Alaska Boat Rentals: Renting your own Boat in Sitka Versus Hiring A Fishing Charter
Alaska boat rentals are our specialty. Our fleet of quality boats continues to grow, making it ever more possible for visiting anglers that rent boats from us to access the productive waters that are in the vicinity of Sitka. If you want to catch rockfish, coho, Chinook, halibut and lingcod, all on your own, then renting a boat from Fish Baranof is a smart decision.
Advantages of your Self Guided Sitka Fishing Charter
There are certain advantages that anglers gain when they rent their own boat, versus charter fishing from Sitka. The most obvious is the elimination of the restriction to catching reverse slot-limit halibut. In 2023, charter anglers fishing from Sitka were able to keep one halibut per day, equal to or less than 40 inches or over 80 inches. This regulation applies only to charter anglers, so unguided anglers are able to keep two halibut per day of any size.
This can be a great benefit when you are landing 50- to 75-pound slabs that you’d love to keep but otherwise would have to let go on a charter trip in Sitka. The ability to keep two halibut per day is a massive boon, particularly if you love to eat this fish like so many people do. Additionally, charter anglers won’t be able to retain halibut on Mondays beginning 7/24/23. This restriction does not apply to self-guided halibut anglers.
Choose your own Itinerary
The next benefit in Alaska boat rentals is the ability to choose what you want to fish for, how you want to fish for it, where you fish for it and when. If you really love to catch one species over another, or you dramatically prefer to eat one type of fish over another, then a self-guided adventure makes it far easier to make that happen. As your own Sitka fishing charter captain, you get to decide the itinerary, the presentation and the target species. Plus, if you want to spend time trying out new locations or new techniques, you get to make that call.
In addition to catching fish, every trip in Alaska involves a certain amount of nature watching, and the variety of marine mammals, sea birds and fish species, in addition to the raw unspoiled beauty that you are immersed within, are part of the price of admission. If you want to spend extra time watching these animals in their world, that choice is yours, and this is an extra benefit in Alaska boat rentals.
DIY-style Fishing
Another noteworthy consideration, especially among the skilled, veteran anglers who have caught fish unguided throughout their lives, is the satisfaction gained by figuring out how to catch their target species on their own. Don’t get us wrong, there’s a certain satisfaction in hooking and landing a fish on any charter. Take that satisfaction and crank it up a notch when you figure out how to catch fish DIY-style on your own Alaska boat rental.
If you are able to drive a boat, and think that your fish-catching skills are up to the task, then Alaska boat rentals from Fish Baranof should be on your short list. We take great pride in our fleet and maintain a very high standard in our boats, motors and accessories.