Our Fishing Charter Boat Captains

Captain Jim started fishing on Lake Erie as a young man; primarily for walleye and perch. His love of fishing led to obtaining his USCG 50 ton Masters Captains License in 2015 and he is also a licensed Lake Erie Fishing Guide. After finding the perfect boat, he began Champion Charters and added a second boat in 2022. He believes in doing everything right every time and that attention to detail makes all the difference. He is passionate about not only catching fish; but having fun doing it.

Champion Charters business was named after Captain Luke and his brother Captain Jake; both were outstanding high school and NCAA collegiate wrestlers obtaining state champion and NCAA champion titles. Captain Luke began fishing on Lake Erie as a young boy with his father Captain Jim Cramer. He began first mating at the age of 12 and continued until obtaining his Captains license at the age of 18. He has been a full time Captain for 9 years, winning the Demeter’s Captains tournament on Lake Erie in 2021. He is one of the best fishing guides on Lake Erie. Now a Registered Nurse, he divides his time between the lake and the hospital.

Captain Dakota grew up fishing Lake Erie with his grandfather. His sport fishing journey began 3 years ago as a full time First Mate working for Champion Charters. In 2022 he obtained his own 25 ton Masters Captains License and is a licensed Lake Erie Fishing Guide. He is very knowledgeable of the Western Basin and many different fishing tactics specific to Lake Erie.

Captain Don, who has a 25 ton USCG Masters Captains license and is a licensed Lake Erie Fishing Guide, grew up in Northwest Ohio and has been boating and fishing his entire life. Don spent 4 years in the United States Navy, spending most of that time in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, and is also an avid licensed diver. Most of his fishing experience has been devoted to yellow perch and walleye here on Lake Erie. (Back in the day when yellow perch were plentiful right off shore and walleye were caught primarily with Erie Dearie lures.) Although times have changed and bait and tactics have modernized; Don is always looking forward to what another day of fishing and being on the water brings.

Captain Trent has fished Lake Erie since he was a young lad and has professionally tournament fished many lakes and waterways across the U.S. since 2000. He successfully competed in tournaments with the Lake Erie Walleye Tour (LEWT), FLW Tour, Masters Walleye Tour, and Michigan Walleye Tour. This experience has helped him develop a great deal of knowledge about the greatest walleye, perch and small mouth fisheries in the U.S.  This is Captain Trent’s third year of being a Charter boat Captain on Lake Erie.