Lingcod are Available All Season

Embark on the ultimate Alaskan adventure with Captain Brandon, Sitka-born and raised. In the vast 17-million-acre wilderness of the Tongass National Forest, you'll be immersed in Alaska's raw beauty while fishing fresh and saltwater. Tailor your trip to your group's interests, including halibut, hardcore salmon fishing, relaxing in natural hot springs, crabbing and shrimping, and a guided Cast-and-Blast. Get together a group of up to six guests and customize an unforgettable trip.
2026 Rate: $26,000 per group (up to six guests) for 5 nights and 4.5 days guided fishing.
Sitka, on the west side of Baranof Island, is part of the Tongass National Forest, the country's largest national forest. With a population of 8,500, Sitka is Alaska's fifth-most populous city. As the sixth largest seafood port in the nation, Sitka is also a hub of maritime commerce.
The Liveaboard: Aboard the Desperado, a 67-foot liveaboard, you'll explore Sitka's pristine Pacific waters. With state-of-the-art navigation and fishing gear, the Desperado transports you to the area's most fertile fishing grounds for king and silver salmon, rockfish, and lingcod.
Season: Liveaboard packages are available from May through November.
Group Size: The Liveaboard comfortably accommodates up to six guests. Groups are not mixed. So you will need to get your own group together.
Customize your five-day package with Captain Brandon. You may decide to fish hardcore for three days, then take a whale or wildlife-viewing tour.
Package Options:
• Halibut
• King Salmon Combo
• Silver Salmon Combo - July through September
• Rockfish are available all season.
• Lingcod fishing, all season
• Guided Cast-and-Blast
• Unguided Blacktail or Bear Hunts
• Whale viewing opportunities
• Five-day packages.
Customize Your Package: Trips are tailored to your group's interests. If you want to fish hardcore for a few days and get fish in the freezer, then spend a day exploring Sitka's unique bays and natural hot springs, or crabbing and shrimping, followed by a fire on the beach and a fresh seafood dinner, there are numerous options.
A Typical Fishing Day:
Daylight Hours in Sitka: 4:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
5:00 a.m. - Coffee is hot.
5:00 to 6:00 a.m. - Head to fishing grounds. The deckhand will prepare breakfast during the cruise to the fishing grounds, and you’ll sit down for the meal once the boat is anchored.
Noon - Anglers will have a deli-style lunch in the boat and then return to fishing.
4:00 to 5:00 p.m. – The vessel will cruise to pull up crab and shrimp pots. The deckhand will prepare dinner during the cruise. Once the boat is anchored, you’ll enjoy dinner. Depending on the group’s desires, the day’s catch can be prepared for dinner, or, if the weather is pleasant, enjoy a fire on the beach and boil up some fresh crab.
You can fish as much or as little as your group wants. Kayaks and paddleboards are available to take to shore, where you can explore multiple hot springs, which are enjoyable after a long fishing day.
Evening - The yacht will move daily and anchor in a different sheltered cove each night.
Captain: Brandon, the owner/captain, has his 100-Ton Master License and will oversee your fishing days. His deckhand is also the cook and your fish care guy.
Fishing Equipment: Rods, reels, and tackle are provided, plus crabbing and shrimp pots.
Fishing Licenses are not included. Rates (2025) are subject to change.
• A non-resident Alaska license is $45.
• A king salmon stamp is $45.
• A halibut tag is $20.
Visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Fish Care: Your catch will be cleaned, filleted, and iced, then vacuum-sealed, frozen, and packed in airline-approved fish boxes. A Sitka fish box tax of $10 per box applies.
Paddling Vessels: Four kayaks and two paddleboards accompany the liveaboard, plus a 12-foot inflatable skiff for transfer to the beach.
Cast-and-Blast Option: Cast-and-Blasts are available from September through December during duck hunting season; dates vary by year. Guided fresh and saltwater fishing for pink salmon, silver salmon, chum salmon, steelhead, rainbow trout, dolly varden, and guided waterfowl hunts for puddle or sea ducks.
DIY Blacktail Deer Hunts: Sitka has a fantastic deer population, which can be harvested from August 1 through December 31, with peak hunting from mid-October through mid-December during rutting season. The hunts are unguided, and the liveaboard offers transport to and from the beach (by inflatable skiff) whenever you wish to go to the hunting areas.
Group Size: The required group size is four. Groups are not mixed. You will need to get your own group together.






