Salty Hooker Charters offers private fishing charters out of Cape Charles, Virginia, led by Captain Jon, a USCG-approved captain who has fished and boated the Chesapeake Bay for more than 40 years. Originally from Maryland where he fished the middle and upper bay, Jon relocated to Cape Charles in 2019 to focus on the lower Chesapeake’s excellent fishing. The Salty Hooker docks at the Cape Charles Town Docks, Slip C-1.
Trips are private-only (no walk-on bookings) and run for one to four people ideally, with up to six passengers permitted under Coast Guard regulations, though crowding limits how many can fish at once with larger groups. Seasonal trip offerings follow the Cape Charles/Kiptopeke fishery calendar: early spring trips (May 16-June 14) target Black Drum, Red Drum, Tautog, Sheepshead, Sharks, and catch-and-release Cobia around Kiptopeke and the Bay Bridge Tunnel; Cobia season opens June 15 through July 21, bottom fishing for Cobia (2-fish limit per boat, minimum 43 inches) with Sharks, Rays, and occasional Red Drum as bycatch; general seasonal trips run June 15 through October 31, bottom fishing for whatever’s biting, including Cobia, Spadefish, Red Drum, Flounder, Speckled Trout, Croaker, and more; a Last Light Trophy Red Drum trip runs August 1 through October 15, targeting 40-55+ inch trophy reds in the hours before sunset (fish over 46 inches qualify for a VMRC Citation); and a winter Tautog season runs November 1 through January 31, bottom fishing reefs for Tautog with Black Sea Bass and Black Drum as possible bycatch.
2026 rates (May 1 through January 31, 2027) run $600 for 4 hours up to $1,000 for a full 8-hour trip, with 5, 6, and 7-hour options in between at $700, $800, and $900. A 10% deposit is required to book, with the balance due at the end of the trip via cash (preferred), credit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. Trips can be canceled or modified up to 72 hours ahead without losing the deposit; captain-initiated weather cancellations are fully refunded. No first mate is included except on winter Trophy Striped Bass trips, and children 4 and under aren’t permitted for safety reasons.
For anglers looking for a private, highly seasonal Chesapeake Bay charter out of Cape Charles, targeting everything from Cobia to trophy Red Drum to winter Tautog, Salty Hooker Charters offers a well-organized, 40-year-experienced operation with Captain Jon.
