Captain Gill: A Tale of Legend and 'Lure'

Discover Boating summoned the world’s only prognosticating fish, Captain Gill, to forecast what is arguably one of the most highly anticipated predictions of the calendar year—the length of the boating season.

Making his first-ever public appearance at Burnham Harbor in Chicago, Ill. on Thursday, August 29, Captain Gill used his shadow to boldly predict whether Labor Day Weekend will mark the end to cruising the open waters this summer, or, to find out if he sees six more weeks of boating ahead.

The underwater oracle did not see his shadow, so it’s o-fish-al: SIX MORE WEEKS OF BOATING are on the horizon!

Take advantage of the extended season and get out on the water with your friends and family! Check out Go Boating Today tool to find accessible ways to go boating near you.

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All photos by: Jean-Marc Giboux/AP Images Discover Boating

Captain Gill: A Tale of Legend & 'Lure'

As the sun is poised to set on another summer, Chicagoland and the rest of the United States are looking to make the most out of what’s left of the season.

Ask any boater and they’ll tell you, nothing beats a summer on the water. They’ll tell you they’re looking for just one more day, one more fishing trip, one more wake to ride—squeezing every drop out of the warm weather is on every captain’s mind.

Legend has it that the secret to an extended boating season has been swimming the waterways for decades, maybe even centuries. For as long as time, boaters haven’t looked to the skies for a sign to extend the season, but rather below the surface. One fish has held the key.

And now, Captain Gill has surfaced. Tales of Captain Gill have been pieced together from scrolls and parchment from generations past for as long as anyone can remember.

At the core of the tale lies the true purpose to Captain Gill’s existence. Similar to nature’s furry friend in Punxatawney, Pennsylvania, the striking fish has long been regarded as the water’s ultimate forecaster. It has been said that Captain Gill can predict six more weeks of the boating season if the fish does not see his shadow. If Cap’n sees his shadow, he immediately goes back into underwater, only to return one year from now to serve up his next prediction…

Will the “Sea’r of Seas” see his shadow?