Author Topic: Lake Erie Guides  (Read 6129 times)

Offline Amos

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Lake Erie Guides
« on: Feb 25, 2015, 08:57 PM »
Hey Guys, I've been thinking of trying a walleye/perch trip to Lake Erie.  Don't have transportation on the ice, so I am looking for a guide that is on the ice regularly and willing to work hard to get his clients on fish.  If you are aware of such a guide, please give me contact info if you have it.  I'm willing to fish either Michigan or Ohio waters.  Please let me know if you have had either an exceptionally good or poor experience.  Thanks for any help.

Offline Erieguy1

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #1 on: Feb 26, 2015, 11:31 AM »
Stay away from Reel Sports Charters . Lots of bad on this site and others.

Offline rtbluver

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #2 on: Mar 02, 2015, 08:51 AM »
As that guy said, stay away from reel sport.  Blake Calvert is a goo dchoice, look him on facebook, heard fantastic things about them.  Heard good things about ronnie rhodes at fintastic.

Offline muskyjoe

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #3 on: Mar 02, 2015, 09:13 AM »
Blake can put you on fish but he is all about getting his limit more then you it seems

Offline fishinjohn

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #4 on: Mar 03, 2015, 07:49 PM »
Made it down to fish the mighty big waters yesterday (March 2nd) I booked a guide since I don't have a quad to use.. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND DOUBLE J charters/ jeff jessep.. A lot of great things about jeff.. he truly puts pride in what he does.. Him and his crew work hard to get us on fish.. we set up and moved 4 times, at one point we were 10 miles off shore.. we found some decent fish after last move.. We ended up getting on fish and in my shanty we used 8 legal fish, only one being sub 20" we iced a 7lber, 8lber, and one over 9lbs... truly was a trip I will NEVER forget and plan on booking a trip with him next year!!
 

Offline Game Hog

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #5 on: Mar 03, 2015, 08:00 PM »
I'll second that. Them guys gave every effort they had to keep us on fish. I'll be back for sure. Probably 2 days of fishing though. Thanks again Double J.

Offline hunters08

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #6 on: Mar 03, 2015, 08:06 PM »
I'll second that. Them guys gave every effort they had to keep us on fish. I'll be back for sure. Probably 2 days of fishing though. Thanks again Double J.
Did you guys go out of crane creek?
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Offline Game Hog

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #7 on: Mar 03, 2015, 08:11 PM »
Wild wings marina to be exact.

Offline hunters08

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #8 on: Mar 03, 2015, 10:29 PM »
Wild wings marina to be exact.
Thanks hoping to get back down there next week
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Offline fishinjohn

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #9 on: Mar 04, 2015, 09:00 AM »
I'll second that. Them guys gave every effort they had to keep us on fish. I'll be back for sure. Probably 2 days of fishing though. Thanks again Double J.
2 days of fishing FOR SURE! That's my ONLY REGRET! 

Offline kris11b

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #10 on: Mar 04, 2015, 04:39 PM »
I'm writing this review for two reasons, one to vent and one to give future potential customers an account of my experience with Air 1 Airboats walleye charter ran by Captain Tony Muscioni. First off Tony seems like a cool enough guy. This is not a personal attack.

