The company's charter boat, the Perseverance, takes up to eight guests on five-day cruises from Juneau into the protected waters of the Inside Passage. Some of the favored sports fish are five varieties of Pacific salmon. Other sports fish include Pacific halibut, red snapper, lingcod and rock cod. The Perseverance is the "mother ship," a floating lodge from which two smaller boats can leave with a guide and up to four fishermen in each for close-in fishing in bays and near shores. Crew members clean, process and vacuum pack the passengers' catches and ship them to their homes. All-inclusive rates for 2011 are $600 per person per day with discounts for five-to-seven-day packages and groups. Rates do not include fishing licenses, gratuities and transportation to the home port.
Wild Alaska Cruises
P.O. Box 22089
Juneau, AK 99089
907-723-1596 or 866 945 3252
wildalaskacruises.com
This company's flagship is the M. V. (Motor Vessel) Sikumi. It also charters other vessels for salmon and halibut fishing trips from its home port of St. Petersburg. The operators specialize in seven-day/six night cruises for single anglers, families and business groups. The best time for silver and sockeye salmon fishing is May to August. King salmon season runs from May to June. Halibut and cod may be fished year-round. The 67-foot Sikumi carries 12 passengers. Each of the four staterooms has a bathroom. A chef on board prepares meals with local ingredients, including fish caught that day. Seven-day cruises in 2011 cost $4,500 per person based on double occupancy.
Custom Alaska Cruises
P.O. Box 1236
Bothell, WA 98041
425-806-2083
sikumi.com
Harvest Time Charters is run by a father-son team with 55 years of Alaskan fishing experience. It specializes in three- to five-day fishing trips for halibut, lingcod, coho and red snapper on a 52-foot yacht. Meals are prepared on board. Passengers often sight bears, sea otters and other wildlife, along with flocks of marine birds. Reservations usually must be made a year in advance. Rates for 2011 ranged from $185 a day (no overnight accommodations) to $1,400 for a three-day package that includes lodging and meals.
Harvest Time Charters
P.O. Box 530
Kasilof, AK 99610
775-721-6955
HarvestTimeCharters.com
The port city of Seward is the gateway to the Gulf of Alaska and the shores of the Kenai Peninsula. Dianne M. Dubuc, owner-operator of Alaska Saltwater Charters, is a lifelong Alaskan and a licensed Coast Guard master. Her flagship, the F.V. (Fishing Vessel) Florette, was built for professional fishing and rough seas. It has cabins for six passengers and its safety equipment exceeds regulations. The vessel is insulated and heated for comfortable salmon fishing year-round. Rates started at $250 a day in September 2010.
Alaska Saltwater Charters
P.O. Box 584
Seward, AK, 99664
907-224-7254
aksaltwatercharters.com
Homer, Alaska, is called "The Halibut Capital of the World." Sailing out of Homer at the southern shores of the Kenai Peninsula, K-Bay Charters offers a combination of lodge and boat packages. The main game fish are King salmon, lingcod, silver salmon and black bass. The fighting Pacific halibut, which averages 40 to 55 lbs., attracts fishermen from around the world. King salmon, coming off the Kenai River, are also heavyweights. The charters include guides, bait, tackle and weather gear. Rates for 2010 began at $265 for a day cruise. Five-day packages with meals and rooms at a shore lodge started at $1,477 per person.
K-Bay Charters
P.O. Box 3223
Homer, AK 99603
800-478-8119 or 907-235-8119
k-bay.com
