Rainbow Tours — Local services in Homer

I first read about Rainbow Tours in The Lonely Planet. I decided to book a half day halibut trip on one of their big boats. I was a bit skeptical about 27 people casting their lines off the boat - and I also questioned whether the crew would be able to divide their attention between so many people. As we gathered to take off, my first impression was a happy crew that likes each other and that enjoys working together. The passengers followed their lead and developed a very nice esprit de corps as we were boating to our destination. The crew had all of the fishing poles ready for us to use upon our arrival. They showed us what to do and then put us to work fishing. The first line that went down caught a fish and then the joint was jumping with fish. The able-bodied, hard-working crew were everywhere - encouraging, helping, gamely untangling lines, and creating a fun, adventuresome atmosphere. They had a clever organization of zip ties to keep everybody's fish straight. Much to my surprise, everybody on the boat caught their limit of fish. I had some anxiety, because my fish kept getting away as I was hauling them in, and I was one of the last people fishing - but they cheerfully kept attaching fresh bait to the bedraggled remains on my hook. The free coffee and tea were a very nice touch for warming cold hands. On the way home, the crew took pictures of everybody with their fish and then expertly filleted everybody's fish (we were able to watch) and handed us each a bag that was ready to be frozen or processed at the dock. I had a wonderful time and was grateful that I got the chance to join the crew and fellow passengers for a fun day on the ocean catching mouth watering halibut! Thanks very much -...

If you're looking for a half day charter then Rainbow Tours has you covered.

When I need some halibut I always take a half day charter with Rainbow Tours. It takes about 1 hour to reach the fishing spot. I believe this is a fishing spot for chickens (small halibut). I haven't caught anything larger than 40 lbs at these spots, but for a half day it's fine with me. Sadly the price has gone up over the years.

Some tips here... bring a $10 or $20 to tip. Rarely do I meet a deckhand that is rude, but it does happen. Don't wear your best clothes on a charter. Expect fish slime, herring guts, and salt water. Whatever the deckhands wear you should attempt to copy for best results.

Arrive to the boat or catwalk early, because the captain will not wait for you to show up. Bring enough, but don't bring the kitchen sink. There isn't very much room on these boats. There isn't enough seats in the cabin, so some passengers will need to sit outside.

A full day is too much for me, so if you're pressed for time then consider...

We went out on the 1/2 day halibut charter, on Jackpot. We were catching fish minutes within dropping the lines. They were not big halibut, but you will get your limit. Chuck Nasty and Owen made this trip super fun, enjoyable, and are excellent at their jobs. They are why I would recommend going! They are care free and very helpful. They do a wonderful job. Captain Art must have been having a bad day, he was pretty grumpy and not very personable. I didn’t want to keep my second small fish because I would have been limited out in 10 minutes and he was not happy with my decision. He coped an attitude and threw the fish. I didn’t pay that much money to fish 10 minutes for two 10 pound halibuts and be sitting the rest of the day. I did end up getting a bigger fish and my limit. My family did enjoy it, even with a...