Question- When is the best time to catch a trophy Walleye?
Answer- Early Spring is an excellent time to catch a large pre-spawn female, they will stage in the deep water off the reef complexes. Trolling which allows a lot of water to be covered is the most productive method. After the spawn large females can still be caught in the deep water off the reefs, but these fish will be about 25% lighter in weight. Fall can also be a good time to catch a trophy Walleye as the fish start returning from the Central Basin.

Question- When is the best time for drifting?
Answer- Spring is a prime time for catching males which school up on the reefs awaiting the arrival of females. Minnow jigging or casting blade baits can result in some fast action catching males up to 6lbs. As the water warms and the spawn ends drifting can become more difficult over the open water flats especially on the days when there isn't much wind. Another factor is the water of Lake Erie is so clear now the walleye won't tolerate the large packs of boats constantly drifting over them.

Question- What is slow trolling with crawler harness's?
Answer- We troll at a speed of approximately 1mph which is similar to a drifting speed. We then rig the rods with bottom-bouncers and crawler harness's, these can be placed in rod holders or they may be held and the rod slowly pumped up and down triggering strikes.

Question- Where do you Smallmouth Bass fish at?
Answer- Most of the fishing is done around the Bass island chain or around  the reef complexes. However we do fish some around Kelly's Island.

Question- How rough of water do you fish in?
Answer- We normally will not go out if the waves exceed 4 foot in height. 5 to 6 foot seas can make the simplest task seem difficult not to mention it takes a seasoned fisherman not to get sick under those conditions.
 
Question- What kind of rod and reel should I bring?
Answer- For Walleye a 6 to 71/2' light to medium action rod with a spinning  reel spooled with 6 to 8lb test line. For Bass the same rod/reel as for  walleye or your favorite bait caster works good when the fish are in shallow during the spawn.

Question- How can you fish 12 rods trolling without tangles?
Answer- We fish 4 rods on planner boards on each side, than we can fish 2 rods with dipsy divers on each side or we can swap out 2 of the dipsy diver rods for 2 downrigger rods straight off stern. If you follow a few basic rules tangles will be keep to a minimum. However I have seen times when you get 4 or 5 fish on at the same time and the fish won't follow the rules. But it's part of the game.

Question- How far out do you go to fish?
Answer- In the spring months we may only go a couple of miles out, however in August runs of up to 20 miles one way are not uncommon. Bass fishing is usually done at the Bass Islands, which is about a 16 mile run.

Question- How deep of water will we be fishing in?
Answer- During the spawn we may fish as shallow as 4 to 5' and during the summer months we may fish in depths up to 35'.

Question- What are the limits and size restrictions?
Answer- Smallmouth 5 per day with a 14 inch minumum. Walleye- March and April, 3 per day May 1st limit goes to 6 per day with a 15 inch minumum. Perch 30 per day no size limit.

Question- What is the correct way to measure a fish?
Answer- The length of a fish is taken from the utmost end of the snout with the mouth closed to the utmost end of the tail fin when the tail is
compressed so that the upper & lower lobes touch or overlap.

Question- What is the best way to prevent motion sickness?
Answer- An over the counter medication such as Dramimine should be taken an hour prior to departure. Wrist bands or even doctor prescribed patches have
proven effective.

Question- What other types of fish might we catch while Walleye fishing?
Answer- Smallmouth Bass, Catfish, Yellow Perch, White Perch, White Bass, Drum, Muskee and Steelhead.