Baranof Blog & Fishing News

King salmon 1 King Salmon per person, 28 inches in length or longer.

• January 1 through June 30: Nonresident annual limit is three king salmon.
• July 1 through July 15, Nonresident annual harvest limit is two king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length.
• July 16 through December 31, Nonresident annual harvest limit is one king salmon, 28 inches or greater in length.

Coho, Chum, Pink and Sockeye salmon 16 inches or longer: 6 of each species per day 12, of each species in possession

Coho, Chum, Pink and Sockeye salmon(in combination) less than 16 inches: 10 per day, 10 in possession.

Lingcod 1 per day, 1 in possession; 30-35 inches or 55 inches and longer, annual limit of 2 fish, one of which is 30-35 inches in length, and one that is 55 inches or greater in length. A harvest record is required.

Halibut 1 per person per day, less than or equal to 40 inches or greater than or equal to 80 inches.

Monday closures. Charter vessel anglers may not catch and retain halibut on all Mondays beginning July 24, 2023 continuing until December 31, 2023.

The "Alaska wilderness dining" tours are dear to my heart for a number of reasons, the first being, it is how Baranof fishing was born... and that tour allows some latitude at times to vary the sequence of experiences before going to the camp to partake of a wonderful meal in a beautiful setting by a warm fire...

For instance, one charter I had on June 11th, 2017, was with two nice families on their first trip to the Ketchikan area; we were able to find some beautiful quillback rockfish in a fairly quick amount of time that was sufficient to feed everyone on board, so I presented them with some options: we could use the remaining time before the meal to do some wildlife viewing and try to do some trolling for king salmon if they were so inclined...the first opportunity was the seal haul-out in the middle of the blank inlet, and we cruised the shoreline to possibly spot a black bear or deer on the beach, which took us in the amount of time needed for the current and state of the tide to be at its changing point... the prime time of tide, perfect part of the season, and we were next to the camp channel where I have caught many king salmon with and without clients...

I rigged the baits and dropped them on the downriggers to the depths I felt best, one of them being 15 feet from the bottom, a whole herring on a slow roll; we trolled about 50 feet when the bait pulled out of the clip on that side, and as the client pulled back on the rod, it bent towards a line coming to the surface at a fair distance from the boat!

A King salmon! Confirmed by the tail and dorsal breaking the surface as it strained at the line, with the client holding steady pressure and keeping the line taut, the beautiful fish was netted within a few minutes and brought on board to the wonder and joy of those who had never caught one, a privilege to behold and participate in... then we did it again, within a few minutes of boating the first one, I had the lines back in and we hooked another King salmon within 100 feet of the first!

Another good fight and netted some pictures and then it was time for the camp meal; they don't always include fresh filet of King salmon, but it can happen, and this time it did... An amazing day with wonderful people in a beautiful setting...

Raider’s 30’ cabin cruisers allow us to fish Southeast Alaska in style.  With a heated cabin, private head and the length and beam to offer a smooth ride even in inclement weather, this vessel is the obvious choice when comfort is paramount.  Their dual 225-hp Hondas provide the speed necessary to run to the Misty Fjords or distant fishing hotspots efficiently.  With a heated cabin, whatever the weather, the whole family will be comfortable for the duration of their time on the Alaskan waters.  Boasting a private head, stopping at a wilderness beach to answer the call of nature is still an option, but no longer a necessity.

The combination of speed, fishing capabilities and luxury that this vessel affords our private charter guests enables us to create custom excursions for even the most discerning of clients.  A private exploration of the Misty Fjords, followed by world-class bottom or salmon fishing and a 5-star Cook Your Catch meal in our private dining room featuring the fish, crab and shrimp you caught yourself is exactly what this boat was designed for.  We operate 24 different Raiders (7 skiffs, 15 Coastals, and two 30’s).  We’ve tried other brands over the years, but the 30’ Raider fits Baranof’s vision of an authentic Alaskan experience like no other.

Check out our friends at Raider Aluminum Boats here. [https://www.raiderboats.com/]

Unstoppable

We’re Unstoppable... Check out this quick build on this custom 30’ Offshore for our friends in Homer Alaska. With Central Charters #RaiderBoats #Offshore #Homer #HomerSpit #Halibut #Charter #SuzukiMarine #Aluminum #Fabrication #Welding #MillerWelds #Boat #BoatBuilding

Posted by Raider Boats on Wednesday, March 25, 2020

After getting word of a seaweed conference happening in Ketchikan, we got excited to invite the attendees to the Fish House to help us tell the story of edible seaweed so we could better educate our team, the community, and our fishing and restaurant guests. We were able to get some incredible video content interviewing some of the experts from the conference who are at the forefront of edible seaweed and aquatic farming.

