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The best way to catch halibut & rock fish in a day! Offered April 15-June 20
Quick Details
Seward, Alaska Fishing Charter: Salmon, Halibut, Rock Fish & Ling Cod
These are our most popular charters offered during the peak of the fishing season, June 20 – September 5, when the silvers are readily accessible. Note: Ling Cod can only be harvested After July 1. Additionally all Wednesdays and Tuesdays are expected to be Halibut Closure days for 2020. See our other tour offerings if you’re coming on these days! For more information about Fishing Regulations & Licenses, see our page at this link!
Our combination halibut and salmon fishing charters from Seward, AK, target everything that is in season at the time and include fishing for red snapper, black bass, and all manner of rockfish as well as ling cod and halibut. (Ling cod may only be harvested on charters taken after July 1.) Our catch records stand among the best in the Seward area. While other outfitters may market halibut/rockfish combos, salmon/ling cod combos, or halibut/salmon combos as specific species trips, this Miller’s Landing combination charter targets all of the sport fish caught in our region, all day long.
Departures at 6 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. daily. You can purchase your Alaska fishing license here, and we have free parking. We even pick you up right from the shore in our specially designed boats! Our brand-new catamaran, the Fox Willie, departs at 6 a.m. and fishes 10. We also often use this vessel to drop off kayakers in the national park — this is the reason for the earlier departure and does not cut into your fishing time, nor does it affect where we fish. Our 6-person landing craft, Thomasea, departs at 7:30 a.m.
Enjoy world-class fishing for all species using Thrasher and Seeker rods, Avet and Shimano reels, and hand-tied gear using top-end components! Read more about our equipment here!
NEW: Are there people in your party who don’t want to fish, but don’t know what to do while you’re out on the water? Add a Full-Day Guided Kayaking trip to Northwestern Fjord for someone in your group and save $150 per person! Depart and return at the same times on the same boat — 6 a.m. departure only.
How do we fish with the Miller’s Landing charter boats?
We drift fish as well as anchor and chum.
When anchored, we set up near the structure depending on the direction of the current, and then keep the scent trail moving by chumming and maintaining fresh bait on hooks. We work hard and fast to maximize our drift in order to spend as much time catching as possible. During the peak season of June 24 – August 7, all of our Seward fishing charters are combination charters. Unless the whole boat agrees to target a single species (if everybody just wants to hunt for a huge ling cod, for example), we target the entire variety of species!
We are happy to find a boat for you to fish from – however large or small your group is, and whatever your fishing interests are, just ask!
We mooch for our salmon on a drift, which is very productive and popular in our area between all operators. Our method of fishing is often different from other charters, and it’s worked well for us for over 35 years; most of our clients find this to be a highly rewarding and engaging experience. Once we find the fish, salmon can literally pour over the side of the boat — we’ve had days where we’ve limited out in under 30 minutes (that’s eight limits of fish, 1.6 salmon per minute!) and of course, we have days when they are jumping everywhere and not touching a hook for hours. With our drifting method, often the result of our extra effort is your ability to catch fish all day long!
All of our species of fish feed around tide changes, and your guide works hard to structure your combo charter around the species most active at the time. Our main targets, unless requested by the clients, are always salmon and halibut; however, we also actively target rockfish and ling cod on our combination charters; it is rare that we do not come back with all species.
Where do you catch halibut and salmon? How far do your boats run before fishing?
Generally, we fish between 100 and 450 feet for bottom fish, with an average of 200 to 300 feet. We typically target silver salmon between the surface and 80 feet; however, sometimes we find the salmon laying right on the bottom in water deeper than one might expect. It usually takes about an hour and a half to two hours, weather depending, to get to the best fishing grounds, and we often travel west when most of the charter fleet heads east. This allows for fast travel to the grounds, often a more diverse catch, and more protected locations to fish if the weather comes up with less competition and gorgeous scenery.
The Kenai Fjords National Park is accessed only 30-45 minutes from where we typically fish. We often encounter whales and other sea life while fishing, and we always slow the boat down to take a closer look at wildlife if we encounter it while traveling. It is an absolutely stunning environment in which to spend your day fishing, rain or shine.
New as of 2017:
If someone in your group wants to do a full-day sightseeing and kayaking adventure, we’re able to offer them the Northwestern Fjord Guided Kayaking trip at the same price as the combination fishing charter on a space-available basis. There are only six seats available daily, but you can save $150/person and keep your group together while pursuing your own specific interests!
What to bring:
Bring rain gear, a camera, and lunch! Everything else is provided!
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We have two full-day charter platforms — Both are custom built landing craft and load directly off the beach either in front of Miller’s Landing or nearby at a public beach if the tide is excessively low (transportation is provided if this is the case). Both boats include a captain and deckhand, a marine toilet, full bottom fishing and salmon fishing gear, heated indoor seating, and all safety equipment.
