Best Time of Year to Charter a Lake Erie Boat

Welcome back everybody!

Before we get into today’s topic, I found a list of reasons as to why we should all go fishing: it contributes to conservation, it’s a stress reliever, social bonding, it supports wildlife and fisheries management, there are health benefits, it aids in self-fulfillment, it boosts the economy, and the adventure. So if you’re here trying to learn about fishing at the Lake ErieFishing Charter, and you have not gotten into fishing yet, hopefully these reasons have convinced you to start! If you’re already in the fishing lifestyle, then keep on fishin’!

            If you are new to the activity, then today’s blog will tell you when the best time of the year is to visit a Lake Erie Fishing Charter and get on fishing! If you’re an old timer when it comes to fishing, keep reading anyway because you may be surprised by the answer.

            Technically, at any time of the year when you charter a boat on Lake Erie you will catch some sort of fish. The type of fish will depend on the time of the year. Moreover, how many fish will also depend on the time of the year. When I say “any time of the year” I mean your typical fishing season. At Lake Erie you can charter a boat from the end of March to the beginning of November. Who wants to be there in the mid of the winter storm in February anyway?!

            At the beginning of the season (the end of March), you will find an excellent selection of walleye and trophy walleye. These guys range generally from 4-6 pounds! However, although it’s a good time to catch the walleye, it’s rare that you would find any smallmouth bass or yellow perch at that time of year.

            So the #1 month to charter your boat at the Lake Erie Fishing Charter is…….. (drum roll please)…. June! In June you will find a plethora of all of the fish Lake Erie has to offer: walleye, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, white bass, freshwater drum and trophy walleye. The average size is a solid 2-3 pounds, which is slightly less than that in the earlier months of the season. But that’s not to say you won’t find a 6-7 pound walleye during June!

            I’m sure you are all so pleased to hear that the best month to charter your boat at the Lake Erie Walleye Fishingcharter is June because the weather here in the Midwest is also gorgeous in that month! Don’t just wait for June to come to the fishing charter on Lake Erie. Bring your friends, family, good music and beer today to charter your boat on Lake Erie! September is also a very good month to catch an array of well-endowed fish. If you’re not sure what else to bring on your trip to Lake Erie, check out one of my previous articles called “Preparing for your FishingCharter Trip.”

 If you have any questions about walleye fishing in the morning at Lake Erie or Lake Erie fishing charters, please visit the Erie Drifter website.  

Night Walleye Fishing on Lake Erie

Hey All!

In my last post I talked about walleye fishing on Lake Erie in the morning. So I thought it’d be apt to now talk about walleye fishing at night. So in this post you can expect to find benefits and tips on walleye fishing at night.

• One of the first differences you will notice about walleye fishing on Lake Erie in the morning and at night, is that the drink of choice transitions from coffee to beer! The music changes from country folk to southern rock. In all seriousness, at the Lake ErieFishing Charter walleye fish have different patterns in the morning and at night. These patterns also change from season to season, but that topic is for another day.
  
• Night walleye fishing is a fun and easy way to catch a ton of walleye. Walleye like to prey on steelhead fingerling. At night these fingerlings leave the creeks and of course the walleye go to look after them. On their hunt to find the fingerlings, they tend to look mostly along the shoreline. The walleye are then in the very shallow areas of water and often near the shore which makes them generally a very easy catch.
  
• A tip I have for you is to make sure you turn ALL LIGHTS OFF. You know what that means folks, no cell phones. The reason the walleye are so comfortable coming so close to shore is that one, they want to find their food and two they know it is dark out and don’t think they will be spotted. So the key is to really have as little light as possible so as not to scare the walleye away. Who wants to text while they’re fishing anyway? Fishing is proven to de-stress with the help of nature and the ability to eliminate the pressures of everyday life- even if just for a few hours. And let’s be honest, that is something in which we all need nowadays!

