Captain
Destin DeMarion

Member since October 2024 Erie, United States
Background
Destin DeMarion is a former Bassmaster Elite Series Pro and U.S.C.G. Licensed Captain, operating Big Fat Bass Guide Service on Lake Erie for a decade. He loves to share his passion for fishing with others and has a passion for targeting big smallmouths on Lake Erie. He lives on the shores of Lake Erie, in Harborcreek, PA.
Techniques
Artificial. Light Tackle. Power Fishing. Finesse Fishing.

Hey, I'm Captain Destin DeMarion

Erie, United States
Background
Destin DeMarion is a former Bassmaster Elite Series Pro and U.S.C.G. Licensed Captain, operating Big Fat Bass Guide Service on Lake Erie for a decade. He loves to share his passion for fishing with others and has a passion for targeting big smallmouths on Lake Erie. He lives on the shores of Lake Erie, in Harborcreek, PA.
Techniques
Artificial. Light Tackle. Power Fishing. Finesse Fishing.
Our Team
Destin D.
Captain

My Charter Listing

Excellent
5.0 / 5
(17 reviews)
Erie
 Instant Confirmation
Trips from US $225

Fishing Reports

Hefty Smallies Being Caught on Erie
Hefty Smallies Being Caught on Erie
Apr 29, 2025 Erie
Lake Erie Fishing Update โ€“ Spring Transition in Full Swing The last few weeks on Lake Erie have been classic spring transition. Hereโ€™s whatโ€™s happening: Perch have mostly finished spawning around Presque Isle Bay and are pushing back into the main lake. Walleye are migrating through the islands in the Western Basin, with postspawn fish heading east. Lake Trout are showing up strong near โ€œthe mountainโ€ offshore, mostly caught trolling. Bass are sliding into Presque Isle Bay and other prespawn staging areas. Even a few steelhead have been caught near creek mouthsโ€”bonus catches while bass fishing! Water temps are hovering in the mid to high 50s, with Presque Isle Bay warming slightly faster than the main lake. Some areas in the lake are still touching the high 40s. This variety in temps has fish in different phases: some spawning, some staging, and others still deep. In the Bay, big females are getting ready to spawn in the shallows, while fat prespawners are cruising deeper looking for a few last big meals. On the main lake, itโ€™s a mixโ€”some fish are still in their deep winter zones, while others are transitioning to spring areas. Trophy Season Is On! This is prime time to land a true Lake Erie giant. My clients have already boated 24 smallmouth over 20 inches in the past few weeks, with many personal bests shattered. Whether youโ€™re chasing that trophy bass or just want a fun day with good numbers, we can make it happen. We use a variety of baits this time of year, including: Swimbaits Blade baits Jerkbaits Spoons Crankbaits A-rigs Hair jigs Tubes, Ned rigs, and more Smallmouth School โ€“ Learn How to Break Down a Fishery Weโ€™re now booking for May and June (some weekdays still open), and already looking ahead to summer trips, including a special Smallmouth School. This is a multi-day session where we take you to a fresh area, teach you how to break it down, find fish quickly, and dial in how to catch the biggest bass possibleโ€”all in real time. Whether youโ€™re a weekend angler or someone trying to step up to tournament-level efficiency, this is a fantastic opportunity to fish with a pro whoโ€™s done it at the highest level. Spots are limited! Message us to book your bass, perch, or walleye trip and come experience this world-class fishery firsthand. Tight lines, โ€“ Captain Destin DeMarion
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Spring Smallies are Biting
Spring Smallies are Biting
Apr 14, 2025 Erie
Presque Isle Bay & Lake Erie Fishing Report โ€“ Week of April 13th, 2025 Spring is slowly but surely taking hold here in Erie, PA on Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie. Weโ€™ve had some beautiful days teased in between those classic reminders that winter isnโ€™t quite ready to let goโ€”yeah, that โ€œunnamedโ€ white stuff still flying around here and there. But you know what really tells us spring is here? Big prespawn Lake Erie smallmouth bass showing up hungry and ready to eat. The last couple of weeks on guide trips have turned up some thick, healthy prespawn females and plenty of fired-up bucks, too. This time of year brings some of my absolute favorite ways to fish, and clients have been loving every minute of it. Blade bait jigging (canโ€™t beat the Fish Sense Lures Binsky), swimbaits in shad patterns, and treble-hook favorites like jerkbaits and cranks have all been putting fish in the boat. Weโ€™ve seen a ton of personal bests latelyโ€”21 to 21.5โ€ smallmouth that are ridiculously fat and clearly not skipping meals. One trip that really stood out was with Destiny and her boyfriend Chris. I honestly donโ€™t know who had more funโ€”her catching fish, or me watching her light up with every smallie she hooked. That pure joy is what itโ€™s all about. Check it out here. Big thanks as always to all of my awesome clients: Destiny and Chris, Jeff, Brian, Randy, Crist and crew. Some are longtime regulars, some brand new, and I appreciate every one of them for jumping aboard the Big Fat Bass Guide Service Phoenix 21 XE. Looking ahead, the fishing is only going to get better as the weather settles and the water warms. Expect fresh waves of fish moving into the Bay, and big Lake Erie smallmouth starting to show up in force as the main lake catches up temperature-wise. Perch fishing is still solid too, with a chance at some last-round โ€œJumbolinasโ€ before they head back out. Availability Update: We still have April 18th (1:30pmโ€“7:30pm) and April 23rd open if you want to get in on the early spring action. May is filling up fast with just a few early-to-midweek slots left. Donโ€™t waitโ€”contact us today and come fish with a pro this spring on Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay! Tight lines, โ€“ Captain Destin DeMarion
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Smallmouth Flooding into Presque Isle
Smallmouth Flooding into Presque Isle
Apr 9, 2025 Erie
