Just booked my first fishing charter

[Saltwater60]

I’ve been tossing around the idea of doing one for the past couple years now. My son and nephew are really into fishing so I just booked one. 5 hour night trip on Lake Ontario third weekend in September for trout and salmon. Should be a good time and the fish should be shallower. A tad late for salmon but should still be looking good.
$600 but it’s a big boat with a bathroom and he runs more rods across the back for better chance to catch fish. He’s got great reviews and is a full time costs in so no weekend warrior. Him and his wife run the boat so should be fun.

 

[stokes]

Good luck. My friends and I had been talking about doing Lake Ontario for years til we finally got it together 3 yrs ago,I got one booked for mid June out of Sodus Point. Have been doing one or two trips each year for the past 3 yrs. This is our 2nd trip with this Capt. Theother trips were all out of Oswego. Will likely book another in the later season as well. King salmon are some of the best fighting fish I ever caught. What hours do you do on a night trip? We like the 6 hour trip from 2 til 8pm. Havent seen any boats that go out later.

 

[Saltwater60]

Good luck. My friends and I had been talking about doing Lake Ontario for years til we finally got it together 3 yrs ago,I got one booked for mid June out of Sodus Point. Have been doing one or two trips each year for the past 3 yrs. This is our 2nd trip with this Capt. Theother trips were all out of Oswego. Will likely book another in the later season as well. King salmon are some of the best fighting fish I ever caught. What hours do you do on a night trip? We like the 6 hour trip from 2 til 8pm. Havent seen any boats that go out later.

Mines 5 hours from 3pm to 8 pm. I’m glad you’ve had good luck and good experiences. The reviews on this guy are great and he’s a full time captain for the last 30 years so he should know where the fish are. His wife is the mate and people rave about them on how nice they are, how much fish they caught, and how knowledgeable they are.
I caught a big king a few years back in the lower Niagara and it was amazing. First one and it was 39.5” long and 21.5lbs on 8 lbs test line. It was a big boy. I kept it and had to walk it up about a half mile. Some stranger asked me if I wanted a ride and I accepted it I had the net handle through its gill rested on my hip and every step the tail dragged on the ground. I hope my boy gets one like that.

 

[stokes]

My first one was a similar size, 26lbs, took a half hour to get him in the boat. The reels had line counters, hit the line out about 600 ft and every time I'd get him under 100 ft he'd run back out to 500 or so feet. Really tired me out, first time in my life I felt like the fish was gonna win, and I've caught a lot of similar sized stripers, no comparison, the salmon was a killer. I was really impressed when fish half that size put up similar fights. We've used 3 different Capts and every one was a home run, limited out every time except last fall, we had 3 guys and 2 of us limited, my friend Mike was one short. When we did our first trip, it was supposed to be a one time, bucket list kinda thing, we had been talking about it for years and after that first salmon, we were hooked. I was especially impressed with the mates on these trips, they got 7 lines out all the time and we never had a tangle.

 

[JunkBoxFull]

NICE! Enjoying the fun things in life!

 

[Saltwater60]

My first one was a similar size, 26lbs, took a half hour to get him in the boat. The reels had line counters, hit the line out about 600 ft and every time I'd get him under 100 ft he'd run back out to 500 or so feet. Really tired me out, first time in my life I felt like the fish was gonna win, and I've caught a lot of similar sized stripers, no comparison, the salmon was a killer. I was really impressed when fish half that size put up similar fights. We've used 3 different Capts and every one was a home run, limited out every time except last fall, we had 3 guys and 2 of us limited, my friend Mike was one short. When we did our first trip, it was supposed to be a one time, bucket list kinda thing, we had been talking about it for years and after that first salmon, we were hooked. I was especially impressed with the mates on these trips, they got 7 lines out all the time and we never had a tangle.

My salmon was ridiculous and I got very lucky. It was in the lower Niagara river from the power authority fishing pier and the water down there is wicked. The current is insane. I was reeling in a rapala and the thing literally jumped out of the water to get it and I saw it. My buddy and son were there so I said grab the net this ones big. He said ok but wasn’t moving towards anything. I said dude it’s big grab the net and it’s like three feet. He looked at me like really bro? I said I’m not kidding I saw it jump out of the water. The pier where I was fishing there is a little eddy where it’s calm water that circles around and some how I was able to keep him in there. He was running down stream so I gave him a little rip of the rod and he turned and stayed in that eddy. If he’d have kept running downstream I’d have been screwed 100%. My buddy was leaning over the railing to net it and we for it in obviously I thought he was going to fall over the railing netting it.