If the walleye come up to the shore on Lake Erie is completely dependent on the weather. The weather has to be just right. So another benefit to night walleye fishing at the fishing charter on Lake Erie is that, since it is dependent on weather, we see this weather at two different times of the year. We see this weather in the fall and in the spring. That means 2, 3-4 week periods a year where night walleye fishing is good to go!

• We all know how weather can be in the Midwest. Therefore you must really plan ahead before going night walleye fishing at the Lake Erie Walleye Fishing Charter. The Lake Erie water must be calm, and the air must be cool and peaceful. Not only does that make for a better environment to catch the fish, but also the perfect weather to enjoy at the fishing charter on Lake Erie.

If you have any questions about walleye fishing in the morning at Lake Erie or Lake Erie fishing charters, please visit the Erie Drifter website.  

Walleye Fishing in the Morning

Top-o-the morning to ya!

It may not be morning when you’re reading this, but that’s what I hear when I sit on Lake Erie in the morning. The people that come to Lake Erie Walleye FishingCharter are undoubtedly morning people. I, on the other hand, am a morning person- but only after I’ve had my morning coffee! It’s nice and calm on Lake Erie in the summer mornings. I really look forward to heading to the fishing charter bright and early, so much so that it almost makes getting up in the morning easy. There are all kinds of perks for going walleye fishing in the morning. For example, you’ll occasionally run into the group that brought donuts to share. And although we all like donuts, that’s not what we’re here to talk about. So in this blog I will describe some of the benefits and also provide some tips to fishing for walleye in the morning.

One part I enjoy about walleye fishing on Lake Erie in the morning is that I get a good old fashioned challenge. I enjoy fishing at the fishing charter a lot especially because of how easy it is to catch fish. However, we all enjoy a good ol’ challenge sometimes because it sharpens our skills. It also gives us the good stories to tell and if your morning coffee doesn’t work- this will surely wake you up! In the morning the walleye tend to be a little more aggressive, but it really makes them fun to catch for all the reasons listed above.

• A little tip to conquer the aggressive walleye, slow long jigs will help you reel one in quicker. Make sure not to use any sharp quick jigs when fishing for walleye, because those motions attract pike.
  
• A benefit to walleye fishing in the morning in the summer is that on the really hot days the walleye fish are lazy as all lazy and more very slowly. This can make them a quick and easy catch. Every once in a while we’re all just looking for a fast catch. Remember this only occurs on the really hot summer mornings, otherwise walleye tend to be aggressive in the morning.
  
• A tip for the lazy walleye, drag your jig across the bottom (remember the slow jigs) and the walleye should hook on just like that.
  
• Finally, aside from all of the fishing techniques and benefits of walleye fishing, walleye fishing in the morning on the Lake Erie Fishing Charter really is a great way to start the day. Imagine: birds chirping, the serene atmosphere on Lake Erie, friendly people and a quality time with yourself, family and/or friends.

            Make sure on your next trip to Lake Erie you find me and say hello! I will surely greet you with an all-American “top-o-the morning to ya!” If you have any questions about walleye fishing in the morning at Lake Erie or Lake Erie fishing charters, please visit the Erie Drifter website. 

Smallmouth Bass

Of all the fish in the sea, you are the only one for me!

Smallmouth bass, believe it or not, are the most popular fish to catch on Lake Erie. At the Lake Erie Fishing Charter, the most common fish you will hear people talking about is this one. The large presence of these fish at Lake Erie and the Lake Erie Fishing Charter is a compliment to Lake Erie. The smallmouth bass is completely intolerant to pollution and therefore it habituates solely in healthy environments.

The smallmouth bass are far from picky eaters, they will eat anything that will fit in their mouth including, but not limited to, small birds, frogs and for all you mice haters- small mice. Because they can eat so much, the smallmouth has the potential to reach a length of up to 27 inches and 12 pounds. The only “small” thing about this guy is its mouth. The smallmouth plays along with evolution and the features of the fish are dependent on the geographic location and type of water the fish resides. The fishing charter on Lake Erie, for instance, is home to smallmouth bass that have a light yellow-brown color which aids in camouflage to the sandy coast.

