I took the beginning keel boat course in Late July 2025. All of the instructors (3) were obviously…read moregreat instructors and experienced persons. Top Notch. BUT in this basic class, one must remember that not only are you learning to sail a boat BUT you are also learning a new language. Sailors have their own language. Period. A rope is no longer a rope but a Sheet. Or a halyard. Confusing, eh? So do your reading before the course. There are also 3 different instructors on three different days. That leads to some confusion as each has their own nuances. It might be helpful to students if the 3 of them sailed together one day to learn how everyone is teaching students; it may help resolve some of the confusion for students.

Top notch all the way around! Great instructors, great dock techs, great boats; you will not be…read moredisappointed.

Came to Seattle for our mini-honeymoon! Had such a great experience with Justin! Very friendly and…read moreeasy to talk with! Had quite a few action and ended with two beautiful salmon (of course the wife caught the bigger hog!) Definitely coming back in the summer for some crabbing with Justin!

Can I just say that my family and I had the best experience with Captain Justin? We did a morning…read morefishing trip and caught Lingcod! Justin was a fantastic captain--super easy to talk to, very informative, and had answers to all my questions about fishing and sea life. We had an amazing experience on our fishing charter today! Justin is incredibly helpful and knowledgeable. He made sure our lines were set up perfectly, helped us with casting, untangled any issues in no time, and was super patient the whole trip. His guidance made the experience smooth and enjoyable, especially for those of us who aren't expert anglers. The boat was clean and comfortable, and the views were incredible. It was such a fun and relaxing experience--definitely a highlight of our day. Highly recommend!!

Captain Jason is a true professional and a credit to his craft as charter fishing Captain. Our half…read moreday excursion was filled with great service, incredible knowledge of the fishing. Jason was on the job from the time we boarded to the time we left the dock. Top notch gear, awesome boat, and overall a magnificent day. We have never witnessed such passion for doing a great job and working hard.

I recommend that you read this before you book with this outfit:…read more The website is well done and would lead one to believe that this is a professional operation. However, based upon my direct experience, it is not. I booked a morning charter for my son and me last weekend while I was visiting my son's new place in Seattle. I confirmed the departure location with Captain Jason via phone several weeks ahead of time. When I called, Captain Jason's tone sounded as if I was causing him an inconvenience and bordered on sounding rude...though he did warm up a bit at the end when I identified myself as a paying customer. I followed up with an email to him two days before the charter to ask if he had any additional requirements or recommendations for my son and me prior to our arrival, but he never replied. I wasn't too concerned...I guess he had no additional information for us and after all, he had already had accepted my 10% deposit and had my email and phone number if there was some type of issue. The day before the charter, my son and I drove to the marina to make sure that we knew exactly where we were going the next morning as we would be leaving early and I was entirely unfamiliar with the area. According to Captain Jason's instructions, my son and I arrived promptly at the dock at 4:45 am the next morning...15 minutes before the charter start time of 5:00 am. However, neither Captain Jason nor anyone affiliated with Bow to Stern Charters was there. We waited until 5:15 and then called Captain Jason's cell phone number. It rang and rang, and then went to voicemail. I made another call at 5:45, and again no answer. I then made a final call at 6:15 am, and again, no answer. So, with our one-day fishing licenses, camera, snacks and beverages in hand, my son and I got back into our rental car and drove back to the hotel. I sincerely don't know if I have ever felt more disappointed. If I could, I would leave zero stars for this business but it seems that Yelp requires at least one star to post a review. I'm 52 years old, and have never left a Yelp review before. I went to Captain Jason's Bow to Stern website today and see that he is still actively booking for trips today and through the rest of the week, so it would seem that he is still in operation. However, three days after our monumental disappointment, I have yet to receive a reply to my email and three unanswered phone calls as to why a Captain would do such a thing to a father and son.

Captain Dave was an incredible host and guide of our salmon trip on the Puget Sound! He welcomed us…read moreat the dock, got us situated, and took us to an incredible spot that we were catching tons of pink salmon! He's a wealth of knowledge about not only the wildlife of the PNW, but all the surrounding areas for hiking, camping and more. He even let our kids feed the resident seal, Carla, our salmon scraps! We will definitely be back!

I must add that Captain Dave's first priority is safety and social distancing. Masks were worn and…read moreyou will feel abundantly safe on board!!!!

My family held a memorial service and released our loved one's ashes on Puget Sound with Ben as…read morecaptain of his boat. He was very accommodating to my needs as a person with disabilities. The boat trip was lovely and enjoyable. He demonstrated great warmth and sensitivity for our family's needs during our remembrance. There were no unpleasant surprises. He demonstrated great communication and punctuality. He took what could be a sad day and left us with lovely memories. I recommend him wholeheartedly.

Ben is a great Captain and tour guide!! The views were incredible. We went through the lock and it…read morewas a very cool experience. BYOB. Highly recommend!!

