Search
Capt. John Gonzales
Captain

Capt. John Gonzales

Waukegan, United States
50+ reviews
Capt. John runs trips out of Waukegan. These waters are known for Salmon and Trout and he will show you how to catch them, whether you're trolling or using a more specialized technique. Capt. John has a trick or two up his sleeve, and the only way to learn is to join him out on the water!

Charter

Rating

5.0
53 reviews
4.9
Boat & Equipment
5.0
Captain & Crew
5.0
Fishing Experience

What anglers say

100%
Good experience
100%
Friendly captain
100%
Recommend this charter
100%
Appropriate for children
100%
Satisfied with the boat
96%
Caught fish

All reviews (53)

Showing 1 – 5 of 53 reviews
  • Sarah And Kyle Gute
    Sarah And Kyle Gute
    us
    Georgia, US
    •
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Great fishing/multipe species

    3 person 5hr. AM Weekend Trip • 4 adults • 1 child

    Asked Captain John to target Kings on this trip, he had a plan based on some intel he received and we put plenty of nice Kings in the cooler. Caught a few steelhead, coho and a brown trout to top it off. My buddy was up from GA and is ready to return for another trip. My other buddy had his 10yr old with him, and First Mate Radu and Captain John were very patient with him for his first Lake Michigan trip. Highly recommend this boat and Captain out of Wuakegan!

    Reported catch:
    Salmon
    Rainbow Trout (Steelhead)
    Coho Salmon
    Brown Trout
  • Wes Kistler
    Wes Kistler
    us
    Illinois, US
    •
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Great Day on Lake Michigan!

    5 person 5hr. AM Trip • 6 adults

    Had a great day on the water! We caught 13 fish, including 4 really nice ones. Captain John was great, worked hard to keep us on the fish, and made sure we had a good time. Would definitely recommend Hook’d On Fishing Charters and would book with them again!

    Reported catch:
    Salmon
  • Andrew Callaghan
    Andrew Callaghan
    us
    Ohio, US
    •
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    great time!!

    3 person 5hr. AM Weekend Trip • 3 adults

    Captain John and his first mate were excellent. They really worked hard to make sure we had a great experience. We’d never caught fish like that before. If youre looking for this type of experience, book this crew!

  • Samuel King
    Samuel King
    us
    Illinois, US
    •
    Member since 2026
    5.0
    Verified

    Greatest Charter experience ever

    3 person 5hr. AM Weekend Trip • 3 adults

    Captain John knows what he is doing on those waters, we fished in places all the other boats werent and limited out on very large fish, all fish we were tageting that day.

    Response from Captain

    Cameron, Thank you so much for the incredible review! It was a pleasure having you aboard, and we’re thrilled to hear you, your father, and father-in-law had such a memorable trip. We take a lot of pride in staying on the fish. Seeing everyone limit out on the fish we were targeting is always rewarding, but having a great group on the boat makes it even better. Thank you for trusting us with your day on the water and for taking the time to share your experience. We truly appreciate your support and hope to have you back aboard soon. We’ll be ready to help you make even more great memories—and maybe land an even bigger one next time! Tight lines, Captain John 🎣

  • Thomas Difrisco
    Thomas Difrisco
    Repeat angler
    us
    Illinois, US
    •
    Member since 2021
    •
    2 trips
    5.0
    Verified

    Like We Won the Lottery

    2 person 5hr. PM Trip - Spring • 2 adults

    Great day out on the water with these guys. Weather was perfect, Capt and Mate we super helpful, and a cooler full of big fish.

    Response from Captain

    Thomas, Thank you for the awesome review! We had a great time fishing with you and are happy to hear you enjoyed the day as much as we did. Days with great weather, good company, and a cooler full of fish are hard to beat. We truly appreciate you spending your day on the water with us and taking the time to share your experience. Hopefully this was just the first of many trips together, and we’ll have another opportunity to help you fill the cooler again soon! Thanks again, and we’ll save a spot on the boat for you. Captain John & Crew

