Top Dog Charters 

I stand out and what differentiates me from other Captains is all the little things that I pay attention to. It is not only competativeness, drive, & passion but also that I have experience & experiences, accolades and history fishing thousands of hours around the Great Lakes, different oceans, and fishing tournaments in various Great Lake states, with a high degree of success. Captain Jason Baldwin (JB) also has accolades that no other Great Lakes Captains have, (in Illinois) and only a few in all other Great Lakes combined... That is approved as a Captain by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). I became an angler for the love of fishing. I never focused on records, I focused on having fun, catching & eating fish and releasing some fish to fight another day. My extended family and neighbors taught and helped me catch my first panfish. My father took me on a canoe / camping / fishing trip to Michigan when I was a kid, from there I quickly learned and started doing a lot on my own. Neighbors took me along when I was 12 or 13 to Canada for pike, walleye, small mouths & Lakers. Caught my first salmon off of my sail boat at age 13 or 14, an 18 pound King Salmon. Became a first mate on Salmon Charters in Grand Haven, MI at Chinook pier in 1984. Fished as a captain, 5 years at Chinook pier in Grand Haven & Saugatuck. Fished many tournaments during that time, several on some iconic Great Lakes Captains winning boats. Later I Captained boats out of St. Joseph, MI & various other ports. I have fun fished all over the USA & elsewhere. I became one of the youngest Captains on Lake Michigan in the 80's getting my 1st Captains license at age 19. I logged over 7,000 hours in my 20's & countless hours since. I have a near Coastal 6 pack (can operate 100 miles from shore in any State of the US). I've commercial fished in Alaska for Salmon & fished many different Oceans, lakes & species of fish worldwide. Come take a trip with me on our beautiful newer Tiara, I promise to work hard to make your trip enjoyable & successful. I'm meticulous in keeping the boat / gear, safe in great clean working order. Book & come fish with us today, I'll show you a great time. Some accolades that set me apart from all other Captains include the list below. Capt JB. PS I specialize in catching Silvers (any trout or salmon that is not a Lake Trout). Some Charter Boats fish for your Lake Trout limit (2 fish each) then quit, I fish for your limit of 5 fish for each person. Attributes setting myself apart, making me best Captain in Chicago. First, yes I have decades of experience and that is extremely important. I also have studied charter fishing, done research on and published for my Masters Thesis Master of Science Degree from Illinois State University, 'Factors effecting the Charterboat Industry, on the Western and Southern shores of Lake Michigan'. It was a study trying to discover why the industry declined and angler preferences. Therefore I have firsthand knowledge on studies and results of actual responses from customers as to what makes their trip important. This is an insight most if not all Captains don't have. My study was a 100 page thesis on the topic, giving insight via proof of scientificly completed research. I also am the only captain approved by the Association that keeps all Fresh and Saltwater records for all line classes the IGFA (International Game Fish Association). To become an IGFA approved Captain, you must pass their tests submit avidavits for and have a high level of character & other misc traits. Below are some of the accolades that make me proud and should help you in deciding with whom to fish. - Master of Science degree Illinois State University (wrote 100 page thesis, study on 'factors effecting the Charter boat fishing industry'). - Has scientific degree plus 45 years experience fishing worldwide - Safety is my #1 priority, boat, equipment, gear and all mechanical kept in immaculate best possible working condition. Preventative maintenance routine completed for all boats, therefore plan not to have a failure. However, we do have a plan in case of one. We have, - an EPIRB ( Electronic Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon ) if we use this device the Coast Guard sends a rescue helicopter. I believe I'm one of only 2 charter boats in IL to have an EPIRB. - We have Lalizas immersion life saving suits, which will protect against Hypothermia, exceeding the latest SOLAS specifications. We are the only Illinois charter boat to have immersion suits on board. - Top Dog Charter Boat Won both Chicago fishing tournaments, 2025 - Was on 2nd place team, Big Pond Brawl 2025 Waukegon - Won Zillion tournament 2025, first boat in decades to catch 5 species on tournament day, (species tournament). - Won Big King Salmon zillion tournament 2025 - Won 2nd place Zillion tournament 2024 showing continued consistency. - Won largest Coho salmon - Won or placed in top 5 several tournaments in the 1980's & 1990's equaling experiece, consistency, longevity and a vast working knowledge of fishing ports and different styles of catching fish. - Near coastal US Coast Guard '6 pack' license ie can go up to 100 miles offshore from any state in the US. - Only IGFA (Interngational Game Fish Association) approved Captain in Illinois - Only 1 of 7 IGFA captains in the 7 Great Lake States (NY, OH, MI, IN, IL, WI, MN). - Free fish cleaning - Free bags for fish fillets - Free leftover ice - You can take your fish home whole. Bring large heavy duty plastic bags, we do not steak nor gut fish. - No extra charge for gas if we run far - We go where we need to go to catch fish - Charter boat is licensed in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois we can fish any of those states waters at any time. We can and do on the same day, prior notice needed. - Passion is one of the hardest traits to measure. I have that for fishing (my whole life). Short story, I prescribe to doing all the little things all the time and doing them all in an elite manner. I choose to be elite ALL OF THE TIME. - I check and retie every knot every trip - I replace nicked leader or line when it needs it, not yearly or multi yearly. I have new line on my reels every year. - Did I mention the importance of keeping an immaculately clean boat? It gets cleaned after every trip. - Only the best equipment is on our boat To help you measure my passion, I aspire to the Nick Saban process of doing all the little stuff all the time at an elite level. I want every knot to be perfect. Sometimes if I think i've burned a knot, I'll retye it until its perfect. My goal is that if I get the new Lake Record King Salmon on the line.... about 50 lbs, I've tied every line, knot and lure and checked it more than once to make sure its perfect. We will have a chance to land that record breaking fish ... on every rod!!! I played college football at Illinois State University 1 AA. I began as a preferred walk on and made it, I earned a scholarship, I never quit, I endured through an entire coaching change (2nd year) and made it as a team Captain and starting center by my senior year. It took a lot of little things being done on a disciplined time line every day over 5 years. It was tuff but extremely rewarding. The Top Dog Charter Boat was a pleasure craft I turned it into a fishing machine. Winning both tournaments in 2025 proves that its fishing well. My previous lessons have taught me well and I'm fishing consistently at an elite level. Come out and see for yourself. Treat yourself today. Capt JB. Questions to ask other Captains Do you have an EPIRB on board? Do you quit fishing once you get your Lake Trout limit? What condition do you keep your boat? What kind of equipment do you use? Rods reels sonar radar flir etc line, ie is it new old etc. Otherwise just give me a call. Capt JB