Vintage tackle, veteran anglers and boatloads of walleye
Photo courtesy of Forrest Fisher Paul Soper is an angler who represents something that can't be bought at a tackle shop: decades of on-the-water experience that he earned one sunrise at a time, through years of rough water, slow bites, changing conditions and unforgettable catches. It was a pleasure to fish with him.
Photo courtesy of Forrest Fisher The walleyes still want 1980s old-school stick baits that include Bomber Long A's, Renosky’s and others, in all the old colors — they still catch fish.
Photo courtesy of Forrest Fisher Paul Soper is an angler who represents something that can't be bought at a tackle shop: decades of on-the-water experience that he earned one sunrise at a time, through years of rough water, slow bites, changing conditions and unforgettable catches. It was a pleasure to fish with him.
Photo courtesy of Forrest Fisher The walleyes still want 1980s old-school stick baits that include Bomber Long A's, Renosky’s and others, in all the old colors — they still catch fish.
Trending
The eastern basin of Lake Erie is buzzing with walleye anglers these days -- and for good reason. Biologists estimate the lake is home to an incredible 85 million walleyes, creating one of the finest freshwater walleye fisheries anywhere in North America. But even with millions of fish swimming beneath the surface, success still comes down to putting the right presentation in the right place at the right time. Better yet, spend a day with anglers who have decades of experience, and your odds get even better.
That lesson became crystal clear during a morning on the water launching from Bart’s Cove in Dunkirk Harbor with master troller Paul Soper and his longtime fishing partner, Tim Doty. Their classroom was a well-equipped 23-foot Sylvan fishing boat, and the curriculum was "Lake Erie Walleye 201."
Also aboard was local fly-fishing legend Don Gee, a familiar face to generations of Western New York anglers. From September through May, Gee teaches children and adults how to tie flies through the Northern Chautauqua Conservation Club’s popular Kids on the Fly program. He also shares his knowledge alongside world renowned artist and author Alberto Rey at SUNY Fredonia. It didn’t take long to realize this boat wasn’t just carrying fishermen -- it was carrying decades upon decades of fishing knowledge.
The Sylvan looked ready for serious business. Eight Big Jon rod holders lined the gunwales, two downriggers stood at attention, and nearly a dozen rods waited patiently for their turn in the game. Yet Soper kept it simple. Only six lines went into the water -- four Dipsy Divers and two seven-color lead-core setups.
The lure selection was perhaps the biggest surprise.
Forget the latest high-tech gadgets or flashy spinner-and-worm rigs. The walleyes wanted old-school stick baits. Bomber Long A’s, Renosky's that had been catching fish since the 1980s, classic Storm lures and a handful of other colorful vintage favorites made up the
spread. Like an old carpenter reaching for a favorite hammer, Soper trusted the tools that had earned their reputation over decades.
Apparently, so did the fish.
Trolling west to east from 72 to 91 feet of water, the magic happened about 40 feet below the surface. The Dipsy Divers consistently found the strike zone, and before long the cockpit became a revolving door of bent rods, laughing anglers and golden Lake Erie walleye. All of them 3 to just under 6 pounds.
In less than three hours, we had hooked more than our legal limit would have allowed if every fish had made it to the net. The action was nearly nonstop. We lost a few that had skipped the wave tops to freedom in the rough waters.
Every few minutes another rod would bury toward the water, followed instantly by Soper’s signature battle cry.
“FISH ON! GET IT! GET IT! GET IT! Don’t let that fish hurt my rod!”
The line became funnier every single time. Nobody worried much about the rod, of course, but everyone scrambled to grab it before another hard-fighting walleye made off with yet another vintage lure. By the end of the morning, my wrist was sore from fighting fish -- and my cheeks hurt from laughing.
Lake Erie wasn’t exactly calm. The waves reminded us who’s really in charge out there, bouncing the boat enough to make everyone keep one hand on a rail and one eye on the rod tips. The chop certainly didn’t bother the walleyes.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the day was this: fish don’t care how old your equipment is.
Thirty-year-old St. Croix Eye-Con rods still bent beautifully. Well-used reels still purred under pressure. Vintage stick baits with plenty of tooth marks still fooled hungry walleyes just as effectively as they did decades ago. Good equipment, properly cared for, never really goes out of style.
More importantly, neither does experience.
Soper, Doty and Gee represent something that can’t be bought at a tackle shop. Their knowledge was earned one sunrise at a time, through years of rough water, slow bites, changing conditions and unforgettable catches. They’ve seen the lean years and the boom years, and today they’re enjoying what many believe are the finest walleye fishing opportunities Lake Erie has ever offered.
Trips like this remind us why Western New York is such a remarkable place to live and visit. Sure, the fish are plentiful, but the real treasures are the people willing to share what
they've learned, the stories told between strikes, and the memories made every time someone yells, "Fish on!"
When the right anglers, the right tackle, and the right conditions come together, Lake Erie delivers something far greater than a limit of walleyes. Experience never goes out of style on Lake Erie. It delivers a day you’ll be talking about long after the old lures are put back in the tackle box.
Gotta love the outdoors
CALENDAR
July 22-23: Boat Safety Course, Bison City Rod & Gun Club, 5:30-9:30 p.m. both days, Info: 716-984-2880.
July 23: Erie County Federation of Sportsmen, monthly meeting, 6:30-9 p.m., Niagara River Station, 355 East River Road, Grand Island.
July 25: Introduction to Upland Hunting, Chautauqua County Bird Dog Association at the Randolph Rod/Gun Club, 4424 Van Slyke Road, Randolph; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; lunches and up to 125 rounds of ammo provided. Limited to 20 participants: must be at least 21 years of age; Contact Paul Steward at 716-397-2855. Will also include a mentored pheasant hunt in October.
July 26: Ellington Rod & Gun, "Don't Know Partner Trap League," 1045 Hagerdon Hill Road, Ellington; Info: 716-287-3987.
July 31 to Aug. 1: 21st annual Con Club Walleye Team Derby, $300 registration fee, three-fish bag, two days; info: 716-366-8836.
July 31 to Aug. 2: Youth Archery Summer Camp, Elma Conservation, 600 Creek Road, Elma. Pre-registration required.