Testimonials

Chuck Miller

Having been an avid fisherman for over 30 years, across the United States and Canada rarely do you come across a better run outfit! Recently, I had the privilege of fishing with Capt. Bruce Stenglein, what a complete gentleman and highly experienced Captain & Fisherman. He is skilled beyond belief; he knows what he is doing a long with the why and goes out of his way to ensure his guests have a beyond first class experience. If you are looking to book a charter look no further…this is without a question the guy to go with! Regardless of your experience he will make you feel comfortable and if you pay attention he will teach you the “Why”…coupled with many laughs! Thanks for an incredible day on the water!!

Allison Endicott

What a fantastic experience. Captain Bruce and his crew are total pros. The Boat was comfortable and spacious. I wasn’t expecting to catch so many fish let alone huge fish!!!! King Salmon and Steelhead. Captain Bruce fileted them beautifully so now we can share a feast with our friends. Captain and crew were so knowledgeable. I learned alot as well as laughed and had a great time. I will most definitely do it again. Thank you Captain Bruce for a great day.

Adam & Sammi

Captain Bruce exceeded my expectations!!! I was beyond impressed by some of the fish he helped us catch. I went out there expecting to catch a 6lb fish at most, but ended up catching two 20lb king salmon along with some other 10lb+ trout. He was extremely nice and helpful, and taught us a lot about fishing in lake and how to catch certain fish. He taught us how to succeed in reeling in heavy fish and introduced us to different lures. If i had to rate my experience from 1-10, i’d give him a 20! It was definitely worth waking up at 4:00am

Doug, Karl and Bruce K.

Captain Bruce really made for a memorable charter fishing trip. We highly recommend booking afishing trip with him. Lake Trout to the max! Thanks again!

Noma E.

Capt. Bruce was awesome, we had the best time with him. I will only book charters with him in this area. Hopefully we will be able to go again soon. It was a great day, best day of the Summer. Thanks Capt. Bruce you rock.

Bill M.

This was our 4th charter with Captain Bruce, and definitely not the last. The fish seemed to be scattered but Bruce was still knowledgeable to get us on quite a few. We are definitely coming back ,made the decision while we were still on the boat. If anyone wants a charter with the hardest working captain I have ever fished with, Captain Bruce is the one.
Thank You Bruce for another great trip, looking forward to seeing you for some Brown Trout action in April.

Barry, Bob and Gabe

This was our second time going out with captain Bruce. And another great trip it was.fishing with family out on the Lake and Captain Bruce we thought we were having Fun didn’t realize we were making memories.

Dan R.

Captain Bruce was an awesome host with a great amount of knowledge of the fisheries and the region in general. He was very conversational and friendly, and even better, he got us on the fish. We had a full day trip, but ended up catchin our limits by 1pm with a mixed bag of King Salmon, Steelhead, and Brown trout, with many very big fish by our standards. We had a great time and booked to come back the following year before we even got off the boat. 10/10 would recommend Captain Bruce.

Bill M.

Another excellent trip with Captain Bruce. It was tough fishing but the captain did a fantastic job at getting the fish to grab the hook. Us on the other hand need some work keeping them on. None the less, we had a great time and we already booked for next year. Good luck to all that go out with Hooked Up, just save some for our next trip. Thank you very much Captain Bruce, we’ll see you next year.

Bill

First trip on Lake Ontario, we had an awesome time. Fishing was tough and the lake was kinda rough but captain Bruce went all out. He worked hard to get us on the fish. Decided before we even got back to shore to book our trip for next year…..and many more after that. Thank you captain Bruce for a great trip, already looking forward to next year

Jim Harkins

I’ve been fishing with Cpt. Bruce for several years now. This trip I had along my daughter, sister and brother in law. As we left the dock a slight rain started, but everyone was still excited to get fishing. Once out, the rain stopped, skies began to clear. Cpt Bruce had all the gear rigged, lines were out and we were fishing. My daughter reeled in the 1st fish, a resl nice King Salmon. Next was my sister with a beautiful Brown Trout. It wasn’t long and the 4 of us had limited out on the silver fish. So Cpt Bruce took us deeper looking for Lakers and as usual he didn’t disappoint. Our cooler was literally topped off as we headed back to the dock. Other than the obvious ‘boat load” of fish, Cpt Bruce gave us, experiences, memories, laughter and photos to share. The way Cpt Bruce handles his boat and charter is unparalleled. His personality, knowledge and experience can’t be topped. From our guys trip to my family trips Cpt Bruce adapts well to all the different levels of experience that board his boat. Again, thank you Cpt and I’m already looking forward to our next trip

Wyatt Kevern

Great charter, great captain, would recommend highly if you want to catch big fish. Pat knows what he’s doing, will be booking again for sure.

