Two Charters on the Outer Coast (Seward, Alaska)
When Keith Combs and I went to Alaska in 2019, we made a late-in-the-game effort to add on an overnight halibut trip before we ventured out to Bear Trail Lodge. At that point, pre-COVID, tourism was in full force, and we didn’t know that many of the leading outfitters booked up early. I worked through the Google listings and came up snake eyes – we preferred on overnight trip for bigger fish, didn’t want to fish on a boat with 8 or 10 other people, and needed specific dates.
Then someone suggested that we call Chris Hanna of Outer Coast Adventures. By some miracle, not only did he have the days we wanted available, but he preferred smaller groups and was willing to take just the two of us at a very reasonable price. We weren’t sure exactly what we were getting into, but our state goal was not necessarily to amass fish for home (although we got plenty of that), but rather to tangle with some giant halibut.
Captain Chris and his mate built us an incredible trip, running out 80-plus miles, setting up a chum slick, and then whacking on big halibut – plus lingcod and various types of rockfish – until we grew tired of them.
It was late July, we’d arrived the day before, we were dealing with a 3- and 4-hour time difference, and it stayed light seemingly forever, so we finally set down to catch a snooze around 11pm. At 1am, Chris starting banging on the cabin, “Who wants to catch another giant halibut?” I prayed that Keith would meet the call but he didn’t stir, so I got up and wrenched a 120-pounder to the boat, cursing my morning breath and tiredness the whole way.
On the way in, we stopped at a place where we could load up on black rockfish, which was a lot of fun, tempting them with a jigging spoon and watching a pile of them follow it up until one got ahold of it.
What Were My Concerns Going Back?
Everything about that first trip was exceptional, including the rockfish tacos that Chris made, and his breakfast of bacon and eggs. We both sent home 50-pound boxes of fish, only because we didn’t want to pay more. We had fantastic weather the whole time which made the long run painless and prevented us from any risk of seasickness. With only two of us on the boat, we had plenty of room and lots of chances to catch different species.
Hanna and I did not go to Seward during her first Alaska trip in the summer of 2020. It was the height of the pandemic. We needed a negative test just to enter Alaska, and we didn’t want to overexpose ourselves and then bring the virus to Bristol Bay, where access to medical care is limited.
We returned this summer, not just the two of us, but with two other couples. I was the only one who’d been on a halibut trip before, and two members of our group had never fished at all. If our trip was anything like my 2019 charter, I knew everyone would have a good time, but I had some concerns.
First, would we get the same kind of weather? Granted, I’m not sure how much fish that live 150 feet down care about sunshine and/or precipitation, but it would impact our ability to enjoy the experience. The forecast showed heavy rain for much of the four days before we’d go to Bristol Bay. Miraculously, it rained the day before and the day after our charter, but virtually not at all the day we spent on the Outer Coast.
Second, we only had a day to fish, instead of the overnight charter that Keith and I took. There would be no option of running the 80-plus miles, and no ability to take two-days’ limits of halibut per person. Would we catch any at all? Would they be the right size?
Third, since my 2019 trip Chris had purchased a second boat – the Arctic Fox -- with multiple staterooms, with the express purpose of leading longer, more varied multi-day trips. We’re anxious to someday charter it, Meanwhile, he hired Captain Chuck Pezzillo to run the boat we’d be on. I couldn’t imagine that Chris would hire someone unprofessional or unskilled, but it would be hard to match that great first experience – especially with new anglers in tow.
Our 2023 Trip on the Outer Coast
I shouldn’t have worried about any of those things. In summary, the weather cleared for our lone day out (there was some fog in the morning that slowed down the run a bit), we caught tons of fish of different species, and Capt. Chuck and his mate Roberto (AKA, Rico) were great.
After a brief safety instruction, Chuck told us that there were some silver salmon biting on the way out to the halibut grounds and assured us that we’d jig for them rather than troll. Hanna was lukewarm on that, since we’d be in Bristol Bay for the start of the silver season. Last time we’d brought home 90+ pounds of sockeye, so she didn’t necessarily want to “waste” time on silvers in Seward. In the end it turned out to be a good decision to stop on them for about an hour, catching a dozen or so. As it turned out, we were on the very front end of the silvers in King Salmon (and after the sockeyes) so it didn’t make much sense to fish for “meat.” The salmon we caught in Seward and sent home will be put to good use.
After an hour, the fog had dissipated enough to run out to the halibut grounds. We had radar and could’ve done it earlier, but we were having fun on the salmon and the Captain didn’t necessarily trust some other boats out there, who were running willy-nilly and awfully close together. After another 45 minutes we were there.
We anchored, Rico set up his chum slick, explained the process and then said it usually took right at 45 minutes for the fish to show up. The action started up much sooner than that. We caught tons of halibut and had to make choices about which ones to keep – each angler is allowed to take home two per day, at least one of which must be under 28 inches (the other can be any size), but there were also lingcod, various types of rockfish and black cod (AKA, sablefish). We also occasionally threw out a jig and managed several more silver salmon, plus one small king. By mid-afternoon we’d finally decided to box our limit fish and head in. On the way, the captain stopped at one rock that was absolutely loaded with black rockfish. We’d get a bite on our jigs on every drop, and if the first fish missed it another would typically grab it on the way up. Our limit was three apiece, so in short order we had 18 more fish in the box.