As consistent as the sun rising and setting each day, each spring, big Lake Erie smallmouth make their pilgrimage to their temporary home in Presque Isle Bay in Erie, Pennsylvania. The timing largely depends on the severity of the winter. If the winter is mild and the water begins warming sometime in February, smallmouth usually arrive in the Bay in good numbers by March. However, if itโ€™s a harsh winter with heavy ice coverage that lingers, it can be early April before we see a strong push of smallmouth into Presque Isle Bay. This year fell into the latter category. Over the past week, though, smallmouth bass from the main body of Lake Erie have started to funnel in to feed up and prepare for their spawning rituals, which will take place over the next couple of months. April is generally the most consistent month for fishing; when you find them, they usually have quite a few friends with them. During this prespawn period, smallmouth bass group up around structures like hard-bottom areas and flats near drop-offs. Itโ€™s a great time of year not only to catch good numbers of fish, but also to have a real shot at landing a trophy bass. The big females are carrying extra weight with their eggs and, just like in the fall during the pre-winter feed, this is when they weigh their heaviest. In Presque Isle Bay, a six-pounder is a big fish, but thereโ€™s definitely potential for seven-pound-class bass and even larger. The fishery is loaded with three- to four-pound fish, with plenty of five-pounders mixed in as well. Itโ€™s truly a world-class smallmouth fisheryโ€”and often one of the first places in the Northeast to warm up and become fishable, thanks to its shallowness and relatively southern location. It also offers some wind protection from springโ€™s volatile weather patterns, but like any cold or big water, always use caution and check resources like NOAA before heading out. We just wrapped up a trip with one of our favorite clients, JD from Ohio. The action started fastโ€”we quickly boated ten fish up to five pounds and kept at it until we tallied sixty bass for the day. The air temps were cold with some scattered flurries early on, but the winds were light, and the sun eventually broke through, making for excellent fishing conditions. Some of the most effective presentations during this time include swimbaits, jerkbaits, blade baits, spoons, tubes, and a variety of other plastics and hard baits as the water warms. If you're looking to get in on some of the most exciting early-season smallmouth fishing around, come join us at Big Fat Bass Guide Service! We still have availability on April 18th (1:30 p.m. to dark), April 23rd, April 30th, and select weekdays in May. Come experience what Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay have to offerโ€”book your trip with us today! Tight lines, โ€“ Captain Destin DeMarion
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Open Water Season on Erie
Open Water Season on Erie
Mar 19, 2025 Erie
Open water season is finally here! Like most of us, the cabin fever was very strong up until this point. I used to spend my winterโ€™s guiding in Florida at the St. Johnโ€™s River and at least breaking up the cabin fever fishing tournaments across the country in the winter, be it when I was on the Bassmaster Elite Series, fishing the Bassmaster Opens, or even the Bassmaster Team Championship. The open water fishing on Lake Erie is largely seasonal, and this โ€œhardwaterโ€ period was especially long for us diehard open water guys. The ice fishing on Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie can be killer, as I used to partake, especially when I was in college at Gannon University right downtown. Now, I take the winter to be more involved with my family, friends, church, and prepare for the open water season. Yesterday, after repacking the boat, checking over safety equipment (definitely check those flares for expiration dates), charging batteries, treating fuel, and rigging a couple Douglas XMatrix rods, it was finally time to get the Phoenix 21 XE out on Presque Isle Bay. The intent was to mostly just check gear and run the engine, but I had to partake in some of the excellent early spring perch fishing Presque Isle Bay offers, too. Surprise, surprise. When I cranked up the Yamaha (first turn, thankfully), I began idling around to listen to the engine and dial back in visually with my graphs. The 250 SHO purred nicely all day and the graphs were as crispy and dialed in as our last trip on December 28th - if you want to dial in your graphs and learn how to interpret them to the highest level, book an electronics trip with me. After getting on plane, I decided to start graphing some no-man's land type areas and eventually settled in to do some perching. Lake Erie jumbo perch are something special. Both Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie proper offer some excellent perch fishing, and trophy perch at that. Right now they are about ready to pop as they make their way to spawning areas early on after the ice is off. Both deep and shallow areas play, depending on the phase of those particular fish. I mostly focused deep with artificial trying to dial back in on my FFS game with my Active Target 2. It didnโ€™t take long with my drop shot to start picking off fish. They were a bit finicky, but even with all artificial I was able to pluck some nice eating sized fish out of the depths, 15-30โ€™. Some guys were talking about catching some shallow as well, as expected with the 80 degree air temps! It was a beautiful day to be out and there were a few other boats out enjoying the nice day and coming out of winter hibernation here in Erie, PA. My first bass guide trip will be at the end of March, but if youโ€™d like to come catch some perch for dinner, learn how to use both artificial lures, and your electronics to target them, reach out and book a perch fishing trip while that bite is still hot. I canโ€™t wait to get after the bass here in the next week or so. Tightlines! -Captain Destin DeMarion
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Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
5.0 / 5
out of 5 stars from 17 reviews
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (38)
Great trip
Great trip
July fishing trip
+35
Angler rating
17
0
0
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
100%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
100%
Appropriate for children
100%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
100%
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5 of 17 reviews
FishingBooker Member
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Destin @ Erie, PA

