Walleye Charter School

August 27, 2007 - 11:21am — JYork

I will be the first to admit that summer is not my favorite time of the year. By late August, I am tired of the grass cutting, praying for the first frost to kill the flies, mosquitoes, and other insects tormenting me; and I am anxious for football, steelhead, turkey, and deer seasons to begin. So a late summer trip for Lake Erie Walleye was just what the doctor ordered.

Trip planning requires two important decisions – selecting a fishing charter service and reserving overnight accommodations.

There are many good charter fishing boats operating on Lake Erie out of Walnut Creek Marina, so you do have options. I turned to Something Catchy Charters and captain Brian Mills for my trip.

I also wanted to be comfortable before and after the charter trip, so I stayed at The Green Roof Inn. I have been there before and it is a perfect fit for my wife and me. Innkeepers, Brad and Cindy, keep the place spotless and hassle free. If you want to be near Erie’s busy downtown and traffic, don’t stay here. The Green Roof Inn is located in the countryside, has a picnic pavilion, campfire area, and fish cleaning station. There is plenty of room for your boat if you trailer one, and yards of “doggie” grass if you pack the pet like we do. You will be a short distance from the lake and miles away from the city noise. I guarantee that you will not hear the highway traffic or the sound of your neighbor snoring in the next room.

Something Catchy ran charters each day this past weekend, so I watched one of the trips depart and return to Walnut Creek Marina. That gave me time to meet with Brian and talk to returning anglers. I got plenty of video that gives you some insight into what Walleye fishing charters are all about. You can see the videos near the end of this story.

On my trip I fished with Mickey Coulter and his daughters, Misty Eaton and Tracy Schultz. Tracy’s husband Jeff and son Eric rounded out the group. Brian and first mate/daughter Alex took good care of us.

We fished 6-miles northeast of the Marina in 70 feet fo water for fish suspended at a depth of 40-50 feet. We use lures only – no “inline spinners” and nightcrawlers, and we trolled the entire time. That surprised me because the only other time I fished for Walleyes, I was on a “head boat” out of Port Clinton, Ohio; and we “drift fished” with spinners and nightcrawlers.

The weather during this visit to Erie followed the classic “cold front change.” Days of stable, hot, muggy weather transitioned to a stormy period and followed by clear skies and much cooler temperatures. The storms and a stiff north breeze churned the lake and changed the fishing patterns. Any angler reading this knows what this type of weather shift can do to the fishing, and I was worried that the changing weather had spoiled our chances for success.

What I didn’t know but soon learned was Brian Mills hates to get “skunked” when fishing for Walleye. During this weather shift, his charters caught fish before, during ,and after the cold front passed through. Our trip was on the backside of the cold front and the fishing was tough, but we caught fish.

Fishing on a charter boat is affordable, safe, enjoyable, and productive. You can schedule a charter, take your serious fishing buddies, and spend the day filling the coolers. You also can schedule a charter, take your family and non-fishing friends, and spend the day learning how to catch fish and relaxing. A good charter captain adjusts the trip to suit the clients.

Preparations for a trip are easy - You should dress for the weather, bring a sweatshirt or jacket just in case, don’t worry about tackle- it will be provided, and you must have a fishing license. Something Catchy Charters has a great web site with a Question and Answer page visit that site for more information.

Okay, here are a few videos. Captain Brian covers the services he provides and his commitment to safety on the first two. I captured some fishing action that the still pictures cannot convey; and finally, extra clips of the our trip out and then the retrun to the marina. I had never seen Walnut Creek from the water, but now I have.

Captian Brian Welcome & Services