Forward-facing sonar once again proved to be a major factor, with many teams utilizing Lowrance ActiveTarget 2 paired with Summit Fishing Equipment shuttles to maximize efficiency across multiple anglers on board. The dominant technique throughout the day was casting and pitching jigs tipped with Berkley Lab Edition plastics around reef complexes and island areas.

One of the most notable approaches of the day came from Brett Gilbertson and teammate Damon Gohlke, who dialed in a textbook early-season pattern by specifically targeting pre-spawn females holding tight to the bottom.

Gilbertson made the run toward the reef complexes, focusing his efforts on isolated fish he identified using forward-facing sonar. Rather than fishing blindly through schools, he was selectively casting jigs at individual fish, carefully choosing marks that he believed were larger, pre-spawn females staging on structure. By staying disciplined and targeting bottom-oriented fish in key areas, Gilbertson was able to capitalize on quality bites—showing just how effective a precision casting approach with forward-facing sonar can be this time of year on Lake Erie.

Another strong pattern came from Nick Oleksy, Ed Oleksy, and Arthur Bailey, who focused their efforts around the “cans” (firing range area) targeting staging fish in a slightly different way.

Using Berkley Lab Series scented baits in combination with forward-facing sonar, the team was able to identify and pick off individual walleyes as they staged to spawn. Instead of keying strictly on bottom fish, Alexi and his crew noticed a number of quality fish sitting higher in the water column.

Adapting to what they were seeing, they began targeting these suspended marks—resulting in three of their five weigh fish coming roughly 5 feet off bottom. Their ability to adjust and capitalize on these higher fish proved critical and showcased just how important real-time sonar interpretation has become on today’s Lake Erie.