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Open Water Season on Erie
March 19, 2025 Erie 6 photos
Presque Isle Bay March Perch Fishing
Presque Isle Bay March Perch Fishing
Presque Isle Bay March Perch Fishing +3
Perch (Yellow)
Perch (Yellow)

Trip Summary

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 winter’s guiding in Florida at the St. John’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 “hardwater” 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 didn’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, 15-30’. 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 you’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 can’t wait to get after the bass here in the next week or so. Tightlines! -Captain Destin DeMarion
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Destin DeMarion
Erie, Pennsylvania, United States
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Looking for a serious Lake Erie fishing experience guided by a true professional? Climb aboard with Big Fat Bass Guide Service, led by Captain Destin DeMarion — a former Bassmaster Elite Series pro with over a decade of experience guiding on Lake Er...

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August Lake Erie Report
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Late July Erie Fishing Report
Late July Erie Fishing Report
July 30, 2025
The dog days are approaching on Lake Erie… or maybe they’ve already come and gone—hard to say with this weather. It’s been a hot one, and not just temperature-wise. The walleye bite has stayed red-hot all summer, and the smallmouth bass are kicking into gear again, thanks to some cooler mornings and more stable conditions. We've even seen a few bonus perch show up around the walleye grounds. Clients have been boating a mixed bag of species lately—walleye, smallmouth and largemouth bass, perch, lake trout, white bass, rock bass, and the occasional sheepshead. It’s been an action-packed summer. Bass Bite: Early and Late Are Key Right now, smallmouth are most active during the early morning and evening hours, with some midday windows when conditions line up. We’re still fishing in that 20–40' zone, targeting rock structures like humps and flats with the right mix of substrate. Ned rigs, tubes, drop shots, and jighead minnows continue to put fish in the boat. We also had a great time fishing the biggest tournament of the year out of Erie, PA—Kings of Bass. It was a cool mixed format with Day 1 focused on smallmouth and Day 2 on largemouth. We were fortunate to boat over 25 solid smallmouth on the first day—some pushing the 5 lb mark—and back it up with quality largemouth up to 4 lbs. Hats off to Frank Malek and the FishUSA crew for organizing the biggest turnout in years. It’s a fun, competitive event on a world-class fishery. Walleye: Full Coolers and Quality Fish Walleye fishing has stayed excellent, with most anglers limiting out in a variety of areas. We've had good success from the dumping grounds to Shades Beach in 50–80', casting and jigging with ⅜ oz jigheads and a mix of hard baits. The Mountain and the New York line have also been productive. Guys that are trolling continue to do well with worm harnesses and hard baits, but our casting and jigging clients are loving the interactive approach—actively hunting down fish and working them into biting. Coolers have been full, and we’ve seen some chunky 25–28" fish on recent trips. What to Expect in August As we head into August, expect to find fish hugging that 50–55' depth zone as the thermocline sets in. Walleye will often suspend over deeper water but hold tight to that range. The bass pattern should stay consistent, with key feeding windows continuing in the mornings and evenings. Thinking About a Fall Trip? We’re already hearing from lots of folks planning their fall fishing getaways. If you're looking to chase trophy smallmouth, lake trout, Fall Brawl walleye, or those famous “jumbolina” yellow perch, now’s the time to lock in your dates. Our calendar is filling up fast for prime fall windows. We'll fish as deep into the fall as conditions allow. Tight lines, Captain Destin DeMarion
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Walleye Insanity and 22
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