Well, this is kind of a different review I am writing. I actually never took a fishing trip out on the waters of Homer, Alaska with this...North Country Halibut Charters. But... I was walking along the boardwalk area of the downtown Homer Spit section and a boat tour cruise had just completed their expedition. Now afterwards, the passengers were getting a firsthand glimpse into watching their freshly caught king salmons being fileted. Little did I know that after you go out on a fishing charter for the day...it's only customary to then return to the pier and clean and filet your catches. Lol, I have zero fishing experience. So...in getting to watch a professional fisherman/woman do all this for their passengers and witnessing it all with my very own eyes was fascinating! I even recorded it live and added it to my YT Channel...for entertainment purposes only, lol. It was a terrific little exposition, in just how easy it was for the girl to cut open the salmon while efficiently demonstrating her knifing skills. And there was a huge crowd standing around and watching her too. I asked the fisherwoman if I could take a few photos and record a little of her precise fileting and she said that would "be okay and it's fine"...pretty normal for what tourists like myself typically like to do when being exposed to such a cool demonstration. In fact, the girl had a tip jar situated right beside the table counter and of course I happily left her $5 for allowing me to watch. I was quite impressed with her experience, comfortabilities and technique handling such large fish! You could just tell this fisherwoman has been out on the high seas plenty of times and appearing so natural at it all. Unfortunately, I never did take a fishing cruise while in Homer, but after enjoying this fileting demonstration, I started thinking that maybe I should consider participating in a charter in my future travels to all these incredible Alaskan seaports...where they're famously known for catching some of the best fish in the world! In the end, I just appreciated how the tour group caught 5 salmon on their adventure and were now going to enjoy a fresh seafood dinner. Also, the fish they caught were king salmon which I believe are the most prestigious type of salmon you can find. This fileting demonstration was such a pleasant surprise as I was leisurely walking the boardwalk area of downtown Homer Spit. I'm glad I got to experience it. read more

North Country Halibut Charters - Highly impressed with this fisherwoman filleting King Salmon! - Fishing Near Me - Homer, Alaska

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We had such a great trip w these guys! Capt and crew were fun, informative, & helpful. We enjoyed our day fishing, had some great laughs, and came back w smiles, memories and plenty of halibut (even though it was end of the season) thanks to the captain!!! Mahalo Wes, Bender and Sayla for an epic day of fishing! We will def be booking w you guys again and be recommending you to our friends read more

North Country Halibut Charters - Fishing - Fishing Near Me - Homer, Alaska

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NEVER USE THIS FISHING CHARTER! I went on a 3/4 day halibut fishing tour with North Country Charter on the Irish boat, operated by Captain Wes Jones. When we were in the middle of nowhere fishing for halibut, Captain Wes started killing small halibut (5-10 pound, well under 28 inch) with a handgun as a joke. If you're not man enough to kill a small fish without a gun, don't become a captain. This approach is an accident waiting to happen on a boat that was full of kids, and it also wastes perfectly good meat since the Captain isn't a good shot. And that wasn't all. One of the two boat's two engines broke down while we were motoring out to the place we were supposed to fish for larger halibut and cod and rockfish. We all limited out on small fish, and then it took 3 times as long to get back to Homer as it took us to get where we fished. Plenty of other options in Homer. Just go with someone else! read more

Such a great experience! They were able to work with us to find a trip and captain that worked well for us. Captain Richard on the Fairweather was amazing! So patient with the kids and made for a relaxed and really fun experience for all. I will definitely book with North Country Charters again! read more

I had a great experience yesterday on the West Cape with Ben and Connor. We went out for a full day fishing for salmon and halibut. We started with the salmon, most the anglers caught Pinks, and there was one King. Then we moved on to a spot liking for Halibut, everyone maxed out getting there limit of two. We had 6 total anglers. I would recommend not only NCHC, but going out on the West Cape with Ben! read more

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We loved fishing with North Country on The Irish with Captain JR, Billy and Mickey. Lots of Halibut to ship home plus dinner these next days. We are enjoying staying in the quaint room above the charter! We'll be back! read more

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Still fishing with Captain Ben and North Country Charters. We fish with Ben at least once a year and highly recommend him. He is extremely knowledgeable and creates a fun day fir those on his boat regardless of weather conditions. The office staff are really helpful and friendly. read more

