out in the lake with the wind. Perch are located in deeper water in May, usually around 50 to 60 feet and we would need to travel much further out into the lake from shore to target perch at this depth.

The best time for smallmouth bass is in May. I try to avoid the first three weeks of June because the female smallmouth bass are actively spawning and the males are on their nests. We can try for post spawn females out in the lake at this time but this is usually not very productive. From July to the end of October we can catch smallmouth bass anywhere in the lake, from inshore along the walls in the harbor to out in the lake on any of its’ bottom structures. If you prefer warmer weather, fish July though mid-September. If you want trophy smallmouth bass, fish in May and again late August through end of October when smallmouth bass have fed all summer long and are as big as they get before winter and the cold water slows their growth.

The best time of the year for perch is April. Then again from end of August through the end of October. In April the perch are actively schooling together before they spawn. In the fall the perch school up again and actively feed on all the bait fish that are now full size out in the middle of the lake.

The best time of the year for walleyes is mid-June through the end of October. In May the water is cold and we catch walleyes by drifting jigs, spoons, and blade baits on the reefs out in the lake. Fun, but you need some skill not to catch the lake bed all day. By mid-June the water temperature in Lake Erie is above 60°F and I switch to a worm harness presentation. I use between 3000 and 5000 worms during this time fishing for walleyes. I use an electric trolling motor, bottom bouncer weight and a worm harness traveling at 1.0 MPH. This is my preferred fishing technique for catching walleyes, lots of fun. You feel the fish strike the worm and the walleyes fight all the way to the boat because the boat speed is so slow.

The best time for lake trout is August through mid-September fishing from Dunkirk, NY. I fish for lake trout on my boat by long lineing spoons on the bottom with 3-way swivels traveling at 1.6 MPH using the electric trolling motor. You need to pump the spoons by hand to make them flutter just off the bottom. You will feel the strike, and then I slow the boat down to 1.0 MPH for you to fight the fish into the boat. It’s a great time, the fish are big!

You may bring any pre-prepared food that does not need to be warmed or need utensils to eat, with one exception- no bananas (you can ask me if you want to know the story on the boat). You may bring any drinks that you would like. I will provide a cooler on board the vessel with ice for your lunch and beverages.

I would also recommend the following:  Adequate clothing suitable for the weather (always bring rain gear and warm clothing, always colder on the water than on shore).  Clean, soft bottom shoes like sneakers – the boat is carpeted. Sunscreen (spray sunscreens are not allowed to be used on my boat). Sunglasses and a hat. Motion sickness medication (if needed). A cooler to transport fish home (please leave the cooler in your vehicle).  And most importantly – A desire to catch fish and have fun! 

I need the following information to plan a successful fishing charter for you: 1. How Many Fishermen in your group (1, 2, 3, or 4).  2. 1/2 day (4 hours) or full day (7 hours – start at 7 AM). For the half day trips: Morning (7 AM) start or afternoon (12 PM) starting time. 3. Cell phone number to reach you by text (so I may contact you a couple days before your charter to confirm everything because of the weather). And 4. I need a $75 deposit to hold the date you wish to reserve for the fishing charter.

A valid New York State fishing license is required for everyone on board this charter who is 16 years old and older.

Yes, my fishing charters include cleaning the fish at the end of the charter.  It also includes all the tackle and bait you will need to fish.

I need the following information for a gift certificate:  The name and phone number of the purchaser and the name and phone number of the recipient.  Gift certificates are priced by number people fishing (1-4) and either full or half day. The person that receives the gift certificate picks the date they wish to fish. My gift certificates never expire. If the day chosen has bad weather, we just reschedule the fishing charter to another day.