My focus for this coming season, as well as the future of our culinary program, is to showcase underutilized species and make an incredible meal with them. Seaweed plays an important role in traditional foods of the Southeast, sustainable mariculture and the potential for economical growth in Ketchikan.

I have used edible seaweeds for cooking, but it has never been at the forefront of a menu or specific dish. This was a unique opportunity for me to create a menu making seaweed the star and reflect on my first-time harvesting seaweed. My first full day in Alaska when I arrived three seasons ago, I was taken out by one of our guides along with other members of our team and a local native on a trip to harvest seaweed. Our native expert watched from the deck of the boat with binoculars in search of black seaweed. The hunt was on as we planned our exit from the boat waiting for the right time in between swells. Outfitted with spiked logging footwear and a pillowcase, after a few attempts we jumped off the bow onto a remote exposed rock in the middle of the ocean. The boat took off and as I watched it leave, I wondered to myself if anyone had ever stepped foot on this rock before.

It was just the local native and me and he immediately started to show me everything edible that the rock had to offer. From gumboots, slippers to sea urchins, and the black seaweed that we were there to harvest. After snacking on some strange and tasty treats from within the tide pools, we began to fill our pillowcases with the prized black seaweed. I was enjoying myself immensely but still had not realized the importance of the seaweed and how it would transform dishes that I would be preparing throughout the season. Once we were back at our marina, we started the drying process of the seaweed to preserve it for the months to come. Little did I know that seaweed would become a part of my culinary adventures here in Ketchikan.

The menu I chose last Monday included local dried black seaweed, fresh kombu, and wakame. I also partnered with Foraged & Found who produce local retail products with kelp. I was able to showcase some of their kelp salsas and pickles, but I also used the pickled kelp in some of the recipes as well. Some of the highlights of the menu were Kombu hush puppies with pickled kelp remoulade, a smoked seafood display accompanied by seaweed mustard, lemon crème Fraiche, seaweed focaccia as well as wakame and kombu brownies.

We made some new friends within the seaweed world and we are excited to start sharing our knowledge that we acquired about the 7 common seaweed species available to us in Ketchikan. More to come throughout the season with seaweed recipes, blogs, and videos to showcase this underutilized ingredient whose story will continue to be told with hopes of becoming an economic engine for our community.

From our chef, Austin Green

Nonpelagic rockfish will no longer be available for retention in the 2020 season.  For the last 19 years, these fish have been a reliable target species for our Wilderness Dining guests, as well as a welcome addition to the table during our Cook Your Catch excursions.  We’re addressing this closure by expanding our abilities to target any of the other 50-odd species that we can reliably target on a given day.  One key enhancement will be our improved electronics package that will enable our captains to find schools of salmon and pelagic rockfish, with another being the introduction of our autopilot and trolling motor capabilities.

Garmin has really become the leader in sportfishing electronics, and our boats are outfitted with the best of the best that Garmin has to offer our class. The navigation displays are 1042xsv series GPS maps units that not only allow for pinpoint accuracy in boat-to-bottom navigation, it also allows for an amazing 1000 watts of power to be fed to the boat’s state-of-the-art sonar sounders and Panoptix setup.  We’ll be utilizing Garmins GT54UHD sounder that provides for a low-frequency chirp to really paint the bottom of the ocean floor along with an ultra-high frequency chirp sounder that auto-adjusts from 800 to 1200 kHz. This allows you to not only see fish swimming at depth but in so much detail that you can actually see kelp forests sway with the current, see your bait descending to the bottom and even the fish coming out to bite on what customers have placed in front of the fish. Truly amazing sonar ability.

Next on the list of new upgrades is the new Panoptix live scope technology. This is a sonar system that really leaves little to the imagination of what is below your boat. This live scope system uses three independent sonar scanners to produce a 3D image of what is swimming below. In real-time imagery that shows you the fish’s depth, distance, and direction in relation to the boat.  Pelagic rockfish, lingcod, and salmon will be painted across the screen with their location data so the guide can assist customers in not only knowing where to drop but how deep to drop the line.  It’s like having your own personal diver with an underwater camera filing to your fish finder’s display.        

