It’s been a wet and weird spring on Lake Erie, but with next week’s projected heat wave, we should be firmly into our early summer patterns in the next couple of weeks. First, I want to offer a heartfelt thank you to everyone who’s been reading these reports and booking trips this spring. This season has exceeded all expectations, and I’m incredibly grateful. Leaving the corporate world and putting a pause on tour-level fishing was a big risk—but through prayer and the steady support of so many of you, my family is thriving and at peace with that decision. I've been able to spend more time at home, be more involved in our church, and still do what I love every day. That’s a blessing I don’t take for granted. The Fishing Despite the up-and-down weather, Lake Erie has kept producing solid action. Over the past month, we’ve welcomed folks from Texas (who drove here!), Colorado, Kentucky, and Indiana—all coming to experience the world-class smallmouth fishing we’re lucky to have here in Erie, PA. Some trips were anniversary celebrations, others were graduation gifts. One client asked me, “Does this ever get old?” My answer: maybe I look forward to seasonal transitions in patterns, but this—the smiles, the memories, the lightbulb moments when someone picks up a new technique—that never gets old. It's a joy. Seasonal Transition We’re still in the prolonged spring bite, but many smallmouth are transitioning from spawn to post-spawn and moving into early summer patterns. More fish are leaving Presque Isle Bay and migrating outward into the lake. What’s Working Finesse tactics are the name of the game in early summer. Your electronics become critical this time of year for finding and staying on active fish in deeper water. If you need a refresher, check out our Electronics Trip—a 2-hour, on-the-water session to help you interpret your electronics and dial them in. Last week I helped a client fine-tune four Lowrance units with ActiveTarget and even helped troubleshoot some boat performance issues. Bass Bite Depths: 10–35’ Patterns: Post-spawn transition/Early Summer Baits: Drop shot, tubes, Ned rigs, swimbaits, jig-head minnows, spybaits, hair jigs Location: Fish are leaving the Bay and moving onto main lake flats and deeper shelves and humps. Timing is everything. Walleye Bite The walleye action is starting to pop off as we’ll be ramping up casting and jigging using forward-facing sonar. Some recent tournament-winning bags hit 38 lbs for 5 fish (my friend Ashton) — casting, not trolling! Depths: 30–60’ (hot zones around 40–55’) Techniques: Trolling plugs and harnesses, casting and jigging also producing well Location: Big schools are showing up from Ohio through New York waters Want to Fish with a Pro This Summer? If you’re looking to escape the heat and enjoy some serious rod-bending action, I’d love to have you out on Lake Erie. Whether you're a smallmouth fanatic or want to sample world-class walleye fishing, we’ve got options that will leave you smiling. Book now! -Captain Destin DeMarion

We’ve made it to June! Through the wind, rain, and cold of spring 2025 here in Erie, PA, summer is finally knocking. As I write this, it’s expected to hit 87°F — just a few days after barely reaching 50. I’m ecstatic to finally trade in the boots for flip flops and get back to chasing fish under blue skies. A Strange Spring Across Lake Erie Staying in touch with guide buddies and “hammers” (great anglers) across the East and West Basins of Lake Erie, the consensus is clear: it’s been a strange spring. We’ve seen plenty of quality smallmouth caught across all three basins, but the inconsistent weather seems to have stretched out our usual bite windows. Water temps would warm up, then cool right back off, keeping many fish in a kind of limbo. That said, the “behind schedule” spring might actually set us up well for early summer. Smallmouth Report – Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie Over the last couple of weeks, our clients have been catching smallmouth in all three phases — prespawn, spawn, and postspawn. Most of the bite has leaned finesse: dropshots, tubes, senkos, jig minnows have all put fish in the boat. That said, power fishing still is viable too, with A-rigs, jerkbaits, and chatterbaits producing some. Hot Tip: The next full moon is June 11. If conditions line up, we could see another wave of spawners. However, most of our recent fish have been postspawn with some prespawners mixed in. That means: Slow is Pro — slow down your presentation and thoroughly work areas to stay dialed in. Fish can be more finicky this time of year. Work areas thoroughly and finesse presentations slowly, but efficiently. Walleye Report The walleye bite continues to improve as more fish migrate east. We’re catching them as a bycatch while bass fishing in 10–30 ft. Meanwhile, anglers are doing well all the way out to 40–45 ft using plugs and crawler harnesses (trolling or drifting). Out in front of the peninsula has been hot and we’ve been catching some east of the city. We’re using forward-facing sonar to cast at individual fish — an exciting, active way to fish. Want to learn how? Let’s get you on the schedule. Perch Update Perch are still showing up occasionally while bass fishing in the Bay — especially postspawn fish fattening up. Most of the bigger schools have moved back to the lake, so key in on bait concentrations. Tight lines, Captain Destin DeMarion Big Fat Bass Guide Service

As May winds down and June rolls in, Lake Erie smallmouth bass are finally getting that signature spunk back. After a brief cooldown, we’re seeing water temps in the mid-to-upper 50s on the main lake and low 60s in Presque Isle Bay—perfect for active bass. Right now, we’ve got fish in all three phases of the spawn. In the Bay, postspawners are showing up in offshore areas, but prespawn and spawning fish are still around. Out on the main lake, the spawn is going in some areas, with many fish still waiting to go—especially in the cooler zones away from the Bay. When fish are spread across all phases, it opens the playbook. Look for them shallow, mid-depth, or deep—on beds, guarding fry, fattening up before or after the spawn. Forage is plentiful right now, too: emerald shiners, baby perch, gobies, shad, craws, and more. Pay attention to what they’re eating. Feel their bellies—if they’re soft, they’re feeding on baitfish; if they’re crunchy, it’s craws. Match the hatch with size and color. Hard baits like jerkbaits, spy baits, A-rigs, cranks, and hair jigs are excellent. For soft plastics, try drop shots, tubes, Neds, swimbaits, grubs, or Senkos. Watch the weather and moon phases—a warming trend during a full or new moon often triggers a new push of spawners. That said, full moons can make for tougher daytime bites, as non-spawning fish feed more at night with the extra light. Other Species Updates: Walleye – Evening bite is still best around creek mouths. Expect walleye bite to to heat up as the migration from the west continues. Lake Trout – Anglers are still doing well trolling near “The Mountain” around the NY line in 100’+ depths. Perch – We are getting sporadic catches of postspawn perch in the Bay while bass fishing. Most big schools have moved back to the lake, so focus there. Memorial Day Special & June Availability We just had Memorial Day and May 27th open up due to a client’s knee surgery. I’m offering a 2-day, 8-hour guided trip special for just $1200 — a $100 savings! June is filling up fast in the past couple of weeks, with limited dates remaining: June **hidden content** If you want to get in on the summer deep bite (July–early September) or secure a prime fall trophy smallmouth spot (October–November) or lake trout jigging/scoping big fall walleye, now’s the time to get on the books, as many of my prime fall dates are already filling. Tight lines, Captain Destin DeMarion Big Fat Bass Guide Service