Hammerhead Charters 

4.9
(52 reviews)
 40 Marina Drive, Rochester, NY 14617, United States–

Hammerhead Charters 

Rochester, NY, United States
–
33 ft
6
4.9
(52 reviews)

Lake Ontario is home to some of the best freshwater fishing in the world, for good reason. It's vast water reserves offer a bountiful home to many exciting species that attract anglers from the world over – Hammerhead Charters and Tackle capitalize on that fact and bring you to the hottest fishing spots around!

Climb aboard and cast off on their 33' long Tiara, a respectable performance fishing vessel. She can hold up to 6 anglers fishing in comfort at the same time. A full suite of state-of-the-art electronics manufactured by Furuno are available on board, for navigation and fish-finding. Comforts weren't skimped on either, you have a full-head toilet available as well as a shower, kitchen, and bed. Downriggers are present to extend your reach when trolling.

You can expect to go after a variety of excellent species that live in this great lake, such as the Lake Trout, Brown Trout, Steelhead, Chinook and Coho Salmons. You'll be assisted in all of this by Captain James Piano, who's been fishing for over three decades, born and raised in the area – he knows all the little tips and tricks of the local species and can't be fooled by them!

The charter will provide you with all necessary fishing equipment, you just need to bring a burning desire to go fishing! Your skill level doesn't matter as the crew are proficient at both instructing new anglers and assisting experienced sea wolves. There's no minimum age for kids and Hammerhead Charters and Tackle welcome young anglers on board!

Lake Ontario is home to some of the best freshwater fishing in the world, for good reason. It's vast water reserves offer a bountiful home to many exciting species that attract anglers from the world over – Hammerhead Charters and Tackle capitalize on that fact and bring you to the hottest fishing spots around!

Climb aboard and cast off on their 33' long Tiara, a respectable performance fishing vessel. She can hold up to 6 anglers fishing in comfort at the same time. A full suite of state-of-the-art electronics manufactured by Furuno are available on board, for navigation and fish-finding. Comforts weren't skimped on either, you have a full-head toilet available as well as a shower, kitchen, and bed. Downriggers are present to extend your reach when trolling.

You can expect to go after a variety of excellent species that live in this great lake, such as the Lake Trout, Brown Trout, Steelhead, Chinook and Coho Salmons. You'll be assisted in all of this by Captain James Piano, who's been fishing for over three decades, born and raised in the area – he knows all the little tips and tricks of the local species and can't be fooled by them!

The charter will provide you with all necessary fishing equipment, you just need to bring a burning desire to go fishing! Your skill level doesn't matter as the crew are proficient at both instructing new anglers and assisting experienced sea wolves. There's no minimum age for kids and Hammerhead Charters and Tackle welcome young anglers on board!

James Piano
Captain
James Piano
21 years of experience
responds within an hour

Select date to see availability

Trip date:
Group Size:
October 2026
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
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Group Size
2 adults • 0 children
Change
Almost there...
5 hour
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
5 hour trip multiple starting times (6:00 AM, 2:00 PM)
US $650
Entire boat: up to 4 people
3/4 Day Trip
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
6 hour trip multiple starting times (6:00 AM, 2:00 PM)
Seasonal trip
Apr 15 - Oct 15
US $750
Entire boat: up to 4 people
3/4 Day Trip PM
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
6 hour trip multiple starting times (6:00 AM, 2:00 PM)
Seasonal trip
Apr 15 - Oct 15
Lake Trout
Salmon (Coho)
US $750
Entire boat: up to 4 people
Full Day Trip
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
8 hour trip starts at 6:00 AM
Seasonal trip
Apr 15 - Oct 15
US $850
Entire boat: up to 4 people

Customer reviews

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Rating

4.9
52 reviews
4.8
Boat & equipment
4.9
Captain & crew
4.9
Fishing Experience

Anglers' gallery (70)

What anglers say

100%
Great experience
93%
Family friendly
100%
Friendly captain
97%
Good boat
85%
Recommended
98%
Caught fish

All reviews (52)

Frequently mentioned
Showing 1 – 5 of 52 reviews
Kevin Verdon
Kevin Verdon
us
Virginia, US
Member since 2026
5.0
Verified
Best charter ever!
3/4 Day Trip on August 4, 2026 • 2 adults

Captain Jimmy Piano and his first mate Billy were amazing. Incredibly knowledgeable, patient and very helpful. My son and I caught nine King Salmon in under five hours. A fantastic experience with a very professional crew. We kept four fish, which they cleaned filleted, and bagged. We plan to use Hammerhead Charters exclusively for our fishing trips here in Rochester. Thank you!

