Top Dog Charters
Come fish for Salmon & Trout on Lake Michigan departing from Belmont Harbor in Chicago! Captain Jason brings 45+ years of Lake Michigan charter fishing experience & knows where to find the fish. Kids are always welcome!
Lake Michigan is home to 5 popular game species regularly caught on our trips: King Salmon, Coho Salmon, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, & Lake Trout. Pink & Atlantic Salmon also swim these waters, but are rarely caught.
You'll fish aboard our 33' 2008 Tiara 3000 open Sport fisherman featuring the widest beam in its class at 12.5 feet for a comfortable, stable ride. For convenience, It includes a private toilet. Top Dog is the fastest inboard boat in Chicago, spend your time fishing, not running to & from the grounds.
We use the best equipment & electronics maximizing your success on the water. Garmin electronics, 3 graphs, chart plotter, live-view sonar, radar etc. Our Shimano rods & reels are 2nd to none, Ande & Maxima line, & Cannon Tournament Series downriggers paired w/ Fish Hawk speed & temperature systems help keep us on & catching fish.
Relax while you fish, pair your smartphone to our Fusion marine Bluetooth stereo system & enjoy your favorite playlist during the trip.
Safety is our #1 priority. We go above and beyond all U.S. Coast Guard & Illinois DNR safety requirements. Ask Captain Jason about the boat's many safety features. Our vessel is also drug free, & Captain & crew participate in random drug testing.
Bring your favorite food and drinks, plus a cooler for your catch. We fillet your fish at the dock for easy transport home. (We do not gut or steak fish, but you may keep them whole if preferred.) It is customary to tip the Captain & crew for their hard work.
Captain Jason is also a skilled artist! If you land a memorable catch, ask about having your fish painted in traditional Japanese style artwork.
Please bring soft-soled shoes, sunglasses, a hat, & a windbreaker / rain jacket. Alcohol is allowed in moderation, please no bottle
Come fish for Salmon & Trout on Lake Michigan departing from Belmont Harbor in Chicago! Captain Jason brings 45+ years of Lake Michigan charter fishing experience & knows where to find the fish. Kids are always welcome!
Lake Michigan is home to 5 popular game species regularly caught on our trips: King Salmon, Coho Salmon, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, & Lake Trout. Pink & Atlantic Salmon also swim these waters, but are rarely caught.
You'll fish aboard our 33' 2008 Tiara 3000 open Sport fisherman featuring the widest beam in its class at 12.5 feet for a comfortable, stable ride. For convenience, It includes a private toilet. Top Dog is the fastest inboard boat in Chicago, spend your time fishing, not running to & from the grounds.
We use the best equipment & electronics maximizing your success on the water. Garmin electronics, 3 graphs, chart plotter, live-view sonar, radar etc. Our Shimano rods & reels are 2nd to none, Ande & Maxima line, & Cannon Tournament Series downriggers paired w/ Fish Hawk speed & temperature systems help keep us on & catching fish.
Relax while you fish, pair your smartphone to our Fusion marine Bluetooth stereo system & enjoy your favorite playlist during the trip.
Safety is our #1 priority. We go above and beyond all U.S. Coast Guard & Illinois DNR safety requirements. Ask Captain Jason about the boat's many safety features. Our vessel is also drug free, & Captain & crew participate in random drug testing.
Bring your favorite food and drinks, plus a cooler for your catch. We fillet your fish at the dock for easy transport home. (We do not gut or steak fish, but you may keep them whole if preferred.) It is customary to tip the Captain & crew for their hard work.
Captain Jason is also a skilled artist! If you land a memorable catch, ask about having your fish painted in traditional Japanese style artwork.
