If you’ve spent any time around a busy Great Lakes salmon dock, you’ve seen it: the early mornings, the organized chaos of setting lines, the quick decisions when conditions shift, and the steady confidence that separates a “good day” from a career on the water.

On Episode 210 of the Great Lakes Fishing Podcast presented by Fish Hawk Electronics, host Chris Larsen sits down with Captain Nick Glosser during the Greater Niagara Fishing Expo. Captain Vince Pierleoni of Thrillseeker Sportfishing co-hosts the conversation—appropriate, considering Nick “cut his teeth” as Vince’s first mate before stepping into the captain’s role himself.

The topics move fast—favorite spoons for mature salmon, derby strategy, flasher choices, reading water, and the mindset shift required to go from “guy who loves fishing” to “captain who runs a safe, consistent, customer-first operation.” But the throughline is simple:

You can’t fake passion. You can’t shortcut preparation. And you don’t become a captain by thinking like an average fisherman.

Let’s break down what Captain Nick Glosser shared—and why it matters whether you run a charter, fish tournaments, or just want to become a better Great Lakes salmon angler.

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How Nick Glosser and Vince Pierleoni Linked Up

Some of the best partnerships in fishing start in strange ways.

Nick and Vince first met at a tournament—Nick was placed on Vince’s boat as an observer to ensure rules were followed. Vince jokes that if he had to bet on where Nick would end up based on that first meeting, he might not have predicted it.

But when Vince suddenly needed help—after a mate situation changed—Nick stepped in, and things took off.

Vince describes it like this: Nick was a natural. He learned fast. He could handle the rods. And he showed a level of work ethic and drive that’s hard to teach.

The funniest (and maybe most honest) moment comes from Nick’s wedding reception, when his father-in-law—after a couple cocktails—told Vince, essentially: “Thanks for getting him off my couch.”

That’s Great Lakes fishing culture in a nutshell: hard work, thick skin, and a lot of laughs mixed into the grind.

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The “Captain” Mindset: Safety First, Customers Always

When Vince asks Nick what advice he’d give to young anglers trying to make fishing a livelihood, Nick doesn’t start with gear, tactics, or finding fish.

He starts with two priorities:

1. Safety is #1, 100% of the time.

2. Customers pay the bills—put them first.

Nick makes a point many aspiring captains don’t want to hear: catching fish is not the top priority when you’re building a career on the water. It matters—obviously. But what keeps people booking trips, leaving great reviews, and coming back year after year is the complete experience.

Nick puts it plainly:

• You’re responsible for decisions.

• You’re responsible for safety.

• And in many ways, you’re an entertainer.

Even on a slow bite, if you keep people smiling, laughing, learning, and feeling taken care of, you can still turn a tough day into a successful trip.

That’s not “soft.” That’s professional.

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The Biggest Lesson Vince Taught Nick: Work Ethic and Adaptation

When Chris asks Nick what the number-one thing Vince taught him was, Nick doesn’t hesitate:

Work ethic.

Then he adds a key idea that applies to every Great Lakes angler:

If the fish aren’t going on what you’ve got there, change it up. Don’t just put it in the water to put it there.

Nick repeats a line Vince told him that’s stuck:

“Fish are somewhere.”

Maybe not where you are. Maybe not on what you’re running. But somewhere on that lake, there is a fish willing to bite. And sometimes one bite changes the entire day—especially in a tournament or derby situation.

That’s the difference between a crew that “goes through the motions” and a crew that consistently finds a way to make it happen.

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A Tournament Moment You Don’t Forget: The Fish That Got Away

Every serious salmon troller has one story that still hurts a little.

Nick shares his most memorable Vince story: they lose a giant fish after a long fight—Nick drops to his knees, punches a cooler, and (in his words) was basically crushed. Vince admits he “whimpered” too, because he watched the fish sink away after it fought and fought and fought.

They were fishing in an event in St. Catharines and believed that fish would have iced the tournament—and potentially won the LOC as well.

Nobody did anything “wrong.” It happens.

But that’s part of the point: at the highest levels, sometimes your entire season can swing on one fish. The best crews learn how to take those moments, absorb them, and still perform the next day.

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Reading Water Like a Pro: “I Just Didn’t Like the Water”

Nick tells a story from early in his career that became a major learning moment.

Day one of a tournament, they crush fish east of St. Catharines—big weight, hot bite, everything is rolling. Overnight, wind screams out of the west and pushes warm/green water down. They return to the same spot the next morning…and Vince comes off the bridge, looks around, and says:

“We’re out of here.”

They run, set up somewhere completely different, and proceed to have a day so busy they could barely get lines reset. Other boats watched, tried to copy, and still couldn’t duplicate the bite.

Nick remembers other captains asking what changed. Vince’s answer?

“I just didn’t like the water.”

That’s a simple phrase that carries a lot of experience behind it.

Reading water isn’t just surface temp. It’s everything:

• Temperature breaks

• Color and clarity

• Bait presence

• Current and direction

• The “look” of the screen

• How the lake sets up after a blow

It’s one of the hardest skills to build—and one of the biggest separators between average days and elite consistency.  A Fish Hawk Electronics system can help build patterns when the bite is tough.  

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Tournament Strategy: When to Grind, When to Run

The conversation shifts into something every tournament angler wrestles with:

How do you know if you should run and gun—or stay and grind?

Vince notes that every event is different. Some are “hot fishing” events where everyone catches, and winning is about one upgrade. Others are grind-fests where bites are scarce, and patience wins.

