The Independence and Our Equipment

The Independence is a 34' Tiara and is 12' wide at the stern. She was built, designed, & outfitted specifically for salmon & trout fishing on the Great Lakes. The Tiara brand is widely recognized as one of the highest quality makes of vessel in the world. She is powered by twin, 350 fuel-injected Crusader engines that have the ability to get us offshore faster than most charter boats and can accomplish that at an optimal fuel consumption rate. These latter features should enter your considerations when choosing a charter boat in regards to where we often need to go to catch fish and what that costs a captain for fuel.

She comes completely equipped with a private bathroom, a large cabin to stow personal items, and most importantly, loads of fishing room in the stern cockpit to run a full spread of lines and battle fish. A raw water washdown system keeps the boat clean even when we're on the water. Passengers also stay warm and dry beneath the large hardtop area if it rains. The Independence also undergoes constant technological and cosmetic upgrades every season to keep her streamlined and modern, which ultimately helps us catch more and bigger fish.

Getting slightly technical but in keeping with our philosophy of running the highest quality overall operation, we list the following gear features for our more seasoned anglers. But remember, if you have never caught a salmon - let alone a fish - rest assured that Captain Rick is happy to guide you each step of the way.

Featuring top-of-the-line gear - Penn International 975, Shimano Tekota, & Daiwa Saltist reels/Shakespeare Ugly Stik & Shimano Talora rods - we invested in the best, highest quality reels & rods you will find on any charter boat on Lake Michigan. All of our reels & rods were purchased within last four years or less and offer first-rate performance. 

We proudly feature top of the line equipment and primarily employ the gold aluminum Penn International 975 reels made famous in larger version for offshore, big-game ocean fishing charters. We also run Shimano Tekota reels and the impressive new Daiwa Saltist reels for our leadcore and copper line applications.

Seven foot, light action Shakespeare Ugly Stik and Shimano Talora comprise our primary rod selections across most of our spread. We specialize in light-line setups and employ other ultra-light techniques as well and we feature Seaguar Flourocarbon for stealth applications.

Power Pro braided line is featured on our diver presentations and we also frequently run stainless steel wire line on our deep divers. Power Pro braid also back up all of our leadcore & copper line setups.