Real catches shared by our community

  • Hook’d On Fishing Charters, Inc
    Hook’d On Fishing Charters, IncWaukegan, IL
    Great Day on Lake Michigan!
    Wes K.
    Wes K.
  • Hook’d On Fishing Charters, Inc
    Hook’d On Fishing Charters, IncWaukegan, IL
    Great fishing/multipe species
    Sarah And Kyle G.
    Sarah And Kyle G.
  • Hook’d On Fishing Charters, Inc
    Hook’d On Fishing Charters, IncWaukegan, IL
    Greatest Charter experience ever
    Samuel K.
    Samuel K.
  • Hook’d On Fishing Charters, Inc
    Hook’d On Fishing Charters, IncWaukegan, IL
    Great Trip
    Heather J.
    Heather J.
  • Hook’d On Fishing Charters, Inc
    Hook’d On Fishing Charters, IncWaukegan, IL
    June fishing trip
    Andrew D.
    Andrew D.
  • Hook’d On Fishing Charters, Inc
    Hook’d On Fishing Charters, IncWaukegan, IL
    great fishing experience
    Troy S.
    Troy S.
  • Hook’d On Fishing Charters, Inc
    Hook’d On Fishing Charters, IncWaukegan, IL
    Like We Won the Lottery
    Thomas D.
    Thomas D.
  • Hook’d On Fishing Charters, Inc
    Hook’d On Fishing Charters, IncWaukegan, IL
    john was great
    Mark L.
    Mark L.
  • Hook’d On Fishing Charters, Inc
    Hook’d On Fishing Charters, IncWaukegan, IL
    Awesome Captain Jon
    Lamathis A.
    Lamathis A.
  • Hook’d On Fishing Charters, Inc
    Hook’d On Fishing Charters, IncWaukegan, IL
    Good captain and mate
    Gary S.
    Gary S.

What's biting with Hook’d On Fishing Charters, Inc in Waukegan

Head out onto Lake Michigan for some Lake Trout action offshore, especially around the reefs and rocky structure. You can also cast your line for Salmon, Brown Trout, and Steelhead, as well as Lakers.

Top catches for September

Fishing reports

3 Kings - May 19, 2023 Morning Trip

May 19, 2023 • Waukegan
Weather condition were cloudy and rain in the morning which tapered off and was dry by late morning. We fished 35-45 FOW south of the Great Lakes at a speed of 2.3-2.7. Best depth was in the 40ish. Picked up three kings and three cohos. The kings were 25”, 28”, 29”. One nice chunky coho with two other small cohos. Capt. John E. Gonzales C-Byte
Show more
Three anglers proudly displaying their catch of trout on a board at Waukegan Harbor, showcasing a successful day of fishing.

Afternoon coho action continued - May 7,

May 7, 2023 • Waukegan
Spent most of the afternoon fishing the waters just outside Waukegan Harbor. The weather shifted and fog came through. There was steady action with two short of a three man limit. Capt. John Gonzales
Show more

Waukegan Report 4/30/23 AM - Spring Coho

Apr 30, 2023 • Waukegan
C-Byte embarked from Waukegan Harbor and set lines again just outside Waukegan Harbor in 25 FOW. Trolled SE up to Great Lakes Naval Station into 36FOW, then moved inwards and circled back where we picked them off. Two man limit in 2 hours. Weather: Cloudy/Spotty rain Air Temp: 40+/- degrees Water Temp: 43+/-degrees Waves. 1-2 rolling waves E direction Winds: W 15 mph with 20mph gusts. Further details on Facebook **hidden content**
Show more

Waukegan Fishing Report - April 23, 2023

Apr 23, 2023 • Waukegan
Fishing was fairly active all day with reports showing limits. The lines were set just outside Waukegan Harbor and trolled with South East heading towards the Great Lakes Naval Base into 32FOW. Caught the captain's limit in 2 hours time. All Cohos and caught in 30 FOW on Stubby Dodger with a blue/ green/ gold flies 1oz keel weight and 3/4oz keel weight. Weather: Air Temp: 40+/- degrees Water Temp: 43-45 degrees Waves. 0-1 rolling waves SE direction. Winds: WNW >10 mph
Show more

Waukegan - Cohos

Apr 14, 2023 • Waukegan
Started South from the Waukegan Harbor to the Naval Base in 15-30 feet of water (FOW). Speed over ground (SOG) was 3.2 knots. Turned north and head north and work the mount of Waukegan Harbor to the "Stacks". Slowed the SOG to 2.2 knot and fish on. All fish caught in 20-30 FOW north of the "Harbor" and the "Stacks" with a 7 rod spread. It was a beautiful day on the water! Weather Conditions: Clear skies Sunny Air Temp: 80+/- degrees Water Temp: 48-50 degrees on my probe. Waves: Calm 0-1 waves Winds: slight breeze from the south
Show more