They share the famous “meatball day”—a calm, spooky day with almost no wind, where it felt like dropping a meatball in the water would spook every fish. But they stuck it out in water they believed in… and one big bite made the day.

That’s the lesson:

Sometimes the winning play isn’t chasing reports. It’s picking the right water and giving it time.

And if your gamble fails? You’d better have a plan C.

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Derby Fishing: Less Chaos, More Control

A question from the crowd gets specific: if you could run one spoon deep to target a derby-class fish, what would it be?

Vince’s answer is direct:

• Dreamweaver Mag Spoon

• And if you’re going to call a specific pattern: Dreamweaver Mag 42

They talk about running spoons deep—180–190 down—and chasing mature kings. Vince even references a fish caught extremely deep (and the reality that derby fish often live in water most casual anglers don’t spend enough time exploring).

But he also adds a derby truth that many don’t want to hear:

Land the ones you get.

Derby fishing isn’t the time to be sloppy or overloaded. Vince recommends fewer rods, cleaner execution, and focusing on high-confidence “hot rods” instead of trying to run a floating tackle store.

Because in derbies, you don’t need 30 bites.

You just need a few really good ones.

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Another Derby Edge: Get Away From the Pack

This is one of the more interesting themes in the episode, and it’s something Vince says he’s preached before—even if people thought he was trying to mislead them.

When they look back on big derby fish clients have caught, Vince says it’s almost never in a huge pack of boats.

His theory:

• Big fish often want space.

• Big fish don’t always want to compete with aggressive, smaller fish.

• The pack may produce more bites, but it doesn’t always produce the bite.

So if you’re hunting a true derby-class king, be willing to sacrifice action for opportunity. You might catch fewer fish—but the right fish.

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Top Flasher Picks: Spin Doctors, a Classic White, and a New Player

Another audience question: top three flashers?

Vince’s list comes out with confidence, and it includes a blend of classics and current trends:

1. 8-inch Spin Doctor (the staple)

2. 10-inch Spin Doctors (more in the program lately)

3. Plain white 8-inch “Double Crush” (his all-time favorite)

He stresses that white Double Crush is a legit “forever” flasher that works across:

• water columns

• seasons

• conditions

They also mention chrome blanks becoming more important and the rise of newer options like the Flip Fin, which can change action depending on how it’s run.

There’s also a charter reality check: the giant “big fish” flashers can be hard on customers because they create slack and require more coaching. Hardcore anglers love it. Casual clients… sometimes not so much.

That’s the captain mindset again: pick what catches fish and fits your crew.

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The Transition: First Mate to Captain

This is the heart of Episode 210.

Chris asks the question many listeners are thinking: Nick, you went from “how do I get started?” to being a captain. How?

Nick’s answer is honest and important:

• You have to want it—not just say it.

• Yes, there are licenses and tests, but that’s the easy part.

• You must pay attention to safety, maintenance, and the boat.

• You must put people first.

• You must have passion for the job—not just the fishing.

Then Nick drops one of the most important lines of the episode:

“There’s a difference between a captain and a fisherman.”

A fisherman goes out and tries to catch fish for himself.

A captain catches fish for everyone else.

If your motivation is ego, fame, or “being on YouTube,” Nick says that might happen as a byproduct—but it won’t last if it’s the main reason.

What lasts is a real love for taking people fishing and the ability to work with all kinds of personalities, because every group is different:

• Some want limits fast and bragging rights.

• Some want a calm, safe, relaxing day away from work and life.

• Some want intense coaching.

• Some want to be left alone.

To build a long-term charter business, you have to be good with people, and you still have to catch fish.

But it starts with passion and work ethic.

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The Fish Hawk Connection: Decisions That Win Days

While the episode doesn’t turn into a product pitch (and that’s a good thing), the themes are exactly what Fish Hawk Electronics is built around: making better decisions, faster.

When Nick and Vince talk about:

• “not liking the water”

• recognizing subtle changes overnight

• choosing when to run, when to grind

• finding a derby-class bite deep

• preparing like a tournament crew every day

…that’s the world where speed and temperature data matter.

Tools like Fish Hawk help you confirm what your gut is telling you—or challenge it before you waste half a day. They help you dial in zones, track changes, and adjust on the fly when conditions shift (because they always do on the Great Lakes).

The best captains blend experience with real-time information. And that combination is what creates consistency—on charters, in tournaments, and on the toughest days when most boats struggle.

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Final Takeaway: You Can’t Fake Passion

Captain Nick Glosser’s story is the kind anglers love because it’s relatable: a guy who was hungry, green, and obsessed with learning… who worked under a legend, absorbed the lessons, and is now stepping confidently into his own captain journey out of Olcott, New York.

But the bigger lesson isn’t about one spoon, one flasher, or one tournament day.

It’s about what it takes to do this the right way:

• Safety first

• Customers always

• Relentless preparation

• Willingness to adapt

• Patience when the right play is to grind

• Courage when the right play is to run

• And the humility to keep learning, even when you’re in the captain’s seat

As Vince said, and Nick echoed:

You can’t fake passion. People feel it.

And in Great Lakes salmon fishing, that passion—combined with work ethic—still separates the best from the rest.

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Want more Great Lakes fishing tips, stories, and tactics?
Listen to the Great Lakes Fishing Podcast presented by Fish Hawk Electronics, and explore more articles at FishHawkElectronics.com.