Frequently Asked Questions

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We recommend to bring a small cooler aboard with beverages and snacks. Beer is allowed, just no glass please. Sunglasses, sunscreen, soft-soled shoes, a hat, rain gear, Dramamine or other motion sickness medication if subject to motion sickness (we recommend to start taking it 24-48 HOURS before your trip!), and your Ohio fishing license. Make sure to also bring a cooler along for after your trip to put your fish in. 

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources sells and distributes fishing licenses to residents and non-residents. The easiest method to purchase your license is online at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources link located in the 'Links' section below. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources also has an easy-to-use app available to use on your smartphone that you can purchase and store your licenses right on your phone. 

No. Our fishing trips are suitable for both experienced and novice anglers. Our guides will provide as much or as little instruction and assistance as needed. Our goal is to provide an experience that is as hands-on or hands-off as you'd like it to be. We also can provide learning charters as well for recreational fishermen that are looking to polish up their skills and learn new techniques.  

Lake Erie's conditions are heavily influenced by Mother Nature. With today's weather forecasting technologies, we usually are able to give our clients a couple days' notice with the forecasted weather & lake conditions for the day of their trip. In the event of forecasted 'rough' lake conditions, we give you our honest opinion on what to expect. We will never put our clients or our crew in any type of danger and safety is always our number one priority. Weather cancelations are at the discretion of the captain. It is common for a pushed back departure to get you and your crew out for some catching, but not always. In the event of a cancellation, you do have the option of rescheduling your trip to hopefully catch better lake conditions at a near future date. A link to the NOAA Lake Erie Marine Forecast is located in the 'Links' section below to check the current and forecasted lake conditions. 

I promise you that the fish do not care that its raining...they are already wet! Suit up in your rain gear and lets go catching! On a side note, our boats do have large hardtops to provide shelter from the rain. We do however, play it by ear when it comes to storms and lightning. The summertime storms we get in our area of the lake are fast moving and spotty and can usually be handled with a delayed dock departure. If we are on the lake while fishing and a storm is within the vicinity, we will make that call as the situation develops. 

Yes. Fish cleaning is available at both locations we dock at for $3/fish. If you have 2 or 3 days of consecutive trips planned, they are able to hold your fish for you in their freezer until your departure day. 

The First Mate works for tips on our vessels. It has always been customary to tip at least 20% of the cost of your trip. We tell our customers to tip to reflect the hard work our mates put into making their fishing trip a successful and memorable experience. Tipping the captain is definitely not necessary, but is an appreciated gesture. 

Our typical season for both boats runs from mid May to beginning of October. Each month seems to have its own special qualities and it depends on what kind of fishing you are looking for. May doesn't offer numbers like the other months tend to, but you can catch large resident walleyes close to shore trolling braid with stickbaits at slower speeds. We also like to start casting the end of the month as the fishing allows.  June is when the younger hatchlings get more aggressive and the schools of 15"-22" fish start to arrive in waves following bait in shallower depths. We use shorter leads with spoons and tru-trip jet divers along with offering casting trips (if the fishing allows). Trolling speeds start to slowly increase and the fish generally start to slowly move to deeper depths. July is when we start to get more stable weather and the younger fish start to make their way out to cooler water. This is usually the start of our transition over to wire and stickbaits and those beloved long leads. You will see a good mix of fish in the box, usually in that 18"-24" range, but don't count out a Fish-O here and there. August is the month for size and numbers and is usually our banner month to fish everyday. The weather is usually near perfect and so is the fishing. We are making long runs to the fishing grounds but it is beyond worth it. September proves to be some of the best fishing Lake Erie has to offer when the weather cooperates. Size and numbers are off the charts, with 22"-26" fish with fat bellies a common catch. Whenever you decide to book for, we will work our hardest to provide you with the best Lake Erie fishing experience out there.