Gordon Seeley

A great day with Captain Bruce yesterday! We all caught our limit of King Salmon, and had a great time doing it. Bruce took care of everything, and knows his business. I have no doubt that if the fish are there, he will find them. Looking forward to our next trip!

Kevin Johnson

This is my second year with Hooked Up Charters. Captain Bruce does a great job taking care of his clients. Great guy, great boat/set up, great results. I have no plans to look elsewhere for my annual fishing trip to Rochester NY, Lake Ontario! “He flat out gets it done!”

Nathan Osgood

This was third time our crew went out on the lake with Capt. Bruce and it seems to get better and better every year. Always a great time fishing with Bruce, his knowledge of the lake and the conditions day to day is unreal and the chances of hooking up with at least a couple stud King Salmon is as close to certain as you can get. We caught 5 different species of fish with out much effort which always a plus for any newcomers. Great tunes, great conversation, if you’re avid about fishing this is the charter to take, just make sure there’s room in your freezer when you get back! Thanks again Bruce, we’ll see you soon!

Shelly Farro

I booked a trip with Bruce for my dad, husband, nephew, and good friend for Father’s Day. It far exceeded their expectations! They came home with a ton of fish and a ton of laughs and stories recapping their day. They could not have been more complimentary of Bruce, which is quite a feat given he was catering to ages 25 to 77. They loved the day so much, they are booking a trip for September, with Bruce of course! Thank you Bruce for giving the most important men in my life the best Father’s Day Ever!

Chris Sunderlin

Amazing!!!!! I booked a trip with Capt. Bruce for my son’s first charter trip, and all I was hoping for was my son to catch a few fish. Capt. Bruce blew all expectations out of the water, no pun intended. We had our first fish within 10 minutes of setting up and this was just the beginning of a fantastic day on the water. We caught at least 25 fish (it was hard to keep track with the action so fast) on a four hour charter. A combination of brown trout and lake trout. Capt. Bruce was great with my son and kept him involved in the whole trip. He is very knowledgeable I would recommend Capt. Bruce to anyone looking for a great family day on the water. Thank you Capt. Bruce!! We will see you again soon!

Dave Tavel

I’ve fished with a lot of guides and Capt Bruce is top of the list. He made sure we caught fish and he is a gentleman. I highly recommend Bruce. We’ll be back!!!

Steve Hoyser

Speechless! It was a day we’ll never forget! Too many fish to count, lunkers galore…
Captain Bruce was a phenomenal host, full of information and hospitality….really made the experience magical for my son. Will definitely be back next year!

Dave Craig

I had an absolute blast with Capt. Bruce this weekend. I was looking for a great trip to take with 3 of my sons, and I found it. The boat is beautiful and spotlessly clean. Bruce has the latest in electronic equipment for finding fish, and about 35 years of experience to put with those electronics. The weather was rough, but he put us on fish and we got a few nice salmon. I am looking forward to booking another trip, and have been recommending him to all of my friends and business contacts.

Betty Jean Pintabone

We had a great time with Captain Bruce! He knows his business. His boat is neat and organized. We caught a lot of fish and had tons of laughs. He knows the lake extremely well. All of this, and it was his birthday too! Thank you very much. We caught so many big fish, that my arms and shoulders are sore today. We will be coming back!

Mike Adams

If you want to catch fish, look no further. I have been fishing Lake Ontario with charter services since 2008 and like others started with other charters. After finding “Hooked Up” I just book trips. No other charter service or Captain works harder to get you on fish. Captain Bruce is 100% committed to filling the cooler. During this trip we asked if we could target brown trout the first day and kings the second. We filled the cooler with good browns including an 18 pounder on the first day and filled the cooler with good kings the second day. That is proof that Captain Bruce knows his craft and knows it well. Looking forward to next year. Thanks Captain Bruce.

