At True North Charters our efforts are
focused on helping you catch lots of chrome bright kings and silvers, big halibut,
lingcod, and yelloweye in their natural saltwater habitat. And we're
in the right place to help you do it. All the fish that seasonally
migrate into the upper end of Alaska's vast Inside Passage have to pass by us
on the way. In addition, our proximity to the open Pacific allows us to take
advantage of the large migrations of other fish continuing southward along the
outer coastline. Tie those two together with the added bonus of minimum
sport pressure and you have a recipe for success. All your fishing
will be done from 28' aluminum boats designed and outfitted for the serious
fishing of our Alaskan waters. For your comfort and convenience our
boats are equipped with private heads and heated cabins. All of our
fishing gear is top name brand (i.e. G-Loomis, Seeker, Shimano) and is exactly
suited for the job. Our fishing techniques are typical to the Alaska
saltwater fishing scene with trolling, jigging, and mooching tactics for salmon
and anchoring or drifting with bait and artificial lures for halibut, lingcod,
and yelloweye.
Top 5 Targets:
KINGS King salmon are the prized object
of most salmon enthusiasts. They're big, they're tough, and they're
delicious. You'll find fast king action on our outer coast
with most fish we keep ranging in size from 20 to 30 pounds. On our inside waters king fishing effort is centered around pristine beaches harbored from the open sea. Some of our bigger
kings each year come along the protected shorelines of our picturesque fjords. Alaska
non-resident limits on kings are currently one king per day with a total of
three for the calendar year.
SILVERS While king salmon receive heavy attention from salmon lovers, another favorite is the silver salmon- a feisty opponent that often hunts in packs and barrages fishing lines with a nothing barred vengeance. At its peak silver salmon fishing can be pandemonium. These salmon average 12 pounds and are fine table fare, and with
a generous limit of six fish per person per day, catching them might just be the most fun you'll ever have fishing.
HALIBUT This is the bottom king of the North Pacific. These fish are pure muscle and deliver astonishing
runs on heavy tackle. Outside the sheer thrill of fighting these goliaths, not many will contest the idea that halibut are one of the best eating fish around. There also may not be a better place to fish halibut in the whole state than here in Gustavus. For three years standing the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has listed Gustavus as number one in the region and number two in the entire state for the largest average weight on sport caught halibut. In addition, all of our fishing for halibut is done in the comfort of the Inside Passage just a short run from the dock. When you come you can expect fish ranging from 30 to 100 pounds for your freezer and fish from 150 to over 300 pounds for your photo album. Our current
record halibut is 420 pounds. State limits for nonresidents are two halibut per day per person.
LING COD Lings are the dragons of the
underwater world. They can reach weights of 60 pounds in our waters
and catching a big ling isn't an infrequent event if you target them. There
are now fairly strict regulations in place for keeping lings. You
may keep one fish per day as a non-resident from May 15 through June 14 and
from August 15 until the end of our season. The fish must fall between
30 and 40 inches. All lings smaller and larger than that slot limit
must be released. Our lings come mostly from our coastal fishery.
YELLOW EYE Often called the red snapper
of the north, these bright orange rockfish obtain sizes to 20 pounds and are
a special treat at the dinner table. The limit is two per angler
per day and we usually keep the first two reasonable size fish you catch as
mortality is very high among rockfish releases. Like their neighbor the ling cod, these bottom dwellers also come from our coastal waters.