Playin Hooky Charters 

4.9/5 (6 reviews)
 South Harbor Place 55, Waukegan, IL 60085, United States

Book your next trip with Playin’ Hooky Charters and find out what keeps anglers coming back to Waukegan, Lake Michigan, located within 30 miles of Chicago, for more!

These waters are known for Brown Trout, Coho Salmon, Chinook Salmon, Rainbow Trout (Steelhead), Lake Trout, and more – with any luck, you’ll hook into a few! Depending on the species you’re after, you may find yourself light tackle fishing, trolling, or maybe something more specialized in this area.

Trips with Playin’ Hooky Charters are open to the whole family, so feel free to make a family day out of it! Be sure to ask if child-sized life vests are available, otherwise you should bring your own. You’re welcome to bring snacks to stay fueled throughout your trip!

Your adventure begins aboard a 33’ Pacemaker sportfishing vessel that can carry up to 6 passengers. It has downriggers and all the essentials. There’s a toilet on board for your convenience. Your captain will provide rods and reels, along with lures.

A 10–20% tip is customary to show your appreciation for their hard work.

You will need to buy a local fishing license before the trip. This information is usually available online, or you can ask the captain. Some species may be off-limits or require a special tag, so make sure you know what to expect.

A few items to bring include sunblock (non-spray), bottled water, and sunglasses. Alcohol is allowed in moderation, just avoid hard liquor as well as glass bottles.

You could keep reading this, but wouldn’t you rather be fishing with Playin’ Hooky Charters?

Nickolas John Wagner

Captain

Nickolas John Wagner

26 years of experience
 ID & credentials verified
 responds within an hour

Most popular features:

 You Keep Catch
 Catch cleaning & filleting
 Toilet
 Child Friendly
 Ice Box
 Rods, reels & tackle

Trip availability and prices

Trip Date:
Days:
Group Size:
Almost there...
5 Hour Trip – Weekday Special
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
5 Hour Trip, starts at 3:00 PM
Seasonal trip (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri)
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US $575 
Entire boat: up to 6 people
5 Hour Trip (AM)
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
5 Hour Trip, starts at 6:00 AM
Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
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+1
US $800 
Entire boat: up to 6 people
5 Hour Trip (PM)
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
5 Hour Trip, starts at 11:00 AM
Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
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US $800 
Entire boat: up to 6 people
6 HR Fishing charter Haft day.
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
6 Hour Trip, starts at 6:00 AM
Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
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US $840 
Entire boat: up to 6 people
6 HR Fishing charter Haft da (copy)

 In demand! Last booked: 2 days ago

FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
6 Hour Trip, starts at 12:00 PM
Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
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US $840 
Entire boat: up to 6 people
Full Day Fishing Charter.
FREE Cancellation 7 days notice
8 Hour Trip, starts at 6:00 AM
Seasonal trip (Sat, Sun)
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US $950 
Entire boat: up to 6 people
There are 14 people looking at this charter.

Customer reviews

Rating summary

4.9/5
out of 5 stars from 6 reviews
Boat
4.8/5
Crew
5.0/5
Experience
5.0/5

Photos & videos by reviewers (5)

May fishing trip
Amazing Time!
August fishing trip
+2

Angler rating

5
0
0
0
0

Anglers claimed

Good experience

100%

Appropriate for children

100%

Friendly captain

100%

Satisfied with the boat

100%

Recommend this charter

71%

Caught fish

100%

Showing 1 - 5 of 7 reviews
Daniel E.
Daniel E.

The captain canceled

VERIFIED
NEW

Trip was supposed to happen on July 19, 2025

The charter operator canceled on trip date. This is an automated posting.

 

Nickolas John Wagner
Nickolas John Wagner (The Captain)

Terry M.
Terry M.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Amazing Time!

VERIFIED

5 Hour Trip (PM) on October 19, 2024

We highly recommend Captin John! He is very knowledgeable and knows where the fish are. My family had the best time and we each caught a fish. We will be back hopefully next spring!

We highly recommend Captin John! He is very knowledgeable and knows where the fish are. My family had the best time and we each caught a fish. We will be back hopefully next spring!  

