ProFish-n-Sea Charters is the boat to book in Seward for a serious day on the halibut and salmon, and the one with the deepest, cleanest record in the port. Captain Steve Zernia has owned and run the operation since 1994 and is credited with pioneering some of the most productive water out of Resurrection Bay. The fleet covers the full Seward menu, from Pacific halibut to king and silver salmon to lingcod and rockfish, the price card is posted in full, and the gear and fish filleting are included. For charter fishing out of Seward, it is the safest call on the dock.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.7 ProFish-n-Sea tops the Seward ranking, the only operator in the port in our top band, and our Editor’s Pick. It earns the spot on the whole package: a single owner captain on the water since 1994, a full trip menu matched to the season, clear posted pricing, and a customer record across 160 reviews that is about as consistent as Seward gets. It suits almost anyone who is here to fish, a first time angler after a halibut, a family on a half day for silvers, or a group chasing a mixed box of halibut, lingcod, and rockfish. The one real trade is price: the shared rate sits at the top of the Seward range, a little above the value boats, so if the budget is the deciding factor there are cheaper seats in town. For the biggest, most capable hulls in the port, Saltwater Safari Company runs 53 foot boats; for the only upper deck in the fleet, Alaska Northern Outfitters runs the Sea Quest. Compare the field on the Seward ranking.
The boats
ProFish-n-Sea runs three boats: the Profish and the Striker, each a cabin boat licensed for up to six anglers, and the larger MV Pursuit, which takes up to nine. The six anglers boats are the closer, more personal trip, while the Pursuit suits a bigger group that wants to fish together. All three are heated cabin boats set up for the cold, open water of the Gulf of Alaska, with the tournament grade rods, reels, bait, and terminal tackle aboard. The honest read is that the public detail on exact lengths and electronics is lighter than the price and trip detail, so the case here rests more on the captain and the long trip record than on a published spec sheet. For the Seward fisheries, the boats do the job and the operation keeps them working hard through the short summer.
The fishing and what you target
ProFish-n-Sea fishes the full Seward saltwater season, and the target moves with the month. Pacific halibut is the mainstay, open from spring into September, with the run out to the grounds taking one to three hours each way. King salmon come into Resurrection Bay from late May into July, and silver salmon fill in through July and August, peaking around the August run that the Seward Silver Salmon Derby is built on. Lingcod and rockfish round out the summer, often as the second half of a combo day. The 2026 charter halibut rules set a two fish daily limit, one of any size and one 27 inches or under, with no charter halibut retention on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from June 2 to August 25, so confirm the current halibut measures with NOAA Fisheries and the salmon timing with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game before you lock a date.
Trips and prices
ProFish-n-Sea posts one of the clearer price cards in the port, set per person for the shared trips with private charters on top. An early season halibut day in May is $389 per person. From June 4 a full day halibut is $465, a full day salmon is $425, and a halibut and salmon or halibut and rockfish combo is $465. A July and August half day for salmon and rockfish is $285, and the 9 hour ProFish-n-Fjords run, which pairs fishing with the Kenai Fjords scenery, is $425. Rods, reels, bait, and fish filleting are included. The extras are the ones every Seward boat charges: a 7 percent borough sales tax, a $3.50 per person port fee, the new $20 per person federal halibut stamp on halibut trips, and a fuel surcharge only if marine fuel passes $4.50 per gallon. Booking the whole boat runs $2,305 to $4,095 depending on the boat and the trip. The rate is at the top of the Seward range, which is the honest knock on value, though what you get for it is a deep record and a captain who has fished the bay for three decades. Our cost guide sets a Seward day against other ports, and the party boat versus private charter guide weighs a shared seat against booking the whole boat.
The crew
The crew is what carries the score. Captain Steve Zernia has run ProFish-n-Sea since 1994, with more than 35 years landing halibut, salmon, and lingcod out of Seward, and reviewers consistently describe an operation that runs clean and puts people on fish. Across the review record the recurring themes are a captain and crew who know exactly where to find the grounds, days that reach limits of halibut, lingcod, and yelloweye, and a professional, well run trip from the dock out. The pricing draws the occasional note that it sits a little above the Seward average, but reviewers who pay it tend to say the result and the polish are worth it. There is no pattern of safety or service complaints in the record, which is the strongest single piece of evidence behind the number.
Booking and what to know
Book direct through the ProFish-n-Sea site or by phone, and reserve early, since the good summer dates and the derby week in August fill months ahead. Full day and halibut trips leave early in the morning, so plan the early start, and confirm the trip the day before in case the weather turns on the open water. The gear and filleting are included, and the crew can point you to fish processing and shipping in town. Bring warm, waterproof layers even in summer, since the Gulf of Alaska runs cold and wet, plus food, sunscreen, motion sickness precautions for the run out, and an Alaska sport fishing license, which is your responsibility to hold before you board.
How we scored it
ProFish-n-Sea earns its 8.7 on the deepest consistent record in Seward, a single owner captain fishing the bay since 1994, the full trip menu, and clear posted pricing, held just short of a perfect score only by a shared rate that sits at the top of the Seward range. Captain and crew and track record are its strongest factors, with value the one that keeps it honest rather than untouchable. See how we scored this boat and the Seward ranking for the rest of the field, including Crackerjack Sportfishing and Aurora Charters.