The Alaska Catch
The Alaska Catch
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
400 reviews
Excellent
392
Very good
2
Average
1
Poor
3
Terrible
2
Matt B
2 contributions
Jul 2021 • Friends
Went out with Captain Mike for two days this past week and had an absolute blast. Great guy and guide. Worked hard to put us on fish, despite challenging conditions. One nine hour charter and one six hour charter put us on 6 Halibut keepers, including one hog. Also scored us a King on the last day of King season and plenty of Coho. Mike is flexible and willing to tailor the trip to your goals and knows how to fill the fish box. All at a very reasonable, especially rate for Ketchikan. I’ve fished all over the west coast and would definitely fish again with Mike if I get back to Ketchikan.
Written August 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
K L
2 contributions
Aug 2022 • Family
Mike was amazing! We caught 19 fish and had 2 kids ages 3&6 with us. He was great with kids and overall a fun day. We also saw 8 whales and 6 eagles. Go out with The Alaska Catch you will not regret your choice and ask for Mike!
Written August 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John B
1 contribution
Sep 2023 • Family
Great experience fishing. Have gone on many charters in Alaska. Capt Chris is a real professional. Really knows fishing and the area. . Had kids on trip. Had a great time. Will plan again next yeR
Written September 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Soni G
Colorado Springs, CO1 contribution
Sep 2021
We had an incredible time on our one day combo salmon &. halibut private fishing charter with Capt Mike! He was personable, hospitable and carefully plotted a course to ensure we had fishing success and fun along the way. One of our all time best experiences as a family. We'll definitely be back for more! Thanks so much Capt Mike!
Written September 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JasonArroyo
Los Angeles, CA193 contributions
Sep 2014 • Family
There are many tour operators that will take you out fishing in the waters off Ketchikan, and so when my family and I came on a recent cruise, we took a look online to explore what options we had. The best reviewed operator was the Alaska Catch, and there's a damn good reason why that's the case. William (the captain) was spectacular. Even the process of arranging the trip with Amy was terrific. She was helpful and thoughtful in making sure we maximized our time while in port.
We arrived at the cruise terminal, and William was waiting as promised. Took us out to his boat, which is pretty much brand spanking new, and after some required paperwork was completed, went straight out into the water. Let me fast forward 4 hours for you: If you had seen the haul of coho salmon that we caught, you would never had known that we had never fished before, and that it was at the end of salmon season. We ended up with close to 100 pounds of salmon.
What makes the trip with William one that I can wholeheartedly recommended is that you can tell this is something he loves to do. And when someone cares about what they do, it shows in their patience and willingness to go the extra mile to help you feel comfortable. There wasn't ever a moment that we felt like we were on a guy's ship that we had paid to take us out fishing. Instead, it felt like a friend was taking you out for the day, and that made all the difference.
The experience fishing with William was a highlight of our cruise. If you are in Ketchikan and you don't go out with him, you've made a mistake. Make sure you ask him to tell you the story of how he ended up in Ketchikan. It gave my brother a new career path!
We arrived at the cruise terminal, and William was waiting as promised. Took us out to his boat, which is pretty much brand spanking new, and after some required paperwork was completed, went straight out into the water. Let me fast forward 4 hours for you: If you had seen the haul of coho salmon that we caught, you would never had known that we had never fished before, and that it was at the end of salmon season. We ended up with close to 100 pounds of salmon.
What makes the trip with William one that I can wholeheartedly recommended is that you can tell this is something he loves to do. And when someone cares about what they do, it shows in their patience and willingness to go the extra mile to help you feel comfortable. There wasn't ever a moment that we felt like we were on a guy's ship that we had paid to take us out fishing. Instead, it felt like a friend was taking you out for the day, and that made all the difference.
The experience fishing with William was a highlight of our cruise. If you are in Ketchikan and you don't go out with him, you've made a mistake. Make sure you ask him to tell you the story of how he ended up in Ketchikan. It gave my brother a new career path!
Written September 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jack K
Minnesota67 contributions
Jul 2015 • Family
If you are planning on fishing later in the cruise, don't. This is the salmon capital of the world, and farther north you get, the worse the fishing because of all the silt in the water. Captain Ray was very nice and we landed 3 king salmon, nice Chums, Pink, Silver, and some rock fish. The company deals with processing the fish and sends it directly to your door. A lot of fun.
Written July 14, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JohnMissoulaMT
Missoula, MT6 contributions
Jul 2015
We were lucky to book a trip with Captain Mike for a morning trip during a short cruise ship stop. Really, the trip could not have been better.
