Frequently Asked Questions

Booking Policies and Prices

• Charters base cost is $200 per person for day and Sunday/Monday charters, $175 for overnight , payable at time of booking.  $100 of your reservation charge is a non-refundable deposit, not including any booking fees.  See cancellation policy below for more details.  Changes we are making to our fee structure from previous years are as follows, our base fare price will stay the same, $200 per person.  That will allow each fare holder up to 35 fish. For every 1 to 10 fish over the 35 that you keep, there will be an additional $50 charge payable in cash upon your return trip.  An example would be, a person who lives alone is allowed by ADF&G 25 fish, a couple living together is allowed 35 fish, and a family is allowed an additional 10 fish for every person in the family. If a family is fishing together on a permit each fare paid is allowed 35 fish.  So, if your family is allowed 75 fish and you pay for two fares fishing together, you would be allowed 70 fish with no extra charge.  If you harvest the extra 5 fish remaining on your permit, you would be charged an additional $50 (For every 1 to 10 fish over the 35 that you keep, there will be an additional $50 charge payable in cash upon your return trip).
• If you booked a day charter online be ready to depart by 4:45 AM (5:45 AM in August) on the day of the charter.
• Booking an overnight charter requires you to be here between 2 and 3 PM and be ready to depart.  Please note: you might have to wait in your fishing spot until 6 PM. 
• Fishing sites for one person are extremely limited.  Be prepared to be flexible to be paired up with another customer if necessary.
• Proxies allowed if it's the only permit your're fishing.  If it's fished in conjunction with your permit, there will be an additional $200 fare charged.

Cancellation Policy
If you cancel your charter, or fail to show up at time of departure, $100 of your $200 charter fee is non-refundable, not including any booking fees.  We will evaluate cancellations on a case-by-case basis.
If we cancel, you will receive a full refund.  Reasons we may cancel include, but are not limited to, the following:

• We cancel your reservation due to high water and we close because it's too dangerous and/or fishing is poor.
• ADF&G closes the season by emergency order.
• We have mechanical or health issues.
• Other unforeseen emergencies.

Please Note: All refunds will be credited back to your credit card.  There will be no cash refunds.

Directions:
When you see the Hotel Chitina (mile 33.5 Edgerton Hwy - on your left coming into Chitina), take the second right (beside the lake, Ahtna kiosk, red "no boat launch at O'Brien Creek" signage) this is O'Brien Creek Road - stay on this road for 3 miles - about a mile or two down the road you will start seeing pull-outs/campsites that you can stay at (one has an outhouse) - keep going down the road, it will twist and turn, and narrow to a dirt road.  Then you will come to a big hill and at the bottom, turn left and go all the way to the left-hand corner.  People line up by the red fuel truck, next to the red cone.

What We Provide

• Round-trip transportation to a proven fishing spot.
• We explain where and how to fish the specific spot you get dropped on.
• We check on you throughout the day, every few hours, and give pointers on how to fish more effectively.
• Please note: We do not check on overnighters after our last run around 6 PM. You will not see us again until 5:30 AM the next morning when we pick you up.
• We provide fish totes at time of pick up for your trip back to the cleaning tables.

Please note: Cleaning tables are included in the cost of the charter. There is usually a fish filleter for hire if you like. They charge $2.00 per fish to fillet. You must be present.

What You Need to Bring

• Life jacket to wear at fishing spot. Please Note: It should be comfortable enough to wear at all times for safety.
• Tie off rope for added safety.  50 feet should be sufficient.
• Warm clothes, sunscreen, bug spray, scissors to cut tails as required by ADFG.
• You need to double check and make sure you have a current Alaska resident sport fishing license and a Chitina personal use dip net permit which may be obtained online or at various vendors.  No king stamp is required in the personal use dip net fishery.
• Enough rope to make stringers. Note only 5 fish per stringer.  One separate stringer in case you catch a king.  
• Food and drink.  Please note: Only 50-quart coolers or less allowed on the boats with food and drink.  Bigger coolers get too heavy and unmanageable when loading and unloading the boats so they get left at O"Brien Creek for your catch when you're done cleaning fish on the cleaning table.  Also please note: fish on stringers get left in the water to keep them fresh and cold until we pick you up.
• A fish bonker to kill your fish and a good knife for cleaning your catch when you return to the cleaning tables at O"Brien Creek.
• Dipnets and poles. One is good, two nets are better in case you lose one. We do have some nets for rent $30 each.
• A bucket to wash your spot (see gallery pictures).
• Hip boots or chest waders can sometimes improve your chances of catching fish because it gives us more options for fish drop-off sites.
• ​Cash if having your fish cleaned by fish filleter and/or if you bring back more than 35 fish per reservation.

Please note: if you are going on an overnight charter it would be a good idea to bring a sleeping bag, rain gear, headlamp, and possibly a small tent or a small tarp.  Tent sites are extremely limited so don't expect to be able to get one one.