Craig Heitzenrater

Rating

Anglers' gallery (65)

What anglers say

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  Miguel Santana

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  Texas, US

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  Member since 2023

  The captain canceled

  Trip was supposed to happen on October 13, 2026

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

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  New York, US

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  Member since 2026

  5.0

  Verified

  Book This Charter…Just Incredible

  Full Day Trip | Morning | 8 Hours on July 23, 2026 • 5 adults • 1 child

  Took my 2 Grandsons 14 & 11 as well as their Dad and Son in-law. Craig was outstanding.. His knowledge and passion was incredible.. This young man of 27 is beyond his years. We caught 15 Salmon and kept 10. Average weight around 20 lbs. This guy knows what he’s doing and loves what he does. We all had an incredible time. I will be setting up another trip shortly with Captain Craig. This guy hooks the fish for you and patiently coaches you. In 8 hours we lost (2) fish. I’ve done several charters on Lake Ontario and never have witnessed what we did today. Nearly 200lbs of KING SALMON. Thank you Craig from Crank’s Charters.. See you soon..,

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  Reported catch:

  
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  Michael Salopek

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  Pennsylvania, US

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  Member since 2026

  5.0

  Verified

  Reel Grind

  Half Day Trip | Morning | 6 Hours on June 7, 2026 • 2 adults

  Took a morning trip with Captain Craig aka “Crank” out of Wilson earlier this week. No brainer if you’re considering a Lake Ontario charter. We caught the trip during a transitional period as fish are scattering looking to set back up in more predictable trends. Captain had us on fish first thing. After awhile, the wind made a significant easterly transition, temporarily killing the bite and creating challenging conditions. Crank never wavered. Lure changes, location changes, etc… we were able to scratch out our limit with 20 minutes to spare. Mixed bag of coho, kings, rainbows, and lake trout. Awesome variety pack. You have to appreciate the grind that fishing can be. Great conversations and not to mention you will never see someone HAUL ASS to a screaming rod like this guy.

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  Robert Clark

  Repeat angler

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  Pennsylvania, US

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  Member since 2020

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  4 trips

  5.0

  Verified

  A slow start, but two great days of fishing.

  Full Day Trip | Morning | 8 Hours on July 11, 2026 • 4 adults

  The trip started slow with few bites. The Captain worked constantly, changing lures, speed, direction, everything he could manage, until we started getting fish. Mostly we got kings, which is what we were after, but we picked up a couple nice steelheads, one making the LOC leader board. Nowhere near the limit, but nice fish, kings up to 19 pounds, and I'll take one 18 pounder over three 6 pounders any day. Two excellent days of fishing.

  Reported catch:

  
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  Joseph Coyle

  Repeat angler

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  Massachusetts, US

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  Member since 2026

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  2 trips

  5.0

  Verified

  We limited 2 days in a row.

  Full Day Trip | Morning | 8 Hours on August 29, 2026 • 4 adults

  This was my first experience of fishing on Lake Ontario for steelhead and salmon. I chose Cranks Charter because of the excellent reviews. We were not disappointed. In spite of its name, Captain Craig was both was humorous and engaging and clearly a master of his trade. He was very well organized and skilled in finding the fish. I would recommend him without reservation.

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