Longtime pal Mike Avery of Colorado, left, joined me on a Lake Erie walleye charter June 19.

MAHFS photo by Walt Lucken




By Mac Arnold
MAHFS Editor

Sometimes it's nice to let someone else be in charge of a hunting or fishing expedition.

Just kick back, take it easy and have them bring the action to you.

Although I'm not sure if this Father's Day voyage had all the characteristics of "easy does it."

It was quite the choppy adventure June 19 on Lake Erie but to no fault of our captain, Ron Levitan of R & D Sportfishing Charters in Milford, who once again made miracles happen under seemingly impossible conditions.

The 4-foot to 6-foot waves, sometimes rolling up to 8 feet, sent one in our party to the edge of the boat in a desperate act.

In all, the catch of 27 walleyes deemed "mediocre" for the time of year but not bad for the conditions by Levitan, was loaded with several real nice walleyes, with the biggest stretching out to 26 inches.



Capt. Ron Levitan of R & D Sportfishing Charters checks out a catch of walleye.

MAHFS photo by Mac Arnold





He told us before we left the dock he signed on a shipmate because he knew we would encounter many "junk" fish and many sheepshead and white bass would be knocked off lines on this day. But true to his word, the two of them kept the lines clear and in the water.

For me, what topped the trip off was being part of the "team" we gathered together. One of the friends who joined the party was a longtime pal, formerly of Birmingham, Mich., and now living in Longmont, Colo.

I hadn't seen Mike Avery in nearly 20 years. What a treat it was for us to take in the great fishery that is Lake Erie and catch up on times while reeling in goggle eyes.

Maybe even better was when he called the fish fillets I prepared later that night "the best walleye he has ever had."

This amazing table fare was really a simple recipe of light oil, patted down on each side with Old Bay, covered in foil with sprigs of dill weed and cooked over a grill for 10 minutes. (I'm getting hungry just thinking about this.)

A fall trip is now in the works.