Alaska Affordable Adventures — Attraction in Ketchikan

It is a pleasure to enthusiastically recommend Captains Star and Anthony for a great fishing experience. We chartered three days with them: two salmon days and a third all-day salmon / halibut trip. They put my daughter and I on crazy amounts of fish on all three days - we had a really great time. While Star and Anthony are friendly and funny, they are serious and professional about getting you hooked-up. In the off season they dive for urchins and sea cucumbers, so they literally know what’s going on underneath the waves in a truly unique way. I also appreciated that Anthony and Star took the time to share their love of this region with us. For example, while blasting our way out to a fishing site Anthony spotted a school of porpoises. He slowed down to show us, and explained the ideal speed where the pod will play with the boat. Whether it was pointing out grey whales, sharing video of their dive adventures, or describing the (surprising) ideal crab bait, Star and Anthony were great teachers. This was a graduation trip for my 18-year old daughter, and it was also good for her to interact with Star: one of only two female charter captains in Ketchikan. Star really know her stuff, and she inspired my daughter to pursue the “salt life” as she heads off to college for a degree in marine biology. Three pieces of advice if you are considering a fishing trip with Star and Anthony: 1) take Star’s guidance, and treat “salmon fishing as a team effort.” Salmon are wily critters, and cohos in particular love to throw the hook. Anthony and Star work very, very hard to get your fish in the boat, and you will increase your odds by carefully following their good advice. Understand, though, that no matter how hard everyone tries, not every fish that strikes will end up on the deck — that’s the nature of the game. 2) Wear rubber, not “weather resistant.” It rains a great deal in Ketchikan, and a fancy breathable water-resistant coat won’t cut it. Invest in a good quality waterPROOF jacket — if you have time, you can get them at the excellent Tongass supply store across from Safeway. 3) Understand the seasons: We went in July when the pinks were thick, we caught plenty of cohos, and had three Kings that were just under size. (And tons of halibut and Pacific cod) If you go earlier in the Spring, you’ll catch more keeper Kings (though far fewer fish total). Wait until August and September, and there are more cohos. Google a bit before planning your trip, so you know what species are running when you arrive. (Pinks, btw, are great for kids and novices - super fun fish to catch, there are lots of them, and they taste great smoked. Don’t let the King snobs dissuade you from a July pinks trip . . .) My daughter and I have done a lot of fishing, and this was the best charter trip we’ve had, hands down. I hope you get a chance to join Star and Anthony for a trip...

I can't say enough positive comments about the experience we had with Star and Anthony with Alaska Affordable Adventures. I booked a 4-hour salmon adventure for our family while in port for a very short time on our cruise. From first inquiry to finish, everything was smooth and Star was extremely patient answering questions I had (we're all novices). She and Anthony delivered on what ended up being our favorite vacation experience. Their passion for fishing shows and they seem to enjoy sharing knowledge with others. We learned a lot. We also caught 17 keeper salmon and they even helped make processing and shipping home an effortless experience. Star should have "Rock" in front of her name because at one point we had 4 on the line and she helped everyone with no problems--all 4 were keepers. If you're in Ketchikan and looking for great people to book a fishing trip with, you won't go wrong...

Had an AMAZING experience with Anthony and Star. Star was incredibly communicative and quick to respond whenever we needed to contact them. The charter trip itself was more than we could have even imagined and they went out of their way to ensure we had an amazing experience. They are highly expertised and knowledgeable about the area and fishing, in general... I learned more than I expected to. They also gave us really great local advice around Ketchikan and even made the rest of our trip so much more with the great food places they recommended. If you have to be stuck in closed quarters for hours with anyone, these are definitely the people you want to go with! Anthony really thought of everything to make the charter trip the best experience possible. I even caught the most fish on the boat that day (Anthony confirmed) and I would like this on...