Please bring soft-soled shoes, sunglasses, a hat, & a windbreaker / rain jacket. Alcohol is allowed in moderation, please no bottle

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Great boat and equipement, captain Jason knows how to fish on Lake Michigan we caught king salmon, coho salmon, lake trout and steelhead. I am an experienced captain-fisherman and chaterecan recommend this charter as I book. we book fishing charter every country we went for holiday, trust me, go with jason , he has super boat , super equipment he know what he is doing. go with him.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had such an incredible experience with Top Dog Fishing Charter! I brought my 15-year-old son and his friend, and it was hands down one of the highlights of their summer. From the moment we stepped on the boat, the crew made us feel welcome, safe, and completely taken care of. The captain was not only professional and experienced, but also patient and fun—he took the time to teach the boys some new techniques and kept the energy high the entire trip. They were both absolutely thrilled to catch some amazing fish and learn so much along the way. It’s not easy to impress teenagers, but Top Dog delivered a day they’ll be talking about for a long time. Highly recommend for families, especially if you’re looking for something memorable and exciting for your teens. We’ll definitely be back!
Screaming from the rooftops that Top Dog Charters is the best! Captain Jason Baldwin and Jacques (or as we all called him, Son) were fantastic! Their energy, passion, dedication and hard work to ensure that we understood all aspects of the trip (equipment, technology, techniques, types of fish caught) were amazing and they were more than happy to answer all our questions. They worked tirelessly to get us setup to successfully catch fish and we appreciated every bit of it. We lost some but we caught a lot more than we lost. Let me also mention how clean they kept the charter, always spraying down after every catch. Grateful that they also cleaned, filleted and packed our catch. They definitely go the extra mile!! Thank you so much for making our first fishing trip and our Dad’s Father’s Day so special. We wish you much success and highly recommend you to all!
We consider ourselves lucky that we've got on Captain Jason's fishing adventure. He is so skilled, and fast reacting and knowledgeable. Couldn't get anyone better! Besides the thing that our son caught a lot of fish, we just enjoyed the boat ( very nice and clean) and the great company. Arthur is saying:"Thank you for this experience and for letting me catch a huge fish!" Highly recommend trying it for yourself.

This was our first time doing a charter out on Lake Michigan. The water was super choppy but we fought through and Captain Jason helped us catch some amazing salmon and trout. My kids and I had a blast and will definitely be booking Top Dog Charters in the future. Captain Jason was great out there and really made the experience memorable; thanks for all your hard work to make our trip perfect.
Our trip with Top Dog Charters was excellent! There were 6 of us with different levels of experience, we all caught fish and had a great time. Captain Jason Baldwin and his first mate ( his son Joc) were very knowledgeable, patient, and friendly. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!! Phsanford
Captain Jason was a great host and my kids loved the trip!!! It was their first time and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Took my grandson (14 years old) and his aunt out for a day of real fishing. We're all novices to the sport of fishing, catching only bluegills and a few bass in a small pond. But this was the "big time" on Lake Michigan. Capt Jason and his crew made every effort for us to catch fish...... and they came thru!!!! He gave us instructions on how to work the fish and how to reel in the catch; it was a workout!!!! We caught some good size Lake Trout and some salmon. It was a day and a trip that we'll never forget!!! We're already talking about another trip with Capt Jason later this season or early next year, setting our sites on catching some more big ones!!!
Jason & Mike worked together like a team. The fishing was tough. However they kept after it. Different colors, changing depths, reversing direction… Then in the last hour it turned on with 5 more fish. Our last one was a 20 lbs Lake Trout. It took 20 minutes to get it in the boat. Those 2 worked hard and it made the difference of us catching 1-2 versus 7 on a tough day. Wonderful boat, great equipment, and good company. Would highly recommend this charter with Top Dog!
Captain Jason was very professional and got us on the fish quickly. Awesome boat and all the gear was top of the line. Highly recommend!
Great boat and equipement, captain Jason knows how to fish on Lake Michigan we caught king salmon, coho salmon, lake trout and steelhead. I am an experienced captain-fisherman and chaterecan recommend this charter as I book. we book fishing charter every country we went for holiday, trust me, go with jason , he has super boat , super equipment he know what he is doing. go with him.
