Every charter company, ourselves included, show pictures of huge Alaskan halibut on their websites ... although big fish are relatively common in the Cook Inlet, Alaska halibut fishery ...

A 'typical' day of Halibut fishing

We'll usually meet about 2-3 hours before high tide in Ninilchik. From there we'll take you down to the launch point at the mouth of Deep Creek. Later in the season, as the fishing holes to the south typically produce better, we'll usually launch from Anchor Point. The charter boats are then launched via tractor directly into the surf. The boats (28 - 32 feet in length) seat no more than six charter customers, plus the captain and a deckhand. If you have less than six in your group, there is a good chance that there might be a few other people on board, although a few parties occasionally 'buy the boat', an option you can choose if you wish.

The running time to the actual fishing area depends upon the weather and the area that you will be fishing, usually it is somewhere between 30-50 minutes.

Fishing depths are usually between 150-300 feet, less if the tide swings are large. Unlike most of the salmon fishing trips, halibut fishing requires a little physical exertion. you'll usually be bouncing a couple of pounds of lead on the bottom of the seafloor.

Pump & Reel!

Alaska halibut are sometimes a pretty hefty load coming up from the bottom of the ocean against a sometimes swift running current. To help make fishing a little easier, we offer our Deep Creek fishing charter customers two-speed Penn International reels ... the finest available for this type of fishing ... as well as fighting harnesses.

Many people's biggest fear of halibut fishing, seasickness, usually are not realized in this fishery. Although the waters of Alaska's Cook Inlet can be choppy at times, there is usually an absence of large swells that  and for most people, the swells are what set off seasickness.  Every so often, when things get too rough, we'll call off the halibut fishing trip and try to reschedule the halibut trip later in your trip and / or substitute a river trip if you wish. Your safety and comfort are two of our primary goals and we'll do everything we can to attain them.

Plan on dressing in layers, with raingear (nothing fancy or high-tech ... plain PVC or coated nylon works fine) and waterproof footwear (knee-high rubber boats are perfect!) recommended.

Although the boat's cabins are enclosed, temperatures are usually cool on the water, with fog and drizzle an occasional companion to halibut anglers plying the waters of one of Alaska's most popular halibut fisheries.

Upon completion of fishing, we will be happy to fillet your catch for you, or transport it to a local processor for any smoking or professional vacuum-packing that you wish to have done.

A halibut fishing oddball ... an Alaskan salmon shark!