Reviews by Excursion

Private Charters

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Great private charter with Trent

  • anontraveler1
  • 2018-07-31
  • Private Charter
  • Massachussettes

After disembarking off cruise ship we were met by Tent at the gangway. A short walk to Baranof and we were in a 24ft aluminum boat speeding out to drop off crab pots. Baranof is great as they have a fleet of boats that share information to increase your chance of finding fish.

 After dropping crab pots we went out another 20 min where we proceeded to catch 5 halibut(1 to big to keep) a bunch of cod, and then circled back to find 3 Dungeness keepers. We got back in time for lunch prepared with some of our catch. The blackened cod was excellent. Trent was great as we had 3 adults and 3 young kids with limited fishing experience. He got us on the fish and got the fish in the boat all while providing the experience that we were all hoping for. I highly recommend Trent and look forward to fishing with him again in Alaska or Hawaii.

Best Charter in Ketchikan

  • joshuah5130
  • 2018-06-15
  • Private Charter
  • Washington

I booked the private charter through Baranof with 5 of my family members. Our Guide Lukas was great. Professional, knowledgeable and experienced. We wanted to catch Halibut and he knew where to take us. We had two in the boat before we knew it. The fishing slowed down so he asked if we wanted to change gears and go after Lingcod and Rockfish. None of us had ever tried that so we went for it. Lukas took us right to the fish, and we made him work when we had 3 or 4 fish on at a time. Within minutes we had a boat load of fish. It was a great time had by all and a very memorable trip. I would definitely come back again and recommend to others.

Sunshine or rain - best $ spent in Alaska

  • poolpt
  • 2018-06-03
  • Private Charter
  • Florida

If you are fishing around (hahaha) for the best private charter in Ketchikan, or maybe searching for great excursions for your cruise ship....just book this place. They are the same company that contract w/ the cruise line- don't hesitate. They are responsive and quick on questions, email or calls. Booked a private charter- they picked us up on at the cruise gangway for a 5 min. Drive to the dock- rainy day in Ketchikan (like 80%of the days here) - they equipped us with rain gear, fishing licenses and we are off! Party of 5, 2 kids. Since it was a private charter, we could catch anything we wanted, do anything we wanted. We set off with Lukas, our Captain. Our youngest wanted crab, Grandmom salmon, I wanted halibut (not good halibut fishing this day was the word on the radio from the other fisherman, seas rough and tough to go out to get the halibut). So we set bait in crab box and sunk 3 in the water. Off we went to fish for rockfish or whatever hit our lines; then off for a king salmon (which was the only salmon out end of May). Capt. Lukas, set up all the rods, made sure grandma was warm, made sure the kids were jigging pros and we dragged in 6 rockfish varieties plus a few lost :-( I did not get my halibut or even get to reel one in, but who cares? I was on the water in Alaska with my family, creating memories. Just as we dropped in the lines for the salmon trolling, hubs was asking 'how do you know if one bites' just like that Lukas said 'it looks like that!' And the catch was on! Moving fast little G (our 8yo) took the reel and began the fight. Daddy helping. The excitement in the boat was contagious! Everyone super excited! Apparently 2nd catch of the season! HUGE salmon. After the salmon excitement, we trolled around for a bit (or bite) and nada. The crab boxes had a starfish... Sadly our 6 hours went so fast, we were off the boat and off to their sister restaurant where Chef Tyler cooked up our fish after filet and cleaning done by Lukas. . . What an experience! Def. book this charter You WILL be happy Always remember- they can't guarantee a catch, don't knockoff stars if you don't catch anything- the fish don't care about your money. It's the experience and memories.

Best Fishing Charter ever!

  • Karen B
  • 2017-05-25
  • Private Charter
  • California

My son (age 17) and I booked a Halibut fishing excursion with the Princess Star Cruise that we were on (Voyage of the Glaciers northbound). Princess had two boats reserved (each taking four people) and six people signed up for the Fishing Charter. Four of the people knew each other and went on one boat and my son and I had our own boat- it ended up being a private charter and we had the best time and a great experience. Aaron was our captain and host and he was knowledgeable and friendly and committed to us catching fish, especially halibut (although we knew and understood that catching any kind of fish could never be guaranteed). We caught cod and halibut and had an amazing experience. We learned about how you can tell if it's a halibut taking your bait by the way they bite and how to successfully reel them in. It rained throughout the day and it didn't matter at all as Baranof completely outfitted us in waterproof bib overalls, boots, jackets and gloves. We didn't get wet at all even though we were on the boat deck fishing for hours. Aaron was a great fishing guide and boat captain and obviously enjoyed his job and his enthusiasm was genuine. On the way back to the dock Aaron asked if we wanted to have our catch prepared and cooked or if we wanted to ship it home. We chose to have fresh halibut and cod for lunch. Aaron brought the filets out and showed them to us prior to sending them to the kitchen for cooking. The fish was deliciously prepared and Aaron joined us for lunch. What a great excursion!!!  My only complaint would be with the excursion desk on our cruise. The woman who specializes in shore excursions didn't know anything about our excursion and wasn't able to answer my questions. She also wasn't willing to contact the charter. I booked the excursion anyway. I asked for the charter's phone number and that request was denied. I didn't know it was Baranof until we arrived at the dock or I would have looked them up on my own and contacted them. Pretty much everything the excursion desk person told me was inaccurate - the most important information being that all of the gear was provided and included (no I didn't to provide my own rain gear as I was told). The experience with Aaron and Baranof was so memorable that my teenage son wants to figure out how he can get a seasonal job with them starting next May. Thank you Aaron and Baranof!

