30' Sportcraft docked at Fenwick Marina, Oak Harbor, OH Multiple boats available
U.S.C.G. Licensed, Ohio Licensed Guide.
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At 7 a.m. sharp the McReel Thing, a 30 foot Sportcraft shoved along by a growling 454 , Chevy engine, slipped sway from its mooring at Fenwick Marina in the western basin of Lake Erie between Port Clinton and Toledo. Skippered by owner Jerry McRill, of Findlay, the boat quickly swept out of the mouth of Turtle Creek in search of the elusive and prized fish.
McRill, a certified charter captain for eight years and an avid fisherman since the age of 3, selected a course which would cover 10 nautical miles to a point west of West Sister Island, east of Toledo and north of the Davis Besse Nuclear Power Plant.
"We're going out to where they (other boats and anglers) are congregating," said McRill to his party of six hopefuls. "We hit pretty good in there yesterday and we'll give it a shot."
At that time of the morning there was a need to scramble and jockey aboard the craft to get out of the spray and foam being spewed into the McReel Thing as the captain churned the boat north to our destination.
McRill monitoring his position locating radios, depth and fish finders and automatic course locators said the fishing might be tough today because of the full moon the previous night.
"These fish are really funny, Walleye usually hit early in the morning and later in the afternoon," said McRill.
McRill assured the anglers the 10 to 20 mile an hour westerly wind would give us the excellent drift needed to catch the big ones. The only time you troll is when you don't have the drift, he added. Trolling is a last resort and used only when weather and currents aren't co-operating, according to McRill.
"The ideal fishing is to drift across the schools and let the (fishing) lines do the work. It's more natural to the fish," he said.
After maneuvering his craft into position among the other fishing charters, McRill brought out tackle box after tackle box of lures in all shapes, sizes and colors, along with live worms and leeches.
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