Our Trips

Fishing. Halibut. Salmon. Crab.

Join us on one of our exciting Alaska sport fishing excursions. We’ll experience life Alaskan-style fishing for halibut and salmon on the Outer Coast, in Chatham Strait, and Frederick Sound. You’ll set out crab traps and shrimp traps in small coves and bays and retrieve them the following day. And if you’re interested, bring your fly fishing or spin fishing gear! You’ll have an opportunity to enjoy stream fishing for Cutthroat trout, Rainbow trout, Steelhead, and Dolly Varden in a great wilderness.

We’ll watch Alaskan fishers at work on commercial fishing boats, observe an incredible array of wildlife, and take in the breathtaking scenery of the Inside Passage. You’ll see charming harbors and fishing villages as the Captain guides us to unique places that no cruise ship sails to. Adventure travelers of all ages will enjoy a Sport Fishing Charter in the waters of the Inside Passage.

Schedule Your Trip

• Trip Dates: Custom Charter
• Starts: Juneau or Sitka
• Ends: Sitka or Juneau

Crabbing

Toss out the crab traps in one of our many productive locations, and (with a bit of luck) we’ll haul in a bounty of delectable Dungeness crab. All-you-can-eat crab dinners do not come any fresher or more delicious!

Shrimping

We’ve got a secret we’ll be happy to share with you. We know where the Spot Prawns and Striped Prawns are! We’ll set out shrimp traps on our way to a secluded anchorage for the evening. Then we’ll haul up our catch in the morning. Prepared and elegantly by our Chef, Alaska’s large and tender Spot and Striped Prawns are the best of the best!

Sport Fishing

Drop a line from the For Reel with one of our four professional-quality fishing rods and reels, and test your luck and skill at bringing in Halibut, King Salmon, or Rockfish. Your catch of the day will be fileted by our fishing guide and can be fresh-frozen or prepared by our Chef that evening for an unmatched culinary delight.

Alaska Salmon

King (Chinook). These are the largest Alaskan salmon and one of the most prized catches. Kings are rich in flavor and firm in texture. They usually weigh around 20 pounds; the record weight is 97 pounds. Kings are particularly prized because they are fattier, thanks to cold temperatures and a long migration. Kings are excellent smoked and taste great grilled, baked, poached, or any other way you can think to cook them up.

Sockeye (Red). Sockeye salmon is sometimes called red or blueback salmon due to its color. Sockeye is blue, tinged with silver while living in the ocean. Two distinguishing features are their long, serrated gill rakers ranging from 30 to 40 in number and their lack of a spot on their tail or back. Sockeye is not as large as King salmon, but they have a rich, deep color and a high oil content. Flavorful and beautiful, sockeye salmon presents well on the plate, and their density makes them a favorite for sushi. This fish also pairs well with other intense flavors.

Coho (Silver). Coho salmon are another favored wild salmon. Aggressive and fast, these smaller fish (averaging 10 pounds) congregate at the mouths of rivers to wait for fair weather or high tide. They are popular with sport fishers, and their meat is also prized. Coho salmon’s flesh is more orange than red, and it has a mild flavor, with the firm flesh that is typical of the top three types of Alaska wild salmon. During their ocean phase, Coho salmon have silver sides and dark-blue backs. It is a favorite for grilling and canning.

Pink (Humpy). In the ocean, Pink salmon are bright silver. After returning to their spawning streams, their coloring changes to pale grey on the back with a yellowish-white belly (although some turn an overall dull green color). Pale in color and light in texture, pinks have a lower fat content than kings, reds, and silvers. They are the smallest of the five Pacific salmon, averaging 3 to 5 pounds. They are also the most abundant and are easily caught and processed. Pinks are usually canned and sold in Europe, the South, and China. Alaskans are notoriously snobby about their salmon and tend to stick to the three more popular varieties. Pinks are an excellent source of protein.

Chum (Dog). The least desirable of the five Pacific salmon, chum, have the lowest market value and are often sold to foreign markets. Though they are not as firm and rich as king, red or silver salmon, chum is an excellent source of protein and has enough oil to be versatile in cooking. Many believe that chum salmon have a bad rap. At the very least, chum is preferable to farmed salmon. If caught in the ocean and processed well, chum can make a tasty, lightly-flavored dish. Chum’s roe (eggs) are the most valuable of all the Pacific salmon.

Alaska Sport Fish

Halibut.The Pacific halibut is the world’s largest flatfish. In July 2014, 76-year-old Jack McGuire caught a 482-pound Pacific halibut in Glacier Bay, Alaska. Halibut are dark brown on the top side, with an off-white underbelly, and have tiny scales invisible to the naked eye embedded in their skin. Halibut are symmetrical at birth, with one eye on each side of the head. Then, about six months later, during larval metamorphosis, one eye migrates to the other side of the head. The eyes are permanent once the skull is fully ossified. At the same time, the stationary-eyed side darkens to match the top side, while the other side remains white. This color scheme disguises halibut from above and below and is known as countershading.

Yelloweye Rockfish.The yelloweye rockfish is one of the most prominent members of the genus. Its name derives from its coloration. Known to locals as “red snapper,” it is not confused with the warm-water species that formally carry the name Red Snapper. The yelloweye is one of the world’s longest-lived fish species and can live to a maximum of 114 to 120 years. As they grow older, they change in color, from reddish in youth to bright orange in adulthood to pale yellow in old age. Yelloweye live in rocky areas and feed on small fish and other rockfish. They range from Baja California to Dutch Harbor in Alaska. Yelloweye rockfish are prized for their meat and were declared overfished in 2002. Commercial fishing for yelloweye is not allowed.

Shellfish

Dungeness Crab.The Dungeness crab inhabits bays, estuaries, and the near-shore coast of Alaska. Dungeness is named for a shallow, sandy bay inside Dungeness Spit on the south shore of the Straits of Juan de Fuca. It is widely distributed, from the Aleutian Islands to Magdalena Bay, Mexico. The Dungeness crab is a decapod related to shrimp, lobster, and other crabs. It has a broad, oval body covered by a hard chitinous shell, four pairs of walking legs, and a pair of claws. This species can be distinguished from other commercially important crabs (King Crab and Tanner crab) because its legs are much smaller and shorter concerning its body size. The dorsal surface of its carapace is smooth and spineless.

Spot Prawns. Alaska Prawns are large shrimp found in the North Pacific, from Unalaska Island, Alaska, to San Diego. We catch these excellent shrimp in small pots in deep, cold water. These are the cleanest, purest shrimp in the world – there’s no back vein to remove. Spot Prawns occur in sufficient numbers to support several small commercial and recreational fisheries. The retail spot prawn industry is considered sustainable.

Respect for the Resource

Many of our guests spend multiple days fishing. Generally, a couple of days of successful fishing for salmon and halibut provides all the frozen fish you’ll need for home use. We’ll be happy to clean and freeze your fish for you. When you arrive at your destination in Juneau or Sitka, there are excellent fish processors that can pack and ship your catch.