What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Grand Haven, Michigan for the first time?
Answers by verified FishingBooker anglers who went fishing in Grand Haven
Showing:
1 - 30 of 48 answers
1 - 30 of 48 answers

Yuri Rayzberg
Total disappointment, nothing to do with fishing, except for a boat decorated with spinning rods, not even a "harbor", the captain organized a trip for us along the river through the industrial area of the city, which ended in an area of fashionable houses with active boat traffic, to our questions about fishing the captain constantly answered that we will fish ourselves under his supervision, but in the end we paid 325$ + 20$ for a fishing permit (which FishGH - Kingpin asked us to buy, can you explain to us why?) just to watch the captain play with spinning rods, and ... to look at dead fish overboard, this was our first boring trip, by the way, at the end of this «trip» the captain expressed hope for a tip and advised to go to Detroit if we are looking for «real» fishing, we need to post pictures of our upset sons to show the depth of our disappointment.

JOE STEFFLER
The experience is great. July is not the most active time as the fish are still well dispersed. Understand that its not like May or September; keep your expectations in line and not only will the experience be great, you will be happy with the results.

Steven Wilson
It's a lake. The weather is unpredictable. It was beautiful when we went but a bit windy. We did pretty good catching drum in the harbor though (wind kind of kept us from going offshore). If you're wanting to catch specific type of fish, just research what time of year to go. We had a great time regardless. The fishing was still decent though, the experience was great though, and the captain and charter we used were great.

Timothy Noble
Highly Recommend!! Capt Seaberg of Last Call is very friendly, highly knowledgeable and every bait shop we seem to walk into knows him. He is the one to go with if you are trying to decide on a charter captain.

Julie Beaton
All four of us were first timers fishing on Lake Michigan. There was a 55 year gap in our ages. Everyone had a great time catching fish and appreciating an opportunity to be on the lake. We received the professional support when needed but had the thrill of reeling in the fish.

Mike Miller
No, your not really fishing, your just on a $400 boat ride. Your not really fishing in Lake Michigan, your trolling the channel out to the lake, then you troll back. I guess maybe I thought we were going to go to a spot and fish, but the deck hand fishes, you just reel it in after he hooks it, like I do with my grandson at home. Captain and deck hand were great, but this isn’t a fishing trip, it’s a boat ride.

Trenton Urbain
Capt. Jarod let us know that July is a great time to go out fishing. He said that anytime from mid-July to September is good for fishing. Also the weather was phenomenal. We were only a mile off shore so it was definitely warm with a nice breeze.

Alan Gould
You never know how well the fish will bite. I was on two different charters where fish bit quite frequently, this time not so much, but the crew never gave up looking for the fish until it was time to return to the marina. They said they were kid friendly and lived up to their word. It shows they love their job.

Bethany Heileman
Don't go expecting to catch anything. It was my 1st time and we only had a trout bite but we lost it. The flies and other biting insects were relentless since there was no breeze. It ended up being just a very expensive boat ride. I will not be charter fishing again.

Travis Zielaskowski
Comstock Park, MI
There's a dedicated pier for charter fishing at the Chinook pier, but I would recommend booking well in advance. Parking can be a pain(especially if it's a nice beach day), but even if you cannot find parking at the pier, the parking around the area makes for a short walk through beautiful downtown Grand Haven.

Kevin Wisniewski
You missed the point. I fish bass. I did charter for salmon we got nothing 2 bites. Terrible lot of money I spent very disappointing

Richard Rhew
Expect the captain and first mate to make the trip comfortable and enjoyable. They do there best to put fish in the boat and have fun doing it.

James Smith
Read the reviews when considering booking your charter. Our experience with Captain Brandon on the Danel was spot on!

Erika Simpson
It was hard to judge because we only caught 1 fish. The boat ride was smooth and relaxing. And the sun came out after the storm, turned into a beautiful evening.

Emory Mark Vandunk
Grand Rapids, MI
Yes, I would definitely recommend anglers fishing in Grand Haven for the first time.

Kelly Rice
We caught 6 fish during our trip. It was great. We hope to return and take a longer trip.

Kurtis Gomez
Prepare for fun in the sun! Hydrate and wear lots of sunscreen. You'll have an amazing time.

Brennon Wood
Talk to your captain ahead of time to see when the best times are to go and if there is somthing specific you would like to catch.

Adam J Hoke
While you should know it’s 1/2 Luck with the weather and 1/2 how good the Capt is on knowing the lake and where and when to get you hooked up at the right time.

John Krupczak
Important to let captain know your priorities for the trip. A great experience being out on Lake Michigan.

Brian Fowler
Get a charter booked with kingpin charter what a awesome experience and wonderful family run business

Rick Schamper
Dress for the weather, watch the videos on FishBooker, communicate with your captain, and get ready to have fun!

Greg Rhoads
Jacksonville, FL
Try to book morning chater over afternoon. Both are good but mornings seem more productive. Either trip you will have a great time.

Luke Condit
Township Of Hamburg, MI
It's a great experience with great fishing. Especially if you can book with Captain Jarrod on Last Call Charter Fishing!

Hendrik VanBeek
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Timing seemed perfect, today was Friday May 13. According to Captain Dana, around this time, is your best chance of catching big fish, and he was right.

Dino Raveane
Utica, MI
VERIFIED
Went fishing with Top Shelf Fishing – Red Label on August 11, 2019
Went fishing with Top Shelf Fishing – Red Label on August 11, 2019
Well the swells on the water are big. If you get sea sick well wear wrist bands for motion sickness. But sunscreen and have a great time. Get ready to burn up your arms reeling in a big one..

Jacqueline Mccormick
United States
There are so many different charters it felt overwhelming. I definitely recommend researching and taking your time to choose. The right one will more than likely be in Grand Haven!

Kelly Ippen
Allendale, Michigan
VERIFIED
Went fishing with Top Shelf Fishing on May 10, 2019
Went fishing with Top Shelf Fishing on May 10, 2019
Fish with another company . Book with another company and don't always believe the reviews you read. Don't book any charters until end of may apparently the water is too cold and fish aren't biting till then so you're wasting money, but the captain won't tell you this till you've already gone out on dangerous waters and caught nothing.

James Grant
Bring rain gear it was supposed to be sunny but we got caught in a couple pretty good rain showers

Lincoln Brousseau
Be prepared to not catch fish you can eat. Lots of Drum fish which are not good to eat.