FREE AIRFARE TO ALASKA! ok not free, but pretty darn close- Check it out...

Want to know when the best time is to book a trip to Alaska?  Well, the time is NOW.  As I was browsing the Internet I stumbled across multiple sites advertising tickets for half the cost to drive to these destinations.  I'll be driving from California to Alaska this Friday and am starting to regret my decision.  Looks like those of you who have been putting off your bucket list trip no longer have an excuse.  So grab your best pair of boots, some mosquito repellent, some bear bells if you like the attention and get up here and go fishing.

(Minneapolis MN to Anchorage- Round Trip 6/3- 6/9

Oil prices have hit a historic low in Alaska, making the once so distant state a whole lot closer.  For those of you who think you need a passport to get here, don't worry you own this one as well as the other 49 states. June is a great time to come to Seward.  The Sockeye Salmon pour into Resurrection Bay, and the Halibut fishing can be phenomenal.  As usual, the earlier you book your airlines and accommodations the better.  Seward has been filling up fairly quickly in the past few years do to the influx in tourism so PLAN AHEAD.  Best way to do that is call us (907) 224-BOOK.

Too good to be true? check the following sites yourself:

www.expedia.com

www.JetBlue.com

www.Travelocity.com

www.Orbitz.com

www.Kayak.com

(Long Beach, CA to Anchorage, AK-ROUND TRIP) 6/3- 6/9

SEE YOU SOON! FISHON

Bigger Is Better- 5 Reasons why choosing a larger boat may suit you better than you think!

After doing various sports shows around America and talking with thousands of people about planning their fishing vacations.  There has always been one question followed by a deep grumble that has always been offsetting.  "How many people do you take out? Hmm that's way too many people."  I figured I would state a few very valid points that may just have you opting for something a little bigger.  Bigger is better right? at least it is in Alaska.  Check it out...

1. SCENT:

Halibut are a scent oriented fish that locate prey by smell rather than sight in most cases.  On the Sea Quest they take more bait than any charter boat in the fleet.  The deckhands are responsible for luring the fish to the boat using what we call a “Chum Bomb”.  There is always 18 lines soaking bait in the water at once creating the scent and visual appeal of a school of bait.  Smaller boats such as six packs don’t have deckhands to constantly scent the water.  Also a smaller 6 pack boat lacks the storage capacity to
bring more bait than what is needed to bait hooks.

2. WEATHER:

Chance of cancellation is much greater on a 6 pack boat.  Alaska weather is unpredictable and when booking trips especially in August the chance of encountering some very uncomfortable weather is much more likely.  Smaller boats will either cancel the trip or pound into the weather depending on the captains determination to either catch fish or get paid.  A larger boat such as the Sea Quest is a much more stable and comfortable fishing platform.  The vessel is 50’ in length and 18.5” wide, making it the largest, fastest and newest big boat in Seward and possibly South Central Alaska.  The Sea Quest is Catamaran meaning “two hulls” instead of a traditional mono “single” hull vessel.  The difference in the ride and stability are paramount to the traditional mono hull boats.  People who are susceptible to sea sickness tend to do much better on Catamarans especially ones of this size and quality.  

3. CONVENIENCE:

The Sea Quest will have your catch filleted, bagged and tagged with your corresponding color by the time you hit the dock at night.  Because we choose to fillet while underway our clients get to fish longer rather than race back to the dock to hang fish for photos, and fillet.  The drive to and from the fishing grounds covers some of the most beautiful coastline in Alaska passing by various Fjords and wildlife.  We have always felt that a picture holding your fish in front of a glacier screams Alaska, rather than a wooden sign with a name carved into it.  

     

4. COMFORT:

The Sea Quest is the only charter boat with a guaranteed indoor seat for everyone.  The salon tables inside are great for anglers enjoy a game of cards or read the paper to pass the time to the fishing grounds.  Warm coffee and tea on demand are a must for those cold rainy days and the Sea Quest never runs out.  There is also a heated stove that keeps the cabin at an even 70’ degrees; no matter what it's doing outside.  The upper deck on the Sea Quest is a perfect way to snap some photos of the wildlife or get an action shot of the fisherman below.  It’s a long day on the water, it’s our goal to make sure you're as comfortable as possible.

Oh, and I almost forgot...All you ladies out there "A full head" which in landlubbers terms is a toilet. We look forward to fishing with you, and hope that you let us make that bucket list trip a reality.  FISHON!