Full Day Trip on April 21, 2025
Destin put me on the fish, thatโ€™s for sure. He also is exactly what I was looking for- we used a variety of techniques throughout...
FishingBooker Member recommends Big Fat Bass Guide Service โ€“ Erie
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FishingBooker Member
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Smallie bonanza

Full Day Trip on November 16, 2024
Big Fat Bass Guide Service is accurate! Thatโ€™s all we caught! I had the pleasure of going out with Destin this past...
FishingBooker Member recommends Big Fat Bass Guide Service โ€“ Erie
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FishingBooker Member
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Full day trips

Full Day Trip on October 31, 2024
Iโ€™ve fished with Destin multiple times and never had a bad time even when mother nature tossed some weather curveballs our...
FishingBooker Member recommends Big Fat Bass Guide Service โ€“ Erie
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  Destin DeMarion Captain replied

FishingBooker Member
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Lake Erie with Destin DeMarion

Full Day Trip on November 9, 2024
Fishing with Destin has been a great time over multiple years of trips. His knowledge of Erie and the big water is impressive....
FishingBooker Member recommends Big Fat Bass Guide Service โ€“ Erie
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Dan D.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great trip

VERIFIED   NEW  Extreme Half Day Trip (AM) on July 19, 2025
Thanks Destin! Great trip in tjhe heat of summer! I learned a few tricks to take back home. I cant wait to try them!
Dan D. recommends Big Fat Bass Guide Service โ€“ Erie
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