Took my grandson (14 years old) and his aunt out for a day of real fishing. We're all novices to the sport of fishing, catching only bluegills and a few bass in a small pond. But this was the "big time" on Lake Michigan. Capt Jason and his crew made every effort for us to catch fish...... and they came thru!!!! He gave us instructions on how to work the fish and how to reel in the catch; it was a workout!!!! We caught some good size Lake Trout and some salmon. It was a day and a trip that we'll never forget!!! We're already talking about another trip with Capt Jason later this season or early next year, setting our sites on catching some more big ones!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had such an incredible experience with Top Dog Fishing Charter! I brought my 15-year-old son and his friend, and it was hands down one of the highlights of their summer. From the moment we stepped on the boat, the crew made us feel welcome, safe, and completely taken care of. The captain was not only professional and experienced, but also patient and fun—he took the time to teach the boys some new techniques and kept the energy high the entire trip. They were both absolutely thrilled to catch some amazing fish and learn so much along the way. It’s not easy to impress teenagers, but Top Dog delivered a day they’ll be talking about for a long time. Highly recommend for families, especially if you’re looking for something memorable and exciting for your teens. We’ll definitely be back!

Thank you so much for booking a day on the water with us, we are so happy we could be a part of you and your sons (and his friend) memories. Also thank you for the good review, kind words and attention to the standard that I strive to maintain... not only in service and catching fish, but, in safety and also just having a fun time. Hope to see you back again some day soon. Give us a call any time. Capt JB.
Screaming from the rooftops that Top Dog Charters is the best! Captain Jason Baldwin and Jacques (or as we all called him, Son) were fantastic! Their energy, passion, dedication and hard work to ensure that we understood all aspects of the trip (equipment, technology, techniques, types of fish caught) were amazing and they were more than happy to answer all our questions. They worked tirelessly to get us setup to successfully catch fish and we appreciated every bit of it. We lost some but we caught a lot more than we lost. Let me also mention how clean they kept the charter, always spraying down after every catch. Grateful that they also cleaned, filleted and packed our catch. They definitely go the extra mile!! Thank you so much for making our first fishing trip and our Dad’s Father’s Day so special. We wish you much success and highly recommend you to all!

Cynthia, thank you so much for booking us on Fathers Day. I really appreciate your kind words and review, thank you so much. I'm very happy your Dad caught 3 different species of fish, that is not always possible. Jacques and I enjoyed your family and hope you come back again sometime soon. So happy you had a wonderful time, and appreciated our efforts. Thank you for your generosity, come back fishing with us any time. Sincerely, Capt. Jason and.... my son, :) Jacques
Jason & Mike worked together like a team. The fishing was tough. However they kept after it. Different colors, changing depths, reversing direction… Then in the last hour it turned on with 5 more fish. Our last one was a 20 lbs Lake Trout. It took 20 minutes to get it in the boat. Those 2 worked hard and it made the difference of us catching 1-2 versus 7 on a tough day. Wonderful boat, great equipment, and good company. Would highly recommend this charter with Top Dog!

David, thank you much, we enjoyed working hard to make sure you and your crew had a great time out on the water. We appreciated you and your guys patience and positivity. We finally made it all come together for a successful day. Come fish / hunt with us anytime, I hope it's soon. Captain Jason
Chicago, Illinois, forente stater