My trip was scheduled for Friday 27 February and I counted down the days. I love ice fishing but had never targeted walleyes through the ice and couldn't wait. I didn't even sleep the night before. The reports had been fair to good and I mentally prepared myself to not catch any fish, some days they just don't bite. Any fisherman knows this. We left the ramp at about 0630 and we were on our way, our group was 5 plus the Captain. We got to our spot and Tony got to drilling. I set up my shanty and started with a silver and blue Cleo tipped with a minnow. I had some fish come up to my bait but never got one to hit. Tony caught one walleye around 0800 and we moved a couple hundred yards West at around 1000. Nobody had any luck so we moved a mile or so around noon. Next spot was in 38 fow and since it was so sunny that day I liked the spot. We fished here awhile and none of the group was marking any fish. Tony had 2 nice walleye on the ice so I asked him if I could see how he had his lure set up. He said sure just let me catch this fish chasing my bait. I stood outside his shanty for about a minute and since the clock was ticking down I went back to my shanty to keep fishing. About 15 minutes before we had to pack up I looked out and Tony had 5 nice walleye on the ice. I walked over and asked if I could fish in his obviously hot holes. Nobody in the group had caught or marked any in our new location. He said I could fish in his shanty with him and I showed him the little Cleo I was using and he said yup that's the one you want. I dropped my bait to the bottom and he was marking multiple fish on his Vexilar. I fished with him for a few minutes and asked if I could drill some holes close to his shanty so I could use my own Vexilar and he said it won't do any good, we are about to pack it up. After seeing the Cleo he was using it was about half the size of the one I had on.  At this point I was a little hot. Tony sat on these holes and pulled out 5 beautiful walleye and we didn't even know he had a fish on. Nobody in the group caught or marked any fish in the last spot we moved to. After we packed up I asked Tony why he didn't move us to his holes when he started catching fish out of them. He said that we would all be taking some meat home and it was a team effort. I explained to him that if I just wanted meat I would go to the grocery store and buy some. I went to Port Clinton to pull one of those beautiful creatures through the ice. I repeated the question and asked him again, why wouldn't you move your paying customers to the holes you limited out on, he got a little pissed and let me know that not everyone catches fish. Nobody but him caught a fish that day. I still can't understand why he 1) didn't go around the shanties offering advice and checking on his customers and 2) once he got on top of the fish didn't offer the holes to his customers.  Combined we paid him $750 to sit in his shanty and slay walleye.  It was a very quiet ride back. Two of the other customers expressed their dissatisfaction that Tony didn't offer anyone help with me after I let Tony know how I felt.  I believe that his whole point was that we were all going home with some fish and that's what matters. Maybe to other customers that is all that matters but the amount of time and money I put into that trip, it's not all that mattered to me. Maybe I'm in the minority. I'm sure not everyone's experience with Tony has been the same as mine. I will not be going out with Tony again. To me a guide would have his clients fish those holes as soon as he found fish. Or at least offer some hands on advice and techniques.  If nobody including Tony would have caught fish that day I could've chalked it up to bad luck but when your guide limits out and we hand him $750 to do it, that doesn't sit right with me. Good luck out there and tight lines.

Offline Colonel Forbin

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #11 on: Mar 05, 2015, 08:51 AM »
That's why it's called fishing not catching. The airboat captain was on time, got you out and back safe and moved you not once but twice which says alot actually most airboat captain don't move around that much. . It sounds like Tony is an experience ice fisherman and you are not. You have to know how to draw fish in, then draw them up off the bottom, catching Erie eyes is not something that comes natural, they are tricky and it's not a given you will catch them, you have to figure them out.

You weren't fishing in a barrel Erie walleye roam if they were near him they were by you, assuming you were all close to each other which I'm sure you were. Since he was kind enough to let you in his shanty you should have paid keen attention to what he was doing to get fish to come in and bite. Surely you didn't only have one bait to use did you? I often change 30 times per day.

To put it into perspective, one day last year my buddy caught 10 fish with no fishfinder and my shanty only caught one with a fishfinder, I was  only20 ft away. Do you believe that it was HIS holes or the action and jigging style that attributed to his success and my lack of success? Well I will tell you, it wasn't the holes he figured them out and I didn't.

A captain can only do so much, YOU have to catch the fish, it sounds like some fish were around and he put in the effort to get on a good school of fish and it didn't work out. I've been jiggin in the spring and I'll catch 20 fish and the guy right next to me not catch any and we are in the same boat. When you have it figured out they go for you if you don't they don't, period you hardly catch walleye by accident.

Maybe next time, invest that 750 in a quad or sled and go out and do it yourself and when you don't catch fish blame yourself. Its real easy to blame someone else when things don't go as planned, maybe take some ownership in this and turn it into a learning experience. They say 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish, I believe it holds true in this cse.