To the business owners, I recommend that you suggest people who review the business on TripAdvisor…read morealso review it here! Wow, this excursion was so worth it! I booked this trip as a fun thing for my husband and I to do. We went out on a Sunday morning with Captain Curtis and Julian, the deckhand. There were a few other passengers on the boat because we booked a shared charter. Communication was great - I got directions and information about the outing all the way up to getting a text in the morning of our trip confirming that we will see the captain soon. We drove out to various spots in the Sound. It was really cool to hear about the different types of fish that are in the water and what's in season etc. Someone who knows nothing about fishing - I enjoyed looking at the monitors that show aquatic life under the water surface and learning about the fishing boats parts and what they all do. This isn't really an informational tour, but any questions or things that you want to know, the team will be happy To answer. Our deckhand did a really awesome job of checking on a different fishing poles and when there was a potential bite, he made sure everything was set up so that someone can hop on and reel in the fish. I noticed that some people were saying that it's not really fishing because you're not doing the set up and what have you but if you don't have any of the equipment or a vessel to go out on the water, a fishing charter solves all of that. I had no fishing experience but other passengers on the boat did and they also had an equally fun time trying to fight those fish who did not want to come in! Also nowhere on the website does it say that you're guaranteed to catch fish so people should keep that in mind -- We just happened to have a lucky day and every passenger on the boat was able to take home the legal limit. Our captain gave us the best opportunities to catch fish and when we returned to the marina, the team cut and filleted our fish so they were in a bag ready to take home. We live close by so we weren't worried about chilling but if you live further away, I might recommend having a cooler bag and getting some ice after the trip to keep your fish chilled. The best part for me was seeing all the harbor seals come into the marina who were waiting for leftover fish parts - It was so cute to see them come up and eat all the Nom Noms! I will say this is definitely a more expensive excursion and I booked it for a special occasion, but it was definitely worth it and we would recommend our fishing charter team to anyone looking for a fun fishing experience. I've heard you are more likely to catch fish in the morning compared to the afternoon charters and I would check to see what fish are in season and how many you're allowed to catch before you book your trip so you know what to expect. Also remember to bring cash to tip your boat's deckhand!

Great day on the water! Curtis and Eric worked hard to give us a great experience! Super…read moreprofessional and a lot of fun- and we caught some great Ling Cod!

The Folks at Shilshole are top notch professionals. Who do everything they can, to make mooring…read morethere a great experience. 5 stars.

Peaceful in the early spring especially. A lot busier in the summer. If you want to use the lot to…read morewalk over to the beach, you should get a parking permit. Cars are left at your risk. They spent money putting up flashing blue lights, but that does very little to deter against crime. Community deters against crime.

July 3, Captain Steve and his daughter Makenna hosted 2 children (11 & 12) and 3 adults fishing…read more He was patient, informative and funny with the Kids. We caught 3 COHO keepers and several others. On our way out, we dropped pods in the AM and got 5 Dungeous crabs on our way home. Lucky for us the season just openned up. Since we were from out of town, he went the extra mile and was able to cook our crab dockside. What a great experience for all. Highly Recommended!

Steve and his daughter were awesome! Caught lots of fish, super knowledgeable, and great fishing…read moresetup. We would definitely recommend to others. Thanks again!

Genuinely just a good time. Shoutout to Blake for being such an awesome tour guide. So…read moreknowledgeable about Washington state history and geography, tide changes, boat structures, and types of birds. It made you want to learn more about the subject matters on your own time. I did not know that he also kayaks with us on the side because one may easily get lost, especially with the stronger currents off to the opposite end from where you exit from the dock to then start the kayaking journey. Remember to look at the weather before you make a booking. They offer vests here in case you tip over...u will not with Blake there unless you really make an effort to do so. The vests have a place to put your phone in that you can easily unzip so you can take out your phone for pictures. They even provide shades for you, if you did not bring any...like I forgot! Blake does a good job with orienting you to the kayak boat so that you can confidently function in and navigate with it. Would recommend this experience for anyone new to the state so that they can appreciate the beauty of Washington nature and see where else to explore on their off-days

Great tour of the Shilshole bay and Ballard locks. Tour guide and owner of business, Blaine, was…read morefriendly, knowledgeable and had stories to share. We saw plenty of wildlife including baby and mother seals, salmon jumps, herons, ospreys, sea stars and more. I'd definitely recommend this kayak tour.

We couldn't have asked for a better experience with Spot Tail Salmon Guide in Seattle! We had…read morefamily in town for a Mariners game a couple weeks ago and, on a whim, we called last minute to see if we could go fishing. Miraculously, Captain Keith had a spot the very next morning--and wow, are we glad we went. From start to finish, Captain Keith was incredible. He helped every step of the way and made sure everyone on the boat felt comfortable and confident. Thanks to his knowledge, guidance and a little luck, every single person in our group was able to catch at least one salmon--and even a few little sharks for extra excitement! What really made the trip special was Keith himself. He's not only extremely knowledgeable but also patient, willing to teach, and genuinely fun to talk to. It felt less like being with a "guide" and more like being out on the water with your dad or a really great friend. He created such a welcoming, easygoing atmosphere that made the whole experience unforgettable. Our family highly recommends Spot Tail Salmon Guide. If you're visiting Seattle and looking for something memorable, don't hesitate to book with Captain Keith. We can't wait to fish with him again next year!

We had a fantastic day with captain Keith. His communication leading up to our trip was clear and…read moremade the day easy. We bought fishing licenses on the boat and took off promptly. The two of us had minimal fishing experience and Keith ensured we learned some skills and caught some fish. He had great knowledge of the Sound and we even saw a humpback . When the tour was over he cleaned our fish and packed everything up. I can't wait to book with him again.