My daughter and I had the pleasure of fishing with Oasis in early August 2022 for Halibut and Salmon. We selected a four-hour tour as we were on an Alaskan cruise. We decided to select them as our tour guide as I believe they were the only charter offering private tours. Most of the companies combine groups and as much as I love meeting new people, the thought of sharing a boat with others didn’t interest me at all.
As we were on an Alaskan cruise, we reached out to Mark and JoAnn in early March and booked ahead of time to ensure we had a spot. They were very responsive and answered our questions in a timely manner and the process of making the deposit was easy.
On the day of the fishing trip, one of the owners, Mark, picked us up at the cruise port, he was on time and my daughter was excited to be graced with the presence of their dogs for the 25-minute trip to the dock. The cost of the transportation was added to the price of the tour which is standard practice.
Upon arrival at the dock, I was introduced to our Captain named Hunter. He advised that I would require a fishing license for the trip so I proceeded to purchase one for $15 dollars in the shop near the dock.
While I was heading back to the dock to proceed on our exciting adventure, Hunter and my daughter were fishing off the dock as there was a large school of pink salmon right beside the boat (at this point I got excited as I knew the day would be fruitful).
Hunter was a great guide and amazing with my 8-year-old daughter. He was knowledgeable, patient, and overall the best Captain I have ever had the experience of deep sea fishing with.
On the boat, he offered us some snacks and drinks. If you are heading out for a tour, I would recommend bringing some food onboard, just in case you do get hungry .
Originally, we were brought out to fish solely for Halibut, but after hearing how well the previous group did on their morning tour we opted to fish for both Halibut and Salmon. One should remember that during these tours you’re not guaranteed to catch mass quantities of fish, so manage your expectations accordingly .
Luckily, my daughter and I landed 4 Halibut, 22 pink salmon, and a Coho. In addition, I would say that we had over 20 fish that broke off the line. What an incredible experience for myself and my daughter. I was also surprised at how many double headers we had during our trip. I do wish my daughter was a bit stronger as she had a very difficult time reeling in some of the fish. Regardless, Hunter and I tried our best to make it feel like she was doing most of the work. Man, my forearms were sore the next day (a nice problem to have).
To be honest, I don’t think I could have had a better day on the water. The fish were biting, the weather was great and our guide Hunter was AMAZING!
If you’re looking to book a tour don’t hesitate to book with Oasis (they exceeded my expectations). They’re a well-run family company that cares for their client’s experience. I hope that I have the opportunity to share more memories with Oasis if I ever travel back to Ketchikan.