We were met at the bottom of the gangplank just as arranged. After a short walk on the dock to his boat, we were given a safety briefing and we were on our way out to out to our spot. We chose bottom fishing and we motored to a pinnacle rising out of 1000 ft water to a plateau just over 300 ft. Before Mike could even drop the anchor (I know, a 300+ ft anchor drop!), three orcas appeared off the bow and swam within 100 ft of the boat. We were destined to have a good day.
Everything about the operation is top notch. The boat is less than 2 years old and well equipped with electronics. The fishing gear was in perfect working condition and included nice Penn reels loaded with quality braided line. Our bait was a special cure that put the halibut on the chew. Think about other fishing charters you've paid good money for and you end up on a filthy bathtub using corroded gear, reels half-filled with nicked up monofilament, and bait you know the guy picked up at 7-11 on his way down to the dock.
We were immediately into the fish catching several legal 'buts. Our original plan was to release everything and Mike had no problem with this. I've been on boats where the philosophy is get the people limited out and back to the dock ASAP. The plan changed a bit and we ended up taking a limit of fish, along with releasing several legal fish. I really appreciated Mike's careful treatment of fish prior to the release. I've definitely seen the other end of the spectrum relative ethical treatment of fish once they are board prior to release. This should speak volumes about the kind of guy Captain Mike is.
Besides the killer whales, our bonus species were a pacific cod, a couple of ratfish, and a my wife foul-hooked a large skate that we were pretty sure was Mr. Barn door!
At the end of the trip, Captain Mike dropped us off right at the ship and transported our fish to the processor for packaging and shipping. You can see in the attached photo where he dropped us off......that is him pulling away from the dock.
Overall, we had a great day and I agree with all of the other positive reviews here. I'm looking forward to heading back up to Ketchikan some day and taking another trip with Alaska Catch and maybe combine the fishing with a stay in their cabin.
We were met at the bottom of the gangplank just as arranged. After a short walk on the dock to his boat, we were given a safety briefing and we were on our way out to out to our spot. We chose bottom fishing and we motored to a pinnacle rising out of 1000 ft water to a plateau just over 300 ft. Before Mike could even drop the anchor (I know, a 300+ ft anchor drop!), three orcas appeared off the bow and swam within 100 ft of the boat. We were destined to have a good day.
Everything about the operation is top notch. The boat is less than 2 years old and well equipped with electronics. The fishing gear was in perfect working condition and included nice Penn reels loaded with quality braided line. Our bait was a special cure that put the halibut on the chew. Think about other fishing charters you've paid good money for and you end up on a filthy bathtub using corroded gear, reels half-filled with nicked up monofilament, and bait you know the guy picked up at 7-11 on his way down to the dock.
We were immediately into the fish catching several legal 'buts. Our original plan was to release everything and Mike had no problem with this. I've been on boats where the philosophy is get the people limited out and back to the dock ASAP. The plan changed a bit and we ended up taking a limit of fish, along with releasing several legal fish. I really appreciated Mike's careful treatment of fish prior to the release. I've definitely seen the other end of the spectrum relative ethical treatment of fish once they are board prior to release. This should speak volumes about the kind of guy Captain Mike is.
Besides the killer whales, our bonus species were a pacific cod, a couple of ratfish, and a my wife foul-hooked a large skate that we were pretty sure was Mr. Barn door!
At the end of the trip, Captain Mike dropped us off right at the ship and transported our fish to the processor for packaging and shipping. You can see in the attached photo where he dropped us off......that is him pulling away from the dock.
Overall, we had a great day and I agree with all of the other positive reviews here. I'm looking forward to heading back up to Ketchikan some day and taking another trip with Alaska Catch and maybe combine the fishing with a stay in their cabin.
Written July 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MonikaKulak
Chicago, IL1 contribution
Jun 2014 • Family
It was one of the best things we have done in Alaska. Very experienced fisherman. My husband and I caught way more than we expected. How surprise I was when I normally never have even one fish on the hook and I was the first one to catch fish in Alaska. Now just waiting for our fish to arrive. :) Thanks and we will be back shortly :)
Written June 9, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bps145
Providence, RI79 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
My highest recommendation! Captain Mike was terrific. We went on a private charter with my wife and two sons. We limited out on Halibut within an hour, 4 fish. We then went salmon fishing and caught 6. On top of that we saw a whale bubble feeding! We are having the filets sent home. Thank you for a wonderful day!
Written August 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julia D
4 contributions
Jun 2019 • Family
We booked a 6 hour halibut and salmon charter with Mike at The Alaska Catch for our family of six on June 3 during our Alaskan cruise. We chose to book with him based on TripAdvisor reviews and the fact that his price was cheaper than what Princess Cruises offered. Booking was easy and Mike was waiting for us at the end of the dock before our agreed upon time.