Glad to hear everyone you went on was a success because it’s not cheap but it will be worth it.

 

[FP1201]

I've been on a few Charters out of Oswego (with Syracuse Friends) and out of Henderson Harbor (9 miles from my house) with locals...They all fish "the Trench" which is a deep water channel the Trout species really like...sometimes you hammer the fish, sometimes you just get hammered.
When you got out in that deep water with multiple people you want as big a Boat as you can get...Ontario is a fickle bitch and she'll change conditions on you quick.
Growing up we always had Boats of every size and shape: I still catch myself reading Boat for Sale ads, then remember it's still cheaper to rent one.
"If it floats, Flies, or fucks; rent it!"

 

[Saltwater60]

I've been on a few Charters out of Oswego (with Syracuse Friends) and out of Henderson Harbor (9 miles from my house) with locals...They all fish "the Trench" which is a deep water channel the Trout species really like...sometimes you hammer the fish, sometimes you just get hammered.
When you got out in that deep water with multiple people you want as big a Boat as you can get...Ontario is a fickle bitch and she'll change conditions on you quick.
Growing up we always had Boats of every size and shape: I still catch myself reading Boat for Sale ads, then remember it's still cheaper to rent one.
"If it floats, Flies, or fucks; rent it!"

That’s part of the reason why I went with this guy. He was a bit more than the other guys but he’s a full timer and he had the biggest boats I had seen with a bathroom. His boat is 36’ long and plenty were 21’ and that was just too small for me.

I just found Stalker Charters – Lake Ontario on FishingBooker

What do you guys think?

fishingbooker.com

 

[stokes]

The boat we're going out on is a 36' but I still wouldnt do it with more than 3 people. My friend Rob runs a charter out of Bklyn in Marine Park. He's got a 40'er and he would take a group of us out from work a couple times a year. Even on that boat 6 people was crowded.

 

[Saltwater60]

The boat we're going out on is a 36' but I still wouldnt do it with more than 3 people. My friend Rob runs a charter out of Bklyn in Marine Park. He's got a 40'er and he would take a group of us out from work a couple times a year. Even on that boat 6 people was crowded.

This guy says he can do 6 people but it will be three or four of us.

 

[kev74]

Careful with those charter boat rides!

 

[stokes]

This guy says he can do 6 people but it will be three or four of us.

Yeah, they all say 6 people, I wouldnt do more than 3, could do 4 but cant be no fat guys in the crowd.

 

[Saltwater60]

Yeah, they all say 6 people, I wouldnt do more than 3, could do 4 but cant be no fat guys in the crowd.

No fat guys for sure here. Most that I looked at said two for the smaller boats and some said 4 but he was the only one that said 6 that I saw. I’m not doing 6 and it will be three or four. I’m not sure if my dad and nephew are interested since it’s been all quiet on the western front from them and I saw them today. If they aren’t interested I’m inviting a good friend of mine and it will be three of us. Also if my dad goes he will sit there and take a nap.

 

[holdover]

Ive done walleye charter before it was a blast I want to do one this year out of small boat harbor buffalo anybody got a reference?

 

[stokes]

Got back today from yesterdays fishing charter. Weather was perfect, 70 degs, no wind, water was like glass. Fish were cooperative, the two of us limited out and lost 4 fish. The biggest was a 42" 23 lb laker, thought that fucker was gonna win the fight, put a hurtin on my ass. I also got a pair of nice salmon, 12 and 15 lbs. My buddy had two nice browns and a salmon. Gonna book another trip for Sept as soon as my buddy figures out when he can get off work.

 

[Saltwater60]

Ive done walleye charter before it was a blast I want to do one this year out of small boat harbor buffalo anybody got a reference?

