Patent Pending Charters 

4.9/5 (155 reviews)
 Old Deale Road, Tracys Landing, MD 20779, United States
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Chesapeake Bay may be a world-famous fishery, but there’s no better way to experience it than through the eyes of a local. Whether you’re a brand new fisherman or a seasoned angler, you’ll get to know the secret hottest spots around and reel in the catch of a lifetime with Patent Pending Charters!

Captain John Whitman is a second-generation fisherman with over 45 years of angling and boating experience under his belt, making him your perfect guide to the Bay and its bountiful waters. He was born and raised here, and loves targeting anything from Redfish to Black Drum to Mackerel—but especially Striped Bass!

You’ll be heading out to the Bay in an impressive 46’ Alan Boat Builders commercial vessel. Her size makes her a true fishing machine – yourself and 5 other anglers will all be able to comfortably troll, live line, or chum these waters at the same time. She comes fully decked out with all the necessary safety and navigational equipment, including top-quality GPS and fish finder systems to get you to the hottest fishing spots.

If nothing sounds better to you than cruising around the Bay for various species of trophy Rockfish, then Capt. John has you covered. Whether you’re an experienced angler or are just discovering your love for the water, he’s happy to help you find your perfect technique. He’ll be there to guide you through everything from trolling to live lining or chumming—the last two are perfect for beginners! Available but not included is a gourmet meal prepared on board by the captain consisting of Jumbo lump crab cake, fresh garden salad with apple vinaigrette dressing, freshly baked cornbread, and homemade pasta salad. It costs 30.00 per person.

You’ll be equipped with top-quality rods and reels, live bait, and a fishing license, which are all included in your trip. Come aboard Patent Pending Charters and let Capt. John show you how the locals do it.

Capt. John Whitman

Captain

Capt. John Whitman

 ID & credentials verified
 responds within an hour

Most popular features:

 Fishing License
 Live Bait
 You Keep Catch
 Catch cleaning & filleting
 Toilet
 Child Friendly
 Air Conditioning
 Ice Box
 Rods, reels & tackle

Trip availability and prices

Trip Date:
Days:
Group Size:
Almost there...
Half Day Trip (AM)
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
6 Hour Trip, starts at 6:00 AM
Seasonal trip May 15 - Dec 10
US $795 
Entire boat: up to 6 people
Half Day Trip (PM)
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
6 Hour Trip, starts at 1:00 PM
Seasonal trip May 15 - Dec 10
US $795 
Entire boat: up to 6 people
Full Day Trip
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
8 Hour Trip, starts at 6:00 AM
Seasonal trip May 15 - Dec 10
US $850 
Entire boat: up to 6 people
Big Blue Cats Special Trips 6-8 hrs
FREE Cancellation 3 days notice
8 Hour Trip, starts at 8:00 AM
Seasonal trip Apr 1 - May 15
US $850 
Entire boat: up to 6 people
There are 12 people looking at this charter.

Customer reviews

Rating summary

4.9/5
out of 5 stars from 155 reviews
Boat
4.9/5
Crew
4.9/5
Experience
4.9/5

Photos & videos by reviewers (113)

Great Trip
Comfort and class
Fishing with Capt. John
+110

Angler rating

143
5
1
0
1

Anglers claimed

Good experience

97%

Appropriate for children

96%

Friendly captain

99%

Satisfied with the boat

100%

Recommend this charter

94%

Caught fish

89%

Showing 1 - 5 of 155 reviews
Rich B.
Rich B.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

A Perfect Day!

VERIFIED

Half Day Trip (PM) on May 17, 2025

Capt. John and First Mate Ronnie gave us the best day of fishing! Capt. John knew exactly where the hot spot would be, and within minutes we were all catching Striped Bass. First Mate Ronnie was amazing at helping us get the fish in the boat, teaching us how to reel, and keeping all the lines ready. He was so funny, patient and wanted us to have a great time. Capt. John is total class. His years of experience and professionalism transcend. He has the best stories and an infectious laugh. He made our charter fun, successful and safe. He always knew where to move the boat for to catch the fish, and kept an eye on the weather. The boat was perfect - it is clean and there was plenty of room for all of us and our coolers. We made some great memories that day and plan on chartering another fishing trip in the future with Patent Pending.