Offline fishinjohn

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #12 on: Mar 05, 2015, 09:32 AM »
That's why it's called fishing not catching. The airboat captain was on time, got you out and back safe and moved you not once but twice which says alot actually most airboat captain don't move around that much. . It sounds like Tony is an experience ice fisherman and you are not. You have to know how to draw fish in, then draw them up off the bottom, catching Erie eyes is not something that comes natural, they are tricky and it's not a given you will catch them, you have to figure them out.

You weren't fishing in a barrel Erie walleye roam if they were near him they were by you, assuming you were all close to each other which I'm sure you were. Since he was kind enough to let you in his shanty you should have paid keen attention to what he was doing to get fish to come in and bite. Surely you didn't only have one bait to use did you? I often change 30 times per day.

To put it into perspective, one day last year my buddy caught 10 fish with no fishfinder and my shanty only caught one with a fishfinder, I was  only20 ft away. Do you believe that it was HIS holes or the action and jigging style that attributed to his success and my lack of success? Well I will tell you, it wasn't the holes he figured them out and I didn't.

A captain can only do so much, YOU have to catch the fish, it sounds like some fish were around and he put in the effort to get on a good school of fish and it didn't work out. I've been jiggin in the spring and I'll catch 20 fish and the guy right next to me not catch any and we are in the same boat. When you have it figured out they go for you if you don't they don't, period you hardly catch walleye by accident.

Maybe next time, invest that 750 in a quad or sled and go out and do it yourself and when you don't catch fish blame yourself. Its real easy to blame someone else when things don't go as planned, maybe take some ownership in this and turn it into a learning experience. They say 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish, I believe it holds true in this cse.
I agree with some of what you are saying.. However, it doesnt sound like this guide did his part 100%. As a guide people are not only paying for your services they are paying for your knowledge as well.. if you don't offer any knowledge (jig size, presentation, why your are on the exact location) you're not giving them what they are paying for.. Imo these guys got a glorified taxi service..
I just came back from a guided trip, and, it was more than I expected!! From the time we got out of the truck to the time we got back in the truck... if I would've needed them to come to my hut and show me how to jig those eyes, they would've gladly done it! They probably would've showed me how to bait my hook (if I didn't know how)..
I booked with a guide for 2 reasons
1) to Give me a ride (I don't have a machine)
2) to teach me about lake Erie ice
They did both of those things AND we caught fish

Offline crager

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #13 on: Mar 05, 2015, 10:40 AM »
Hey fishinjohn, who did you use for guide & how much was it & what did it include as I am coming from 4 hrs away this weekend but also on limited budget to try & keep the peace if you know what I mean.

Offline BIGFISH

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #14 on: Mar 05, 2015, 04:05 PM »
It's an Ice Fishing Guide's JOB to see to it that his CUSTOMERS catch fish and enjoy themselves doing it..... PERIOD !!
They should:
1.  Prepare their customer before leaving the dock with information about how the day will be going.

2.  Provide adequate transportation for all.

3.  Be prepared with SEVERAL LOCATIONS for their customer to fish.

4.  Cut all the customers holes.

5.  Make sure everyone has the CORRECT LURES AND SIZES/COLORS that have been working well.

6.  Keep checking with his clients to be sure they are doing things correctly...... demonstrate proper technique on this lake.

7.  Clean/Process clients fish.

8.  It is NOT the guide's job to be out there fishing....he is supposed to be WORKING !!!  If you want to fish.... then DON'T CHARGE PEOPLE TO KEEP YOU COMPANY WHILE YOU DO!!

i've had both good & bad experiences with guide services.  The good ones get my recommendation to fellow anglers.... the bad ones get bad-mouthed!!

Offline hunters08

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #15 on: Mar 05, 2015, 05:13 PM »
It's an Ice Fishing Guide's JOB to see to it that his CUSTOMERS catch fish and enjoy themselves doing it..... PERIOD !!
They should:
1.  Prepare their customer before leaving the dock with information about how the day will be going.

2.  Provide adequate transportation for all.

3.  Be prepared with SEVERAL LOCATIONS for their customer to fish.

4.  Cut all the customers holes.

5.  Make sure everyone has the CORRECT LURES AND SIZES/COLORS that have been working well.

6.  Keep checking with his clients to be sure they are doing things correctly...... demonstrate proper technique on this lake.