I used fishing booker but of course I do t know anyone personally and never used anyone on there. You can view many and it’s like him broker for fishing charters. Various times, dates, prices, fish species, and size of boat on there. I like the service also checkout the cancellation policy since some are a month out and some were a few days out. Mine is 10% down and a 30-day cancellation

 

[stokes]

Once you go and find you like the boat/Capt and want to book another you just call the Capt and book directly. Fishing booker keeps the deposit as a fee for the Capt to use the service. So the boat charges $600, the deposit is $60, the Capt only gets $540. From what I understand the mate doesnt get paid much but relies on tips so dont be cheap. All the boats I've gone on the mates were fantastic and really earn the tips.

 

[FRANKIE]

Don’t think you’ll come across a blue Marlin,
But fishing charters can be very beneficial!
Best of luck!

Fishermen win $1.7 million after catching 504-lb. blue marlin

Fishermen who caught a 504-pound blue marlin won more than $1.72 million in a fishing tournament.

www.fox19.com

 

[Saltwater60]

Once you go and find you like the boat/Capt and want to book another you just call the Capt and book directly. Fishing booker keeps the deposit as a fee for the Capt to use the service. So the boat charges $600, the deposit is $60, the Capt only gets $540. From what I understand the mate doesnt get paid much but relies on tips so dont be cheap. All the boats I've gone on the mates were fantastic and really earn the tips.

The boat I’m doing is a husband and wife pair but I won’t be cheap with the tip. I plan on at least $100 and possibly more. It’s a big boat and he trolls so the cost will be a bit high. He’s also a full time captain with this being his only source of income.

 

[stokes]

They all troll when it comes to salmonids. If they've been at for a long time, they know where the fish are. Every trip we did the 2 to 8pm trip. What this Capt does is for the first couple hours he'll hit a spot that has recent reports of fish just to see, they dont want you to limit out in the first hour. Each time he knew that we'd start hitting them around 5 pm, and told us so. He trolls around a couple hours and slowly makes his way back to his "hot spot" and its game on. The limit is 3 fish in any combo, trout, laker and browns and salmon. Dont know about you, but at my age 3 fish this big is just about enough. September is an ideal time for salmon, they are as big as can be and start to congregate near the tribs for the spawn. You should do well.

 

[Saltwater60]

They all troll when it comes to salmonids. If they've been at for a long time, they know where the fish are. Every trip we did the 2 to 8pm trip. What this Capt does is for the first couple hours he'll hit a spot that has recent reports of fish just to see, they dont want you to limit out in the first hour. Each time he knew that we'd start hitting them around 5 pm, and told us so. He trolls around a couple hours and slowly makes his way back to his "hot spot" and its game on. The limit is 3 fish in any combo, trout, laker and browns and salmon. Dont know about you, but at my age 3 fish this big is just about enough. September is an ideal time for salmon, they are as big as can be and start to congregate near the tribs for the spawn. You should do well.

You confirmed everything I thought except the limiting out quickly. I was actually surprised the date I chose was available because it’s prime time expect maybe a tad late. It’s the third week in September and I’m not sure how many we will keep so I’d rather just catch a bunch. I caught a big salmon a few years back from shore it was 29.5” long and 21.5 lbs, my first and only salmon. Also there is 4 of us going so we will see how he handles it. I’m not sure my dad will fish so might be just three of us fishing.
What I plan to do is let the kids pick a side and they will get to reel in the fish from there and my dad and I will take turns on the middle rod. I just want my son to catch a big one is all.

 

[stokes]

Any of the boats I fished with have at least 4 rods in the water. Two in the back on downriggers and one on each side on dipsy divers I believe they are called, they keep the lines out to the side and down at a predetermined depth. Sometimes they'll have as many as seven rods out. Three across the back on downriggers and 2 on each side. We have 2 or 3 guys on the boat, just take turns, you get first strike, you get second etc. If ya lose a fish before we can see it, you go again, miss a second and you're thru till your next turn comes up. This trip we had 4 of the fish we caught on the same rod, so it isnt really fair to assign rods. We do a pool for biggest fish, $100 a man. Then we just divvy up the filets, we have the filets cut into 3 pieces each filet, about 6" to 8" each. These fish yield thick filets 2+ inches or so. I dont eat fish, but my son and his wife eat a lot of fish, they tell me that once you skin and cook them, you cant tell the dif between salmon and trout, they get all my fish.