July 20th- Slammin Silvers

It was a nice surprise this morning as we rounded the cape to flat seas and sunshine while expecting 25 knots of wind from the south west.  Sometimes we wonder how the weather man still has a job around here.  Alaska weather is about as unpredictable as it gets, which goes with the old saying "if you dont like the weather, wait ten minutes."  We started our day targeting some big Halibut and Lingcod.  We had about 2 hours left on the outgoing tide, which gave us just enough time to land a few nice Halibut and 2 solid Lingcod.

The Sea Quest was on a full day combo trip so as soon as the tide switched we ran to the tried and true hole to fill the boat with Halibut.  It didn't take us long as the fish were extra ferocious today. While Halibut fishing we could see schools of Silver Salmon following the Halibut bait to the surface.  The current was too strong to fish with light tackle forcing us to look elsewhere for our Salmon.  I hate leaving fish to find fish but the next spot ended up working out pretty good for us. Lately the Salmon grounds have been overrun with Pink Salmon and Pacific cod.  Today was no different with a ratio of about 3 Pinks to every 1 Silver.  Still fun to catch but we typically throw the pink salmon back in hopes of filling the boat with the better eating Silver Salmon.  We had a limit of both Silvers and Halibut by 4:15 which concluded our day.

We're hoping again for another bogus weather forecast.  A small craft advisory has been set into effect as of tonight as a weather front is predicted to move into the southeastern gulf tonight.  We are expecting W 15 knots of wind and 5' building by tomorrow night to SW 20 knots.  Fishable but a little bumpy.  See you tomorrow, FISH ON>

Zach Flannigan with a pig of a Silver Salmon

July 15th- Seward fishings on FIRE!

So far this spring has been one for the record books.  The numbers and size of the Halibut have been impressive.  Usually the first two weeks of June can be tough fishing, but this year was hot.  June 8th the Silvers started to appear, and not just trickle in but they were biting circle hooks on the way down to the bottom while fishing for Halibut.  By July the Silver Salmon were in full swing and boat limits have not been uncommon.

We have changed gears into combo mode, fishing for both Halibut and Salmon everyday.  We have been successful with limiting the boat with both species.  Today's charter consisted of thirty-one kids from Michigan.  They are on a road trip across the US and Alaska is their last stop.   Silver Salmon was the target species today and boy did we get into them.  The deckhands are still picking scales off the boat as I write this.  In 5 hours we managed to pull in 70 Silvers and 6 Kings.  One of the silvers was a White Silver.  I have never seen a white meat Silver but have only heard of them.  Apparently they only inhabit two rivers in Southeast Alaska and are extremely uncommon for the North Gulf Coast. 

The weather is apparently going to blow up this evening with 35 knots of easterly wind and 12' seas.  Luckily we are on a full day salmon trip and will be able to avoid the weather by staying in the bay.  The Silver fishing in report in the bay has been good.  I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow. FISH ON!

Photos from the last week:

June 24, 2015- Hog gobbles up a live Pink Salmon

Bit of a slow morning for us today.  Weather man was calling for 20kts out of the NE, I didn't want to subject everyone to the weather early in the day so we tucked up into Prince William Sound for a few hours hoping to get a few big Halibut.  By 12pm we had only 1 take and it turned out to be a Lingcod.  We had to throw it back because the season doesn't open until July 1.  So needless to say we were a bit desperate at the time for a few flat fish.  The first spot didn't seem like it was going to pan out so we picked up the anchor and ran a few miles to an area I have never fished.

132 Pound Halibut

We have been trying a lot of different structure out East and so far this has been our best season in 5 years.  Figured we couldn't do any worse than we had done for the previous 3 hours.  We lucked out, after about 1/2 hour and just before slack tide we were able to get a big one to take a full live Pink Salmon we had caught earlier in the day.  In Prince William Sound it is legal to use live Pinks as bait and it can prove to be a very effective bait when they wont bite anything else.  Amanda did great letting the fish take the entire bait before setting the hook.  Many people have the tendency to set the hook to early, pulling the bait away from the fish and spooking it.  She fed him good and fought it like a pro.                                                                             The Sea Quest was still was still in search of 52 Halibut at 1:30pm, I wasn't worried because the afternoon bite has been hot at one of our spots.  We pulled up dropped the lines and pulled out 2 hours later with 54 Halibut. 