Aaron treated us right!

  • stbomb
  • 2018-08-04
  • Private Charter
  • Washington DC

We chartered a Baranof boat, captained by Aaron, with 6 of us - my dad, my brothers, and my son and nephew. (FYI: We booked it weeks in advance which was a good idea) The weather was warm and sunny, which was great for being on the water but not ideal for the fishing. But, Aaron didn't let us go home empty-handed! He worked with us and other captains to find the right spots so we could catch some halibut, rockfish, and salmon. Aaron was friendly and personable and we were happy to add him to our family for the day. He also worked hard and without complaint to keep our lines baited, untangled and in the water. Perhaps the best part of the day was in the restaurant after. Since we had chartered the entire boat, they included the cleaning and preparing of the fish we caught in a private room of the Alaskan Fish House which is right on the dock. In addition to the catch, which they prepared multiple ways (ask for the beer-battered halibut!) they served fresh shrimp and delicious sides and included the first round of locally-crafted beer! If you can manage to charter an entire boat, do it. This perk makes it worthwhile! Thanks to Aaron and the entire Baranof crew that made our multi-generational fishing excursion successful and memorable!

An Amazing Day on the Amazing Grace!

  • Jennifer G.
  • 2018-08-09
  • Private Charter
  • N/A

Before we even booked our Alaskan cruise, we knew we wanted to book a private fishing charter. After some research and talking with other friends who had gone on an Alaskan cruise, many people recommended Baranof to us. Boy, am I glad we booked this! This ended up being our most favorite excursion out of all the excursions we've taken over 5 cruises. Not only did we get super lucky weather-wise, but we were also paired up with the best guide duo (Geoff and Grace) on the newest and best boat (Amazing Grace) Baranof has to offer! Geoff and his 12-year-old daughter, Grace, were extremely knowledgeable, professional, and a ton of fun to spend the day with. We had our 12 year old son with us, too, so it was even more perfect that Grace was one of our guides. After hearing the different options we had to choose from, we chose to do the "Cook Your Catch", where we were taken to several different fishing spots to catch rockfish, salmon, and halibut, and then Geoff took us to the wilderness camp, where Geoff prepared our fish for the camp cook to cook up for us. During that time, Grace showed us around camp and the beach and took pictures for us. Lunch was amazing, there is no fresher way to eat fish than "water to table," and the dessert we were served was AMAZING! While the fish were not really biting the day we went due to a big storm that had come in the night before, we did catch five rockfish, and had an extremely enjoyable time on the water visiting with Geoff and Grace. We all agreed that we couldn't wait to come back to Ketchikan again and would definitely be booking another private charter with Baranof, especially if we can spend another wonderful afternoon with Geoff and Grace on the Amazing Grace. A++++

Awesome Day!

  • 1soup
  • 2018-09-26
  • Private Charter
  • N/A

We had a beautiful day fishing with Captain Isaac. He took us to a great location and helped us hook over 50 fish. The shore lunch at camp was delicious! This was a highlight of our trip!

Best Private Charter in Ketchikan

  • Karen S
  • 2018-05-31
  • Private Charter
  • Flordia

Are you kidding me? I know you are fishing around (hahaha) for the best private charter in Ketchikan, or maybe searching for great excursions for your cruise ship....just book this place. Stop looking and bite the bullet, just book it. They are the same company that contract w/ the cruise line- don't hesitate. They are responsive and quick on questions, email or calls. Booked a private charter- they picked us up on at the cruise gangway for a 5 min. Drive to the dock- rainy day in Ketchikan (like 80%of the days here) - they equipped us with rain gear (not so lucky if you book with the cruise) - fishing licenses and we are off! Party of 5, 2 kids. Since it was a private charter, we could catch anything we wanted. So we set bait in crab box and sunk 3 in the water. Off we went to fish for rockfish or whatever bit, then off for a king salmon (which was the only salmon out end of May). Lucas, our captain, set up all the rods, made sure grandma was warm, made sure the kids were jigging pros and we dragged in 6 rockfish varieties plus a few lost :-( Just as Lucas dropped in the lines for the salmon trolling, hubs was asking 'how do you know if one bites' just like that Lucas said 'it looks like that!' And the catch was on! Moving fast little G (our 8yo) took the reel and began the fight. Daddy helping and -Lucas when needed moving fast. Everyone super excited! Apparently 2nd catch of the season! HUGE salmon. The crab boxes had a starfish....after a wonderfully successful day on the water, we headed to Alaska fish house (AFH) to have our catch cooked up for us. What an experience! Def. book this charter You WILL be happy Always remember- they can't guarantee a catch, don't knockoff stars if you don't catch anything- the fish don't care about your money. It's the experience and memories.see my AFH review for part 2 of the story
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