            The size and aggression of the smallmouth makes it one of the toughest fighting freshwater fish in the continent. It is especially feisty out of the water when it is hooked, those guys will flap hard! This does, however, make the smallmouth bass one of the most compelling and satisfying fish to catch on Lake Erie. Be sure to look for the bass in bottom structures: rocky ruble, ledges, drop-offs and etcetera as this is where they generally sit. They are at least 20-40 feet below, so do not bother searching the shallow waters for them.

            Unlike the yellow perch, smallmouth bass create nests for their eggs.  They even have a sort of mating dance that the females do before they spawn. These females, however, do not get to decide when to spawn. For the bass fish, mother nature and temperatures decide this for them. Female smallmouth bass fish spawn at water temperatures around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Hence the smallmouth bass and preparing to set up their nests and spawn their offspring. Therefore, starting planning your trip to the Lake Erie Fishing Charter because these little guys will be biting soon! Another main difference between the yellow perch and the smallmouth bass is that the smallmouth bass is a predator, whereas the yellow perch is the prey.

            If you have any questions about the smallmouth bass at Lake Erie or Lake Erie fishing charters, please visit the Erie Drifter website. 

Yellow Perch

Happy May everyone!

I want to apologize for the delay in posts, but I had to take advantage of the beautiful weather these past few weeks at the Lake Erie Fishing Charter! There was a lot of fish being caught over the past few weeks, and not just by me! Many types of fish were caught these past couple weeks, including the interesting species of the yellow perch and the smallmouth bass (this will be discussed in the following post).

The yellow perch have many different nicknames, so you may know them from a few of the many names: striped perch, American perch or for the scientifically inclined readers the perca flavescens. Yellow perch are beautiful yellow or bass-colored fish with olive toned green stripes along its body. These fellas are generally around 4-10 inches long, but can get up to a record of 18 inches! But do not let that fool ya, they are almost never more than 2 lbs in weight, so these guys are relatively small. I must admit that although I personally have not, I have seen other fishers find these guys sized at 12 inches at the Fishing Charter on Lake Erie.

I will let you in on a little secret: the yellow perch have been spotted spawning! Females can spawn up to eight times in her life, once a year. When the female perch lays its eggs, she can lay up to 40,000 eggs. Moreover, yellow perch do not care for their young. ‘Hate to say it for the fish, but it is good for us fishers to catch those little guys! It is easy to spot the spawning beds as they are often up to two meters long per female, and they are done in shallow areas of water. Keep an eye on those beds, because after about three weeks the eggs will hatch and out swim the yellow perch! These poor guys are also easy to spot because they are weak swimmers, and thus need to swim in schools of 50-200 fish. Watch out though, those walleye we have talked about the past couple weeks tend to prey on the yellow perch. Fortunately, there are plenty of yellow perch in Lake Erie.

These guys are also supposedly tasty. I have never tried a yellow perch, but word around the charter is that demand for yellow perch as food fish is increasing and commercial fisheries are struggling to fulfill the demand increase!

The most recent temperature of the water at Lake Erie was recorded at 42 degrees Fahrenheit, and the yellow perch spawns at a water temperature from about 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus those perch should continue to spawn over the next couple weeks.

If you have any questions about the yellow perch at Lake Erie or Lake Erie fishing charters, please visit the Erie Drifter website.

Preparing for Your Fishing Trip on Lake Erie

Welcome back! I figured I would start this week’s blog with a little humor:

A: “How do you communicate with a fish?”

B: “I don’t know.”

A: “Drop it a line!”

That one never gets old! Hopefully you can understand the relevance of that joke as today I’m going to discuss how to prepare for your fishing charter trip on Lake Erie. Preparation includes the materials needed on the trip, what to wear and how to plan ahead!