BANG- FISH ON!!

June 22, 2015- Come and Gett'em

We are having a killer spring this year.  The weather has been calm and sunny and the fishing has been spectacular.  Both Halibut and Salmon have made an early appearance this year.  We started catching Silvers on June 9th and almost every day a 200lb Halibut has been hitting the dock in Seward.  A few photos from todays trip for your enjoyment.  FISH ON!

June 16, 2015- Game On

Another day of world class sport fishing at its finest.  Fishing was once again unbelievable, not much to say other than check out these pics...

June 15th, 2015- Joan takes 1st place for the ladies in the Derby!

Today's trip was perfect, the water was flat and the sun was beating down with severe force.  We had a mixed group and a few repeat clients that were lucky enough to pick this day to go fishing.  We cruised out to Montague Island to catch the morning incoming tide.  The current was ripping as soon as we arrived so there was no waiting around for our fish to show up.  As soon as we hit the bottom, Bryce from Seward hooked into a 100lb Halibut on the jig.  He fought this fish for at least 15 minutes and it wasn't easy considering the strong current.  Just when we thought we had it up she would take another dive back down to the rocks.  We fished the rest of the incoming tide, then moved to a spot just a mile away.

The Tide started to swing and before the current picked up Joan from Seward hooked a freight train on the Salmon head.  She handled this fish perfectly cranking it in with finesse.  This fish must have taken at least 100' of line off the reel on the initial bite.  Joan and her husband Barney have fished with me for many years and are my most loyal clients.  Joan has never hooked a fish like this and I'm proud of her for handling it like a boss.  When we hit the dock her fish weighed in at 142 lbs.  She is now in the lead for the women's category in the Seward Halibut Derby.  

Mid way through the tide the bite started to taper off and we were still in need of plenty of fish.  I figured we should roll the dice considering our luck lately and try for some more large Halibut.  We dropped down at a spot known to hold 30-50 pound fish.  It took about 45 minutes to get them biting but once they found the boat it was on.  We landed about eight fish between 30-40lbs.  It was getting late and we were already way behind schedule.  As soon as we started the boat to leave and everyone was reeling in their lines, Kevin from Monterey, the same guy who caught the 221 pounder currently 2nd in the derby, whacked a 70 lb Halibut with the jig.  Talk about clutch timing!  

Looking forward to tomorrow.  Currently nursing sunburns and sore backs, but loving every minute.  FISH ON!

June 13, 2015- Deuces wild with a 222.2 lb Halibut

Another scorcher today on the water.  No wind, and lots of sun made for another perfect day on the water.  One of the first fish of the day happened to be a 222 lb Halibut caught by Kevin Krueger out of Monterey, CA.  This fish was caught off the back deck using a 12 oz Jig.  Kevin is my best friend from high school who is up for a week to visit.  I feel like the luckiest guy in the world getting the opportunity to watch my buddy reel in a fish of a lifetime.   He did a great job keeping his rod bent with the pressure on as this barn door ran side to side and back down to the bottom many times.  A fish this size is not an easy feat on a jig and a lightweight pole.  I'm very proud of him and look forward to talking about this until we grow old.

Today's trip has once again proven that this spring is the best I've seen in ten years.  Two of the kids on the boat both hooked up big King Salmon while Halibut fishing on the bottom.  Fortunately, for kids it's not required that they have a King Stamp, so there was no question as to whether we got to keep these delicious Salmon.  We managed to hook another Halibut around 70 lbs again on a jig.  Other than those two big ones most of the fish were between twenty to forty pounds, which are the best to eat.

Looks like we took the lead again in the Seward Halibut Derby.  Let's hope we can make this one stick.  Thanks again Fish Gods, FISH ON!

June 12, 2015- Killer Bite

Weather has started to turn around on us as the seas have laid down and the sun has finally come out.  This June has been the best fishing I've seen in many years.  The fishing has been great and big fish seem to have come into the grounds earlier than usual.  Not only have the Halibut shown up early, we have seen impressive numbers of Silver Salmon as well.

Zoe from Anchorage was able to hook a really nice 85 pound Halibut on a salmon carcass at our first spot.  The bite was constant with fish ranging from 30 to 50 pounds.  We are looking forward to this week's trips as the weather and the fishing both seem to be warming up at the same time. FISH ON!!!

Ava and Grandma Beoma with 85 pound Halibut