Colin Rogers

As a visitor from England I was not sure what to expect from this trip , but I was not disappointed and very impressed with every aspect of the morning out I have fished extensively in England , as well as on various vacation trips , including Queensland and Tasmania , but nowhere have I experienced such skill and professionalism as with Capt. Bruce …….if the fish are there , he will find them . I went fishing with my son and his American wife , who has never fished before , and she was delighted to catch a couple of 8 pound Lake Trout , not bad for a first trip ! And both my son and I also caught fish of similar size , at our request , Bruce was happy to bring the boat in early so that my grandchildren ( who are aged 4 and 2 and who would not have been happy with a 5 hour trip ) and their grandmother could also come aboard for a pleasant hour long river trip .
I was very impressed with the high level of skill and expertise demonstrated by Capt Bruce , and have observed some very clever and interesting trolling techniques that I will try out when I get back to England , where I have my own small sea fishing boat .
So all in all I cannot recommend Capt Bruce too highly and I hope to return here next year for another trip . Thank you Capt. Bruce !

Jim Harkins

I fished with Cpt. Bruce a few years back after many a try with other charter services on the lake. He made such an awesome 1st outing and impression that i didn’t hesitate to get in touch with him again for this one. I had 3 of my buddies along whom all had never been on a charter before. Once again Cpt Bruce produced a phenomenal fishing experience for myself and my friends. No sooner were we leaving his parking area with our days catch, my buddies were already talking about next year’s trip. Cpt Bruce epitomizes professionalism, knowledge of his industry along with determination and being outgoing and personal.Thanks again Captain, see you next year!

Brett

First time I brought my boys on a charter and Captain Bruce turned a bad fishing condition day in to an awesome experience. What a class act he is! He made it fun for my 7 and 10 year old boys who had no experience and now they can’t stop talking about going back out on Captain Bruce’s boat again and reeling in the huge trout!

I highly recommend his charter’s for any age, it will be something to remember. His boat has has everything you need and was comfortable for the family. Can’t wait to do it again next month. Hooked up charters is the only way to go! Thanks again Captain Bruce!

Rick, Rose and Warren

Bruce’s charter exceeded our expoectations by far. This was best fishing trip we had ever been on. His boat is immacualateand well equipped, Bruce’s knowledge ofthe sport is exceptional and we had a lot of fun with him. The fish we caught was amazing and so far what we have cooked has been gourmet quality. I would and have already recommended him to friends. There is no need to go to Alaska to do great king salmon fishing. It is right here in New York’s backyard.

Costa Frangeskides

This is our second fishing trip with Hookedup Charters and both times have been absolutely amazing! Captain Bruce is such a kind and helpful fishing guide who keeps his boat clean and organized. The fishing itself was spectacular both times and excellent fun for the whole family! Highly recommended!

Dave Pollard

I have been coming over 500 miles to fish in Rochester each year since 1988 – most years for a minimum of three days. While I started fishing Rochester with another captain, I have been with Bruce since the early ’90s. I have fished with a number of boats, captains and guides all across the country (and am a former smallmouth guide myself) and you will not find anyone who works harder than Bruce to put you on fish. If you watch the other boats and listen to the chatter on the radio Hooked Up more often than not puts up better numbers than any other boat on the water. On those days when it doesn’t happen I can assure you that Bruce takes it harder than his fares.

Bill

What a great day!
We were excited on the way to the Charter, and before we were done, all four of us had more fun than we could have expected. Captain Bruce puts on a great trip. You can be sure we’ll be back next year, and we are telling everyone we know to put aside some time for a day out on the Hooked Up, too.

Nicole and Brandon M.

We had 4 people and Capt Bruce was leading the pack! What a trip! I learned so much about the fish we caught, the gear we used, and got a ton of Sun! I think we estimated about 40 fish today with the 2 largest being the salmon at 24 and 24.5 lbs! I highly recommend the 8 hour charter and definitely ask Bruce and Shelley about Paul if there is a fish too pretty to eat! Bring snacks and drinks cuz catching all those monsters is a lot of work. It felt more like a vacation than a day tour! Capt Bruce absolutely exceeded all expectations! See u again in April! BTW …. not a single bone in the fillets we ate today! Can’t wait for dinner tomorrow! Haha

Mike O’Brien

Great day of fishing! I strongly recommend Captain Bruce based on his knowledge, professionalism, and execution. Captain Bruce is as down to Earth as you could imagine and was a pleasure to fish with. He keeps the boat spotless and well equipped. “Find the bait and we find the fish” was said more than once. Our party of 3 had their limit about half way through our 8 hour trip and boated > 25 fish for the day. We always thought a double hook up was special but we even had a triple! Lots of good sized fish. Salmon, Steelhead, and even a Laker to round out the day

Thanks for a great day of fishing Captain Bruce!