What to Bring

Water

First and foremost make sure you pack water for those short fishing trips to the Fishing Charter at Lake Erie. In my experience of fishing, I have noticed that this is an item that people forget more often than not. Water is a necessity! Especially when you’re out on the water under the hot sun. For longer trips, bring a water purification system so you have plenty of clean water to drink! 

Food 

Depending on the length of the trip, a snack or two will do you good. I know the bright shining sun over Lake Erie soaks the energy out of even me sometimes! It’s good to have something to rejuvenate you.

     There are multiple different fishing methods, even when fishing for one kind of fish. These next materials that I recommend for you to bring are what have helped me and countless others catch the best walleye at Lake Erie Walleye Fishing Charter. 

     

     ü  Fishing Pole & Line

     Ok, Ok- these may sound obvious, but there are so many different ways to fish without a fishing line and pole that I had 

  ü  Bate

     The lanyard can hold anything you’ll need immediately while fishing that you cannot reach around your backpack to grab. For example clippers to cut the fish line. 

   

  ü  Sunglasses and hat 

     I mentioned the warm sun over Lake Erie earlier, so these are good options to keep it out of your eyes!

     Make sure you plan your trip to the Lake Erie Fishing Charter accordingly because you wouldn’t want to show up on a day of thunderstorms. Check the weather forecast a few times, get all of your gear together that I discussed earlier, and make sure you get your reservation in! A few pieces that I did not touch on, but that should be a given include a good knife (i.e. a Swiss army knife), health and safety materials (i.e. first aid kid).  If you have any questions about Lake Erie or Lake Erie fishing charters, please visit the Erie Drifter website. Book your weekday trip today!

Night Walleye

Did you know that there are over 30,000 species of fish? And if I had to choose, the walleye

fish would be in my top 5! That’s why we are here yet again to discuss the walleye. Except this week I am here to talk more specifically about night walleye fishing! Walleye fishing at night is a great overall experience! There are multiple differences between walleye day and night fishing, including the techniques used, the type of walleye and the social experience. 

The aggressive or competitive fishers at my Lake Erie Fishing Charter prefer walleye fishing at night. Walleye fish are known to have nocturnal feeding habits, and thus it is very common to fish for these guys at night. One of the great advantages of the Lake Erie Fishing Charter is that you can walleye night fish on a boat and they are easy catches. The nocturnal feeding habits lead the fish to shallow waters in the nighttime and thus make them a reachable target for fishers in boats.

Essentially, at night the best strategy for walleyes is to stay near shallow waters, whereas during the day, the best strategy is to fish deeper in the water. Also during the day, people at the fishing charter on Lake Erie will use downriggers and planer boards. These, on the other hand, are not used at night. A good tip to keep in mind: when you go walleye night fishing, it is important to scope out little holes during the day where larvae and schools of fish habituate. These are guaranteed spots where the walleye fish will flounder to at night. At least, I’ve never seen this trick disappoint at the Lake Erie Walleye Fishing Charter!

Second, the types of walleye you find during day fishing and night fishing are different. In my experience, I have seen hundreds of walleye catches during the day and night. At night, however, I have seen much larger walleye catches. Generally the large female walleyes come up in the shallow water to sit in their spawning beds or eat the minnows. This is a generally larger walleye catch than those during the day. I would say night walleye fishing brings in on average 10-14 lb. walleye!

Finally, the experience of night walleye fishing is much different than that of day walleye fishing. Especially at the Fishing Charter at Lake Erie! During the day we have ourselves a grand ol’ time. However, at night is such a beautiful experience because when you sit on the beautiful waters of Lake Erie and watch the sunset, or even the stars, it’s an experience that one will never forget. You can have a romantic fishing date with your significant other, a night to yourself, or have a nice cold beer with your buddy while you are fishing for walleye.

Remember, the key to night walleye fishing is to stay in the shallow waters and look for schools of minnows and small fish that the walleye eats. If you ever have any questions about Lake Erie or Lake Erie fishing charters, please visit the ErieDrifter website.