The store facility opens at 5 a.m. each morning, and fishing licenses should be purchased well before the departure times listed below for each trip — they can be purchased online and printed out these days, which makes it a lot easier. The store sells them as well — plan ahead — check in early!
Free coffee is available at the store for your enjoyment, and there are small snacks, but lunch and drinks should be planned. (Please refrain when packing meals from bringing alcohol aboard the vessel, as the official policy of Miller’s Landing for the safety of everyone is that no alcohol be consumed while aboard).
The Fox Willie departs at 6 a.m. and returns by ~ 6 p.m. and provides a fishing charter platform for up to 10 for an all-day excursion, with the ability to carry six additional clients (friends and family of the crew or other passengers) in the capacity of a water taxi to the Fjords for guided kayaking among the glaciers.
The boat is comfortable and beamy at 40 × 13.5′ overall length. There’s room for everyone to sit inside during transit, and while the boat could be packed with 16 fishing passengers, the taxi portion allows us to let those extra people off, and open the whole boat up for 10. With over 30′ of rail space on each side of the boats full walk around the cabin, it allows a generous fishing space for 5 on each side to utilize.
The kayaking excursions are offered to those booking the charter at a discount – if those in your family are interested in going on a kayaking/sightseeing tour, we can take them on the same departure and return.
The boat will load everyone at the same time, depart at 6 a.m., drop off crew (when aboard) by 8 a.m., and will be within minutes of the fishing grounds and ready to start. The earlier departure time affords 1.5 hours additional boat time at no extra charge. I.e.: When no such kayaking/taxi exists, the fishermen have the boat for the additional 1.5 hours to fish (if necessary) at no additional charge.
The early departure time is intended to be value-added to the fishing crew at all turns – whether it’s having the opportunity to see a glacier or having an extra hour to fish, or just being able to keep the family or group with different interests together on the same day trip. The vessel’s high tunnel catamaran design allows for fast travel through choppy weather, as well as high initial stability for those who dread the seasickness.
The Thomasea departs at 7:30 a.m. and returns by ~ 5 – 6 p.m. and provides a fishing charter platform for up to six on an all-day excursion, with the ability to land on the beach as well for loading and unloading with its landing craft design. The vessel is 32×11′ length overall, and is very capable in seas. The full walk around the house provides plenty of deck space for the fishing crew, while its cabin is cozy and dry during transit times or to make a snack. The 7:30 departure time allows for a more relaxed morning, and the six-person capacity allows for a more private experience while out and about. Trips are due to return between 5 and 6 p.m.
Schedule
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Fishing regulations change each year. For the most up-to-date information, please see the ADF&G website, at www.adfg.alaska.gov and the Southcentral Region, specifically linked HERE.
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Buy your fishing and hunting license online at https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/store/ – these can be printed out ahead of time, but must be on your person whenever you fish!
*2020 Fishing Regulations Online – Full Sport Fishing Regulations for State of Alaska
*2020 Fishing Regulations Online – Sport Fishing Regulations for Seward Area (North Gulf Coast) -
Runs from June 1st – 30th. Miller’s Landing will be selling tickets for the Halibut Derby from their campground store.
The Seward Silver Salmon Derby runs the second Saturday of August every year and is not only Alaska’s oldest fishing derby, but it’s also the highest-dollar cash prize fishing derby in Alaska. You can buy tickets right at the store, and it’s a blast!
Additional Information
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- A $10 cancellation fee is imposed for all reservations canceled.
- Cancellations must be received by email only to [email protected] The cancellation notice date is the date the email was received at [email protected] Phone cancellations will not be accepted.
- Cancellations received by email 30 days prior to the first day of the reservation are charged a $10 cancellation fee and you will receive a refund of 90% of the total amount of the reservation.
- Cancellations received by email 15 to 29 days prior to the first day of the reservation are charged a $10 cancellation charge and you will receive a 75% refund of the total amount of the reservation.
- Cancellations received by email 14 days to zero days prior to arrival are charged a $10 cancellation fee and you will receive a 50% refund only if we are able to rebook your camping, cabin, fishing, kayaking, water taxi, shuttle, lunch, or activity. If we are not able to rebook your reservation, then no refunds will be issued and you will also be charged a $10 cancellation fee to your credit card.
- In some situations, a raincheck worth 75% of your reservation may be issued at the discretion of Miller’s Landing management instead of the applicable cancellation charge. If this option appeals to you, please suggest this at the time of cancellation. Rainchecks are good for one year and may be used for activities, camping, or lodging owned by Miller’s Landing or towards the cost of hats, T-shirts, gifts, etc. sold in the Miller’s Landing store or items sold online. For items purchased online, the customer is expected to pay for the cost of postage. Rainchecks may NOT be transferred to another person.
- A 100% refund will be issued for any activity that was canceled due to weather by Miller’s Landing. Miller’s Landing reserves the right to determine weather cancellations. Rain does not constitute a cancellation.