7.  Clean/Process clients fish.

8.  It is NOT the guide's job to be out there fishing....he is supposed to be WORKING !!!  If you want to fish.... then DON'T CHARGE PEOPLE TO KEEP YOU COMPANY WHILE YOU DO!!

i've had both good & bad experiences with guide services.  The good ones get my recommendation to fellow anglers.... the bad ones get bad-mouthed!!
I agree 100% and if I was standing in the same boat that my buddy is getting 20 fish jigging and I got none because he figured them out and I didn't. I wouldn't be fishing with him anymore. If it was me I would have told my buddy what I figured out!!!
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Offline kris11b

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #16 on: Mar 05, 2015, 05:19 PM »
Another review from a fella that had Tony as a guide the next day.

I also had that experience the very next day with tony. He was in his shelter and rest of us in ours, He caught 8 fish and the other 4 in our group got skunked. He kept the big 3 all over 10lbs and gave us he other 5 to split. He didnt show us much as far as presentation either, said let it flutter down, jig it and let flutter.. We were very disappointed, will try out by Port Clinton again but hopefully can find another service.


Offline BIGFISH

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #17 on: Mar 05, 2015, 05:51 PM »
we fished last week end on are own with the we fished out of wildwings on sat  pick up a few fri we were out Catawba area we fish 6 miles out towards the west and picked up fish sun we fished a little closer about four miles out the fish were there but bite wasn"t if you got use of a quad that's the way to if you need # pm   me  bigfish !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:

Offline spindiver

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #18 on: Mar 05, 2015, 06:37 PM »
After reading some of  this I'm glad we went on are own of cataw  did well  we came down ny had a blast see ya next year no guides blue and silver

Offline fishinjohn

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #19 on: Mar 05, 2015, 06:42 PM »
Hey fishinjohn, who did you use for guide & how much was it & what did it include as I am coming from 4 hrs away this weekend but also on limited budget to try & keep the peace if you know what I mean.
I drove 4 1/2 hrs..
Double J.. Jeff jessep... he truly will give you the experience you are looking for! Machines running and warmed up ready to go when you show up.. help get you loaded up, transport out on the ice.. drill holes and shovel all snow off, provide bait and several lures that are working.. plenty of tips and advice. . He did fish in his shanty, but came out and walked around checking on us.... He moved us 4 times.. at one point we were 10 miles off shore.. His passion is clearly making happy customers!  His number is on his website. But I'll post it.. (330) 360 5106

Offline kris11b

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #20 on: Mar 05, 2015, 06:51 PM »
Sounds like a real pro. If I do a guided trip next year I'll definitely give him a call.

Offline Colonel Forbin

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #21 on: Mar 06, 2015, 09:11 AM »
Another review from a fella that had Tony as a guide the next day.

I also had that experience the very next day with tony. He was in his shelter and rest of us in ours, He caught 8 fish and the other 4 in our group got skunked. He kept the big 3 all over 10lbs and gave us he other 5 to split. He didnt show us much as far as presentation either, said let it flutter down, jig it and let flutter.. We were very disappointed, will try out by Port Clinton again but hopefully can find another service.

It just proves my point even further, someone who fishes everyday is going to catch more than a bunch of noobs (nothing wrong with noobs) who aren't hip to ice fishing. Ask Double J about his catch rate vs his clients I bet he outfishes them at least 4 to 1 if not more.

The guide was right as far as letting it flutter down jig and let flutter, this is called jigging.

I can hold my own on the ice but one or 2 guys always smoke em when everyone else has a good pick going, same as on a boat, when your dialed in you are dialed in. Someone who ice fishes once a year is going to to have a tough time blasting them on their first trip.

Of course he was in his shelter, ALL GUIDES fish in a shelter and set you up in your own. I hope nobody expect them to stand outside all day.

