Bell 8 Charters invites you to join Captain Jack Fairburn for a relaxing fishing trip out of Old Lyme, Connecticut. Captain Jack has always loved fishing and decided to pursue his lifelong dream when he retired from teaching. These days, Captain Jack guides anglers on the beautiful waters around Old Lyme.

Fishing is good for a variety of species, and depending on what you wish to target and the season, you can visit a number of productive fishing sites. Captain Jack can take you to Hatchett’s Reef, Long Sand Shoal, and the tidal rip off Cornfield Point, depending on where the fish are and the season. Targeted species include Striped Bass, Bluefish, Tautog, Black Seabass, Flounder, Dogfish, Porgy, and more.

The boat is a 21’ Steiger Craft with a capacity for four guests. Powered by a 150 HP Yamaha engine, with a maximum cruising speed of 32 knots, this vessel is fast and reliable in getting you to and from the productive fishing grounds. The vessel features life jackets for safety, a livewell for the bait, and a GPS and fishfinder used to locate the schooling fish.

Bell 8 Charters offers short trips that last 3 hours, which is long enough to put you on the fish. Fishing trips include rods, reels, tackle, artificial bait, fishing licenses, and a fish processing service at the end.



Trip availability and prices

  • Private trip
    3 Hour Trip - Weekdays (AM)
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    3 Hour Trip, starts at 10:00 AM
    Seasonal trip May 1 - Nov 1 (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu)
    Price for up to 4 persons
    US $400
    You can fish the Lower Connecticut River, Cornfield Point, Hatchett's Reef, or Long Sand Shoal depending on where the fish are and the season. Targeted species include Striped Bass, Bluefish, Tautog, Black Seabass, Flunder, Albies (fall only), and more. This trip runs Monday-Thursday.
  • Private trip
    3 Hour Trip - Weekend & Holidays
    FREE Cancellation 1 day notice
    3 Hour Trip, starts at 10:00 AM
    Seasonal trip May 1 - Nov 1 (Fri, Sat, Sun)
    Price for up to 4 persons
    US $500
    You can fish the Lower Connecticut River, Cornfield Point, Hatchett's Reef, or Long Sand Shoal depending on where the fish are and the season. Targeted species include Striped Bass, Bluefish, Tautog, Black Seabass, Flunder, Albies (in the fall), and more. This trip runs Friday-Sunday.
There are 11 people looking at this charter.

Customer reviews

Rating summary
Excellent
4.9 / 5
out of 5 stars from 72 reviews
Boat
Excellent
4.8 / 5
Crew
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Experience
Excellent
4.9 / 5
Photos & videos by reviewers (48)
Great time !!!
Captain Jack is the ideal charter Captain
Captain Jack is the ideal charter Captain
+45
Angler rating
66
4
1
0
0
Anglers claimed
Good experience
98%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
97%
Appropriate for children
94%
Satisfied with the boat
100%
Caught fish
81%
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Showing:
5 of 72 reviews
Kevin K.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Thank you Capt. Jack

VERIFIED   3 Hour Trip - Weekdays (AM) on August 29, 2024
We really enjoyed ourselves on our trip with Capt. Jack. He reached out to us a day beforehand to make sure the weather would...
Kevin K. recommends Bell 8 Charters
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Kevin K. recommends Bell 8 Charters
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Jake C.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Captain Jack is the ideal charter Captain

VERIFIED   3 Hour Trip - Weekend & Holidays on July 5, 2024
Adjusted our times based on weather to make sure our crew had the absolute most enjoyable fishing experience. Our goal was...
Jake C. recommends Bell 8 Charters
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  Jack Fairburn Captain replied

Mark L.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great trip great captain

VERIFIED   3 Hour Trip - Weekend & Holidays on June 22, 2024
My boys and I had a wonderful time. It was completely chill and easy. Captain Jack kept moving us around to make sure we caught...
Mark L. recommends Bell 8 Charters
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Mark L. recommends Bell 8 Charters
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Jim F.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great Capton/ Great man

VERIFIED   3 Hour Trip - Weekend & Holidays on June 23, 2024
Captain Jack is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Exceeded expectations fishing. Even dropped my son off because he...
Jim F. recommends Bell 8 Charters
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  Jack Fairburn Captain replied

Jennifer D.
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Experience:
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Boat
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Crew
Excellent
5.0 / 5
Overall

Great time!!

VERIFIED   3 Hour Trip - Weekend & Holidays on July 20, 2024
Captain Jack was great.  Kids had a great time. We went with a four people and everyone caught at least 3 fish.  He took...
Jennifer D. recommends Bell 8 Charters
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  Jack Fairburn Captain replied

FAQs about Bell 8 Charters

Bell 8 Charters offers the following trips to customers:
  • US $400 per group - 3 Hour Trip - Weekdays (AM) (3 hours)
  • US $500 per group - 3 Hour Trip - Weekend & Holidays (3 hours)

When you book a trip with Bell 8 Charters, you can expect the following amenities onboard:
  • GPS 2020 Raymarine
  • Fishfinder Garmin
  • Live Bait Well

Trips booked with Bell 8 Charters include:
  • Rods, reels & tackle (Client must request ahead of time)
  • Lures (Live bait available at additional cost)
  • Catch cleaning & filleting (Additional cost)
  • Fishing License (Not required on licensed charter boats in CT)

Bell 8 Charters offers the following types of fishing:
  • River Fishing (Lower Connecticut River)
  • Nearshore Fishing (Eastern Long Island Sound)
  • Reef Fishing (Hatchett's Reef, Long Sand Shoal)

Bell 8 Charters offers the following fishing techniques:
  • Light Tackle
  • Bottom Fishing
  • Trolling
  • Fly Fishing (When winds permit.)

Top targeted fish species with Bell 8 Charters include:
  • Bass (Striped)
  • Bluefish
  • Flounder
  • Scup (Porgy)
  • Seabass (Black)
  • Tautog

Your captain

Jack Fairburn
Old Lyme, Connecticut, United States
1 Fishing Report
ID & license verified
72 Customer reviews
Response time 5 hours
Member since August 2017
I have been boating and fishing on the eastern end of Long Island Sound over 30 years. Having summers off from my teaching job has allowed me to experience the quiet waters during weekdays without most of the weekend amateurs.

The fish you can target

Bass (Striped) Striped Bass
Bluefish Bluefish
Flounder Flounder
Scup (Porgy) Scup (Porgy)

What is the boat like?

Boat Image
Boat category
Cabin cruisers
Capacity
4 persons
Boat length
21 ft
Year built
2005
Boat manufacturer
Steiger Craft
Boat type
Cuddy cabin

Engine model
Yamaha
Powered by
1 x 150HP
Max cruising speed
32 knots

What kind of fishing will you do?

River Fishing
Lower Connecticut River
Nearshore Fishing
Eastern Long Island Sound
Reef Fishing
Hatchett's Reef, Long Sand Shoal

Which fishing techniques will you try?

Light Tackle
Bottom Fishing
Trolling
Fly Fishing
When winds permit.

Which amenities are available onboard

GPS
2020 Raymarine
Fishfinder
Garmin
Live Bait Well

What’s included in the trip price

Rods, reels & tackle
Client must request ahead of time
Lures
Live bait available at additional cost
Catch cleaning & filleting
Additional cost
Fishing License
Not required on licensed charter boats in CT

How cancellations work

Free cancellation up to 1 day prior to trip

You can cancel or modify your booking up to 1 day 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
5+ years old
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