I’m Captain Jim Carlson. I’ve been running charter trips on Lake Michigan since 2001. Before that, I spent most of my life fishing the lake recreationally. My dad owned a small print shop in Kenosha, and we kept a boat at the harbor from the time I was about eight years old.
I bought my first charter boat in 2001 using money I had saved while working construction. I named her the Duckbill because of the way the bow looked from a certain angle in low water. The name stuck. I’m on my third boat now, but she’s still the Duckbill.
We fish out of the Kenosha Harbor from April through October. Primary target species include Chinook (king) salmon, coho salmon, brown trout, lake trout, and steelhead. Standard charter trips run six hours, and I take groups of up to six anglers per trip.
I’m a USCG-licensed master captain with a Great Lakes endorsement. The boat is fully insured and inspected. More importantly, I’ve spent more than twenty-five years on this water, and I understand how the lake changes through the seasons.
If you’re thinking about booking a trip — or if you simply want to talk Lake Michigan fishing — feel free to get in touch.