What Customers are saying about Baranof Fishing Excursions

What Guests are saying about us:

Surprise, all these reviews are positive! If you check TripAdvisor, you’ll see we have about 800 reviews with less than fifty 4-star or below; we didn’t include negatives here as we feel it’s an inaccurate depiction of our goals and commitment. Also, reviewing the specifics of what a group found to be an outstanding excursion serves to provide realistic expectations on what our prospective customers should demand of us. Five-star experiences are the minimum we hold ourselves to, and we ask that you don’t settle for less.

An unexpected Happy Ending!! Review Date: 2018-08-25

Ketchikan was my first stay on a non-cruise, 10-day, solo trip around the Inside Passage of Alaska. This fishing trip was my first outing and I had big hopes for big fish! We lucked out with fantastic weather: sunny skies, mid 60’s and barely a wave. In addition to me and our guide Brian, there was just one other couple on the boat. Brian is very laid back, friendly and so patient with us as we all struggled to master the fishing end of things. He told us from the very beginning that he would fish for whatever we wanted and he was prepared for both salmon and halibut. We all agreed that we would start with salmon. After a couple of hours of hits but only landing a couple of Rockfish and throw-back Spotted Ratfish to show for it, we decided to switch to halibut. From the radio chatter, many were experiencing the same difficulty in finding salmon that day. In the end my overall luck was limited to just two rockfish, but the couple with me also landed a Pacific Cod and a small, but worthy Halibut in additional to a few Rockfish of their own. They were the lucky ones that day. Sadly, my two fish were just not enough to justify having them frozen and shipped back to my home. Brian told me it would be better to eat them for dinner immediately. As a traveler, I was not exactly set up to cook my own dinners. Boy, was I in for a pleasant surprise at end the day. Brian kept us out until the very last moment, hoping for that one last catch. But as we headed in for the afternoon, he called ahead to The Alaskan Fish House and told them that I had two fish I would like to eat for dinner. After cleaning and filleting my fish for me, he walked me and my fish up to the restaurant. I was greeted by LaToya who is just the sweetest person there could be. The fish was passed along to Tyler who proceeded to prepare my fish in two different styles, both of which were excellent! In addition to the side dishes they offered, I was shocked to find out it was all complimentary! I was treated like a VIP by Brian, LaToya and Tyler and in hind-sight can say that it was the BEST meal I had over the course of my entire trip! For what it’s worth, I am not the least bit upset that I did not catch any salmon or halibut that day. There is no guarantee in fishing, but they sure know how to make the best of an unfortunate fishing day. I got to eat not only the freshest, sweetest fish of the day, but I CAUGHT IT! The experience was worth every penny!

Captain: Brian
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Colorado
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Excursion: Salmon Fishing
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Rating: Excellent
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Amazing Alaska fishing trip! Review Date: 2018-08-28

Big thanks to Captain Lucas and Baranof Fishing at Ketchikan AK. We had an amazing trip and the kids loved it. We caught and released 2 monster ling cod, and my daughter Kelly caught the biggest one. They also cooked some of our catch in their restaurant. It was delicious!

Captain: Lukas
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N/A
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Excursion: Alaska Fishing
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Rating: Excellent
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Total package Review Date: 2018-08-29

Great fishing trip with my dad and sons.Sam meet us at the dock geared us up and got us on the water fast. We went straight to the fish caught three as soon as our hooks hit the water.I will have to say Sam knew exactly where to go and what was biting. After a few hours of fishing we meet up with Drew the cook at camp and he grilled our catch while we waited.The food was delicious. We had a great time and would definitely go again if we ever get back to Alaska.

Captain: Sam
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Carolina
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Excursion: Alaska Fishing
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Rating: Excellent
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Awesome day of Alaskan fishing! Review Date: 2018-08-30

