Peg VanVleet spent her last day as a Lake Erie charter fishing captain taking Gov. Mike DeWine, his wife and grandson fishing for the annual
Governor’s Fish Ohio Day.
On her boat, the governor’s 5-year-old grandson, Desi, caught the biggest haul of 11 fish, and three of them were good-sized walleye, the prized fish on the Great Lake known as the Walleye Capital of the World.
A grandmother herself whose grandsons work with her at her charter company,
Blue Sky Charters, VanVleet loved helping the boy cast his line and reel in the fish.
“He out-fished Grandpa,” said the grinning VanVleet, who has been fishing on Lake Erie since her own childhood and known around the lake as Captain Peg.
She couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend her final day as a captain after 25 years in the business, although she’ll still be fishing and serve as a first mate or crew member from time to time.
And she’ll also continue to head up organizing the charter boats for the Governor’s Fish Ohio Day, a tradition where the governor,
Ohio Department of Natural Resources,
Division of Wildlife staff, tourism officials, state representatives and senators, members of the media, and others fish Lake Erie to experience first-hand why the lake is one of the best fisheries in the world.
Each year, VanVleet gathers 20 charter captains, who donate their time and use of their charter boats, to take the groups fishing. She’s been doing it for 20 years and looks forward to it each year.
“It’s the people and advocating for the lake,” said VanVleet, who is also Vice President of Environmental Affairs for the
Lake Erie Charter Boat Association. “It’s my life work. Those guys are my guys, and if I say I need something, they’re right there to help.”
This isn’t the first time she’s taken DeWine fishing. Through the years, she’s developed friendships with him,
ODNR DOW Chief Kendra Wecker, the staff of
Shores and Islands Ohio, whose Port Clinton welcome center serves as the host site for the event, and many others involved in the event.
“Taking the governor out with Kendra, that’s special,” VanVleet said. “Kendra and I have been friends for 20 years, and she was here for my last one (as a captain).”
Fish Ohio Day allows VanVleet and other Lake Erie charter captains who advocate for protecting Lake Erie’s health and fishery the opportunity to share their love of sport fishing with people who can help educate others and influence policies that affect the lake.
The 2023 event, which took place July 20, was the 43
rd Fish Ohio Day, said
Larry Fletcher, Shores & Islands Ohio President. Fishing is a major draw for the area that caters to droves of day trippers and vacationers each year.
In 2021, the latest year for which data was available, the economic impact of tourism, which includes fishing, on the eight Ohio counties that border Lake Erie is $17.2 billion. Tourism supports more than 126,00 jobs in those counties, Fletcher said.
DeWine said Lake Erie and its fishery are important contributors to the quality of life in Ohio. Good quality of life brings people and their businesses to Ohio and helps to keep them here, he said.
“They want it for themselves and their employees,” DeWine said. “Keeping Lake Erie what it is and focusing on good water is high on my priorities.”
Throughout the morning, anglers reeled in fish ranging from catfish to yellow perch to walleye.
“We are having a phenomenal walleye season,” Wecker told the crowd gathered for the event. “We caught short fish on our boat. The good thing about short fish is they will grow, and you can catch them next year.”
She also discussed the increase in women’s participation in fishing, something seen in other areas of the country.
Wecker cited
a study by the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, in partnership with the global market research firm Ipsos. The study, conducted in 2022, found that of women surveyed:
- 87 percent said they had self- worth.
- 82 percent had the ability to persevere.
- 80 percent were satisfied with life.
- One out of four active women anglers said fishing makes them feel like they can do anything they set their minds to.
- 50 percent of women anglers surveyed said fishing relaxes them and clears their minds.
“I can attest to that,” Wecker said.
Another study by the
Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation and Southwick Associates released in May showed that women are an important audience for the fishing industry and could represent an increase in revenue for the sport and jobs and businesses that support it.
In 2021, women in the Midwest and South spent around $3.5 billion in each region for a total of more than $7 billion. On average that year, Midwestern women anglers spent an average of $1,106 related to fishing.