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I booked the combination half day halibut and half day salmon fishing trip. There were a total of six fisherman on the Obsession with Captain Travis. After motoring for two hours, Captain Travis put us on a spot where we pulled out several large halibut. We were also lure fishing for salmon and caught several silver and pink salmon. We each caught two halibut within a few hours and then moved on to fish for the ever elusive king salmon. Although we didn't get any king salmon, we had a very successful day out on the water. Captain Travis was very patient with us novice fisherman and was very knowledgeable on the best fishing holes. I would highly recommend Captain Travis for your halibut and salmon fishing excursion. read more

North Country Halibut Charters - Catch of the day on the Obsession with Captain Travis. - Fishing Near Me - Homer, Alaska

6 minutes ago My boyfriend and I booked a full day halibut fishing trip. Unfortunately we booked late towards the end of the fishing season so we were told that they had moved us to a smaller boat because they did not have enough people for the large one.  Captain Jay took us out along with 3 other people. It was a great experience. Captain Jay went out of his way to accommodate everyone. He stayed out later than scheduled to ensure everyone caught their fish. Captain Jay is very knowledgeable and everyone had a great time! They also have Elise at the front desk providing excellent customer service! I highly recommend this company. read more

North Country Halibut Charters - Fishing Near Me - Homer, Alaska

We went with our son and daughter-in-law, who live in Eagle River. We had a fantastic day fishing with Capt. Ally. She was great, found the fish, and allowed us to stay out a little longer for the salmon catch. The weather was clear all day and everybody caught their share. Very memorable day! We will book again next time we go to Homer. read more

North Country Halibut Charters - The day's catch - Fishing Near Me - Homer, Alaska

Went out with Capt Ben and mate Wyatt on Sat 9/16/23. Myself, two of my sons and three others. They got us on the fish in tough conditions. These guys are pros, give great instructions, have a nice boat and are nice guys as well. Highly recomnended. read more

Our captain Ally Kintner and her crew Adam did a fantastic job with our group on our Halibut charter fishing trip. Ally and Adam were amazing and took really good care of us and we had a great time. Ally was super nice, super friendly, super smart and knowledgeable, super hardworking - she is "super woman"!! We caught our limit with the the help of Ally and Adam. If and when we come back to Homer for fishing, we definitely will ask for captain Ally. We would not give Ally a five star. We definitely would give her a ten star!!! Super fun. Amazing trip. Can't say enough wonderful things about Ally and Adam!! read more

Captain Ben and deck hand Conor delivered. This was my first Halibut fishing experience so was a little nervous. They were both really helpful and patient. Will come back and do this again. read more

My family and I spent a great day salmon and halibut fishing with North Country. Everyone we worked with over the phone to plan the trip was great, and we all really enjoyed our time on the ocean. We hit the seas at 6:30 and spent some time trolling for king salmon. From there we headed to an amazing spot for halibut fishing, and everyone was landing. We arrived back in Homer around 4:00. This was my son's first ocean fishing trip, and he left with a ton of great memories. We also left with a cooler full of delicious fish! There are many choices when it comes to sport fishing services in Homer. I would recommend checking in here to see if they can provide the type of trip that you need. read more

We could give this place 10 stars if possible! We came in during the early early season and had attempted 2 times before getting on the boat due to weather/wind! Sticking it out with them was so worth it, this biz is so great when it comes to customer service! We loved going on the boat with Captain Jay and Little Dog, the sweetest Pomsky dog ever! Even though we didn't catch giant fish, Jay went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time and made sure to find some fish for us to catch regardless of size/type! Kathy was also so amazing scheduling us and setting us up for success. We know where to come back to next time!!!!!! read more

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I'll not book this charter again. Prepaid for two full days of fishing. The experience was not like I expected and by far, the least productive of any Homer halibut fishing I've done in the past. When, at the end of day one, I complained, the owner was rude, temperamental, and dismissive. On a side note, they need to take better care of their boats so they don't break down on the water. Poor, unappreciative customer service. Fair fishing. Not the best value. read more

Our group went out with Captain Ben and Mate Ben on the West Cape on July 30 and 31st, 2021. We had the best time. In the two days we got 166lb. 132lb., and 101lb. Halibut plus we all got 2. We got ling cod on both trips and our limits of rock fish. Captain Ben was wonderful to work with. We booked the Combo trip and it was so worth it. We sent tons of fish home!! Best trip my husband ever took. Thanks for the great adventure!! read more

North Country Halibut Charters - July 312021 - Fishing Near Me - Homer, Alaska

They canceled on us the night before and ruined our trip to Homer. Shame on you captain Travis and your crew. You really couldn't get us on a boat anytime the following 4 days?! Seriously?! You guys suck! read more

