‘if you’re looking for a good time, safe, quality experience please leave your problems on shore and come out fishing with us’

The sports fishing industry for salmon and trout on Lake Michigan began in the mid 1960’s. After many years of practicing, it was 1980 when my dad Captain Dale Ender and myself Kevin Ender began Captain Hook Charters. It wasn’t too long before we became one of Southwest Michigan’s premier charters.

For the next 10 years you could see rack after rack of big king salmon and trout at the dock as I continued to build the business, all the while teaching son’s Nathan and Kyle the basics to becoming 3rd generation captains, who by the way are now teaching the 4th. In 1990 my wife Tammie earned her 100 ton license. She was one of the first women in the country to do so. Naturally she had to have a boat bigger than mine, so we came to Florida and purchased the 40’ Kitty Hawk so that we could carry more than six passengers for Lake Perch fishing. It wasn’t too long until she was being called the perch lady.

In 1996 myself and Captain Dennis Niedlinger who was the owner and developer of Pro King Lures, my son Nathan(16) Kyle(14) and Dennis’s grandson Craig(13) won the historic first ever Salmon Classic in Manistee Michigan. This tournament is now known as the Salmon Splash.

Again and again, “Team Hook” was one of the most dominant teams on the water. During this period we continued to gain experience, sponsors and grow and expand the business.

In 1997 at 17, my son Nathan became the youngest captain on the Great Lakes with a 100 ton license. It wasn’t too long afterwards son Kyle followed suit after graduating from Ferris State University in 2002. With his Bachelor’s Degree in Business, he also earned his 100 ton license. Now the Ender Family Dynasty began! As of 2016, Kyle’s stepson Jordan after working many years on the boats has become the first of the 4th generation to acquire captainship. After graduation, he now attends Bible College throughout the school year while captaining for the business in the summers. By employing local high school students like Jordan each summer and having other captains with substantial fishing backgrounds…

Captain Hook Charters has grown into one of Michigan’s largest if not the largest charter company on Lake Michigan serving between 5500 and 7500 people per year!! And that’s just the fishing, and that’s not even counting all the private trips, parties, corporate events and all the special occasions that we run in the afternoons and evenings! So if you’re looking for a good time, safe, quality experience please leave your problems on shore and come out fishing with us! After all 250000 people can’t be wrong

Thank you for considering us.

Kevin Ender

Captain Hook Charters.