Both the skiffs and our hardtop Coastals will be equipped with GPS controlled autopilots.  Our skiffs are using a 36-volt electric trolling motor that has a GPS spot lock function which allows the captain to lock the boat within a 3ft radius of a GPS location. This allows the captain to target specific species without the need to anchor or drift.  Along with the ability to GPS anchor lock, the boat will have the ability to run a trolling route for targeting salmon or other pelagic species hands-free.  The trolling motor will allow captains to spend less time on the tiller and more time getting fish onboard.  Our hardtop Coastals are getting their own version of this same type of autopilot.  Rather than a trolling motor mounted on the bow, however, the larger vessels will be utilizing their kicker motor which is networked into the 1042xsv nav unit to hold a course heading, back troll an area, or hover over a group of pelagic fish.

2019 was a tremendous year for us as we hit new highs in customer satisfaction in the restaurant and on the water.  Using this momentum, we’re making some improvements to our culinary offerings as well as the fishing fleet. 

New skiffs!

The most noticeable change any of our repeat customers will notice is that we’re upgrading our 5-passenger open-air skiffs to a completely new design better suited for light-tackle fishing.  These new boats are a couple of feet longer, console driven rather than a tiller, will be equipped with a 115 h.p. motor, include an upgraded electronics package, can seat 6 passengers and feature a trolling motor that will “anchor” the boat anywhere through GPS integration.  Construction has begun on seven of these new vessels for 2020, so we’ll be getting photos out as soon as we get a couple in the water this spring.

Seafood Invitational

Cook Your Catch, whether in our private dining room or at our wilderness campsite, is our passion.  Most of our guests that come up for more than a cruise ship calls have already had a taste of our multi-day fishing/dining options, but this year we’re taking it a step further.  We’re telling the comprehensive story of Alaskan seafood over the course of five choreographed meals featuring twenty-five unique species.  Check out our invitation here for dates as well as a complete description, it’s going to be quite the production. 

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a blessed New Year from the Alaska Fish House and Baranof Fishing crew.  We look forward to seeing our friends, old and new, during the upcoming season.

The day this story takes place started out like many in southeast Alaska - rainy and windy. Even though it was mid-July, when the weather is generally more agreeable for fishing, this day was an exception. It was blowing hard enough that I didn't even venture past Bold island, which is generally only a mid-way point to our halibut and salmon grounds. This was especially frustrating because I was fishing with two gentlemen who have been guests on my boat for the past three years. I look forward to them coming up each year and enjoy their company when they are here.

    I knew the halibut fishing options were limited, so after a talk with the guys, we opted to fish for salmon since the pinks and silvers were fairly thick and were making showings close to town. The salmon bite had been pretty vicious till about 8 A.M. in the days prior, so I had high hopes that we would whack a few before the bite slowed. On this particular morning, the bite was spotty at best. We would hit pockets of fish and land one or two, then double back only to not get a bite, let alone a takedown. On top of this, the driving rain and howling wind made it difficult for all parties involved to land the fish we were hooking (this wasn't looking good). 

     As the morning progressed, we spent more time catching up with each other than high-fiving and catching fish. All the while the wind was twisting our arm and driving us closer towards town looking for better protection from the weather. During the final hour of the trip, I made the call to make our last few passes at Mountain Point (a popular but productive spot about six miles from our dock). Almost as soon as we started our drag, the down rod blew out of the clip and started taking line - fish on! 

    I call for my friend to "grab the rod!" -  he pulls it out of the holder and starts his fight. It fights like a nice silver and I cross my fingers we can land this one to end the day on a high note. The fish appears on the surface forty yards behind the boat, jumping and tail-walking like a tarpon you would see on T.V. We all have our eyes on the coho, but unbeknownst to me, we are not the only ones watching its big show. As we start gaining line on the fish I catch sight of what looks to be a brown and white tomahawk missile coming out of the sky. In about half a second we all put together what's happening; a bald eagle that had been perched off of the Point had targeted our fish. He hits the water fast and clips the fish, sending it into a frenzy straight toward the boat. It's all we can do to keep up on retrieving the line and putting tension back on the fish. In no time flat, the fish has reached the boat. I grab my net and get ready to attempt to scoop the very green silver when all of a sudden another missile screams by us! The bird is back and he means business - no more than six feet off the starboard side, swooping at the fish, gaining altitude and attempting again. All the while the fish is on the edge of spitting distance and out of net range. Now we make a decision - we need to "horse" this thing to the boat or we are going to have a serious mess on our hands. We leverage the rod and ski the fish within the net range. I dip my net in the water just as a simultaneous eagle attack occurs. The fish goes into another frenzy, this time wrapping itself around the downrigger cable several times. I take one more dip at him but I know what's about to happen… I can't get deep enough to reach the fish and he is wearing the mainline out on the wire cable! The line snaps and the fish rockets off, the bird flies away, and in the ensuing quiet all we can do is look at each other with expressions that say; "We just can't get a break, can we?”.