Capt. John and First Mate Ronnie gave us the best day of fishing! Capt. John knew exactly where the hot spot would be, and within minutes we were all catching Striped Bass. First Mate Ronnie was amazing at helping us get the fish in the boat, teaching us how to reel, and keeping all the lines ready. He was so funny, patient and wanted us to have a great time. Capt. John is total class. His years of experience and professionalism transcend. He has the best stories and an infectious laugh....  

 Rich B. recommends Patent Pending Charters
1 person finds this review helpful

Cierra L.
Cierra L.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Amazing - 10/10

VERIFIED

Half Day Trip (AM) on May 25, 2025

I didn't attend the boat outing myself, but my boyfriend and his family had an absolutely amazing time celebrating his 30th birthday, thanks to the captain. I've heard nothing but great things about the experience - from how smooth everything went to how friendly and accommodating the captain was throughout the trip. Everyone came back with big smiles, great stories, and lots of pictures, and they all said it was the perfect way to celebrate such a special occasion. Huge thanks to the captain for helping make his birthday one to remember.

I didn't attend the boat outing myself, but my boyfriend and his family had an absolutely amazing time celebrating his 30th birthday, thanks to the captain. I've heard nothing but great things about the experience - from how smooth everything went to how friendly and accommodating the captain was throughout the trip. Everyone came back with big smiles, great stories, and lots of pictures, and they all said it was the perfect way to celebrate such a special occasion. Huge thanks to the captain...  

 Cierra L. recommends Patent Pending Charters

Ferris M.
Ferris M.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Capt Whitman knows fish

VERIFIED
NEW

Half Day Trip (PM) on July 5, 2025

Boat was big and comfy. Plenty of shade and space. Captain knows where to find fish. Even cooked us up some fresh fillers.

Boat was big and comfy. Plenty of shade and space. Captain knows where to find fish. Even cooked us up some fresh fillers.  

 Ferris M. recommends Patent Pending Charters
Capt. John Whitman
Capt. John Whitman (The Captain)
Replied on July 6, 2025
Thank you Ferris it was a pleasure having you and your son on board. Have a safe trip home to California. Hope to see you in the fall.

Logan G.
Logan G.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Great Trip

VERIFIED

Half Day Trip (AM) on November 29, 2024

Captain John and first mate Ronny had to put the work in to get on the fish today but the kept working until we found them. My whole crew got to boat their first Rockfish and we had a great time cruising the bay on a super comfortable boat. Both Capt John and Ronny shared great stories and jokes. Overall awesome experience and I will definitely use Patent Pending Charters the next time I want to get on the Bay!

Captain John and first mate Ronny had to put the work in to get on the fish today but the kept working until we found them. My whole crew got to boat their first Rockfish and we had a great time cruising the bay on a super comfortable boat. Both Capt John and Ronny shared great stories and jokes. Overall awesome experience and I will definitely use Patent Pending Charters the next time I want to get on the Bay!  

Review media 0
 Logan G. recommends Patent Pending Charters
Capt. John Whitman
Capt. John Whitman (The Captain)
Replied on November 30, 2024
Logan thank you for your kind review. You guys are the best I look forward seeing you and your family next time. Have a wonderful Holiday.

Riccardo De Marchi Trevisan
Riccardo De Marchi Trevisan
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Great experience

VERIFIED

Half Day Trip (PM) on September 29, 2024

Captain John is well prepared, deals with his customers in a professional and kind manner. the boat is very welcoming, clean and well equipped. We had a great afternoon and we’ll definitely work with Captain John again.

Captain John is well prepared, deals with his customers in a professional and kind manner. the boat is very welcoming, clean and well equipped. We had a great afternoon and we’ll definitely work with Captain John again.  

Review media 0
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 Riccardo De Marchi Trevisan recommends Patent Pending Charters

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FAQs about Patent Pending Charters

What are the trip rates for Patent Pending Charters?