We'd booked a trip with North Country Halibut Charters but they cancelled on us the night before we were supposed to leave. There was nothing else available, so our whole trip to Homer was useless. read more

Had a lot of fun on our charter for salmon / rockfish with captain Jay on July 26. Weather was gorgeous with sunshine most of the day . Captain Jay took us close in for beautiful scenery of jagged peaks and green mountains, a black bear, orcas that swam toward us and under the boat and of course otters. We limited on yellow eye and rockfish, caught 3 unplanned halibut. The Captain was a whirl of motion as he rigged up poles, untangled, unhooked, marked fish while hopping up top to steer the boat. A one man band. The downside of the trip was the boat was slow and smoky-3 hours out and back ate up fishing time. The Captain only wanted to use 4 poles (boat wasn't large) but had 6 paying customers. Disappointed not to have individual poles. And, while several pinks/humpy salmon were caught only one silver salmon, again disappointing. We will be back another time but maybe later in the year for a better salmon experience but ensure we each get our own pole read more

Despite a friends recommendation our experience was sub par. Captain was not friendly bordering on arrogant. Stayed up front and spent a lot of time texting. Did not engage at all. We went with a smaller charter 2 years ago and they didn't have an opening so we went with these guys. If North Country is your only option buy your halibut at the store. The lunch was adequate, the brownie excellent! read more

If you fish with North Country, be sure to ask for a 6-pack trip with Ben on the Fringe Benefit. Although I'm sure the other Captains and boats will provide a fine service, my experience fishing is with Ben, and he's the best here. He fishes hard, and will put you on fish. It's up to you to catch them, but he and his crew will give you good instructions. He runs a clean, safe, and friendly boat. All good things for a fun day on the water. I hear that they're doing bear hunting trips this year. That should be exciting! read more

I'm from Homer so I can go fishing on my dad's boat, but if I could go on a charter I'd choose North Country and go out with Captain Ben! It's a great boat and he's a blast. Family run business that really cares about its customers having a fun and successful trip. Don't use any other charter business besides North Country--trust me! read more

North Country Halibut Charters - Fishing Near Me - Homer, Alaska

Worst fishing charter ever experienced. We paid ($360) for halibut/salmon combo and the skipper never took us salmon fishing. Out skipper (Pete) never communicated with us and basically ruined our experience. I will never use this charter again and neither should you! Instead of giving us photos with our fish, like the yelp page shows, he fillet our fish on the boat and said they don't take photos up at the office. This wasn't a priority but was just another lame part of the experience. I would give $360 negative points if I could!!! When got a late start due to skipper and random person forgot their license (6:45-7). He drove only 30 minutes out and we started catching small halibut. Some of us caught are small. After that, he spent more time driving to spots only to fish for 30 minutes or less. By 12:30 I decided we weren't seeing any big halibut so I pulled in my over (little did I know my day was done). After a couple more spots and a couple more overs, I asked when are we going salmon fishing and why do we keep going to new spots with same results. He then said it's to late for salmon (2:00pm). Everyone on the boat was furious at the lack of communication from the skipper. Had We known, we would have just kept trying for bigger halibut, but he didn't say shit!!! One of my crew has gone out of homer for 8 straight years, this was the first time he didn't catch his limit for both halibut and salmon. Also the first time the skipper wasn't clear on his intentions. read more

Great day of fishing on the Storm Petral with Captain Eric. He provided an amazing experience. Put us right on the fish when other captains that wen't out on the same day were struggling to find anything. We got our limits because he took us to the best spots, and we didn't linger where there weren't any fish. I can't recommend North Country & Captain Eric enough. read more

North Country Halibut Charters - Great day of fishing with captain Eric. - Fishing Near Me - Homer, Alaska

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My daughter and I were looking forward to our salmon fishing trip in Homer with North Country Charters, a trip of a lifetime. We booked a six person boat specific to salmon fishing. I was surprised that the captain was not only operating the boat, he was also the deck hand. He ran back and forth, back and forth, driving the boat, setting the fishing rigs. Only 3 people could fish at a time. The boat developed engine problems and we limped back to Homer. No one had caught a fish, not even the experienced anglers on our boat had caught a fish. We waited 45 minutes to an hour for another boat. Another boat company showed up, the Silver Fox Charters. This time we had a captain and a deck hand. After 11 hours into the trip, our group had caught no salmon. The captain did let us catch rockfish. The captain and deck hand lamented that the salmon fishery had not been good at all this year in Homer. I wish that I had been informed of this important info. My daughter and I could have made alternate plans for our last day in Alaska. I asked for some compensation for all the problems, but North Country Charters said they had provided a full day of fishing. Do your homework. Find out about the fishery before you book. read more