   We end the wet and windy day without landing another keeper but return to the marina with one of the most eventful salmon fishing stories any of us have ever heard. Fishing is a game of anticipation, artistry, and passion.  Catching an elusive species, landing a trophy-size monster, dropping a fly perfectly into a river’s eddy or competing with another apex predator for the same fish all amount to the same thing – living a once-in-a-lifetime experience. On the worst of days, we accomplished exactly that.  After tying up and shedding our raingear, we went to the restaurant where chef Austin cooked up some of the fish we had caught earlier in the morning.  My clients and I capped off their fishing vacation with a 5-star meal, while our conversation focused on the highlight of their vacation - we all agreed that the “mottled missile” made the day. 

Until next year guys! 

Captain Ramirez

The doors have been closed for the last time in 2019, and everyone can breathe again.  For the Alaska Fish House servers, cooks, managers and support staff, this was an incredible season.  More people than ever before came off the cruise ships and dined at the Fish House, which is great, but what’s truly remarkable is that despite a marked increase in business, our TripAdvisor review rating increased dramatically.  With no change to the infrastructure, the only possible explanation is the staff – thank you all for your attention to detail and hard work.

2019 was Baranof’s most successful season to date by most metrics, but most importantly when measured in terms of customer and employee satisfaction.  Those of us working behind the scenes that don’t get a lot of time with the customers rely on the guides and tour ops to represent us - this year more than ever we’re proud to be part of a winning team.

DAY FOUR: A paddle through Rudyerd Bay

Rudyerd Bay is pretty well protected from the winds, making it an ideal body of water to kayak. Our fourth day is the day I remember the most. We left the cove and headed up Rudyerd Bay at low tide and found this amazing beach a mile or so up the bay. The group decided to stop for lunch and laying in the warm sun on the beach.  After a few hours, the weather was starting to change and we knew rain was coming. We all decided to head back to camp. The group, for some reason, was in a rush to take-off (I found out later this was a planned departure). As I stood by our kayak watching our friends paddle off, wondering why the hell they were trying to ditch us, I see my partner walk across the beach towards the boats. I, of course (impatient as I am), started to get gruff and stated we need to get going to catch up with the group when I then noticed my partner on a knee with a ring. This was the day of my engagement, and now I forever have to tell that I was ornery and cranky yet still got proposed too.

That night sitting around the campfire reminiscing of the past few days it was the last night of our adventure in the Mistys. The next afternoon we would be picked up and head back to our working lives. This was the night, also, when we discovered why the Misty’s got its name. Once the clouds came in there was an only a slight sun ray beaming through the mist. It was a day, and an evening, to remember.

FINAL DAY:  Goodbye, until next time

We were all up early, but I am not sure anyone can ever be completely ready for the rain that Southeast can dish out. Let’s just say it poured all night. We all had tarps over tarps over our tents and the water still got in. We all packed up and put our gear in a dry-ish location to await our pick-up before hiking to Punchbowl lake for the day. The trail was super rough going as there was a lot of blow-down on the trail from some strong winds a few weeks prior, so we did a lot of climbing over and crawling under downed trees. It just proved the point that you can never tell what you will experience on a trip into the wild. Once at the lake, we were sitting under the shelter eating lunch when the sun came out.  With the rainfall what it is in Southeast, you appreciate every ray of sunlight you get.  Seeing the sun come out for the first time in the Misty Fjords National monument on the first day of engagement to my wonderful partner, however, was something truly beautiful.

DAY TWO: Kayak to Checats Springs

Today we were going to kayak to Checats Springs for a hike, and, if the Behm canal was decent enough, possibly paddle over to New Eddystone rock. The paddle to Checats definitely broke our friends into how powerful the ocean and waves can be. With a headwind and 2-3 ft chop I wasn’t sure, even in double kayaks, if we would ever make it to our destination; for every paddle stroke forward it felt like we went back 3. Finally, we made it into the cove and out of the wind.  It took us some time to find the trailhead. The area had been pounded by a storm a few months prior, so there were so many downed trees it made it impossible to know where the trail was at times - especially considering none of us had been here before and cellular devices don’t work in the Misty’s. Not wanting to spend our entire day hiking, we decided we had gone far enough and returned to the beach for lunch and Sun.

