Vision Quest 2026 Seminar Schedule

Greater Niagara Fishing & Outdoor Eastern Lake Erie Walleye School. 

 Pre-Trip Preparation, Walleye Bait Reactions, and Erie, PA Techniques
Class Overview: This session covers the mental and physical aspects, both before the trip and while on the water, of being a successful and consistent walleye angler. In addition, you will learn how walleye see, attack, and feed, including lots of underwater footage. Are walleye sluggish feeders or aggressive? Grab a seat and let us show you. We will also cover the walleye tactics we use when fishing the waters off Erie, PA, to target walleyes all summer. These same universal tactics, lures, and methods can be applied anywhere deeper water and walleye exist. This session will not only provide you with hardline physical methods but also dive into the mental aspects and thought processes that are the driving factors to success.
Instructors: Pete Alex and Calvin Vander Boon

 This class will follow the same process as the other Seminars held at the Expo, with no registration required and seating on a first-come, first-served basis. An individual can choose to attend as many of the six classes as they desire based on their interest in the topic of the class.
Day/Time: Friday 12 - 2:15 PM 

Pete Alex started fishing Lake Erie in 1978 and began chartering in 1988. He has seen a wave of changes to the walleye fishery and techniques since the walleye fishery began in the early 80s. He fishes out of Erie, PA, for walleye from June until early October. His techniques vary from shallow-water programs to deep, warm-water programs, which are somewhat universal to every port on Lake Erie. Some notables: He invented Stealth Core almost 10 years ago, is on several manufacturer pro staffs, has won the most tournaments out of the port of Erie, PA, and sits on several fisheries boards for Lake Erie. He has used a variety of tactics to catch walleye on Lake Erie over the years, which include worm harnesses, jets, mono line plug fishing, lead core, weighted steel riggers, and divers. He experienced the highs and lows on Erie, which has made him a very knowledgeable angler. 

Calvin is an avid hunter and angler with a particular passion for trolling the Great Lakes. While doing research for a new trolling product (Strike Assist), he has collected and watched hundreds of hours of underwater footage of trout, salmon, and walleye. This underwater footage has revealed a lot about fish behavior, especially how they approach and strike at baits. This footage has both confirmed what experienced anglers already suspected and also challenged many myths that anglers perpetuate. He wants to share what he has learned to help other anglers be more effective.

More about the 3 day school:

The Eastern Lake Erie Walleye School returns to the Greater Niagara Fishing Expo February 19-22, 2026, at the Niagara Falls Convention Center in Niagara Falls, New York. It will feature significant changes from past offerings, based on input from both attendees and exhibitors. These changes include new content and format, multiple instructors in each class, and, best of all, it is included with general admission to the Expo!
Taught by highly skilled educators and walleye anglers who fish the waters of Eastern Lake Erie, this in-depth school is for the experienced walleye angler who wants to improve their walleye catch from Lake Erie during early spring through late fall.
The school will consist of twelve hours of Walleye education taught in six individual, two-hour classes spread across Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the Expo. Each class will have a minimum of two instructors teaching a specific topic and include a Q&A. It will be taught in the large ballroom, with seating for over 300 anglers. These classes will follow the same process as the other Seminars held at the Expo, with no registration required and seating on a first-come, first-served basis. An individual can choose to attend as many of the six classes as they desire based on their interest in the topic of the class.
These customized classes will be taught by Capt. Ross Robertson, Captain Craig Sleeman, Captain Dylan Nussbaum, Captain Pete Alex, Captain Tom Miranda, Destin DeMarion, Mike Yarema, and Calvin Vander Boon. They have a wide range of expertise from countless hours of on-the-water experience, as well as years of tournament success and seminar presentation. These instructors, when not delivering the classes, will also be available during the Expo to talk walleye fishing with attendees.