Looking to troll for the big ones out of Waukegan? Then Jawzon Charter Services are for you and Captain Jim Stepp is your man!
Captain Jim is a professional fisherman. In his spare time he fishes tournaments on Lake Michigan. Captain Jim has won over 30 tournaments in his career and has won boat of the year 4 times! He is still very active in the tournament schedule, and when you come out on the Jawzon, a 36' Tiara tournament boat, you will see some of the best equipment there is to fish with today. Captain Jim will show you how he catches big ones and lots of them
Before coming aboard, you'll need to buy a local fishing license for everyone in your group that is 16 or older
It's recommended to bring sunblock (non-spray), a hat, bottled water, and sunglasses. If you'd like to bring other drinks, just ask. Alcohol is allowed in moderation, but try to avoid hard liquor as well as glass bottles.
The click of a button is the only thing keeping you from a great day on the water with Jawzon Charter Services!
Captain
Jim Stepp
Most popular features:
Rating summary
Photos & videos by reviewers (159)
Angler rating
Anglers claimed
Good experience
100%
Appropriate for children
93%
Friendly captain
100%
Satisfied with the boat
98%
Recommend this charter
99%
Caught fish
99%
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
6Hr Private Weekday 2 person (PM) on July 4, 2025
We had an absolutely amazing experience with Captain Jim and first mate Mike on JawzOn! From the very beginning, Captain Jim was super helpful and took the time to teach us all about fishing on the lake. I especially appreciated how thoroughly he went over all the safety measures before we even left the dock — it gave us so much peace of mind. Right after we started trolling, we were immediately on fish! We even had double rods going off at the same time. By the end of the trip, we had caught four different species: king salmon, Coho salmon, steelhead, and brown trout. Mike was fantastic on the boat, helping us every step of the way, and he even filleted our fish and packaged them up perfectly for us to take back to the hotel. Overall, we couldn’t have picked a better charter. If you’re looking to be put on some incredible fishing with people who truly know what they’re doing, JawzOn is the way to go. Highly recommend!
We had an absolutely amazing experience with Captain Jim and first mate Mike on JawzOn! From the very beginning, Captain Jim was super helpful and took the time to teach us all about fishing on the lake. I especially appreciated how thoroughly he went over all the safety measures before we even left the dock — it gave us so much peace of mind. Right after we started trolling, we were immediately on fish! We even had double rods going off at the same time. By the end of the trip, we had caught...
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
6 Hr Private Weekday 2 person (AM) on June 19, 2025
I wanted a successful fishing experience for my ten year old granddaughter. She caught a 27” lake trout and many smaller coho, despite also losing 4-5 fish. Her dad caught a 27” king salmon. What was impressive with the lake trout was that we decided to catch one more fish before quitting early due to sea sickness. Up till then, it was all salmon. Captain Jim heard her say she wanted a lake trout, switched up gear, and within 20-30 minutes she had the 27” lake trout. Admittedly, some luck is involved but luck that was a result of careful planning and skill. The man knows his fish.
I wanted a successful fishing experience for my ten year old granddaughter. She caught a 27” lake trout and many smaller coho, despite also losing 4-5 fish. Her dad caught a 27” king salmon. What was impressive with the lake trout was that we decided to catch one more fish before quitting early due to sea sickness. Up till then, it was all salmon. Captain Jim heard her say she wanted a lake trout, switched up gear, and within 20-30 minutes she had the 27” lake trout. Admittedly, some luck...
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
6Hr Private Weekend 4 person (PM) on August 3, 2025
My friend and his joined my son for a father son fishing outing. Captain Jim and First Mate, AJ, were wonderful with the boys and taught my friend and I a lot more about off shore fishing. They were professional and extremely knowledgeable which made our whole fishing trip a great one! My friend caught a massive 23 lb salmon and the boys reeled in 4 large salmons. We are looking forward to our next trip with Captain Jim!
My friend and his joined my son for a father son fishing outing. Captain Jim and First Mate, AJ, were wonderful with the boys and taught my friend and I a lot more about off shore fishing. They were professional and extremely knowledgeable which made our whole fishing trip a great one! My friend caught a massive 23 lb salmon and the boys reeled in 4 large salmons. We are looking forward to our next trip with Captain Jim!
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
6Hr Private Weekday 3 person (PM) on August 13, 2025
Captain Jim and Mate Mike were awesome!! Had a great time!!! First Time with Grandson on Lake Michigan and watching him bringing in the several King Coho will be a memories that will last forever. Watching him smile over and over again as Captain Jim Yells Out !! - FISH ON!! and he jumps to grab reel and starts winding in fish. Thanks Again, Captain Jim for the ever lasting memories.
Captain Jim and Mate Mike were awesome!! Had a great time!!! First Time with Grandson on Lake Michigan and watching him bringing in the several King Coho will be a memories that will last forever. Watching him smile over and over again as Captain Jim Yells Out !! - FISH ON!! and he jumps to grab reel and starts winding in fish. Thanks Again, Captain Jim for the ever lasting memories.
Experience:
Boat
Crew
Overall
6Hr Private Weekend 4 person (PM) on July 12, 2025
Captain Jim was very knowledgeable. He made sure we knew all of the safety factors before even leaving the dock. He and his made AJ work together like a well oiled machine. The boat was very clean. Captain was happy to teach us the tools he uses to locate fish. With two of us on this charter we caught our limit in about 4hrs. Wouldn’t hesitate to book this charter again. Captain was very quick to respond EVERY time I reached out with a question before our trip. Thank You Captain Jim!
Captain Jim was very knowledgeable. He made sure we knew all of the safety factors before even leaving the dock. He and his made AJ work together like a well oiled machine. The boat was very clean. Captain was happy to teach us the tools he uses to locate fish. With two of us on this charter we caught our limit in about 4hrs. Wouldn’t hesitate to book this charter again. Captain was very quick to respond EVERY time I reached out with a question before our trip. Thank You Captain Jim!
Jawz-on Charter Services 36 foot offers the following trips to customers:
When you book a trip with Jawz-on Charter Services 36 foot, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
Trips booked with Jawz-on Charter Services 36 foot include:
Jawz-on Charter Services 36 foot offers the following type of fishing:
Jawz-on Charter Services 36 foot offers the following fishing technique:
Top targeted fish species with Jawz-on Charter Services 36 foot include:
Waukegan, Illinois, United States
The Angler's Choice Award is given to listings that consistently deliver a high-quality service and earn great reviews from customers.
Capt. Jim is a tournament champion 4-time boat of the year he has won the the Kenosha classic the Salmon a Rama super sweepstakes, salmon unlimited Wisconsin open twice also he won the salmon unlimited Illinois open he also won the pass the passion tournament out of Waukegan which was the biggest paying tournament Waukegan has ever held Captian Jim knows how to catch big fish and lots of them
Offshore Fishing
Usually we fish within 12 miles from port
Trolling
Toilet
It’s a vacuum flush toilet
Air Conditioning
GPS
Fishfinder
Bed
full couch
Kitchen
Yes If needed please ask
Refrigerator
Ice Box
Radar
Rods, reels & tackle
Lures
Catch cleaning & filleting
All fish are cleaned and bagged at no extra cost
First Mate
Lots of years fishing in Lake Michigan under his belt
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.
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
All children are welcome as long as they exceed 45lbs that’s the smallest lifespan preserver I have
You Keep Catch
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
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
PayPal
Checks
Bank Transfer
When paying the remaining balance with a credit card, an additional 3% charge will apply.