Patent Pending Charters offers the following trips to customers:

  • US $795 per group - Half Day Trip (AM) (6 hours)
  • US $795 per group - Half Day Trip (PM) (6 hours)
  • US $850 per group - Big Blue Cats Special Trips 6-8 hrs (8 hours)
  • US $850 per group - Full Day Trip (8 hours)
Which amenities are available onboard with Patent Pending Charters?

When you book a trip with Patent Pending Charters, you can expect the following amenities onboard:

  • Toilet
  • Air Conditioning
  • GPS
  • Fishfinder
  • Bed
  • Live Bait Well
  • Kitchen
  • Refrigerator
  • Ice Box
  • Radar
What's included in the trip price with Patent Pending Charters?

Trips booked with Patent Pending Charters include:

  • Rods, reels & tackle
  • Live Bait
  • Lures
  • Catch cleaning & filleting
  • First Mate (Customary tip is 20%)
  • Fishing License
What types of fishing does Patent Pending Charters offer?

Patent Pending Charters offers the following type of fishing:

  • Inshore Fishing (Chesapeake Bay)
What fishing techniques does Patent Pending Charters offer?

Patent Pending Charters offers the following fishing techniques:

  • Light Tackle
  • Bottom Fishing
  • Trolling
  • Spinning
  • Jigging
Which fish species can I catch with Patent Pending Charters?

Top targeted fish species with Patent Pending Charters include:

  • Bass (Striped)
  • Black Drum
  • Bluefish
  • Perch (White)
  • Redfish
  • Spanish Mackerel
  • Spotted Seatrout
  • Weakfish

Your captain

Capt. John Whitman

Tracys Landing, Maryland, United States

ID & license verified
155 Customer reviews
Response time within an hour
Member since August 2018

Captain John is a second-generation fisherman who served in United States Coast Guard. He grew up in the bay, so being a fisherman is something that came naturally to him! He has fished in this area all of his life, and loves targeting anything from Rockfish to Red Drum to Mackerel, but especially Striped Bass. He spent some time as a businessman working in the catering industry, and now that he's retired he loved nothing more than spending his time fishing and introducing new and experienced anglers alike to these waters.

The fish you can target

Striped Bass
Striped Bass
Black Drum
Black Drum
Bluefish
Bluefish
White Perch
White Perch
Redfish
Redfish
Spanish Mackerel
Spanish Mackerel
Spotted Seatrout
Spotted Seatrout
Weakfish
Weakfish

What is the boat like?

Boat Image
Boat category
Cabin cruisers
Capacity
6 persons
Boat length
46 ft
Year built
2012
Boat manufacturer
Alan Boat Builders
Boat type
Pilothouse

Engine model
Cummins
Powered by
1 x 540HP
Max cruising speed
23 knots

What kind of fishing will you do?

Inshore Fishing

Chesapeake Bay

Which fishing techniques you can try

Light Tackle

Bottom Fishing

Trolling

Spinning

Jigging

Which amenities are available onboard

Toilet

Air Conditioning

GPS

Fishfinder

Bed

Live Bait Well

Kitchen

Refrigerator

Ice Box

Radar

What’s included in the trip price

Rods, reels & tackle

Live Bait

Lures

Catch cleaning & filleting

First Mate

Customary tip is 20%

Fishing License

How cancellations work

Free cancellation up to 3 days prior to trip

You can cancel or modify your booking up to 3 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.

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

Children over 5 years old

You Keep Catch

We wil filet your catch for you at no extra cost.

Catch and Release Allowed

How you can pay

Book with 20% deposit, pay rest to captain

When the captain confirms your trip, FishingBooker charges your credit card a 20% 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

 Visa

 Mastercard

 PayPal

What’s biting in Tracys Landing right now

Bass (Striped)Bass (Striped)
Black DrumBlack Drum
BluefishBluefish
Perch (White)Perch (White)
RedfishRedfish
Spanish MackerelSpanish Mackerel
Spotted SeatroutSpotted Seatrout
12 people are looking at this charter.