Take It From Me: 5 Tips for Lake Erie Walleyes | Big Water Fishing Lessons

Getting to work with Fish Addictions TV and co‑hosting The Reel Talk Podcast has been an amazing experience, but it has also created a weird dynamic in my life. I get to use the best equipment on the market. I get to fish some of the coolest locations. I get to talk to influential people in the fishing industry. My average fish size keeps climbing thanks to the guys around me. And people have started turning to me for advice.

The advice part has always made me nervous. To be blunt, I have always been a mediocre angler who loves to learn and tries to teach. So here are my 5 tips from a mediocre angler about traveling to Lake Erie for giant walleyes.

1. It is a long ass drive

At least from where we are in Grand Forks. Plan for this. We spent 16 hours in the truck going to and from Port Clinton, Ohio. Cell phone chargers, snacks, beverages, and neck pillows are all a must. But the most important part is bringing a good attitude. We had a blast for 14 out of our 16 hours of driving. Chicago is not fun to pull a boat through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pauhRYLOl0

2. Be prepared for everything

On a lake the size of Erie, you simply do not get to fish every day you are there. Our first morning was blowing waves into shore at roughly 14 feet. Do not go out in that. It is not worth it.

Pack rain gear, snow gear if you are there early in the year like we were, sun gear, warm gear, and something to do on the days you cannot get out on the lake. Big water does not care about your plans.

3. Be ready to learn

In our boat we had Dusty, our trusty cameraman, Suzuki Pro Mike Olson, Travis Johnson, and me. Dusty is Dustin Samplawski, and he is the guy behind a lot of the photos from this trip. If you want to see more of his work, check out his site. Mike was the only one with any experience fishing big water and pulling boards, but he was patient with us and explained the process so that by the final day Travis and I could almost put out our four boards as quick as he could.

4. Take advantage of the technology available to you

When you are taking on a lake like Erie, you need every advantage you can get. Talk to the folks at bait shops. Talk to locals. Scour the internet. Color matters. Depth matters. Location matters. Speed matters.

Check the Lake Erie MODIS imagery to find the cleanest water you can. It does not matter how many fish you can see on your graph if they cannot see your bait.

5. Have fun

That is why we do this. If you are not having fun on a fishing trip, you are doing it wrong. My stomach was sore from the jokes told in the boat all week. Pack your snacks. Our cooler looked like we gave a 5‑year‑old two hundred dollars and turned them loose in a gas station.

Even if we had not caught any fish, the trip still would have been a success.