We went out in August for a 3/4 day halibut fishing charter on the 16 passenger Irish. We were not at capacity with only 12 passengers on board which was nice. It was raining all throughout our day on the ocean, but we did not let that stop our fun. This was mine and my husband's first time halibut fishing, and ocean fishing in general. The Captain, JR, was extremely skilled at driving his vessel. And you could tell the deckhand, Chelsea, was an extremely hard worker as she prepared our rod's and bait in the pouring rain as we drove to our fishing location. Once we got to our spot JR and Chelsea got everyone set up, and taught us how to cast our lines. From then on the team did not stop hustling until everyone on the boat had caught their limit of 2 halibut. They meant business, and they kept everyone with lines in the water at all times. I caught the second fish on our boat, which ended up being a 52 incher estimating in at about 70 lbs, and then about 45 minutes later another passenger on our charter caught one estimating in at 90 lbs! Needless to say we were both pretty stoked. But, everyone was pleased that we were able to limit out, which is not always a guarantee. JR and Chelsea worked extremely hard to get us all limited out. They were extremely knowledgeable fisherman, and very skilled. After everyone was done fishing they set up the 6 biggest fish so that pictures could be taken. Chelsea was very patient as she got pictures of all of the groups with our catches for the day. On the way back while everyone was relaxing inside she then went to work cleaning up all of the gear, and filleting everyone's fish. I was extremely impressed with how skilled she was with filleting in the pouring rain on a boat moving through some storm disrupted waters. We learned that she had recently learned how to filet about a year ago, which you would think the woman had been doing it since she was 5. She was awesome! JR and Chelsea were an amazing team, and we were extremely happy with our day out fishing. We would definitely recommend this company for anyone looking to halibut fish in Homer. And will hopefully come back to visit them soon for a different charter! read more

Excellent service. Rough waters and Captain JR still got us to limit out. From check in to when we were done everyone went out of their way to make our trip memorable. Highly recommend North Country! read more

North Country Halibut Charters - Fishing Near Me - Homer, Alaska

I was extremely disappointed with this fishing experience. I have fished for several years and have gone with a guide on prior occasions. I had been looking forward to this fishing trip for several weeks. The captain did not help me or give me any instructions with the equipment. I was given very limited instruction on how to fish the species that we were looking for. In addition, when he pointed out something I did wrong, he advised my husband to help me instead of helping me himself. Over all, I didn't catch a fish on an 11 hour fishing day. The boat ride was extremely choppy and I was thrown to my seat repeatedly. (I'm not looking forward to feeling the back pain tomorrow.) The actual fishing experience was a "One Star" for me. I am giving an additional star because the captain did cruise by some wildlife spots and I saw a black bear and a few goats. I would not recommend this charter and will not be returning. read more

Took a recent Halibut trip with North Country. Everything was positive except for the skipper(J. R.) of our boat the Irish. The front office folks were great and handled our reservation flawlessly. The deckhands Jordan & Evan were phenomenal. I can't say enough positive about them. Hard working, pleasant and fun. If not for them the score would have been much lower. Our entire boat limited, and we were safe, so if that is all that you expect from a skipper then the Irish would be a fine choice. But if you expect the skipper to be pleasant AND effecient, to not yell at customers for not setting hooks to his liking, then pick a different boat from the North Country fleet. Too bad, because Jordan and Evan were great. read more

To start with the captain (Pete) was late. And his boat was filthy. He spent more time texting and talking to other boats then communicating with his paid customers. We expected to go out a lot farther than we did and catch bigger halibut. The first mate was very nice and helped as he could but he was young and not real experienced for a boat that a captain does not help him. After our full day halibut excursion and only catching small halibut, the boat broke down. We limped for over and hour and a half getting back. Contacted the owner to just explain our experience to her and she was rude. We were going to cancel the next days trip and she said no refunds. We went the next day with different captain. Better experience. Still I would not pay good money for poor unsafe boats, captains like Pete who could care less about your experience and an owner that worries more about your dollar than your experience and safety. read more