We were a group of four (2 couples) – with our two husbands who had fished before. Our 6-hour fishing tour was awesome! We booked with Baranof Excursions by phone before boarding our Princess cruise in Anchorage (Whittier). We had pre-paid using our credit card. On the day our cruise arrived in Ketchikan, Lukas (the captain of our fishing boat) met us at the dock by our cruise ship and we walked the short distance to where the company is based by the dock. We were outfitted with boots (and raincoats – which we declined on the sunny day) and our personal belongings were put into a watertight bag to have on board with us. We also purchased our Alaskan fishing licenses ($25 U.S. per person – via Baranof) at the dock. We all opted to buy a license; although, one could go out and just watch the others fish and not have a license, if you preferred. The day was sunny for us; but, our boat had both a covered area (where we sat while travelling) and an open area (from where we fished). Working part of the year in Alaska and the other part in Florida, Lukas was an expert on all aspects of our tour (operating the boat, showing us how to bait our lines and how to reel in the fish we caught – nine, in total)! We fished both by trolling and by jigging. (The wives learned a lot! Ha ha!) We caught: pink salmon, silver salmon, yellowtail rockfish, ling cod, and yelloweye rockfish. What a perfect day! We boated out quite far (just over an hour) to an area where Lukas believed we would have success; he was right! During the five (or so) hours we were actually out on the boat, Lukas gave each of us a small boxed “lunch” for a snack (crackers, delicious salmon spread, a fruit cup, etc.) We had also brought our own lunch (sandwiches, fruit, drinks) to supplement the one Baranof had provided. He showed us how to “use the facilities” while out on the boat – basically, off the side (as, obviously, there is no bathroom on board). When we returned to the dock, Lukas hung our fish on hooks for a photo opportunity – so we could take our own photos. We also watched as he cleaned our fish for us. Then (this was very cool) – Lukas had us fill out the paperwork to enable some of our fish to be brought on board our Princess ship to be cooked up for us by the ship’s chef (a [free!] service only provided by Princess, not the other cruise lines). We enjoyed eating our “catch” (deliciously prepared and presented by the Princess kitchen) the next day for lunch on the ship (an “at sea” day, for us). The rest of the fish we caught could be shipped home (at our expense); but, we opted to have Baranof prepare and deliver it to the homeless shelter in Ketchikan – a great idea! What a wonderful overall experience – fishing in Alaska, catching nine fish, watching them be cleaned, and then eating them, beautifully prepared, on our cruise ship! Thanks, Lukas (Baranof) and “Princess” for an awesome experience!!

Captain: Lukas
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Canada
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Excursion: Salmon Fishing
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Rating: Excellent
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Great all around Review Date: 2018-09-04

Booked the trip through Regent Cruise Lines as a side and was pleasantly surprised. I am a retired captain that has run a lot of fishing charters and this one was exceptional. The captain/guide knew his stuff, that is how to fish and run a good enjoyable trip. Even though it was raining and we were in an open skiff, we were comfortable with the rain gear provided. The fishing tackle was first rate as was all of the equipment. Unfortunately, the guide did not have a card and I cannot remember his name or I would recommend him highly. The final part of our trip was to a wilderness camp where an excellent chef prepared our fish. We got to meet others that had booked this expedition and all seemed more than satisfied. The Coho salmon and rockfish I caught was fantastic. I would recommend this outfit to anyone looking for a great fishing experience.

Captain: Baranof
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Pennsylvania
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Excursion: Wilderness Camp
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Rating: Excellent
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Extremely Professional And Personable Operation Review Date: 2018-09-04

So glad we booked with Baranof and had Captain Geoff (and Steve too!) putting us on fish. We limited in Halibut, caught a few rockfish and cod to boot. The boat was an awesome, built for purpose vessel, and even in a 3’-4’ chop, was very comfortable. Safety and passenger comfort was important to Geoff, which meant a lot to us. Cap’t was also extremely personable, telling fun stories and always willing to answer our “dumb tourist” questions. In addition, we truly appreciated Geoff letting us handle the rods and do the reeling - in past experience this isn’t always allowed which makes the experience much less authentic. We had a great Alaskan fishing experience and highly recommend Baranof!

Captain: Geoff
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Louisiana
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Excursion: Alaska Fishing
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Rating: Excellent
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Group trip turned Solo Review Date: 2018-09-10

Found them on Trip advisor. Booking over the Phone was simple and straightforward. I came on a cruise and tendered in Ketchikan. Because the cruise ship was late tendering, I missed the first hour of the trip. I booked as a single passenger as my wife gets sea sick easily. I was expecting to be one of 5 or 6 guests on the boat, but when I arrived at the dock, he said I was the only one scheduled on the boat. So I got a solo trip for the price of a shared boat. Had an amazing time seeing whales and eagles and other wildlife. Caught a halibut, 2 black cod, and 5 salmon, although 3 were too small to keep. I had the fish cleaned and shipped back to California, although the processing fee was a little more than I was quoted. All in all, it was an amazing experience and I would definitely go back. Oh and the sack lunches were great!

Captain: Baranof
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N/A
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Excursion: Hunting for Halibut
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Rating: Excellent
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Fantastic Experience Review Date: 2018-09-13

We had a fantastic experience with Captain Lucas Brickweg of Baranof Fishing Excursions Luke made it clear that he would do everything in his power to get us fish He switched baits. He changed gear. He kept in touch with other captains and the commercial fishing boats With his help and diligence we caught 4 Coho Salmon 13-17lbs His boat was very clean A perfect size for 4 or 5 people Not much of a "head" but not a problem when your on a 4 hour cruise ship fish excursion Luke kept us safe. Kept us entertained with his Alaska stories. And most importantly got use fish I recommend Capt Lucas and Baranof Fishing Excursions