The M/V Desperado is a 67-foot steel custom-raised pilothouse trawler with a 370 HP John Deere diesel main engine. She has two 25-kW generators for electricity. USCG-approved safety, communication, navigation equipment, an eight-man emergency life raft, and an EPIRB (Emergency position-indicating radio beacon).
The Desperado has a spacious interior with three staterooms, a crew room, three bathrooms, two showers, and a step-down swim platform.
The fully equipped kitchen features two chest freezers and a vacuum sealer to efficiently handle your fresh catch.
View Photo Gallery of the Liveaboard
Meals: Tasty meals are prepared and served by the crew. Dinners feature fresh-caught seafood accompanied by various side dishes.
Alcohol: No alcohol is provided, but you can purchase it in Sitka upon arrival.
Communications: Starlink Wi-Fi is available on the Liveaboard. A satellite phone and VHF radio are also available for emergency communication.

Two cabins have two bunk beds, and the front stateroom has a queen-size bed. Bedding is provided, but you are welcome to bring a sleeping bag.
Trips run Sunday through Thursday.
1.) Flights to Sitka (SIT).
The flight from Seattle is approximately 2.5 hours.
2.) Arrival Day (Saturday)
Your flight must arrive in Sitka no later than 7:00 p.m.
If you arrive after 7:00 p.m., you will need to stay overnight in a Sitka hotel at your own expense.
A liveaboard representative will meet you at the Sitka Airport and provide a short, approximately six-minute transfer to the liveaboard.
En route, the driver will stop at a local liquor store so guests may purchase alcohol or other personal items.
Dinner on arrival night is on your own.
All meals are included on the liveaboard beginning on Sunday.
You will spend your first night aboard the liveaboard while docked in Sitka.
Departure Day: Return to Sitka in time for a flight to Seattle, or stay out later for a partial fishing day and overnight in Sitka. Captain Brandon recommends staying at the Southeast Resort Hotel, as it has a walk-in freezer for fish boxes and offers early airport shuttle service.
Please note: If guests choose to stay at a different hotel, the Desperado is not responsible for handling and storing their fish.
(Hotel stay and meals in Sitka are not included.)
Season: May - November.
Groups are limited to six guests. Groups are not mixed, so you will need to get your own group together.
Sitka Sales Tax: Rates do not include a $720 Sitka Sales Tax on the total package.
Season: May through September
Guided Fishing - 5 nights / 4.5 days
Group rate: $26,000 per group
Per-Person Cost (based on group size):
6 guests: $4,333.33 per person
5 guests: $5,200 per person
4 guests: $6,500 per person
Cast-and-Blast 5 nights / 5-days
Season: September - December
Per-Person Cost (based on group size):
6 guests: $4,333.33 per person
5 guests: $5,200 per person
4 guests: $6,500 per person
DIY Self-Guided Blacktail Deer Hunts
Season: Mid-October through mid-December during the rut.
6 nights / 7 days Self-Guided
Group rate: $26,000 per group - limited to 4 hunters
Per-Person Cost (based on group size):
4 guests: $6,500 per person
3 guests: $8,666.66 per person
You'll need to get a group together.
• Ground transfers between Sitka Airport and the Liveaboard
• Liveaboard lodging, double occupancy
• Meals on the Liveaboard
• Non-alcoholic beverages
• Starlink Wi-Fi on the Liveaboard
• Guided fishing
• Guided waterfowl hunting for Cast-and-Blast
• The use of spin gear and tackle
• Vacuum-packed fish care
• Use of kayaks and paddleboards
• Sitka bed tax, $100.00 per group