Offline kris11b

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #22 on: Mar 06, 2015, 10:56 AM »
You must be good buds with Tony. You are the only guy defending an obviously unprofessional guide. If your idea of a good guide is one that sits in his shelter ALL DAY and doesn't check on/offer advice to clients then you are either a crappy guide yourself or just trolling right now. I'm guessing you're just a sh$! stirrer. Nobody thinks noobs will 'blast' them on their first trip but expecting 1 customer to catch 1 fish is not realistic. You're a know it all walleye fishing God, anybody should be so lucky to even be able to read your posts. Give it up. The guy sucks as a guide. Period. The more you defend him the more stupid and hard headed you look.

Offline Colonel Forbin

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #23 on: Mar 06, 2015, 11:15 AM »
I'm saying what everyone else is thinking, you suck at ice fishing, which is fine its takes some getting used to but to put 100% of the blame on the guide is BS. You own no part of the lack of success to yourself, you are delusional, also okay as most people are.

If anything the guy could have shown you more about jigging or offerered up some baits, however you were in his shack so maybe he did? We are only hearing your side of the story.

Offline kris11b

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #24 on: Mar 06, 2015, 11:23 AM »
He is more than able to give his side. You are the greatest fisherman in the world. Did you not see the review from the very next day?  The normal expectations of a paid guide were not met. Not even close. And you aren't big brother, you are not saying what others are thinking, they are taking care of that themselves and to think you speak for men already speaking for themselves shows a lot about you and highly you regard yourself.  You're probably a real tough guy too. A real keyboard warrior.

Offline Colonel Forbin

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #25 on: Mar 06, 2015, 01:35 PM »
Taking shots at me over and over aren't helping anyways cause. It's hilarious keep em coming, your assessments couldn't be more wrong, however when someone wants to blame everyone for their lack of success except themselves that;s called being delusional!

Why don't you make with the details if he did or didn't provide to you so we get the WHOLE story. My dad told me along time ago if it looks like sheet and smells like sheet it's sheet and your story wreaks of it. VERY convenient to say the guide caught more so it's all his fault. As if the guy was suppose to either A not fish or B, cut his line or loose them purposely so he didn't end up disappointing his customers for their lack of success.

Once again, guides naturally do catch more, they fish for a living! They are better than you! Ever been on a drift and cast charter or a jigging charter, who 9 times out of 10 catches the most fish? The Captain and first mate. Trolling different that's a boat game.

So you know, I don't guide nor do I charter and I don't know this guy Tony, saw his airboat once at Catawba and that's it.

Offline kris11b

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #26 on: Mar 06, 2015, 01:50 PM »
"VERY convenient to say the guide caught more so it's all his fault"  Dude.  Nobody caught any fish. Zero. On my trip or the trip after.  Not sure what's so hard for you to understand about that.  Your reading comprehension skill leave a lot to be desired.  Listening to numerous other professional guides, off of this site and other, none of them said they would sit in a shanty and catch fish all day while their clients got skunked.  That is the main point.  You are a first rate troll.  The guide never went around to the clients to offer advice and or help.  Zero.  That's the main point of the review.  The fact that nobody caught fish is secondary. 

Offline rp dog

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #27 on: Mar 06, 2015, 03:27 PM »
Hey Kris 11b read your review and appreciate it very much I'm lucky enough to have done this for the last 15yrs. We started on our own and i guess we were always lucky and caught fish. I've always been willing to help people out there and to be honest i can't remember any of there names. I just know that some people spend there hard earned money to have a little bit of fun. I would not worry about any body else's opinion remember there like --- ----- every body's got one.

Offline BIGFISH

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #28 on: Mar 06, 2015, 03:48 PM »
ill chime in on this did the guide thing one time in the lower river for steelhead in the mighty Niagara the guide was outstanding show us how to fish and he didn't fish from what see here in new York most guides DON"T FISH THEY MAKE SURE THE CLIENTS CATCH FISH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that's my take on this if you hire someone to do a job  he should do his job not hide in  hut and catch fish he should be showing his clients how to fish    that's how you become a good guide    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:                                        BIGFISH  :bow:

Offline kris11b

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Re: Lake Erie Guides
« Reply #29 on: Mar 06, 2015, 06:09 PM »
That's what it boils down for me. Making sure your clients catch fish. I can't wait to hit the big ice next year. Might see some of y'all out there.

 



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