Make Memories of a Lifetime on a Wisconsin Charter Fishing Excursion

Very few sights are more inviting than the early morning sun sparkling on Lake Michigan along the shores of Kenosha. To make it even more exciting, my wife Junie and I decided a charter fishing expedition under the guidance of an accomplished captain seemed a perfect addition to our couples’ getaway with our friends Randle and Cassie. 

To fuel up for our voyage, our first stop was Kenosha’s vintage Franks Diner, an eatery of the old style in the same spot since 1926. We all went in for versions of the “Garbage Plates” that dominated the menu — each made up of what seemed like a henhouse count of eggs, cheeses to order, a garden-harvest of state-fair quality veggies and your choice of meat. 

An easy walk away from Franks Diner, we found the Kenosha Public Market in its usual Saturday morning bustle of local residents and visitors like us. There, we strolled between booths offering a wide range of locally sourced products: golden sweetness from V&K Honey; Maggie’s Strawberry Creations; Amish condiments, Decatur Dairy Cheese and other blue-ribbon winning regional products at WisConian Delectables; meats from Two Creek Farms; Myra’s Kitchen food truck; and in keeping with the Upper Midwest’s ethnic roots, The Polish Plate, where Old Country wonders like Vanilla Sweet Cheese, Potato and Kraut and Pierogi Casserole reignited our appetites. 

By then it was time for the main event of the weekend getaway: our fishing charter expedition with Captain Russell Ruegger of Fourever Sportfishing Charters. Launching from Simmons Island, less than a mile from the market, our charter was an easy trip to get started. Captain Ruegger met us at the dock, checked to make sure we had our fishing licenses and within a few minutes we were putt-putting wakelessly out of the marina. 

Once clear, the powerful engines of the charter boat quickly brought us to speed, with a widening wake behind us and a brisk Lake Michigan breeze trying to blow off our caps. The crew quickly set about preparing the running gear for the heavy-duty fishing setups bristling from the stern. Each rig was attached to a planer board that kept the lure running straight. Almost immediately we saw the board take off and the drag was screaming out of the reel. Fish on! 

Several hundred yards behind the boat something large and silvery leapt clear of the water and spun before splashing back. 

“It’s a nice steelhead,” the mate said, holding the rod and reel out to us expectantly. 

The four of us looked at each other, wide-eyed. Finally, I pushed Randle forward to take on the first fish. 

Bracing himself, he grabbed the fishing rod and began alternately pulling back on the rod and cranking the reel to take up line and draw the fish closer and closer to the boat. Every jump the fish made drew squeals of excitement from Cassie and Junie. 

“I call next!” Cassie cried when Randle worked the fish up to the boat and the mate netted it out of the water. 

That was the story the rest of the day: attracting fish and taking turns hauling them in as the lake wind and spray from the water helped keep us cool. 

Our catch was a combination of the lake’s storied game fish: brown, rainbow and lake trout, coho salmon, and Randle even boated a hard-fighting Chinook salmon. After admiring its iridescent white and silver sparkle, we returned this champion to the lake to make someone else’s day. 

Before we knew it, and long before we were ready, the Lake Michigan waves were sparkling with golden hour light from the dropping sun, and Captain Ruegger turned the bow back toward Kenosha. 

For a while we just rode quietly, listening to the deep purr of the engines and the waves slapping gently at the sides of the craft. 

Back ashore, we capped it all off with a sumptuous dinner at 1844 Table & Mash, the top-rated restaurant at our home base for the weekend, The Stella Hotel & Ballroom. 

Waiting for our table, we marveled at the hotel’s restored grandeur, once a nationally famous Elks club that drew guests like baritone Mel Tormé and fried chicken tycoon Colonel Harlan Sanders. 

In the last few years local philanthropists have breathed new life into the imposing Georgian Revival structure, with its exposed brick and burnished expanses of restored hardwood and terrazzo floor surfaces. Now listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, it’s a lakefront Kenosha landmark that has anchored the downtown for more than a century. 

Dinner started with a fishing-themed appetizer, Wisconsin Smoked Fish Dip, accented with a tasty creole seasoning and served with sweet-potato chips. From there, Junie chose delicious Great Lakes whitefish, Cassie went with Midwest raised duck, and I couldn’t resist the subtly savory Campfire Rainbow Trout cooked over an open fire and plated with roasted Brussels sprouts seasoned with garlic and shallots.  

Randle said he needed some landlubber’s stiffening after his fifteen-minute fight with the Chinook salmon and chose the Horseradish Crusted Heritage Black Angus Filet supplemented with traditional mashed potatoes. 

Once our entrées arrived, we raised our glasses in a toast to the amazing day we’d spent together. From exploring around town to our exciting time on the water, we will have rich stories to share about our Kenosha charter fishing weekend for a long time to come.