PORT WASHINGTON — On a perfect summer day along Lake Michigan, Capt. Brad Hughes and his nephew and helper, Nolan, were out on the water, trolling for fish.
"I'll set out the lines, and sometimes I will net the fish," Nolan said.
"We're looking for king salmon, coho salmon, rainbow trout, brown trout," said Brad.
Hughes works for Nicky Boy Charters and almost every day, he takes out a group of people looking to enjoy themselves on the lake.
"You get to go out with new people, learn new stuff and go fishing — who doesn’t want to do that?" Brad said.
Nicky Boy Charters is owned by Sharon Scheel, and the business has deep roots in the community.
“My late husband and his father were, you know, founding fathers of this company, and they grew it to four boats,” Scheel said. “Both of them have passed, and I took over the company in 2009.”
Since taking over, Scheel has become the only female charter boat owner in Port Washington. While she manages the operations, she said she has watched the charter industry grow over the years.
Watch: Charter fishing industry reels in big business for Port Washington
“It’s been great. It’s been a learning experience,” she said. “It’s been a lot of fun, enjoying the lake and actually bringing people to Port Washington,”
The charter fishing industry in Port Washington generates approximately $3 million annually, according to the Port Washington Charter Captains Association. That includes spending at hotels, restaurants, bars and shops.
Marty Schmidt is the assistant director of Port Washington Main Street, he said the charter boats bring in big tourism dollars to the city.
"Charter fishing definitely has a major economic impact and value to Port Washington,” Schmidt said. “It really impacts tourism, our downtown shops, restaurants and the community overall. It continues to grow and thrive because of the hardworking men and women running the charter groups.”
The boats also attract repeat customers like Michael Anderson.
"It's just a pleasure to be out on the water," he said.
Capt. Brad said it’s that exhilarating feeling he hopes every customer gets to experience and he hopes others will consider adding Port Washignton to their list of getaway destinations.
To learn more about Nicky Boy Charters, click here.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