The captain and mate didn’t seem surprised at all by our fishing success. It was just another day at the office for them, and while I’m sure there are tougher days, it was reassuring that this just seemed par for the course. By the end of the day, I’m sure they would have liked to have gone home. They’d been on the water for days upon days on end, with almost no days off and minimal sleep. They would’ve been well within their rights to make a beeline for the dock – after all, they’d done their job. Nevertheless, the captain knew that we wanted to see wildlife, so he made several detours to give us what we wanted, pointing out puffins, sea lions and eagles, as well as several historical sites and places of interest on the various islands that we otherwise would’ve missed. As an added bonus, as we entered the bay a group of Dall’s Porpoises gathered around the boat and put on show, jumping and weaving and showing off for another 15 minutes. It was a fitting chapeau to a great day.
FAQ About the Outer Coast Fishing Experience
Why Should You Book the Outer Coast? I’m sure that there are a great many charter boats and captains in Seward and other nearby ports. There may be an argument that other fisheries are better for particular species or size, but I’m not aware of it. I know that it’s one of the closest and easiest places to get to in order to chase these fish. Many of the charters are larger (up to 16 anglers) and you go with whatever program is established. What I really liked about the Outer Coast is that both captains asked us what we wanted to do, assessed the fishing conditions honestly, and then built a trip around our needs and desires. Also, the catamaran style boat rides well and all of the gear is high quality and well-maintained.
Rule #1: Book early! When we saw Chris Hanna at the Nashville Safari Club Show in February, he had very few dates available for either of us two boats, especially during prime tourism season.
Rule #2: Book everything else early. Car rentals are limited in Anchorage and they’re also quite expensive. Lock in a refundable rate and then continue to monitor it. The same holds true with hotels or other lodging – they’re pricey and of varying quality.
When to Go: The fishing season starts in May and typically runs through
How Many People Can Go: We fished six comfortably on our day charter, but on overnights the Outer Coast is limited to four passengers.
Where to Stay: In 2019, Keith and I stayed at the Breeze Inn, at the far end of the marina from the K Dock where the Outer Coast is parked. We drove over, but probably could have walked. This year it was booked by the time we tried to book, so we stayed at the Hotel Edgewater about a mile way. Both were clean and more than serviceable, although they cost more than you’d expect to pay for something similar in non-tourist towns.
What to Wear: Dress in layers because the temperatures could be in the 30s or they could be 80, sometimes in the same day. Bring a rainsuit and waterproof shoes with non-slip soles, because the deck will get slippery. Most importantly, don’t bring anything that’s fancy or that can’t get dirty, because between the fish, the bait and the elements there’s a pretty good chance you’ll get dirty.
What to Bring: You’ll need a fishing license, and possibly a king salmon stamp if they’re in the area and in-season. On the overnight trips the captain will provide meals, water and coffee. You bring beverages, snacks and a pillow and/or sleeping bag. On the day trips, you’ll need to bring whatever you want to eat and drink. There is a Safeway as well as several other convenience stores in Seward.
What You’ll Catch: We’ve caught multiple species – and several of them – on both trips. Generally you’ll chase some combination of salmon, rockfish and halibut. There are both seasonal and daily closures for certain species. For example, you can’t retain any lingcod before July 1, and you can’t retain halibut on Wednesdays and certain Tuesdays. Consult the regs or ask about them if you have your heart set on a particular target.
Notes on Getting There: The drive to Seward from Anchorage is just about two hours. There is also a train, but we haven’t tried that. If you drive, and you’re headed into town on the day of your charter, be sure to allow extra time for road construction, which seems to be ongoing.
Where to Meet the Boat: This season the boat was in slip K24 at the large Seward boat basin. Go to the well-marked J-Dock seafood processing business and walk down to the docks. As the name suggests, you’re at the “J” dock. “K” is right next to it.
Notes on Parking: There is public parking in the lot right in front of J Dock and in lots across the street. Note that this is PAID parking. In 2019, I did not notice that and came back from our overnight trip to a $35 ticket. This year I found a spot in front of J-Dock, but the payment system was cash-only, so I moved across the street where the parking vending machine accepted credit cards. It was $10 for the day.
What to Do With Your Catch: The captain and/or mate will clean your fish as part of the trip, then deliver them to J-Dock for processing. Both times, we’ve been headed elsewhere so we FedExed the catch home at a reasonable but not insubstantial cost. Be sure that someone is home to accept the package and that you have enough freezer space for it. If you’re headed home from Seward, you can take the box/es home as luggage. There is paid freezer storage in the Anchorage airport if you need to keep it there for a while. Many hotels in the city also have freezer space available.
If you have any questions, by all means email us and we’ll fill you in to the best of our ability — and if you decide to book a charter please tell them that Pete and Hanna of Half Past First Cast recommended them.