 

[Saltwater60]

Any of the boats I fished with have at least 4 rods in the water. Two in the back on downriggers and one on each side on dipsy divers I believe they are called, they keep the lines out to the side and down at a predetermined depth. Sometimes they'll have as many as seven rods out. Three across the back on downriggers and 2 on each side. We have 2 or 3 guys on the boat, just take turns, you get first strike, you get second etc. If ya lose a fish before we can see it, you go again, miss a second and you're thru till your next turn comes up. This trip we had 4 of the fish we caught on the same rod, so it isnt really fair to assign rods. We do a pool for biggest fish, $100 a man. Then we just divvy up the filets, we have the filets cut into 3 pieces each filet, about 6" to 8" each. These fish yield thick filets 2+ inches or so. I dont eat fish, but my son and his wife eat a lot of fish, they tell me that once you skin and cook them, you cant tell the dif between salmon and trout, they get all my fish.

That’s good to know. This boat is bigger than most I saw so it might have more rods than I was thinking. Glad to know about how the rods get hot or not so I will have the kids take turns and my dad and I will jump in the rotation then. Thanks for the help again.

 

[stokes]

I would think the size of the boat isnt the main factor. The smallest boat we have been on was the one using 7 rods. This boat we now use varied, sometimes 4 sometimes 6. I dont know how old the kids are but if they are very young one big salmon may be all they want to deal with, lol. The kids land a couple of these you can bet they wont want to go crappie fishing no more. I'm old, and I can tell you that if I had to land one and grab a pole right after, that second one may very well beat me. Need at least a beer and a butt between fights. September is a hot time for these fish, on our Sept trip we often were up fighting at the same time with 2 fish on at the same time. We had 3 guys fishing so we always got a bit of a rest between fish.

 

[Saltwater60]

I would think the size of the boat isnt the main factor. The smallest boat we have been on was the one using 7 rods. This boat we now use varied, sometimes 4 sometimes 6. I dont know how old the kids are but if they are very young one big salmon may be all they want to deal with, lol. The kids land a couple of these you can bet they wont want to go crappie fishing no more. I'm old, and I can tell you that if I had to land one and grab a pole right after, that second one may very well beat me. Need at least a beer and a butt between fights. September is a hot time for these fish, on our Sept trip we often were up fighting at the same time with 2 fish on at the same time. We had 3 guys fishing so we always got a bit of a rest between fish.

The kids will be 16/17 and 17/18 and both do sports so they aren’t a slouch, not huge but in good shape. I’m 44 so I can handle a few fish for sure but my dad’s kind of old and doesn’t really care to fish much. He’d rather see me or the grandkids get em. I’m hoping to have a great time and get the kids some big fish. They have wanted to get a salmon or steelhead for a while now. Both kids have gone a few times and not connected with them. The advice is much appreciated!!!

 

[stokes]

Ok, not kids, young men. They'll have a blast. That age they can pull em in all day. One thing I dont care for is that the mates will grab the rod first and set the hook then hand you the rod, at least on the boats I've been on. I guess they dont want to take the chance of some wahoo grabbing the rod out of the holder and getting it ripped from their hands.

 

[Saltwater60]

Ok, not kids, young men. They'll have a blast. That age they can pull em in all day. One thing I dont care for is that the mates will grab the rod first and set the hook then hand you the rod, at least on the boats I've been on. I guess they dont want to take the chance of some wahoo grabbing the rod out of the holder and getting it ripped from their hands.

That makes sense with them setting the hook since that gear is expensive.
I may book the kid and I a tarpon fishing charter out of Cape Coral Florida too. They ain’t cheap but the one place said they are an average of 150#’s because they come there to breed. That would be a blast.

 

[pjzwtl]

Just got back from the Keys had an 8hr offshore charter booked last week but it was canceled due to that nasty front that hit south Florida. I’m bummed. That’s 3 in a row now called off due to weather.

 

[stokes]

Just got back from the Keys had an 8hr offshore charter booked last week but it was canceled due to that nasty front that hit south Florida. I’m bummed. That’s 3 in a row now called off due to weather.

That sucks out loud. Bad enough when it happens a couple hrs from home, but all the way to Fla and a rainout. Sorry to hear

 

[pjzwtl]

That sucks out loud. Bad enough when it happens a couple hrs from home, but all the way to Fla and a rainout. Sorry to hear

Fortunately the rest of the trip was a blast.