You’re probably chomping at the bit by now waiting for the second blog post. Lucky you! Ya got it!
Charter fishing can mean all sorts of different things, depending on where you go in the world. I am going to detail what charter fishing generally means in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. By definition, the term “charter fishing” by law means “fishing from a vessel carrying a passenger for hire who is engaged in recreational fishing.”
The Playin’ Hooky is a Chris Craft Commander 360, plenty large enough to fit a dozen or so guests comfortably. The most common type of captain’s license, however, limits the number of guests to six people. As of January 2023, I can’t think of a single captain certified for more than six guests on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan. Several times a season I’ll be asked if I can have a seventh passenger aboard if they’re not fishing, or if there’s a baby or toddler along. My response is always the same, “If the person has been born, they count toward the total of six passengers.”
Before the trip begins, anyone 16 years of age or older planning on holding a fishing rod to bring in a fish needs to purchase a fishing license and great lakes salmon and trout stamp. The most common way my clients achieve this is by going to the Wisconsin DNR website and purchasing the two-day fishing license which includes the stamp. Currently, passengers engaged in fishing also need to carry a paper license with them as well on waters attached to the great lakes. Your stamp fee goes toward helping to stock the lake, which is one of the reasons commercial fishing for trout and salmon is not allowed on Lake Michigan.
Commercial fishing and charter fishing are not synonymous. Commercial fishing is catching fish with the purpose of being sold. It is illegal to sell any trout or salmon species from Lake Michigan for any purpose. People ask quite often if they can sell their fish at a local market if we hit the motherlode out on the lake. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issues hefty fines for the sale of our prized salmon and trout.
Once you board the Playin’ Hooky, I give a short tour of the vessel and point out safety equipment and procedures. The first mate will untie the boat and we have about a ten minute putt (less than four miles per hour in our harbor) out to the end of the pier heads. If conditions allow, we can fish right around our harbor area. Even if fish are not congregated around our piers, we can typically still do well within three miles of the port of Sheboygan. On very rare occasions, we may travel up to six or seven miles from town to be able to find fish actively feeding.
When the boat slows down to trolling speed (usually around two miles per hour) the first mate and I will start setting gear to target both salmon and trout simultaneously. At any given point, there is a good chance to catch any of the salmon and trout that live in Lake Michigan. While they all have nuanced feeding habits, it is not uncommon to find them feeding together. The main prey species in the lake is alewife, and our lures are designed to simulate the erratic behavior of a dying baitfish.
On any given day, our trolling gear consists of using downriggers to get our lures deeper in the water column, planer boards to get our lures further from the boat, and divers, which get our lures deeper in the water column and further from the boat. During setup is a great time to ask the first mate or captain what they are doing and why. The number of questions you can ask is only limited by the amount of time you have the boat reserved for!
Once a rod is set, the waiting game begins. As the boat moves slowly on the surface of the water, the lure flutters under the surface. Sometimes it takes just a few moments to grab a salmon’s attention enough to bite, other times it can take quite a while or perhaps a setup might not work at all. While the lines are in the water, the first mate makes adjustments to the spread by moving a lure up or down in the water column or may switch baits if he no longer feels confident in a particular bait. The first mate may also just pull in a line to check it if he has a suspicion that the lure may be fouled. The captain will make speed, direction, or location adjustments in order to find actively feeding fish as well.
When a fish bites the lure, usually the first mate or captain will notice the rod moving erratically and will grab the rod to pass off to an angler. At that point, the captain and first mate will work with the angler and provide the necessary coaching to allow the best chance for landing the fish. One of the most important things is setting the drag appropriately on the reel. Too tight means that a swimming fish may bust the line or pull the hook out of its mouth, and too loose may not provide enough tension to keep the hook lodged in the fish. Only the first mate or captain should adjust the drag if needed. Even when I’m a guest on another captain’s boat I allow the captain or mate who is used to his gear to be the expert on the appropriate tension setting for his equipment.
As the fish gets closer to the boat, the first mate may have to move some lines to make room for the fish to be netted. The angler only needs to listen for directions and respond accordingly. The first mate usually can maneuver lines without any adjustments made by the angler. Only when the fish is at the back of the boat will the mate grab the net and slide it underneath the fish.
Typically, the first mate will reset the equipment while the fish sits in the cooler on ice and expires. When the rod is set appropriately, the captain and first mate will coach the lucky angler how to hold the fish appropriately for the best photograph possible.
With some luck, several fish will be boated on your adventure and we will return with a haul so great we’ll have to alert the coast guard we’re coming in heavy, and to prepare the crane to lift the cooler off the boat! When the boat is fully secured the first mate totes the day’s catch to our local bait shop to be processed. You can choose to have your fish fileted, or have the fish gutted with the head removed or left on. The cost of the cleaning is covered by the price of the trip.
At that point you bring your freshly caught fish home to enjoy. Don’t wait too long to book your next Lake Michigan adventure!