As we left the cove on our way back to the cabin we noticed a pod of Dall porpoises heading through the now-glassy waters making their way towards New Eddystone. We also figured this was the perfect opportunity for us to kayak across Behm Canal for a  look at The Rock. These were definitely the best conditions I have ever experienced while in the canal; the sun was out, there was no wind, and the water was glass. As we headed for the island, one of the friends started freaking out. They were not a fan of kayaking across this much open water and they hated the fact that they couldn’t see under them. We found out later the reason they were a bit distraught because they thought the Dall porpoises were orcas (“killer” whales),  they were sure they were going to tip us from our kayaks and eat us.  As one kayak left and headed for the cabin, the rest of us headed across Behm canal towards Eddystone. The paddle across was effortless. The boat slid through the water so gracefully. This was the moment I fell in love with Alaska. Once reaching New Eddystone we took a few hours to enjoy our lunch and hike around until the tide turned and carried us down to the cabin.

DAY THREE: The 12-mile paddle to Punchbowl

We had a slight breeze, but for the most part, the waters were fairly mild. (There’s no better way to experience the waters of Alaska and the beauty they hold than the quiet solitude of a kayak, especially the Misty Fjords.  Feet away from thousand-foot vertical granite walls, and inches from the sea’s surface you can’t help but soak in the grandeur; the Misty Fjords are a must see for anyone coming to Alaska.  No matter how you get there, however, any Misty trip is worth the time.  Each experience is different and something truly special.)  By the time we made it to Punchbowl cove everyone was pretty tired from the long paddle that day, so we all set up our tents to prepare for the night. The one thing to keep in mind when doing anything in the backcountry is that we have bears. Although I have never had a bad experience with a bear, I do my best to make sure I don’t put myself in a position where I might.  Once our tents were set-up we walked around the cove to prepare our cooking and eating area and find trees to hang our food and supplies in. After dinner, we headed to our sleeping area to start a fire. There is nothing that brings people together quite like a campfire, beers, and stories in the backwoods of Alaska. The beer taste better, the fire feels warmer and the venue for your stories puts any man-made theater to shame.

TO BE CONTINUED...

When Baranof first started, we were outfitting our guests out of the back of a canopied truck.  I spent a half-hour each departure rummaging through stacks of boots, raingear, gloves, etc. as we decked out our guests.  That first year I was making multiple trips each morning to Tongass to buy extra gear as we ran out of the appropriate sizes.  (Our initial offering of Wilderness Dining attracted a lot of families, which it still does, so when we needed an extra-large or extra-small set of gear, it typically meant we’d need 4-5 for the whole family.)  Fast forward 15 years, and my father’s love for beating any problem into submission is evident by the fact that we have indoor dining at our restaurant…  The seating area at the Alaska Fish House was originally built to turn our outfitting process from a necessity into an experience.  As the popularity for the Fish House grew, however, we constructed an 80-foot outfitting room at our marina, which is still in use.  Necessity being the mother of invention, however, we’re not done yet – this winter we’re building another outfitting room to be used in conjunction with our current building.

Enter William Hink, the master carpenter and night squid-fishing enthusiast.  He has been working with Chuck for the last few years on all our building projects and his pride is evident in his work.  This winter dad’s turning Will loose on a new outfitting room that will serve not only as a place for our guests to get garbed for Southeast weather, but will play a critical role in the Baranof experience.  William enjoys working with Chuck because his creative side is encouraged; dad wants Will to spend a little extra on fancy nails, for example, if they’re to be used where guests can see them.  (That may sound silly to mention, but my point is that the finest details are not overlooked when William puts together a blueprint.)  Outfitting guests for a day on the water are sort of like the opening act at a concert; the customer often views every minute spent as wasted, and keeping them from what they paid to see.  It’s William and Chuck’s mission to provide a venue that allows our opening act to be an authentic, memorable Alaskan experience.

We’ll be posting photos of our progress in the months leading up to the season.  Check back here or on any of our social media outlets for updates and discussion; first-time guests will garner a little peace of mind knowing they don’t have to dress for an arctic expedition for a day of fishing in Ketchikan.

Baranof Fishing Excursions is offering an Early Booking Discount for 2019 Fishing Excursions. Are you planning on Stalking Salmon while in Ketchikan? Or are you more interested in Hunting for Halibut? Have you experienced our popular Cook your Catch program? No matter what your interest is, Baranof Fishing Excursions is in the business of creating authentic Alaskan experiences for you and your family. Our fishing rates.

