You can check the Alaska Photo Gallery for some of our days on the water.

Regardless of who you go with, here are some caveats and questions you should ask of your charter service:

1) Experience of your captain IN THIS FISHERY. Just knowing a set of numbers doesn't know that your captain will know where to go on a given day. The fishery is heavily influenced by tides and knowing what spot will fish the best under given tide swings is a must. In addition, knowing the in and outward migration over the course of the summer is also a must.

2) Experience of the deckhand. Yes, the deckhand. Many outfits hire kids looking for a summer job to fill this role. Some do well, but many do not. The deckhand must be extremely efficient to keep things running smoothly with a good bite going on, expecially when under the time pressure that the aformentioned tides can play. Lost fishing time may spell the difference between no catch and a nice catch!

3) Willingness to change launches. Cook Inlet halibut migrate in and out. Typically in late season, most halibut are migrating back out of the Inlet and the northern holes do not fish very well. Your better boats will trailer to Anchor Point and launch there later in the season.

4) High tides only! Whenever possible, you want to fish highs. Many outfits will fish two trips daily and put one on a high, the other on a low. In most instances, highs produce better fishing than the lows.

5) One trip daily! Is your charter boat going to fish both that high and low? If so, the Cap't likely isn't going to give you much of a trip if he's gotta be back by a certain time to get the next group out for the tide 6 hours later!

6) Equipment ... let me tell you, I've seen some of the rattiest stuff imaginable out there! It's just halibut fishing though?? NOT! Your better companies will also provide you with 2-speed reels for reeling in under load, or only when rebaiting ... the large Penn Internationals are a favorite of those that are willing to invest the money for their clients' angling pleasure

Just some brief thoughts from someone who has seen it all!