When you talk Lake Erie walleye fishing, certain names always rise to the top—and one of them is Captain Jim Steel of Dream Catcher Sportfishing in Dunkirk, New York. Steel has spent decades chasing trophy-class walleyes, refining trolling systems, building fishing businesses, and even producing outdoor television. On Episode 266 of the Great Lakes Fishing Podcast, presented by Fish Hawk Electronics, Captain Steel joined host Chris Larsen to talk Eastern Basin walleyes, changing forage, charter life, underwater currents, and how he uses Fish Hawk to dial in his offshore trolling program.

This blog breaks down the highlights from that conversation and provides insight into what makes Dunkirk one of the most underrated walleye destinations on Lake Erie.

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Fishing Out of Dunkirk, NY: Structure Meets Big Water

Dunkirk sits in a strategic location on Lake Erie’s Eastern Basin—far enough east to benefit from deep water, yet close enough to shoreline contour that anglers can mix structure fishing with open-water trolling.

According to Steel, that sets up an incredible multi-species opportunity:

• Trophy walleye

• Brown trout

• Steelhead

• Big-shouldered smallmouth

• Lakers weighing 20–30+ pounds

On his charters, walleyes are always the focus—but bycatch is common, and sometimes spectacular.

“I always laugh because the bass guys get worked up over a five-pound smallie,” Steel said. “Meanwhile, we hook them trolling like collateral damage.”

The season starts when water temperatures allow post-spawn walleyes to stabilize in the area, and Captain Steel runs trips straight into fall. Marina shutdown schedules used to be a limiting factor, but his addition of a trailerable boat now allows fishing well into October.

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When Is the Best Time to Book a Trip?

From mid-June through boat pull-out in fall, fishing is consistent around Dunkirk. New York’s season structure benefits the fishery, according to Steel:

• New York protects spawning walleyes

• Fish are post-spawn and stable when open-water trolling starts

• Resident fish remain extremely catchable

And Dunkirk has everything anglers need:

✔ lodging
✔ restaurants
✔ fuel on-site
✔ fish cleaning access
✔ protected harbors

Over the past several years, Steel has seen groups traveling long distances—Virginia, West Virginia, and even tourist traffic pairing Niagara Falls visits with walleye trips.

“People come once and then start planning the next trip before they even leave,” he said.

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Finding Eastern Basin Walleyes: Current Is Structure

Unlike western areas loaded with reefs and humps, Eastern Basin breakdown comes from water movement. Captain Steel emphasizes one overlooked variable:

“The current becomes your structure.”

Wind direction, subsurface flow, temperature seams, and bait positioning all drive location. Steel routinely studies current models before launching, especially NOAA data.

When the lake sets up, the same zones often reload with fish year after year.

In Dunkirk, one signature region stands out: Van Buren Point

Steel recommends working between transitional depths:

• Shallower shoreline contour

• Deeper offshore water

That region consistently funnels bait and migrating walleye schools.

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Steel’s Trolling Spread: Leadcore Leads the Way

Trolling is the backbone of Dream Catcher Sportfishing.

“I’d say 80% of our fish come off leadcore,” Steel noted.

His spread may include:

• Leadcore lines

• Dipsy divers

• Downriggers

• Inline boards

But leadcore remains the workhorse.

Instead of running deep-diver walleye baits like many Michigan and Ohio fishermen, Steel does the opposite:

“We run shallow divers in deeper water.”

Why?

Because shallow divers still produce:

✔ Tight side-to-side vibration
✔ Cleaner action
✔ More flash
✔ Less energy consumed by drag

And when paired with weighted delivery systems, depth is never a problem.

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Why Captain Steel Has Ditched Nightcrawlers

Steel openly admitted that he spent decades grinding through worm harness programs:

• Flats of crawlers

• Molded floors

• Storage trips to refrigerators

• Dead worms to pick through

And of course—the familiar smell of forgotten containers.

He doesn’t miss it.

Today, he catches just as many fish, avoids “junk fish” like sheepshead and white bass, and saves customers time.

Stickbaits are his preference—especially in smaller sizes.

“Don’t bypass small baits. Flicker Shad #3s are catching eight-pound fish.”

Fish behavior drives that shift.

Recent forage trends show:

• Fewer large smelt

• More goby-shaped prey

• Smaller, thicker-bodied baitfish profiles

As he puts it:

Small baits = big results
And more opportunities for mid-class eaters

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Integrating Fish Hawk Electronics

Lake Erie is notorious for multi-directional, shifting currents—particularly offshore. Surface speed rarely matches lure speed, and many anglers never realize it.

That’s why Steel relies heavily on down-speed control.

“I could care less what I'm doing at the surface. My speed at depth is everything.”

His target number?

- Roughly 2.2 MPH at lure depth

Without Fish Hawk:

• He wouldn’t know true downspeed

• He couldn’t troll in different directions efficiently

• He’d waste hours resetting trolling passes

One scenario stood out:

Many anglers radio that “it's an east troll day.”
Surface drift looks that way, too.

But Steel sees bottom-level speeds and often trolls back west—catching more fish because his actual lure speed is correct.

That trick alone keeps him ahead of the pack.

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The TV Show, Production Challenges & Outdoor Life Together

Steel and his wife, Diane, produce a regional outdoors program— Experience New York Outdoors TV —which airs on multiple networks and online.

Coverage includes:

✔ hunting
✔ walleye charters
✔ travel fishing
✔ farm-to-table style features
✔ regional outdoor attractions

They film it themselves, which adds complexity to normal outings.

“If it doesn’t happen on camera, it didn’t happen,” Steel jokes.

Sometimes:

• One day of fishing yields three shows

• Other times it takes six days for one episode

From hunting to tarpon trips (including an encounter with a 15-foot hammerhead), Steel says the reward outweighs the effort.

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Outdoor Life as a Family Journey

One unique thread in the interview was Steel’s appreciation for what his journey has done for his marriage.

Diane didn’t hunt or fish when they met.

Today, she runs operations, films hunts, and books events—including their 150-person veterans fishing event.

Her involvement has created equal ownership of their outdoor lifestyle—something Steel clearly values.

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Getting Involved, Giving Back & Protecting Access

Steel is deeply engaged in conservation efforts, including:

• Erie County sportsmen groups

• State conservation councils

• Walleye derby programs

• Community fishing events

One major topic remains:

❗ Wind turbine development on Lake Erie ❗

Concerns include:

• Lakebed disturbance

• Drinking water implications

• Loss of recreational access

• Impact to habitat and forage

Steel encourages anglers to stay active rather than “cry about it later.”

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Final Thoughts

Fishing with Captain Jim Steel isn’t only about catching fish—it’s about absorbing decades of experience on Eastern Basin waters. From trolling at precise down-speeds to reading current-generated structure to selecting bite-triggering small-profile baits, Steel has condensed a career into a practical, repeatable system.

Add in his involvement with community causes, his passion for filming outdoor adventures, and his work to keep Lake Erie resources accessible, and it’s easy to see why he’s a respected voice in Great Lakes fishing.

Whether you're planning a Lake Erie destination trip or looking to fine-tune your trolling program, his approach is a powerful reference point.