Bottom line – I will definitely do it again

Steve Howard

We had a great day fishing on Lake Ontario. Captain Bruce is extremely knowledgeable, and will put you on the fish. The boat and equipment are in awesome condition and Capt. Bruce uses his vast experience to teach you the finer points of Great Lakes fishing.

I live in South Florida and fish weekly. This experience rivals any fishing I have done in some of the best fishing spots on the east coast. I can not recommend Capt. Bruce and Hookedup Charters enough!

Scott Mahr

WOW… Words can’t describe how much fun, me and 4 of my buddies had this trip, (But I’ll Try)

Right from the start, Capt. Bruce was there and waiting for us with the boat Warmed up and ready to go. Just as soon as Capt. Bruce felt he had found just the right spot to start, we got 8 or more lines in and he set them all just to the right depths that Capt. Bruce felt would be a good starting point. It was Boring for about 15 minutes, (LOL) then it started happening!!! BAM, FISH ON! 1st it was King Salmon, 1, 2, 3, EVERYONE WAS NICE SIZE!!! Then we hit a few Steel Head, again ALL NICE SIZE FISH.

Next Capt. Bruce took us for some Lake Trout, at one of his HOT SPOTS, and sure enough we ended up FILLING the COOLER!

Most of the Lake Trout were part of the McDonalds Family… SUPER SIZED!!!

The 1st Lake Trout Caught, gave my buddy Dave a Workout and a half. I asked him at least 3 times if he wanted me to give him an break and take over for him, but he kept up the fight till the end and landed a Super Nice 40″ or more Lake Trout. And everyone else in our group caught just as nice a fish. We caught our Limit! Now that’s FISHING!!!

If a “Bad Day of Fishing, is Better than a Good Day at Work” then I don’t know how to describe a Good Day of Fishing.

Hooked Up Charters with Capt. Bruce is a Win Win, no matter how you look at it!
I wouldn’t go with any other charter then HOOKED UP CHARTERS!

Thanks Capt. Bruce, your the BEST!

Mikey

Man I can’t say enough about Capt Bruce. I have been fishing these Salmon and Trout since I was a child. I just never got a chance to troll Ontario or any Great lakes for that matter. Let me tell you. Go fishing with Bruce!!! Get your game face on and get to the dock by 5:30. He is a great captain and is as ready to chase these fish as you are!!!Thanks again Bruce see you in August!

Pat L

I’ve been out with Capt. Bruce with co-workers and family on numerous trips over several years now, and it seems each trip is more successful than the last. Last weekend we caught ~30 steelhead, brows, and lakers – almost non-stop action for the entire day. In addition to the beautiful boat and his obvious fishing knowledge, he’s working constantly to change up the presentation(s) to keep the action going. What makes his charter unique, and why I especially enjoy fishing with him, is that he takes the time to explain WHY he’s making the changes, what knots/rigs he’s using, tackle hints, etc. – very beneficial if you have a small fishing boat yourself and want to improve your own chances for success. All of the folks I’ve brought on the trips with me leave with the same positive comments and an almost universal “what a great time!” Very highly recommended – a real professional.

Jim Thomas. AKA King James.

Captain Bruce was a pleasure to fish with. I’m a total rookie and my first time fishing like this. He was very helpful and professional in helping me. What a delight. He certainly knows the lake. We got our limit with a cooler full of nice catches. Thank you captain Bruce.

Kevin Z

Surpassed all expectations, extremely knowledgeable captain, and the boat was in immaculate condition. I highly recommend Hooked Up Charters and we will definitely be a returning customer.
Thank you Captain Bruce!

Wade Hindes

Hooked up charters is a class A charter service.I was glad to get the chance to be aboard and fish with capt. Bruce.Will do everything I can to use his services in the near future. Thanks again Capt. Bruce.