Charter fleet a pandemic survivor

Charter fishing in Port Washington was one of the few operations to stay afloat during the pandemic, and now with confidence renewing in travel and recreation, it is back in full swing. 

While charter boat companies were able to operate a bulk of the summer, most saw a decrease in corporate outing ventures. 

Sharon Waranka, the owner of Nicky Boy Charter Fishing, said in May 2020 many corporations that would book annual outings for employees canceled their reservations because employees were working from home. 

While business from corporations lulled in the early summer, Waranka said fishing charters tapped into a new market: families. 

With regular venues closed last year because of the pandemic, families were left with few options to celebrate birthdays, graduations, anniversaries and other milestones. 

Waranka said the void channeled many local families looking for ways to spend special occasions to fishing charters. 

“Last year families really wanted to get out of the house and do something that was safe in small groups,” she said. “People were just looking for any reason to get outside of the house and do something with their family outside of their four walls.” 

Dan Fox of Foxy Lady Fishing Charters said he experienced a similar decrease in corporate outings. 

Fox said his charter operation typically receives reservations from corporations from Madison, Twin Cities and Iowa, but that many were weary about traveling last year and canceled reservations. 

“Corporate outings were down, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. 

While business in that sector slowed, Fox also experienced a large increase in families looking for safe summer activities during the height of the pandemic. 

He said the increase may have been caused by the cancelation of many popular summer festivals and events. 

“There was no baseball, no Summerfest, no Fish Day, there were no other activities,” he said. “We were one of the few things that were still running.” Fox said charter boats can carry only six people and did not mix groups, which allowed households a safe and unique outdoor activity. 

While some smaller fishing charters in Port may have been financially impacted by the pandemic, Fox said Foxy Lady had a large customer base of regulars and an increase of new customers to last his charter fleet through the pandemic. 

“We really didn’t feel it,” he said. 

This year, fishing charters are reporting that they are busier than ever now that corporate charters are back in full swing and families who went fishing last year for the first time are returning for more. 

Fox said in addition to the three boats he uses for charters, he has had to secure three others just to keep up with the resurgence in business. 

Waranka said Nicky Boy has also been especially busy this year as annual corporate outings return after cancelling last year and locals come back for more after their first-time trip last year. 

“Our corporate trips are coming back and coming back in full force,” she said. 

With the charter fishing services drawing out-of-towners from Rochester, Twin Cities or Iowa, the charters also generate business for local restaurants and hotels. 

Kathy Tank, the executive director of Port Washington Tourism, said with Port Washington being one of the few locations for fishing charters along the coastline, people often travel from out of state for the unique experience and lodge in local hotels afterwards. 

“Our marina and our charter fishing program are definitely a destination attraction. You can only get that experience in a few other communities down the Lake Michigan lakeshore,” she said. 

Tank said with business travel essentially nonexistent last year, the lack of travel for fishing charters may have been a cause of decreased tourism revenue in the city last year. 

She said last year room tax revenue was down about 50%. 

A study done about 10 years ago, which did not specifically collect data on fishing charters, found that revenue from activity in the marina made up about 15% of tourism dollars in the city that year, or about $2 million. 

Tank said while business travel is not in full swing for all businesses in the city, leisure travel is strong and there is a renewed confidence throughout the public to travel. 

She added she expects tourism revenue to greatly surpass last year’s earnings.