Jonathan Winograd
Jonathan Winograd
us
Massachusetts, US
Member since 2026
5.0
Verified
Great trip
5 hour on June 11, 2026 • 4 adults

My son and i had a great experience on Lake Ontario, our first time. My son and i caught some massive lake trout and had a great time. Captain Jim Piano and his mate Billy were very professional and got us on fish consistently.

Brian Salmon
Brian Salmon
us
New York, US
Member since 2025
5.0
Verified
Great day
Full Day Trip on July 5, 2026 • 6 adults

foggy day, really cool vibe. caught a bunch of fish. had a great day. thank you for everything!!

James Piano
Response from Captain

Thank you for the review

David Johnson
David Johnson
Repeat angler
us
Maryland, US
Member since 2023
2 trips
4.7
Verified
Challanging condions but a successful trip
3/4 Day Trip on May 9, 2026 • 5 adults

High winds and rough water made it less than ideal conditions to fish but Captain Andy put us on the fish and we had a great time.

Reported catch:
Chinook Salmon
Rob Clapper
Rob Clapper
Repeat angler
us
Maryland, US
Member since 2019
3 trips
5.0
Verified
Fishing with James
5 hour on September 20, 2026 • 5 adults

FAQs about Hammerhead Charters

Hammerhead Charters offers the following trips to customers:
  • US $650 per group, additional US $100 per person after 4 guests - 5 hour (5 hours)
  • US $650 per group, additional US $100 per person after 4 guests - 5 hour - 2:00 PM (5 hours)
  • US $750 per group, additional US $100 per person after 4 guests - 3/4 Day Trip (6 hours)
  • US $750 per group, additional US $100 per person after 4 guests - 3/4 Day Trip - 2:00 PM (6 hours)
  • US $750 per group, additional US $100 per person after 4 guests - 3/4 Day Trip PM (6 hours)
  • US $750 per group, additional US $100 per person after 4 guests - 3/4 Day Trip PM - 2:00 PM (6 hours)
  • US $850 per group, additional US $100 per person after 4 guests - Full Day Trip (8 hours)
When you book a trip with Hammerhead Charters, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • Toilet marine head
  • GPS Standard
  • Fishfinder Fulmar
  • Bed
  • Kitchen
  • Refrigerator
  • Ice box
Trips booked with Hammerhead Charters include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle
  • Lures
  • Catch cleaning & filleting
  • First mate (Has been with me for 5 years)
Hammerhead Charters offers the following types of fishing:
  • Lake fishing
  • Nearshore fishing
  • Offshore fishing
Hammerhead Charters offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Light tackle
  • Heavy tackle
  • Trolling
Top targeted fish species with Hammerhead Charters include:
  • Brown Trout
  • Lake Trout
  • Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)
  • Salmon (Chinook)
  • Salmon (Coho)

Your captain

James Piano
James Piano
Rochester, New York, United States
1 Fishing Report
52 Customer reviews
Typical response within an hour
Member since April 2018
Captain James Piano has been fishing for over three decades now, accumulating a vast base of knowledge and skill he's happy to share with his customers. Your enjoyment is his absolute priority and he'll work hard to make sure you have a lot of fun on his trips. His favorite thing about being a charter captain is seeing the huge grin on his customers' faces when they finally reel in a good fish.
James Piano
James Piano
1
reports
52
reviews
2018
member since
~1h
response
Captain James Piano has been fishing for over three decades now, accumulating a vast base of knowledge and skill he's happy to share with his customers. Your enjoyment is his absolute priority and he'll work hard to make sure you have a lot of fun on his trips. His favorite thing about being a charter captain is seeing the huge grin on his customers' faces when they finally reel in a good fish.

The fish you can target

Brown Trout
Brown Trout
Lake Trout
Lake Trout
Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)
Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)
Chinook Salmon
Chinook Salmon
Coho Salmon
Coho Salmon
Brown Trout
Brown Trout
Lake Trout
Lake Trout
Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)
Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)
Chinook Salmon
Chinook Salmon
Coho Salmon
Coho Salmon