We traveled about 45 minutes by boat to our halibut fishing destination. The boat was clean and new looking, with a zipped enclosure to keep us warm when we were traveling. He provided sodas and a huge variety of chip type snacks, and by the end of the trip my kids pretty much cleaned out his stash.
I was worried about the weather forecast (mid 50's and rain) and whether it was wise to bring our younger kids (ages 10 and 8) along, but it ended up being super fun for everyone! We wore several layers, including gloves and stripped them as the day went on and the sun came out. The rain was a misty drizzle, which wasn't a big deal at all. Our younger kids were excitedly engaged the whole time, and had an enclosed bench to rest on when they needed a break.
Mike baited our lines and taught us how to attract halibut. We used five poles among the six of us. The fish came in waves, with some quiet times and some busy times. We caught our limit of six halibut, and even threw a few small halibut back. We also brought home a cod and a little red rock fish. Apparently, salmon were still quite scarce at the time, so we chose not to use any of our time fishing for salmon.
Mike gave us paperwork to have a local company process the fish and ship them to our house the following week. He took care of everything from that point, and we received a big old box full of delicious halibut shortly after we got home. Mmmm!
If you're trying to decide between booking through your cruise line and booking through Alaska Catch, save the money and book with Alaska Catch. You'll be on the exact same kind of boat, you'll have more flexibility and you'll either be with Mike or his other captain.
We traveled about 45 minutes by boat to our halibut fishing destination. The boat was clean and new looking, with a zipped enclosure to keep us warm when we were traveling. He provided sodas and a huge variety of chip type snacks, and by the end of the trip my kids pretty much cleaned out his stash.
I was worried about the weather forecast (mid 50's and rain) and whether it was wise to bring our younger kids (ages 10 and 8) along, but it ended up being super fun for everyone! We wore several layers, including gloves and stripped them as the day went on and the sun came out. The rain was a misty drizzle, which wasn't a big deal at all. Our younger kids were excitedly engaged the whole time, and had an enclosed bench to rest on when they needed a break.
Mike baited our lines and taught us how to attract halibut. We used five poles among the six of us. The fish came in waves, with some quiet times and some busy times. We caught our limit of six halibut, and even threw a few small halibut back. We also brought home a cod and a little red rock fish. Apparently, salmon were still quite scarce at the time, so we chose not to use any of our time fishing for salmon.
Mike gave us paperwork to have a local company process the fish and ship them to our house the following week. He took care of everything from that point, and we received a big old box full of delicious halibut shortly after we got home. Mmmm!
If you're trying to decide between booking through your cruise line and booking through Alaska Catch, save the money and book with Alaska Catch. You'll be on the exact same kind of boat, you'll have more flexibility and you'll either be with Mike or his other captain.
Written July 9, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
david a
Monroe, WA
Hi I am 14 and I am coming up in late July or August and was wondering what would be better for fishing for Rock cod and Halibut?
spedlady
Michigan34 contributions
If we do not want to ship back as much fish as we catch, what do they do with the extra fish? Do we throw them back? We are thinking of having some processed and shipped.
SusanVM
Sacramento, California742 contributions
I'm not sure because we DID ship all of our catch home as we had a big family group! Send them an email and I'm sure they can answer your question. Our family members had a great time. This is a real authentic Alaskan experience unlike many of the choices that are made up just for cruise passengers:) Hope you have a great time!
Sierrahyker
Simi Valley, CA23 contributions
I will be in Ketchikan from 6/27-7/5 2016. I am a solo traveler and love to fish. I'm staying at the Creek Street & New York hotel. Do we need our own fishing poles. what about rain gear? How should I dress for this tour?
Do you have anything available for those days?
I am a senior female in good health.
jprothn
Sarasota, FL13 contributions
We brought jackets and I felt I needed it part of the day, but then the sun came out. Summer in Alaska I would bring a jacket just in case. They provide everything- you don't bring fishing gear.
Aruba2014traveler
Hanover, MD4 contributions
We will be in Ketchikan on June 24th from 7 to 4. Emailing for price to go fishing. Thank you Karen
Mike F
Ketchikan, AK
Karen,
Thank you for your interest in fishing with The Alaska Catch. Unfortunately, we are booked up on the day or your arrival. If you would like help with other options please call or email us directly. We would be more than happy to help you enjoy your day in Ketchikan.
Frank R
Granite Bay, California, United States
any thing on Petersburg sport fishing charters. Out of Petersburg Ak?