On Lake Erie, Captain Rick has run over 3,000 charters and knows the lake from Toledo to Avon Lake area, and to Pelee Island and north. Rick knows the lake, and the movement of the fish on a seasonal basis.

As a young teenager, Rick and his dad caught minnows at night and sold them through the bait store and wholesale to other bait stores. Rick’s mother ran the bait store during the day while his dad ran charters.

During the winter months, Rick’s father captained boats for:

• Mr. Molson of Molson Beer, Grand Bahamas Island
• Mr. Stranahan of Champion Spark Plug, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
• John Goerlich of Questor Corporation

Captain Rick also fished Key West, Florida from 1979 to 1992, at which time he was running over 300 charters per year between Lake Erie and Florida.

Captain Rick worked as a mate aboard the Kay Venture, owned by Tex Schram, former manager of the Dallas Cowboys, out of Key West’s Oceanside Marina. He also delivered many yachts from Lake Erie to Florida. He captained the BillFisher and Fish Buster at Garrison Bight Marina, Key West for owner Captain Bill Kieldsen. Rick ran both these boats for Captain Bill and learned a tremendous amount from him. Bill also fished in Australia for black marlin as a mate for Captain Peter Wright, a world famous marlin guide, and brought new techniques to Key West.

Rick leased the charter boat Irishmen for two years at Key West. He fished the Gulf, Flats, Atlantic, using both light medium and heavy tackle.

He has also delivered many yachts from Lake Erie to Florida.