Please note: Miller’s Landing encourages only guaranteed prepaid reservations. Unlike many other states, Alaska has a very short tourist season, which can make it difficult for us to rebook when we have cancellations without ample notice.
If you are booking a charter and lodging and your charter, water taxi, or kayaking is canceled due to weather, you are still responsible for the lodging or camping reservations and the normal cancellation policy applies. All of our activities are possible during rain, so rain does not constitute a cancellation. Miller’s Landing is not responsible for vehicle break downs, personal emergencies, flight delays, health issues or other unforeseen hardships. We will try very hard to work with you, but the cancellation policy will need to be applied if we cannot issue a raincheck or find an alternative solution that appeals to both parties.
Please understand that Miller’s Landing also incurs a hefty financial merchant fee from our bank for the cost of charging your credit card and again for the cost of refunding it, and there is also a cost involved for the time involved in processing and refunding your reservation in employee costs. Our goal when taking your reservation is to have a solid, guaranteed prepaid reservation. We strongly discourage the practice of making reservations without having an airline ticket or making tentative reservations. Thank you for your understanding.
Cancellations & Rescheduling
What to Catch:
Pacific Halibut
Often the most desired and largest fish of Alaska’s sport fisheries, Pacific Halibut are plentiful in our waters throughout our season, and can be caught May- September.
Sport-caught halibut usually range from 20-50 lbs., although larger fish are not uncommon. People frequently ask about the size of the halibut we catch- that question is impossible to answer from day to day. We commonly catch fish over 100 lbs., but we also commonly catch average-sized halibut as well. Fishing is variable, and it’s up to you to listen to your guide, attend your line, and do your best to maximize your catch! We’ve caught 156 lb. halibut on salmon rods while fishing for rockfish, with a tiny little hook and skimpy piece of herring. We’ve also caught 300 lb. halibut on whole salmon carcases threaded with circle hooks at 400′. Nobody can forecast a day of fishing, but we work as hard as we can to make it a success.
Ling Cod
Ling season opens July 1st, and they aren’t actually cod at all!
Lings are members of the Greenling family, and in some cases their flesh is naturally tinted green or blue, turning white when cooked! They eat a great deal of chlorophyll, lending the fish its unusual tint. Minimum legal size is 35 inches, but we won’t keep them unless they’re over 36 inches. These fish can grow to over 80 lbs. They look like prehistoric sea monsters, and are apex predators, often shunning bait and going instead for an actively worked jig. Lings can be caught at almost any depth, but we catch most of them at 30- 275 feet. Many people prefer the moist, succulent, white meat of ling cod to halibut. Lings are often caught pre-season and must be released prior to July 1st.
Black Sea Bass
Black Bass are exciting (usually) and fun (always) to catch.
They are the most prolific of the pelagic Rockfish species and are found near shallow rocky areas. Fishermen are limited to a set number of pelagic and nonpelagic Rockfish per day, and we make an effort to catch both to reach the limit. These fish average about 4-5 pounds, but can range up to 12 pounds. We often fish for them with light/medium weight tackle. These fish are great fun for young and big kids alike because they hit fast and furious, are located all throughout the water column, and can liven up a lull in the bite. They are excellent fried, baked, or (pun incoming) blackened.
Red Snapper
Red Snapper or Yellow Eye Rockfish are one of the tastiest fish we catch, and also one of the oldest.
They are a nonpelagic Rockfish, which means they’re one of 32 different species in the same classification caught in Alaska. Other nonpelagic Rockfish we catch are Copper, China, Silvergray, Tiger, et al. They are generally the “colorful” species of rockfish. Red Snapper and their nonpelagic bretheren live to be incredibly old- they grow about an inch per year, don’t start breeding until they’re 7, and the eggs have less than a 1% survival rate. They live where they are born, and as such are limited in most areas to 1 per person per day. They are incredibly good to eat, and gorgeous fish that initially hit like a truck. Red Snapper can grow up to 32 lbs, and we’ve had them swallow whole salmon on halibut gear. They are generally caught while fishing for halibut and ling cod.
Silver Salmon
Silvers start their annual return to their fresh water streams in mid July and August.
They average 8-20 lbs and are a lot of fun to catch. They put up a good fight and it’s exciting to watch the fish rip around the boat and leap into the air during the fight! People of all ages are capable of catching Silvers, and kids do very well with these fish. Seward has one of the better Silver Salmon sport fisheries on the Kenai Penninsula, and charter operators actually come from other towns to fish here. Silvers are remarkably tasty, and we take extra care with our salmon, keeping them in coolers with ice and salt water so they stay firm and fresh no matter what time of day they were caught. Miller’s Landing has its own ice maker, and we outfit the charters daily with a stock of ice for the catch. When the bite is on, it’s a complete frenzy. Everyone on the boat can have a fish on at the same time!
