Westport Charters is the institution of the Westport waterfront, running charter trips since 1955 and still one of the most reliable calls in the port. It fishes the 50 foot Hula Girl on limited loads, posts the clearest price card on the dock with the gear and tax built in, and carries a deep, long record of clean, well run trips. Reviewers come back to two things again and again: a spotless boat and a crew that knows exactly where the fish are. For a bottomfish, combo, or halibut day on a big, comfortable boat without the per angler price of a private six pack, it is hard to do better in Westport.
The verdict and where it ranks
At 8.2 the operation lands third in the port and is a strong choice, the pick for value and reliability on a larger boat. Its case is built on the clearest pricing in Westport, a 70 year track record, a genuinely clean and well kept boat, and a crew reviewers trust to put them on fish. What holds it below the top is the format and the menu. The Hula Girl is a big boat that runs limited loads of up to 15 anglers, so it is a fuller rail than a six pack and a slightly less personal day, and the operation does not run a dedicated albacore tuna trip, the summer fishery that draws many anglers to Westport. A handful of reviews report an off day, which is the honest counterweight to a mostly excellent record. For the full menu including tuna, Mutineer Charters and Deep Sea Sportfishing are the broader operations; for an albacore specialist, All Rivers and Saltwater Charters runs tuna only. Compare the field on the Westport ranking.
The boat
The Hula Girl is a 50 foot charter boat, and reviewers describe it as the cleanest charter boat they have been on, with two heads, separate for men and women, which is a rare and welcome touch on a day boat. It runs limited loads of up to 15 anglers rather than packing the rail, so there is room to fish without crowding, and it is set up for the long, cold runs the Washington coast demands. This is a big boat, not a six pack, so the trade is honest: you share the boat and the day with a dozen or more other anglers, which keeps the per person price down but makes for a more sociable, less private trip than a small boat under a single captain. For what it is, a well run, spotless, capable big boat, it sets the standard in the port.
The fishing and what you target
The Hula Girl is a bottomfish and groundfish boat at heart. Rockfish and lingcod open in mid March and carry the season, the steady box filler. A deepwater lingcod trip runs a short schedule, roughly the first half of June and September, fishing down to 700 feet, which is physically demanding but reaches the better fish. The combo trip pairs king salmon with rockfish once the salmon season opens in late June, and the spring halibut bonus trip, on the limited late April to June quota days, targets Pacific halibut with bonus rockfish and lingcod alongside. The one gap is tuna: the Hula Girl does not run a dedicated albacore trip, so for that fishery you look elsewhere in the port. Seasons and quotas shift year to year, so confirm the current bottomfish, halibut, and salmon dates with WDFW Marine Area 2 before you plan around one.
Trips and prices
This is where the operation is strongest. The price card is posted in full and per person, and every trip includes the pole, bait, gear, sales tax, and a derby ticket, so the number you see is close to the number you pay. Rockfish and lingcod is $280, the salmon and rockfish combo is $350, deepwater lingcod is $375, and the halibut bonus trip is $450. Check in is early, from 5:45 a.m. on bottomfish trips down to 3:30 a.m. on halibut days, with the halibut trip back around 3 p.m. The cancellation policy is stated plainly, 30 days notice for most trips, with halibut trips prepaid and non refundable unless the spot is refilled, so read it before you book a halibut date. A deckhand gratuity is on top. Our cost guide sets these rates against other ports, and the party boat versus private charter guide weighs the big boat value against a private six pack.
The crew
Captain Steve Westrick runs the Hula Girl, and the crew is a steady strength in the reviews. The recurring praise is specific and useful: the captain and deckhand know the spots, put anglers on fish, and limit the boat out on good days, with one reviewer noting they were limited out by 10 a.m. The deckhands draw particular credit for working the rail hard on a boat full of mixed skill levels, which is what matters most on a larger boat where you deal with the mate more than the captain. The track record is one of the longest in the port at 70 years, and the rating sits high across platforms, a 4.6 on Google and roughly 70 of 75 TripAdvisor reviews rated excellent or very good. The honest counterweight is a small number of genuinely negative trips, the kind any high volume operation collects, which keep it from a flawless record.
Booking and what to know
Reservations open on the first of the year and the popular trips book early, so plan ahead, especially for the limited halibut dates. Check in is early and in the dark, so arrive on time at the dock across from Floats 8 and 10. Bring warm, waterproof layers even in summer, since the boat fishes cold open ocean, plus food, sunscreen, and a cooler for your catch; the pole, bait, gear, and tax are included, and a one day license is your responsibility if you do not hold one. Children over eight are welcome, which makes this a workable family option, and the limited load means more room than a packed party boat.
How we scored it
The Hula Girl earns its 8.2 on the clearest pricing in the port, a 70 year track record, a genuinely clean and capable boat, and a crew reviewers trust, held below the leaders by the big boat format and the lack of a dedicated tuna trip. Value and transparency is its standout factor at 9.0. See how we scored this boat and the Westport ranking for the rest of the field, including Salty Dog Charters.