ALASKA HALIBUT & SALMON FISHING CHARTERS

The majority of our day trips are halibut fishing charters. Catching other species while halibut fishing including rock fish and pacific cod is fairly common. Mid July through late August catching salmon while halibut fishing becomes more likely.

If we limit on halibut and time allows we will move to pursue salmon when they are running usually mid - July through late August.

2025 halibut regulations are 2 halibut- one of any size, one up to 27 inches.
No halibut fishing on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

Exclusive salmon fishing charters and salmon/sightsee charters available mid-July through August.

INDIVIDUAL/SMALL PARTY BOOKING
Individual bookings are for smaller parties sharing the boat with other parties.
We normally book 10-11 rods, with up to 4 share a rods,15 passengers max.

SHARE A ROD OPTION
Share a rod option is two people sharing one rod. The first person pays the regular individual rate, the second person is about half price.

When sharing a rod, one person can catch 2 halibut, second person is limited to one halibut of any size. No restrictions on other species.

On days we limit on halibut and move to fish other species or go in early, two halibut for each rod is considered a limit. We don’t wait for shared rod clients to get three halibut.

Share a rod does not apply to exclusive charters.

EXCLUSIVE CHARTER OPTIONS
Book the boat for just friends and family?

Our exclusive charters don’t require you pay full boat rates for an exclusive charter.

With parties of 9-15, rates are less than the individual rate.

Note that if you book more than 10-11, there will be some rod sharing. Trying to fish 12 or more rods usually results in tangles that result in less fishing time. Everyone on exclusive charters can catch 2 halibut if time permits.

Exclusive charters allow some flexibility on the charter. If you want to fish for halibut, then move onto salmon or do a little sightseeing along the route to the fishing grounds, we can customize the trip somewhat. If we vary the route considerably, an extra fuel charge will be added.

Trying to visit glaciers and halibut fish the same day isn’t recommended -too much travel time. Glaciers and salmon fishing is better when the salmon are moving up closer to Whittier. Detouring on the ride out or back to view sea lions and puffins is an easy detour if the waters are fairly calm.

LOWEST STANDARD RATES IN WHITTIER ALASKA
You may see a special or a newcomer beat our rates, but mostly we offer the best rates in Whittier whether booking individually or a group of 9 or more.

Parties of 6 or less can get better exclusive rates on smaller vessels.

CLOSEST HALIBUT FISHING PORT TO ANCHORAGE
We are located at the port of Whittier in the northwest corner of Prince William Sound. Drive time from south Anchorage is just over one hour most days.

The waters of Cook Inlet near Anchorage are shallow and muddy and not suitable for halibut fishing.

WILL YOU CATCH FISH?
5 year average- Approximately 95% of clients catch one halibut, 60% catch two.

2019 - 2020 averages were close to 99% on first and second fish

2021-2023 approximately 93% caught at least one halibut. In 2024 approximately 91% caught one halibut, however, almost 85% caught two halibut, a slight increase over previous years.

Our goal is to get everyone halibut. We do catch the big ones on occasion, but our primary goal is to get everyone halibut.

Our 5 year average halibut size tends to be above the average weight for Southcentral Alaska, which changes year to year.

Do we guarantee you’ll catch fish? No, but we’ll do our best to see that you do.

SEA SICKNESS IS UNCOMMON!
Prince William Sound is protected from the Gulf of Alaska by two islands, 25 and 52 miles long. Less than 1% of our clients get seasick, far less than boats that fish the Gulf of Alaska. Great opportunity to become a 1 percenter!

MAXIMUM OF 10-11 RODS FISHED AT ONE TIME
Although we can legally fish 15 rods at a time, we choose to limit our charters to 10-11 rods to provide a better experience. This applies to individual bookings and exclusive charters. More than 11 rods usually results in too many tangles.

LARGEST DAY TRIP FISHING VESSEL IN WHITTIER
Fool’s Gold is a 40’ twin diesel US Coast Guard inspected vessel certified to carry 15 passengers with a crew of two. Fool’s Gold offers the following-

Heated cabin with seating for all passengers- 14 seats in the main cabin

Large enclosed head/toilet

Large walkaround decks with safety rails

Rod holders for all rods- makes it much easier to reel in halibut, especially for children

18 passenger life raft, Type I life jackets, EPIRB (emergency locator beacon)

How Our Day Trip Fishing Charters Work

Departure time 7 am, return time approximately 5:30 pm.

If driving from Anchorage, you will need to pass Potters Marsh/Mile 117 about 5:15 a.m. if there are no delays. Check 511.alaska.gov for road maintenance delays.

Getting to Whittier requires traveling through the Anton Anderson one way tunnel. The tunnel is open for entry into Whittier on the half hour. You should arrive at the tunnel by 6:20 am to allow time to pay the $13 toll and line up for the opening.

Individual fishing charters are primarily halibut charters. Our goal is to get everyone their halibut. If we limit the boat (except for share a rod clients) and there is time we will pursue salmon or rock fish if they are in the area. It is common to catch other species when targeting halibut.

Multispecies fishing available on exclusive charters.

Our crew will fillet and bag your catch before we return to port - no waiting around unless the water is rough or we have too many fish to fillet. Fees Custom Seafoods.com, at the harbor, is available to process or process and ship your catch.

Bottled water is provided on day trips. No food is provided. There is room for small coolers on the boat. Alcohol is permitted in moderation. If you become visibly intoxicated while fishing, you will be asked to discontinue fishing and stay in the cabin for your safety.

Return time varies somewhat with 5:30 being the average.

Departing Whittier the tunnel is open on the hour for 15 minutes. There are several restaurants in Whittier- Inn at Whittier, Wild Catch Café, Swiftwater Seafoods, Anchor Inn and more.

NON-HALIBUT DAY TRIP OPTIONS- EXCLUSIVE CHARTERS ONLY

EXCLUSIVE CHARTER RESERVATION POLICY

Exclusive charters booked more than 30 days in advance require a $2000 deposit with the balance due 10 days prior to departure.
Within 30 days full payment is due at booking.

Payments are 90% refundable up to 10 days before departure.
9 days from departure all payments become non-refundable.

If you cancel more than 9 days before the charter we will refund 90% of your deposit.

If we cancel prior to leaving the harbor, you will have the option to re-book or get a 100% refund. Refunds are normally processed within 24 hours. Depending on the credit card you are using, it can take a few days for your credit card company to process the refund. We have no control over your credit card companies timing.

If we get underway and return early due to weather or other issues, refunds are based on services provided and time. Starting from no refund –

Once you start fishing, as long as it is for more than 1 hour there is no refund.

If we didn’t make it to the fishing grounds, refunds are based on time-
Return to port within 2 hours - 80% refund
Return to port within 4 hours - 60% refund
Return to port within 6 hours - 40% refund
Return to port within 8 hours – 20% refund

These are approximate amounts. Specific circumstances may increase or decrease the exact amount of refunds. Those who can reschedule will receive full credit toward another day.