Jeg skiller meg ut, og det som differensierer meg fra andre kapteiner er alle de små tingene jeg er oppmerksom på. Det handler ikke bare om konkurranseinstinkt, driv og lidenskap, men også om at jeg har erfaring og opplevelser, anerkjennelse og historikk fra tusenvis av timer med fiske rundt de store sjøene, forskjellige hav og fisketurneringer i ulike Great Lake-stater, med en høy grad av suksess. Kaptein Jason Baldwin (JB) har også anerkjennelse som ingen andre kapteiner på de store sjøene har (i Illinois), og bare noen få i alle de andre Great Lake-statene til sammen... Det vil si godkjent som kaptein av International Game Fish Association (IGFA). Jeg ble fisker av kjærlighet til fiske. Jeg fokuserte aldri på rekorder, jeg fokuserte på å ha det gøy, fange og spise fisk og sette noen fisk tilbake for å kjempe en annen dag. Min utvidede familie og naboer lærte meg og hjalp meg med å fange min første panfisk. Faren min tok meg med på en kano-/camping-/fisketur til Michigan da jeg var barn, og derfra lærte jeg raskt og begynte å gjøre mye på egenhånd. Naboer tok meg med da jeg var 12 eller 13 til Canada for gjedde, walleye, småmunnabbor og kanadarøye. Fanget min første laks fra seilbåten min i en alder av 13 eller 14, en 8 kilos kongelaks. Ble styrmann på laksefisketurer i Grand Haven, MI ved Chinook pier i 1984. Fisket som kaptein i 5 år ved Chinook pier i Grand Haven og Saugatuck. Deltok i mange turneringer i løpet av den tiden, flere på noen ikoniske Great Lakes-kapteiner sine vinnerbåter. Senere kapteinet jeg båter ut av St. Joseph, MI og diverse andre havner. Jeg har fisket for moro skyld over hele USA og andre steder. Jeg ble en av de yngste kapteinene på Lake Michigan på 80-tallet og fikk min første kapteinslisens i en alder av 19. Jeg logget over 7 000 timer i 20-årene og utallige timer siden. Jeg har en nær-kystlisens for 6 passasjerer (kan operere 100 miles fra kysten i enhver stat i USA). Jeg har drevet kommersielt fiske i Alaska etter laks og fisket i mange forskjellige hav, innsjøer og fiskearter over hele verden. Bli med meg på en tur på vår vakre nyere Tiara, jeg lover å jobbe hardt for å gjøre turen din hyggelig og vellykket. Jeg er nøye med å holde båten/utstyret trygt i god, ren og fungerende stand. Book og kom fisk med oss i dag, jeg skal vise deg en flott tid. Noen anerkjennelser som skiller meg fra alle andre kapteiner inkluderer listen nedenfor. Kaptein JB. PS Jeg spesialiserer meg på å fange sølvfisk (enhver ørret eller laks som ikke er kanadarøye). Noen fiskebåter fisker etter din kanadarøye-grense (2 fisk hver) og slutter deretter, jeg fisker etter din grense på 5 fisk per person. Egenskaper som skiller meg ut og gjør meg til den beste kapteinen i Chicago. For det første, ja, jeg har tiår med erfaring, og det er ekstremt viktig. Jeg har også studert charterfiske, forsket på og publisert for min masteroppgave, Master of Science-grad fra Illinois State University, 'Faktorer som påvirker charterbåtindustrien, på de vestlige og sørlige breddene av Lake Michigan'. Det var en studie som forsøkte å finne ut hvorfor industrien gikk tilbake og fiskernes preferanser. Derfor har jeg førstehåndskunnskap om studier og resultater av faktiske svar fra kunder om hva som gjør turen deres viktig. Dette er en innsikt de fleste, om ikke alle, kapteiner ikke har. Studien min var en 100-siders avhandling om emnet, som ga innsikt gjennom vitenskapelig gjennomført forskning. Jeg er også den eneste kapteinen godkjent av organisasjonen som fører alle ferskvanns- og saltvannrekorder for alle linjeklasser, IGFA (International Game Fish Association). For å bli en IGFA-godkjent kaptein, må du bestå testene deres, sende inn erklæringer og ha et høyt nivå av karakter og andre diverse egenskaper. Nedenfor er noen av anerkjennelsene som gjør meg stolt og bør hjelpe deg med å bestemme hvem du skal fiske med. - Master of Science-grad fra Illinois State University (skrev 100-siders avhandling, studie om 'faktorer som påvirker charterbåtfiskeindustrien'). - Har vitenskapelig grad pluss 45 års erfaring med fiske over hele verden - Sikkerhet er min #1 prioritet, båt, utstyr, gear og alt mekanisk holdt i upåklagelig best mulig driftstilstand. Forebyggende vedlikeholdsrutine fullført for alle båter, derfor planlegger vi å