Review media 0
 Terry M. recommends Playin Hooky Charters
1 person finds this review helpful

Anthony W.
Anthony W.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

Great time!

VERIFIED

5 Hour Trip – Weekday Special on June 26, 2025

 

 Anthony W. recommends Playin Hooky Charters
1 person finds this review helpful

Kenneth K.
Kenneth K.
4.7/5

Experience:

4.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

May fishing trip

VERIFIED

5 Hour Trip – Weekday Special on May 5, 2025

 

 Kenneth K. recommends Playin Hooky Charters
2 persons find this review helpful
Nickolas John Wagner
Nickolas John Wagner (The Captain)
Replied on May 6, 2025
Thanks guys
Review media 0

Mark N.
Mark N.
5.0/5

Experience:

5.0/5

Boat

5.0/5

Crew

5.0/5

Overall

August fishing trip

VERIFIED

5 Hour Trip – Weekday Special on August 14, 2024

 

 Mark N. recommends Playin Hooky Charters
Nickolas John Wagner
Nickolas John Wagner (The Captain)
Replied on August 16, 2024
Thank you Mark was a fun fishing will see you next month.
Review media 0

FAQs about Playin Hooky Charters

What are the trip rates for Playin Hooky Charters?

Playin Hooky Charters offers the following trips to customers:

  • US $575 per group, additional US $50 per person after 2 guests - 5 Hour Trip – Weekday Special (5 hours)
  • US $800 per group - 5 Hour Trip (AM) (5 hours)
  • US $800 per group - 5 Hour Trip (PM) (5 hours)
  • US $840 per group - 6 HR Fishing charter Haft da (copy) (6 hours)
  • US $840 per group - 6 HR Fishing charter Haft day. (6 hours)
  • US $950 per group - Full Day Fishing Charter. (8 hours)
Which amenities are available onboard with Playin Hooky Charters?

When you book a trip with Playin Hooky Charters, you can expect the following amenities onboard:

  • Toilet
  • GPS
  • Fishfinder
  • Flybridge
  • Refrigerator
  • Multimedia System
  • Ice Box
  • Radar
What's included in the trip price with Playin Hooky Charters?

Trips booked with Playin Hooky Charters include:

  • Rods, reels & tackle
  • Lures
  • Catch cleaning & filleting
  • First Mate
What types of fishing does Playin Hooky Charters offer?

Playin Hooky Charters offers the following types of fishing:

  • Lake Fishing
  • Nearshore Fishing
  • Offshore Fishing
What fishing techniques does Playin Hooky Charters offer?

Playin Hooky Charters offers the following fishing techniques:

  • Light Tackle
  • Heavy Tackle
  • Trolling
  • Deep Sea Fishing
Which fish species can I catch with Playin Hooky Charters?

Top targeted fish species with Playin Hooky Charters include:

  • Salmon

Your captain

Nickolas John Wagner

Waukegan, Illinois, United States

7 Fishing Reports
ID & license verified
7 Customer reviews
Response time within an hour
Member since May 2024

Capt. John is experienced in navigating the waters of Waukegan, Illinois and is ready to take you on a therapeutic fishing excursion. Join them on a thrilling fishing trip where you might reel in Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon and trout

The fish you can target

Salmon
Salmon

What is the boat like?

Boat Image
Boat category
Sportfishing boats
Capacity
6 persons
Boat length
33 ft
Year built
1980
Restored in
2014
Boat manufacturer
Pacemaker
Boat type
Sportfishing

Engine model
Omc
Powered by
2 x 270HP
Max cruising speed
20 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

Deep Sea Fishing

Which amenities are available onboard

Toilet

GPS

Fishfinder

Flybridge

Refrigerator

Multimedia System

Ice Box

Radar

What’s included in the trip price

Rods, reels & tackle

Lures

Catch cleaning & filleting

First Mate

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.

What the listing policies are

Pickup not included

Transfer to/from departure site is not included in trip rates.

Child Friendly

You Keep Catch

Fish cleaning available

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

 Visa

 Mastercard

 American Express

 Checks

 Bank Transfer

When paying the remaining balance with a credit card, an additional 3% charge will apply.

14 people are looking at this charter.