The Early Fleet & Formation

Late 1960s: Industry Beginnings

• 1965: Michigan has a basic boat inspection program in place under the supervision of the Michigan State Waterways Commission.
• 1967: The first catches of Coho salmon by sport fishermen occur following experimental state planting programs.
• 1968: The first professional charter operations begin.

1971 – 1972: Group Incorporation

• Fall 1971: A handful of charter operators gather over a bonfire on the shores of Betsie Lake in Frankfort.
• May 23, 1972: With help from the Michigan State University Sea Grant Extension Service, papers of incorporation are filed for the “Great Lakes Charter Boat Association” in Elberta, Michigan. Annual dues are set at $5.
• 1973 – 1974: Ben Cihak serves as the association’s president.
• Nov. 1999 : MCBA becomes a registered 501 (c) (3).

1975 – 1977: Fleet Growth & Restructuring

• 1975 – 1976: George Bolhouse heads the group. By 1976, the state’s charter fleet grows to 243 boats.
• 1976: The Law Enforcement Division takes over the safety inspection program.
• 1977: Don Beyette serves as president. Assisted by Sea Grant agent Charles Pistis, the association drafts its constitution and bylaws, officially adopting the name “Michigan Charter Boat Association” (MCBA).

Legal Battles, Economics, & Regulations

1979 – 1985: Treaty Rights & The 15-Year Agreement

• 1979: Dave Helder takes command of the MCBA. Federal District Court Judge Noel Fox hands down a landmark decision regarding tribal fishing rights.
• 1981: Ken Whitney takes the MCBA helm. The three-member board of directors expands to six to represent all areas of the state.
• Fall 1983: Federal attorneys represent tribes asking the court to reduce sport fishing creel limits. MCBA votes for a special assessment to pay for legal costs, spending more than $26,000 as its share split with fellow sport fishing groups.
• October 1983: The annual meeting moves to the Kalamazoo Sheraton to accommodate members bringing their spouses.
• 1985: Sequestered hearings conclude with a 15-year agreement that removes gill netting from many prime sport fishing areas.

1985 – 1987: Economic Data & Legislative Action

• 1985: The charter fleet reaches 935 boats, and Joe Wolff starts his first term as president. A client survey by Dr. Ed Mahoney at Michigan State University reveals charter clients spent $21 million in the state during 1985.
• 1986: The fleet surpasses 1,000 boats. Wolff begins the quarterly “Cannonball Gazette” newsletter, and the MCBA launches its first promotional exhibit booth. The association publishes 200,000 directory booklets.
• December 1986: A new charter boat act becomes law after Wolff testifies and lobbies before state legislative committees to keep inspection programs uniform and cost-effective.
• 1987: Membership hits a record high of over 400 captains. MCBA captains begin selling daily fishing licenses after negotiations with the DNR.

1988 – 1993: Mandatory Reporting & Industry Declines

• 1988: Dennis Grinold is elected president. A voluntary creel reporting program is instituted on a trial basis.
• 1989: The monthly creel reporting system becomes mandatory to assist the DNR with fish management decisions. The national organization NACO is created, with MCBA joining as a charter member.
• Late 1980s: Publicity from the National Wildlife Federation causes a decline in charter business by as much as 32 percent.
• 1990: Ted Powis is elected president. Mandatory federal drug testing laws are passed for captains and mates.
• 1991: Dave Kimar takes the helm. MCBA and NACO successfully lobby to exclude charter captains from a federal user fee imposed on pleasure boats.
• 1992: Jim Karr moves into the presidency. DNR creel reports show a 37 percent drop in charters, especially on Lake Michigan. Prior to the season, a committee establishes the MCBA drug testing program.
• 1993: The MCBA opens its own post office box, establishes a toll-free number and launches the website www.Michigancharterboats.com.

Endowments & Modern Programs

1995 – 2011: Scholarships & Fleet Operations

• 1995 – 1996: Roger Ray serves as president. The board votes to create annual tuition supplement awards for students, establishing the “MCBA Denny Grinold Scholarship Award”.
• 2000: A new 20-year consent decree is reached in federal court regarding tribal fishing boundaries. Janice Deaton serves as the first female president, followed by Frank English.
• 2005: Dick Stafford is elected president, adding “Tolling The Ship’s Bell” to honor deceased members.
• 2008: Rich Haslett takes the helm, working with DNR law enforcement to adjust dockside inspections to every two years and dry dock inspections to every six years.
• 2009: Travel Workers Identification licenses are required for USCG renewals.
• 1999 – 2023: Bill Winowiecki and Tony Radjenovich represent the MCBA in new consent decree

2011 – 2022: Catch & Cook to the 50th Anniversary

• 2011 – 2015: Terry Walsh serves as president. The association utilizes retired USCG Lt. Commander Charles Kakuska to assist members with license application delays.
• Summer 2012: The “Catch & Cook” program officially launches, allowing captains to deliver cleaned fish to approved restaurants for client meals. It wins the Governor’s Award for “Innovative Tourism Collaboration” in 2013 and becomes a registered Trade Mark of the MCBA.
• 2014: Members publish a 140-page fundraising cookbook, selling several hundred copies and netting over $10,000 for the scholarship fund.
• 2015: Eric Andersen takes the president’s chair during a period of planned salmon stocking reductions by the DNR.
• Fall 2019: Capt. Bill Winowiecki is elected president as negotiations begin to update the Treaty Consent Decree.
• February 2020: COVID-19 lockdowns pause charter operations through March and April, with operations resuming in late April.
• 2021: A 43-year Chinook salmon record is broken aboard the member charter boat “Ice Breaker” with a 47.86-pound catch.
• 2022: The MCBA celebrates 50 years of serving captains