ikke ha en feil. Vi har imidlertid en plan i tilfelle det skjer. Vi har, - en EPIRB (Electronic Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon) - hvis vi bruker denne enheten sender kystvakten en redningshelikopter. Jeg tror jeg er en av bare 2 charterbåter i IL som har en EPIRB. - Vi har Lalizas nedsenking-redningsdrakter, som beskytter mot hypotermi og overgår de nyeste SOLAS-spesifikasjonene. Vi er den eneste Illinois-charterbåten som har nedsenking-drakter om bord. - Top Dog Charter Boat vant begge Chicago-fisketurneringene, 2025 - Var på 2. plass-laget, Big Pond Brawl 2025 Waukegan - Vant Zillion-turneringen 2025, første båt på tiår som fanget 5 arter på turneringsdagen (artsturneringen). - Vant Stor Kongelaks Zillion-turneringen 2025 - Vant 2. plass Zillion-turneringen 2024, noe som viser fortsatt konsistens. - Vant største sølvlaks - Vant eller plasserte seg i topp 5 i flere turneringer på 1980- og 1990-tallet, noe som tilsvarer erfaring, konsistens, lang fartstid og bred kunnskap om fiskehavner og ulike fangstmetoder. - Nær-kystlisens fra US Coast Guard '6 passasjerer', dvs. kan gå opptil 100 miles offshore fra enhver stat i USA. - Eneste IGFA (International Game Fish Association) godkjente kaptein i Illinois - Bare 1 av 7 IGFA-kapteiner i de 7 Great Lake-statene (NY, OH, MI, IN, IL, WI, MN). - Gratis fiskerensing - Gratis poser til fiskefileter - Gratis overskuddsis - Du kan ta fisken hjem hel. Ta med store, kraftige plastposer, vi skjærer ikke i biter og sløyer ikke fisken. - Ingen ekstra kostnad for drivstoff hvis vi kjører langt - Vi drar dit vi trenger å dra for å fange fisk - Charterbåten er lisensiert i Michigan, Indiana og Illinois - vi kan fiske i hvilken som helst av disse statenes farvann når som helst. Vi kan og gjør det på samme dag, forhåndsvarsel er nødvendig. - Lidenskap er en av de vanskeligste egenskapene å måle. Jeg har det for fiske (hele livet mitt). Kort fortalt: Jeg tror på å gjøre alle de små tingene hele tiden og gjøre dem alle på en elitemnivå. Jeg velger å være elite HELE TIDEN. - Jeg sjekker og knyter om hver knute på hver tur - Jeg bytter ut hakket fortom eller line når det trengs, ikke årlig eller hvert par år. Jeg har ny line på snellene mine hvert år. - Nevnte jeg viktigheten av å holde en upåklagelig ren båt? Den rengjøres etter hver tur. - Bare det beste utstyret er på vår båt For å hjelpe deg med å måle lidenskapen min, aspirerer jeg til Nick Sabans prosess med å gjøre alle de små tingene hele tiden på et elitenivå. Jeg vil at hver knute skal være perfekt. Noen ganger, hvis jeg tror jeg har brent en knute, knyter jeg den om igjen til den er perfekt. Målet mitt er at hvis jeg får den nye innsjørekord-kongelaksen på linen... rundt 22 kg, har jeg knyttet hver line, knute og sluk og sjekket det mer enn én gang for å sikre at det er perfekt. Vi vil ha en sjanse til å lande den rekordbrytendefisken... på hver stang!!! Jeg spilte college-fotball ved Illinois State University 1 AA. Jeg begynte som en foretrukket walk-on og klarte det, jeg tjente et stipend, jeg ga aldri opp, jeg holdt ut gjennom et helt trenerbytte (2. år) og klarte det som lagkaptein og startende senterspiller i senioråret mitt. Det krevde mange små ting som ble gjort på en disiplinert tidslinje hver dag over 5 år. Det var tøft, men ekstremt givende. Top Dog Charter Boat var en fritidsbåt som jeg forvandlet til en fiskemaskin. Å vinne begge turneringene i 2025 beviser at den fisker bra. Mine tidligere erfaringer har lært meg godt, og jeg fisker konsekvent på et elitenivå. Kom ut og se selv. Unne deg selv i dag. Kaptein JB. Spørsmål å stille andre kapteiner Har du en EPIRB om bord? Slutter du å fiske når du har nådd din kanadarøye-grense? Hvilken stand holder du båten din i? Hvilken type utstyr bruker du? Stenger, sneller, sonar, radar, FLIR osv., line - er det nytt eller gammelt osv. Ellers er det bare å ringe meg. Kaptein JB
Du kan avbestille eller endre bestillingen din opptil 30 dager før turdatoen, uten ekstra kostnader. Hvis du avbestiller eller endrer bestillingen din senere, eller ikke møter opp, mister du 100% av det du har betalt.
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