Real catches by this captain

  • Three young anglers proudly displaying their catch of large salmon while fishing on a boat.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Chinook Salmon
    Tom W.
    Tom W.
  • Two anglers proudly displaying their catch of several fish on a catch board while out on the water with Hammerhead Charters.
    Fish 1
    Chinook Salmon
    Kevin V.
    Kevin V.
    Captain Jimmy Piano and his first mate Billy were amazing. Incredibly knowledgeable, patient and very helpful. My son and I caught nine King Salmon in under five hours. A fantastic experience with a very professional crew. We kept four fish, which they cleaned filleted, and bagged. We plan to use Hammerhead Charters exclusively for our fishing trips here in Rochester. Thank you!
  • Adult anglers display a large spotted trout aboard a charter boat offshore, with another angler fishing in the background.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Lake Trout
    Brian S.
    Brian S.
    foggy day, really cool vibe. caught a bunch of fish. had a great day. thank you for everything!!
  • Angler proudly displaying a large Salmon while fishing on a boat, with another person in the background enjoying the day.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Chinook Salmon
    David J.
    David J.
    High winds and rough water made it less than ideal conditions to fish but Captain Andy put us on the fish and we had a great time.
  • Three anglers proudly displaying their catch of large fish aboard a fishing charter, with a clear blue sky and calm waters in the background.
    Terry H.
    Terry H.
    Hardworking, was able to engage the client and talk to them.”
  • Two anglers proudly displaying a large Lake Trout while fishing on a boat, showcasing a successful day on the water.
    Fish 1
    Lake Trout
    David L.
    David L.
    A great time was had by all!
  • An angler proudly displaying a large Lake Trout aboard a fishing boat during a serene evening on the water.
    Fish 1
    Chinook Salmon
    Lanny W.
    Lanny W.
    We had a full day of fishing and catching salmon and browns while enjoying our time on the lake with Jim and Johnny ! Thanks Guy’s Lanny
  • An angler proudly displaying a Silver Salmon while fishing on a boat, showcasing a successful day on the water.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    Coho Salmon
    Jeffrey H.
    Jeffrey H.
    Great hard working captain and deck hand. They really worked at getting us on the fish that morning. . Caught fish! Great weather! Enjoyed everything about this trip. Would definitely recommend and we would go again with this charter.
  • Fishing boat stern equipped with multiple rod holders and downriggers, with lines set over calm water at sunset.
    Fish 1
    Chinook Salmon
    Patrick B.
    Patrick B.
    This trip was talked about for years. This is not cable channel fishing. More like fishing with friends. It was tough fishing do to rapid thermal change and thick fog out of nowhere but the HammerHead crew kept on it and we caught really nice salmon. One of the biggest reason to fish with them is if you looked aft of the boat at anytime there was always boats following us. And everyone wanted to know what The Hammerhead was doing! A once in a lifetime trip will definitely become annual !
  • Adult angler proudly holding a large salmonid catch aboard a fishing boat, with rods and colorful lures visible in the background.
    Fish 1
    Fish 2
    +1
    Chinook Salmon
    Anthony R.
    Anthony R.

What is the boat like?

Boat image
Boat category
Cabin cruisers
Capacity
6 persons
Boat length
33 ft
Year built
1988
Boat manufacturer
Tiara
Boat type
Cuddy cabin
Engine model
Crusaders
Powered by
2 x 350HP
Max cruising speed
28 knots

What kind of fishing will you do?

Lake Fishing
Nearshore Fishing
Offshore Fishing

Which fishing techniques you can try

Light Tackle
Heavy Tackle
Trolling

Which amenities are available onboard

Toilet
marine head
GPS
Standard
Fishfinder
Fulmar
Bed
Kitchen
Refrigerator
Ice box
What's included in the trip price
Rods, reels & tackle
Lures
Catch cleaning & filleting
First mate
Has been with me for 5 years

How cancellations work

Free cancellation up to 7 days prior to trip
You can cancel or modify your booking up to 7 days before the trip date, free of charge. If you cancel or modify your booking later, or fail to show up, you'll forfeit 100% of what you've paid.
More details

What the listing policies are

Pickup agreed upon reservation
Transfer to/from departure site may be available and included in price depending on your location and distance from the dock.
Child friendly
You keep catch
Catch and release allowed

How you can pay

Book with 10% deposit, pay rest to captain
When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 10% deposit to guarantee your reservation.
The remaining balance is to be paid directly to the charter operator on or prior to your trip date in one of the following payment methods:
 Cash
 Checks

What’s biting in Rochester right now

Brown TroutBrown Trout
Lake TroutLake Trout
Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)
Salmon (Chinook)Salmon (Chinook)
Salmon (Coho)Salmon (Coho)

Compare similar fishing charters

Current
Hammerhead Charters
Hammerhead Charters
4.9
(52)
33 ft
Group size 1 - 6
1 - 6
Fish 1
Fish 2
+3
5 hour trip • 6 persons
US $650