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News · Lake Erie Walleye
Leading Online Retailer FishUSA Announces Sponsorship of “Lake Erie Fishery”
FishUSA has joined The Lake Erie Fishery, a yearlong campaign backed by the Ohio Division of Wildlife and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. The effort spotlights the world-class walleye fishing along Ohio's Lake Erie shoreline, including a new short film shot near Port Clinton.
Last updated: October 2026 · By: FishUSA Staff
FishUSA (www.FishUSA.com), an industry-leading global fishing equipment and tackle supply ecommerce retailer based in Pennsylvania, has announced its sponsorship of The Lake Erie Fishery initiative, a 12-month campaign that is supported by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife (DOW) and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC). The yearlong effort has been created to bring additional awareness to the world class walleye fishing industry along Lake Erie in Ohio.
FishUSA Joins The Lake Erie Fishery Campaign
FishUSA’s Founder and Chairman, Dan Pastore, who launched the business from his garage in 2000 and has seen the company grow to national prominence in the fishing tackle industry, grew up on the Pennsylvania side of Lake Erie, and was eager to learn more when he first became aware of the campaign. “Walleye and Lake Erie fishing are tremendous drivers of our economy, and this partnership enables FishUSA to play a key role in sharing this message so that more anglers are aware of this world class regional gem.”
A Short Film Featuring Ohio Charter Captains
As part of the campaign, Sovereign Sportsman Solutions (S3), a leading provider of conservation technology and marketing solutions based in Nashville, Tennessee, in cooperation with the DOW and GLFC, is producing an informative short film promoting the fishery. The video was filmed near Port Clinton, Ohio and features Paul and Nicholas Zart, a father and son Charter Captain duo native to Ohio. It will be available for viewing at www.Powderhook.com beginning on September 21, 2022.
“This film highlights Lake Erie’s world class walleye fishery and we could not be more appreciative of the support that we are receiving from FishUSA. There has never been a better time to fish for walleye, and teaming up with a national online retailer with so much expertise in walleye fishing makes for a unique partnership that, in the end, will make it easier for folks to go fishing on Lake Erie. We’re proud to facilitate this program for Ohio’s Lake Erie Fishery,” shared Chris Willard, COO for S3.
Why FishUSA Was Chosen
According to Willard and a number of industry experts, FishUSA was an obvious choice for this partnership because of its industry leadership and authority in the walleye category. The company carries approximately 20,000 walleye-related products, and many of the company’s customers access FishUSA’s “Walleye Specialty Store” on the website first when planning their trips (https://www.fishusa.com/Specialty-Stores/Walleye-Fishing).
The Program Through June 2023
With the program extending through June, 2023, a number of initiatives are already underway with FishUSA’s team, and more are being developed. “So many of our team grew up fishing Lake Erie, its tributaries, and the other Great Lakes, and we are excited to bring our passion and expertise to this project,” shared Jeff Parnell, FishUSA’s President & CEO. “We appreciated S3’s invitation and look forward to not only sharing the story of this fishery, but also providing anglers with tips and recommendations that will enhance their experience on the water. It’s an ideal platform for our brand,” he added.
About FishUSA and S3
About FishUSA
Founded in 2000 and known as America’s Tackle Shop®, FishUSA, Inc. caters to anglers nationally and internationally with products for a wide spectrum of species and fishing techniques, primarily through its industry-leading ecommerce website at www.FishUSA.com. The privately-held company also operates a destination Pro Shop at its corporate headquarters in Fairview, PA, which is 10 miles west of Erie, PA and minutes away from Lake Erie. The company’s product expertise and fishing knowledge are matched by award-winning customer service and fulfillment capabilities.
About S3
Over the past decade, government agencies have experienced significant changes in delivering licensing and permitting solutions. With advancements in technologies, platforms, channels and customer experience, the industry sought clarity – and that’s where S3 came in.
Founded by leading experts in wildlife, conservation, marketing, and technology – we built a team to solve one of the biggest problems in the outdoor industry: How can we sell more licenses/permits, not only now but into the future?
After years of refining strategies, methods, and tech, we are proud to announce that we’ve introduced the S3 CORE Solution Platform, a best-in-class, stable and adaptive turn-key solution for any government licensing agency.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Lake Erie Fishery is a 12-month awareness campaign supported by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife (DOW) and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC). Its goal is to bring more attention to the world-class walleye fishing found along Ohio's Lake Erie shoreline and make it easier for people to go fishing there.
FishUSA's founder grew up on the Pennsylvania side of Lake Erie, and many of the company's team members grew up fishing the lake and its tributaries. FishUSA carries roughly 20,000 walleye-related products and runs a Walleye Specialty Store, which made it a natural partner for a campaign focused on Lake Erie walleye.
The short film was produced by Sovereign Sportsman Solutions (S3), a conservation technology and marketing company based in Nashville, Tennessee, in cooperation with the Ohio Division of Wildlife and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.
The film was shot near Port Clinton, Ohio, in Lake Erie's western basin. It features Paul and Nicholas Zart, a father-and-son charter captain team native to Ohio.
The film was released for viewing on Powderhook.com beginning on September 21, 2022.
The program was announced in September 2022 and extends through June 2023, with initiatives that include sharing the story of the fishery and providing anglers with tips and tackle recommendations for fishing Lake Erie walleye.
FishUSA is headquartered in Fairview, Pennsylvania, about 10 miles west of Erie and minutes from Lake Erie. Along with its ecommerce website, the company operates a destination Pro Shop at its headquarters.
Final Thoughts
Lake Erie's walleye fishery is one of the best in the world, and The Lake Erie Fishery campaign is helping more anglers discover it. If you're planning a trip, our Lake Erie walleye water color playbook and our breakdown of jigging vs. trolling on Lake Erie are great places to start.