The rising cost of brand-new fishing boats, the necessary fishing gear, boat maintenance and registration/insurance fees have helped to bolster a new market for charter boat fishing captains, and inland stream and lake fishing guides.

Eastern Lake Erie is buzzing with activity this April, as anglers flock to the jumbo yellow perch. From Sturgeon Point to the Pennsylvania state Line, the yellow perch are biting, with boater access from Sunset Bay, Dunkirk Harbor and Barcelona Harbor.

In two weeks, on May 1, the Lake Erie walleye season will open for New York anglers. Nighttime trolling along the shoreline from Barcelona to Sunset Bay with light sticks on side-planer boards will be a part of the first few weeks of that exciting season, but specialized gear is needed to make such a system functional and practical. With a charter captain, all the gear is provided, and most captains will clean your catch; they know the laws and regulations, where to fish, what to do and how to ensure you have safe fun.

Anglers seeking charter fishing services in the eastern basin of Lake Erie can find a variety of experienced, vetted (drug-tested), USCG-licensed captains operating in the region. The captains are part of the Eastern Basin Lake Erie Charter Boat Association, which ensures that each member is a professional, USCG-licensed captain equipped to provide a safe and enjoyable fishing experience. Find a list of charter captains and more information at a relatively new website, “Come Fish Lake Erie,” at this link: https://comefishlakeerie.com/.

The little wavy hump on the bottom of the screen are yellow perch schooling up in Lake Erie. Anglers with modern sonar can locate them. Note that the water temp is 36 degrees and the fish are biting at 9:36 a.m. Photo courtesy of Captain Daryl Glasner

This website was developed as a promotions program initiative by ELECBA to promote fishing tourism and support the charter captain industry in the Lake Erie region of New York state. Funded by a $540,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and managed through the NYSDEC (allocated by Steve Hurst), this program aims to revitalize the local fishing economy post-pandemic. The organizational efforts were organized by ELECBA President, Charter Captain Jim Steel (Dream Catcher Sportfishing, 716-983-7867, info@dreamctachersportfishing.com) and many others. Their efforts include highway billboards, regional and online TV ads, local restaurant placemats, and other platforms. A Lake Erie charter can cost anywhere from $350 to $800 (and more) for a half-day or day, depending on the boat size, etc.

At this site, you can choose a captain based on specific species, port, size and type of boat, a rest room on board and other boat amenities. Visitors will also find a quick link to these points of interest: Lake Erie Buoy Data Map, Lake Erie Surface Temp, Satellite View – Lake Erie, Chautauqua County Visitors’ Bureau, Great Lakes Sport Fishing Council, Southtowns Walleye Association, and other links.

For quick reference, here are some of the early-season Lake Erie yellow perch charter captains from the website: Pole Dancer Sportfishing (Captain Tom Miranda, 716-531-6683, poledanfishing@gmail.com) has been catching jumbo perch since April 7. So too for Scary-Good Sportfishing (Captain Rob Ebersole, 716-713-9696, info@scarygoodsportfishing.com), CEO Guide Service (Captain Daryl Glasner, 716-462-8632, ceoguideservice@gmail.com), Buffalo Outfitters (Captain Hans Mann, 716-982-4935, hansthecarver1@gmail.com, http://hansthecarver.com/), Reel Hard Sportfishing (Captain Tom and Captain Zachorey Yetzer, 585-764-1554, zachoreyyetzer@outlook.com), and a host of others. Check the website, contact them, verify cost, gear, and anything you might need to ask. Fun times ahead.

Gotta love the outdoors.

CALENDAR

April 24: NYSDEC Lake Erie Angler Outreach meeting, 6-9:30 p.m., Woodlawn Beach State Park Lodge, Blasdell.

April 25-27: Spring Thaw Primitive Archery Shoot and events, Hawkeye Bowmen, 13300 Clinton St., Alden; hawkeyebowmen@yahoo.com.

April 26: NYS Safe Boating Course, Southtowns Walleye Association of WNY, $35 fee, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., first responders/military $10 discount, 5895 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg; Info: John Kalinski, 716-627-7554 or Brian Plecas, 716-225-7055.

April 28: Chautauqua County Federation of Sportsmen annual banquet and fundraising dinner, Lakewood Fish & Game. For tickets, call Frank Shoenacker, 585-406-5764.

NOTE: Send Calendar info or related outdoor news to forrestfisher35@yahoo.com.