Fishing The Inland Seas

Casting It Forward

Lifelong Lake Erie angler Art Panfil has made it his mission to provide fishing opportunities for those who might not otherwise be able to enjoy a day of fishing on the Great Lakes. At no cost to them, Panfil welcomes kids, veterans, seniors, and others for a day aboard his charter-sized, fully-equipped fishing boat.

“I’ve learned that participating in our great sport offers many rewarding experiences above and beyond the act of catching fish,” said Panfil. “Things such as watching the sunrise on the water, seeing a bald eagle fly overhead, spending special time with friends and family, and getting to know your true self are just a few of the impactful events that can truly make a difference in one’s life. If we can make a difference or have a positive influence in a participant’s life by exposing them to the beauty and wonder of our great outdoors, then our mission is a success.”

Panfil started Cast It Forward after losing his 92-year-old father, Arthur K. Panfil, a veteran of the Korean War who was active in church and serving the community. “There are many reasons why I started Cast It Forward,” he explained. “But none more profound than to honor the memory of my father and to emulate the example he set for me. We may not be able to change the world, but we can try to make the part that we’re in a little better for others.”

And one of his favorite times to do so is autumn.

A nice fall walleye taken by 97-year-old Navy veteran Gene Wright on a recent fishing trip with Art Panfil’s Cast It Forward program.
A nice fall walleye taken by 97-year-old Navy veteran Gene Wright on a recent fishing trip with Art Panfil’s Cast It Forward program.
Across the Great Lakes, the season’s biggest walleyes are caught by anglers willing to brave the conditions each autumn.
Across the Great Lakes, the season’s biggest walleyes are caught by anglers willing to brave the conditions each autumn.
“Fall is truly the time of year to catch a trophy-sized walleye,” according to Panfil. “Fish are bulking up for the oncoming winter and are usually fairly aggressive in their feeding habits. The farther into the fall you go the larger these fish become.”

Across the Great Lakes, as the fall progresses and the water cools, the baitfish are on the move looking for warmer water. At this time of year that water is in the shallower, near-shore waters. Right behind those baitfish are schools of hungry walleye.

“Our strategy during this time is to target and troll depth contours from 10 feet out to 40 plus feet,” explained the captain. “Along with this we are always looking for access to deeper water in these spots. There, these fish use the natural depth contours of the lakes’ bottom to move up or down the water column to feed.

“In low light conditions we will start shallow and gradually move to deeper water as the sun climbs higher. Keep in mind that if it’s cloudy or overcast these fish can and will stay shallower longer. Conversely, in bright conditions the opposite can be true.”

Panfil added that it’s also important to note that even though you are on a good spot and marking fish, these fish will not always cooperate. It takes some discipline to move off a spot like that, he said, but if they are not “on” you should consider moving to another area instead of waiting for them to turn on.

This is where having what Panfil calls a “milk run” of spots can be to your advantage. Identify multiple contour areas and if one particular spot does not produce within a reasonable amount of time move on to the next. Again, this takes discipline and can be hard to do, especially if you are marking fish, but Panfil said the strategy has changed many a fishing trip for him, from disastrous to epic.

“One particular fall trip that comes to mind is when we spent all morning fishing many different prime spots without success. By noon we did not have a single fish or pullback to show for our efforts. We made another move to a nearby, similar spot and within an hour we had a box full of big, healthy fish,” Panfil said.

As for autumn tactics he prefers to troll during the fall. He’ll use crankbaits trolled behind inline planer boards and the speed ranges may be as high as 2 mph in early fall and as slow as 1 mph in late fall. Generally speaking, he typically trolls faster in warmer water and gradually slows down as the water gets colder.
Great Lakes walleyes can be pushovers for properly presented trolled crankbaits this time of year, as veteran Bill Holk (right) learned while fishing with Art Panfil.
Great Lakes walleyes can be pushovers for properly presented trolled crankbaits this time of year, as veteran Bill Holk (right) learned while fishing with Art Panfil.
“We like to use baits that mimic the shad forage base,” explains Panfil. “The Walleye Nation Creations ‘Reaper’ bait profile does a great job of ‘matching the hatch’ in this regard.”

Other good baits he recommends are Rapala Deep Husky Jerks, Perfect 10’s, Reef Runners and Bandits. Preferred colors are baits having Blue, Silver, Pink, Orange, White and Purple in them.

One last tactic that he shared: “It’s always good practice to change your speed, direction and make ‘S’ turns in order to entice more strikes. Nothing pointed this out to us more emphatically than when one morning we had a seagull fly squarely into one of our lines when trolling,” explained Panfil. “The impact of this caused our board to violently move, which caused our lure to change direction, which immediately resulted in a walleye hammering the lure! We took the hint and started altering our course and direction which resulted in a very successful morning.”

Art Panfil started Cast It Forward to allow special folks the chance to get out on the Great Lakes for a day of fishing at no cost to them.

Art Panfil started Cast It Forward to allow special folks the chance to get out on the Great Lakes for a day of fishing at no cost to them.

Captain Spotlight
Art Panfil

Panfil worked with Cleveland State University’s legal outreach program to incorporate Cast It Forward and to achieve their status as a 501(c)(3) organization. Panfil is a United States Coast Guard certified and licensed captain and is Red Cross certified in Adult & Pediatric CPR/First Aid /AED. His boat meets or exceeds all required safety regulations and has passed inspection from both the USCG and The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

Panfil’s Cast It Forward fishing trips begin in April and continue through November, all fishing gear and other equipment are provided and there is no cost to those who participate. To learn more, participate, volunteer, or donate, contact Cast It Forward through their website at www.castitforwardfishing.com.

He trailers exclusively so that he can follow the ‘hot’ walleye bite, from the western basin reefs early each spring, gradually moving launching ports to the east as the season progresses and then back west again in the fall as the lake cools and the fish migrate. Captain Panfil uses a 2021 Hewescraft Pro V 200 ET HT with a Mercury Pro XS 150hp outboard. The 22-foot boat is rated for up to eight passengers and includes a 9.9 Mercury Pro Kicker and an 80-pound thrust MinnKota Terrova.

Art Panfil’s Hewescraft with a crew of happy kids headed out for a day of fishing on Lake Erie
Art Panfil’s Hewescraft with a crew of happy kids headed out for a day of fishing on Lake Erie