The 2018 season is over! Baranof and the Fish House would like to thank the crew and customers for an outstanding year.

Vote now on your favorite salmon restaurant! USA Today is asking those that know to decide which Alaskan joint puts out the best fish, and the Alaskan Fish House is on the ballot! Check it out below and let your voice be heard.

Voting ends Monday, October 15th, 2018 at 11:59 am EDT and the winners will be announced on 10Best on Friday, October 26th, 2018 at 12:00 pm EDT, then later on USA TODAY. You can read the official rules here

https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-salmon-in-alaska/

Our photo competition winners will win cash prizes for pictures that capture what the Fish House is all about; singing, dancing, great food, and good times. All photos will be considered (not just this weekend’s) and can be sent to Jeimi at  digitalmarketing@baranof.net by September 21st. Winners will be announced with their photos displayed on our website and Facebook on September 26th.

If you missed this year's R2AK, this article by Norris Comer of NW Yachting gives one an excellent account of the trials and tribulations experienced by the teams competing in this year's engineless race from Port Townshend to Ketchikan.

https://www.nwyachting.com/2018/08/r2ak-2018-a-revolutionary-fourth/

Come and join myself and the Fish House crew for four days of music and fun from the 13th-16th.  Help us honor our staff for a job well done, give a special farewell to Culinary Manager Tyler Cox, and wish bon voyage to Diane Fast on her last weekend of the 2018 season.  For the grand finale, come out and celebrate my birthday with our last open mic, blues, jazz, special guests, southern-style food prepared by Chef Austin and more!  See you there!   – Latoya

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Baldwin’s duties as General Manager during the offseason have proven critical to the success of our business.  While, like any good fisherman, he would rather be on the water than in an office, his passion for what Baranof offers its guests provides him with the motivation to attack all opportunities for improving the customer experience with a very personal dedication.  Chris has a business degree from the University of Alaska.  This means that while he is outfitting the fleet with new gear or working with Raider designing a new boat for Baranof, he is able to do so with both the customer and the company in mind; he knows what would add value for our guests, and he has the business savvy to enact those improvements in a way that keeps the owner happy.  Chris is also in charge of finding, hiring, and training new captains.  Many of the local sportfishing operators began guiding at Baranof Fishing Excursions, then moved on to begin their own business.  We wholeheartedly support this and work closely with many of our former guides every summer, but we do need to man the vessels they’ve left behind.  This year’s new recruits (Jamie, Josh, and Isaac) are a prime example of how far Chris will look to find captains that not only think of fishing every minute of the day, but also those that are passionate about providing a unique experience to their clients; there are a lot of folks out there that will work for us taking people fishing, Chris finds the kind of person that would do it for free.

Chris wears a lot of hats throughout the year and wears them well.  He always has time for educating his guests, guides, and coworkers on what it means to provide the best possible experience to our guests, and proactively seeks ways to improve both his own fishing abilities and those of the company as a whole.  His personal desire to exceed the expectations of his clients are perfectly inline with the goals of Baranof Fishing Excursions.  We’re lucky to have him and proud to have him represent our company.

As Baranof’s Lead Guide, Chris is the perfect person to ask if you have a question on Alaska fishing. One of Chris's most marked traits is that he has an unquenchable curiosity. If Chris can't find the answer within his own personal resources, the guide pool, or friends and family in Southeast Alaska, he'll find a way to get it. He's a prolific reader when it comes to fishing, and he's always ready to listen to stories from either the old timers or one of his fellow guides because he knows he might walk away with a nugget of fishing wisdom. Because of this, he's a wonderful resource on Alaska fish and all things fishing.  His administrative duties have him working closely with our Operations Manager (Andy Mikkelson) to ensure the safety of our guests while at our facility and efficient transition from the dock to the boat.  He is also responsible for addressing any suggestions his guides have toward improving the overall customer experience. 

As a guide, Chris has an amazing dedication to his clients; he's always focused on ensuring everybody has a successful day on the water. A typical day with Chris would have you running 45-60 minutes out to the back of Duke Island, Mary Island, or one of the other areas touched by the bordering open ocean, which often gives access to a wider variety of fish. Rock cod and lingcod are more prolific in the areas that are fed by the open ocean currents, and Chris knows it. He's always trying out new cuts for herring plugs, a different reel, or the unique technique he just picked up off the fisherman he met in Thomas Basin. Chris's willingness to experiment with bait, tackle, and different fishing techniques is one of the reasons he is one of our most consistently requested guides.