Two boats, one captain, twenty-two seasons out of Port Ansel harbor. Half days on the flats, full days to the canyon edge, and a sunset run that ends when the lighthouse comes on.
Every price is for the whole boat, not per person. Bring who you like up to the boat's limit. The mate, the license, the rods, the bait, the ice and the fish cleaning are in the price. The tide sets the departure; we will tell you when to be on the dock.
Out at 6, lines in by 6:40, back on the dock by 11. Flats, rips and the rock piles inside Ansel Point on light tackle. Steady action, short runs, and the trip we send families on first.
In seasonStriped bass, bluefish, fluke, tautog
Leave at 5 and run 20 to 40 miles to the ledges and the canyon edge. Trolling, jigging, and one long drift over whatever the sounder finds. The trip for tuna and mahi, and for people who want to come home tired.
In seasonMahi, bonito, false albacore, yellowfin tuna from July to September
Out through the breakwater, anchor off Gull Ledge, home in the dark. No rods unless you ask for them. Bring the bottle and something warm; the captain brings the quiet.
What you'll seeSeals on the ledge in spring, terns working bait in August, the lighthouse coming on
A whole day at the islands, a scattering at sea, a proposal, a crew that needs to be out of cell range. Tell us what the day is for and we plan the run around it.
IncludedThe mate, fuel to 30 miles out, all gear and ice, and a captain who only talks when asked
Tern is the 31-foot center console, Ada Mae the 42-foot sportfisher. Both are described below; if you cannot decide, tell us who is coming and we will pick.
Fish move, and this table is how we plan. It is the captain's honest read of the water, updated as it changes, and the reason a September full day sells out in March.
A slot striper, October, off the north rip. Photographed, measured, and put back.
| Month | Target | Where | The captain's note |
|---|---|---|---|
| March | Winter flounder, early striped bass | Inshore | Water is 42 degrees. Layer up and expect a short day. |
| April | Striped bass, tautog | Inshore | First keepers of the year come up the river mouths on the flood. |
| May | Striped bass, bluefish | Inshore | Best month for numbers. Half days fill first; book the 6 am. |
| June | Striped bass, fluke, bluefish | Inshore, near shore | Long light. Full days leave at 5 and drift the rips on the ebb. |
| July | Fluke, black sea bass, first mahi | Both | Offshore opens once the water hits 68. Watch the dock report. |
| August | Mahi, bonito, false albacore | Offshore | Hot, flat, fast. Take the 5 am departure and be home before the sea breeze. |
| SeptemberNow | False albacore, yellowfin tuna, striped bass | Both | The month the regulars book a year out. Weather windows matter; we call early. |
| October | Striped bass, tautog | Inshore | The fall run. Big fish on the surface at first light. Bring a jacket. |
| November | Tautog, late striped bass | Inshore | Last trips of the year, called day by day. Thermos mandatory. |
December through February we haul out, paint the bottoms and answer email slowly. Striped bass outside the slot go back, always, and we will show you how to hold one for the photo first.
Both are washed every night, serviced every winter, and carry more safety gear than the rules ask for. Pick by the day you want: Tern for speed and light tackle, Ada Mae for distance, shade and a dry ride home.
Inshore days, light tackle and quick runs to the rips. Wet and fast in a chop, which is half the fun.
Offshore, full days, and anyone who wants a nap on the way home. Dry, steady, and quiet enough to hear the reel.
Nobody on board needs their own fishing license; the boat's permit covers every guest. The list on the right is everything we cannot buy for you at 5 in the morning.
On the boat, in the price, every trip.
The things that have to be yours.
Ray grew up on the harbor, mated on his uncle's boat through high school, and got his master's license the spring he turned twenty-four. Twenty-two seasons later he still keeps the log in pencil: wind, water temperature, where the bait was, what came up. It is why the season table on this page is worth reading.
He fishes hard and speaks plainly. If the forecast is wrong he will say so at 6 am, and if the bite is dead he will move the boat instead of waiting it out. Kids get the first rod. Regulars get the fall run dates before anyone else.
"The fish don't care about your schedule. The tide does. Book around the tide."
Nell OkaforThird season on Ada Mae. Rigs faster than the captain, cleans and bags your fish at the dock, and once taught a nine-year-old to tie a uni knot on the first try. The mate is paid mostly in tips; the rules below say how much.
Out through the breakwater at 6:40 in July, anchored off Gull Ledge until the lighthouse comes on. Two hours, no rods, and the best light of the day.
Written so nobody is surprised at the slip. The short version: we call the weather early, we hold your date with a deposit, and we bring you home if the day is not working.
The captain reads the marine forecast at 5 and calls every party by 6. If we cancel, you owe nothing: pick a new date or take a full refund. If it is fishable but sloppy we tell you that too, and the call is yours.
A 25 percent deposit holds the boat and the date. The balance is due on the dock the morning of, by card or cash. Sunset cruises are paid in full when booked.
Cancel 7 days out for a full refund. Inside 7 days the deposit stays with us. Inside 48 hours the full fare is due, because the boat sat at the dock. Weather cancels are always free.
Take your medicine the night before and again in the morning. Eat a light breakfast, skip the coffee, stay on deck and watch the horizon. If someone is truly miserable we come in. Nobody's day gets ruined for a fish.
The mate is paid mostly in tips. Fifteen to twenty percent of the charter is customary, cash preferred, handed over at the cleaning table. On a private charter, tip the day you had, not the hours.
We fish within the law and inside the slot. Keepers are cleaned and bagged; everything else goes back the way it came. Children four and up are welcome on every trip, and we carry small life jackets.
Questions about any of this are a phone call, not a form. Ray answers between trips, and Nell answers when he doesn't.
Port Ansel Town Marina
9 Quay Road, Port Ansel
Slip B-14, second finger on the left past the fuel dock
Open in Maps
Look for the navy hull. Meet at the slip 20 minutes before departure; the coffee cart at the head of the pier opens at 5.
Free lot at the head of the pier, a four-minute walk to the slip. In July and August the town charges $8 a day and the kiosk takes cards.
Leave a cooler in the car for the fillets. You will want it on the drive home.
Call (555) 555-0147
or write to book@keelcharters.example
Dock office 5:30 am to 7 pm, March through November. Off season, email, and give us a day.