Despite being recommended by locals, the experience was sub-par. Positives - the captain stayed out 45 minutes longer so we could get our 2 halibut limit. That was appreciated. Deck hands were super friendly and helpful and really work hard! They helped my son with his rod which got heavy in the 8 foot swells. Negatives - Captain was not particularly friendly or helpful. Wanted to get some trophy photos when we caught our halibut and the captain said not to as we would get photos after. Then I find out everything had been filleted and they handed us plastic bags. Disappointing as the photo is kinda important brag rights. After 4 hours without catching a halibut, he tells us that it's practically impossible to catch fish using the rod holders. That would have been helpful earlier. Net a decent operator but depends on the captain I guess. A bit more consideration from him would have made it a much better trip. In fairness seas were rough on Friday and to their credit they made it work. read more

Came here to fish with my son as a final trip before he's off to college. Friendly staff and helpful crew. Limits on halibut but only 1 salmon in 2 days of dual fish outings. we spent a lot of time motoring which could have been spent trolling. We stayed in the tiny room on top of their shop. They say it can sleep 3, but we barely fit. I must admit, though, sleeping so close to the boat for extra z's and AWESOME sunsets on the beach made it worth the close quarters. read more

Fish with Ben, he will put you on the fish! Even neighboring Captains told me we got the best fish in months. Family owned and operated for decades, Ben was raised on these waters and mixes it up. Highly recommended read more

We went out with Captian Ben Martins on the Fringe Salmon fishing. We had a great time. he was a great Captain, very respectable, great stories and we caught plenty of salmon. Thanks Ben and North Country Charters. read more

Last year I use North Country Charters to charter a haibut fishing trip. They were friendlly and very knowledgable . A coworker and I was on a boat called obsession. The skipper on the boat was great. Very patience with us and a great teacher of halibut fishing. We use them this year again. My coworker had four of his friends with him. The skipper place us on a spot this year that he could not last year due to big winds. What a great time. One of us caught a 82 lb halibut. All six of us got our limits and between us all we had 151lbs of halibut fillets. If going to Homer, give North Country Halibut Chaters a called and book the Obsession. read more

We recently had a halibut day on the Storm Petral with Jordan and it was such a great experience. The weather was not the best but we caught our limit in spite of that. Most of all, Jordan helped my 9 year old granddaughter Peyton have the first real exciting fishing experience of her life. Thanks Jordan your help and instructions were so kindly given. Our salmon day was on the Fringe Benefit with Ben. An awesome day also. He is a professional and takes pride in the cleanliness of his boat. Love that! We got our limit on a beautiful weather day and he was extremely helpful. Thanks for the day Ben! We will return next year and request the same Captains. Owners and office staff were all very helpful in every way. See you in July! read more

I ran several companies for charter as it was my first time in Homer and I wanted to get a feel of different outfitters. Hands down the most fun and a great day of fishing! Went out with captain Eric on the Julia Lynn and I had a blast. Go! And enjoy your day not working. read more

North Country Halibut Charters - Captain Eric Julia Lynn August 2015. Good day had by all! - Fishing Near Me - Homer, Alaska

Capt. JR and crew were wonderful. We all caught our limit and the crew---Capt. JR included were cheerful fun and very helpful. It was awesome and they are the best!!!!! read more

First experience was in 2015 with cpt JR on board the Irish. That trip was excellent. The crew gave us the opportunity to release each fish and to take pictures with all of them. Keep in mind the limit is two halibut with only one allowed to be over 28 inches. Also, we were in a derby looking for tag fish or that 400 pounder to win the thing. We fished for the entire time we were promised and I pulled in 16 halibut. Today we went on the same boat with same captain and were very disappointed. The water was slightly rougher but not of consequence. The first fish I hooked was over 28 inches and they gaffed the thing and threw it in the chest without even asking if I wanted to release, so I was out of luck if I hooked a truly large fish from then on out. I caught another just under 28 inches and kept it assuming I had the rest of my time to at least try to get a tag but I was wrong. When I hooked another fish and fought it all of the way up to the surface JR made me stop reeling and hand my pole off to someone in another party! And then that fish was kept to fill his limit. The law states that after my first two cranks that fish was mine and therefore had to be released since I had filled my limit but I guess the captain had somewhere to be today so conservation laws don't matter. We ended up going in thirty minutes early which is easily enough time for me to pull in five more halibut that could have had tags that could have been claimed while still releasing the fish. No one was interested in prorating that time lost either. Look, some people are out to get some meat but we traveled 4500 miles and payed hundreds of dollars to catch fish and try to win a derby. The meat is just a bonus. If I was looking for meat I'd just go to the market, I was there for the thrill of fishing and I feel like I've been shorted. In fact if I caught a 400 pounder I would weigh it, have a picture, and release. I'm not eating all that. I guess it just depends on what kind of mood the captains in as to whether you get a sporting experience or just fill your limit as quick as possible. read more