Guides

Meet the guides that make up our guide team! These guides are pros at fishing, wildlife viewing, and are very knowledgeable of the area. You can expect the guides to be friendly, clean cut, family oriented, hard working, open minded, service oriented, energetic, and there for you with a positive attitude. They strive for your enjoyment, whatever it is. They will let you catch your own fish, and will only help or offer advice when you ask. Although the majority of our clients come to fish, we also cater to many wildlife viewers who could care less about fishing. All these guides love nature and enjoy sharing their local knowledge of the area and its wildlife.

GERRIT HINTZ and his charter vessel "Cascade Cruiser"

Gerrit and his wife Claudia welcomed their first son Samuel to the family in 2008. Gerrit was raised on Kodiak Island and grew up hunting and fishing. He started commercial fishing when he was in high school on his summer breaks. After graduating, he became a full time commercial fisherman. He was the captain of a commercial fishing vessel, then retired from commercial fishing to become a guide. Gerrit's enthusiasm and knowledge of the ocean waters, combined with his passion of a sportsman, make him a fantastic guide.

Testimonial:

We want to let you know how grateful we are for making our fishing trip so memorable.    Surely, you are accounting for all the "firsts" that happened while we were aboard your boat:  fish and 'pole' dances, fish calls, bent harpoons, lost nets, etc. -- what a blast!  The BIG fish stories have gotten us a lot of mileage.  We recognize your focus and attentiveness allowed us to land all those fish and enjoy the fun moments with our family. Your pleasant nature, keen sense, and ultimate knowledge of the waters has made you a guide to be sought after in Kodiak.  We SO appreciate the hot meals you prepared for us daily, and the homemade cookies that Claudia sent along were devine!  We look forward to our return if at all possible.

Thank you!

Deb O'Loane

MELVIN SQUARTSOFF and his charter vessel "Kekur Point"

Melvin is a devoted family man and has three daughters and one grandson. Melvin owns and operates the Kodiak Paradise Lodge. He is native to the Kodiak Archipelago and enjoys entertaining, Seahawks football, Texas Hold 'Em, hunting, fishing, beachcombing, and being on the water.

Experience/history:

• Commercial fishing (family business)
• Retail store (family business)
• Professional charter boat operator/guide
• Accommodations (family business)

References:

1. Melvin could give a seminar on "How to deliver outstanding customer service to clients"! He has a tremendous attention to detail, from his boat, to his equipment, to making sure he remembers everyone's name (14 in our party!). By the end of the trip, you will want Melvin as a "Friend for Life". One note though: he is not very good at horse shoes! Rick Binder (Binder family) from Wisconsin
2. Melvin was one of the highlights of our trip. His knowledge of the area, the plants, and the animals was extensive. He took obvious joy in showing us various animals and helping us catch fish. We caught our limit of King Salmon, over 200 pounds of Halibut, saw over 200 sea otters, and took pictures of a humpback whale that jumped 8 times or better. And that was just the first day! Before the week was out, we caught a 60lb. King Salmon and over 200lb. of Halibut in one fish. We also saw a number of Kodiak bears, seals, Dahl porpoise, and had an amazing encounter with a pod of fin whales. In addition to King Salmon and Halibut, we caught Pacific cod, Dolly Varden, and other species of fish. Melvin knows his stuff!  Rusty and Laura Stark from Michigan.

IVAN LUKIN with his charter vessel "Aleut Dance"

Ivan is a devoted family man with his wife Kathy, three grown children and six grandchildren. He is native to the Kodiak Archipelago and enjoys bow hunting, sport fishing, processing wild fish and game (meat hunter), entertaining and sharing his homeland and its bounty.

Experience/history:

• Commercial fisherman
• Military base carpenter
• Professional charter boat operator/guide (family business)

References:

1. Ivan, we had such a great time fishing with you. Your years of experience and knowledge of the area made the trip interesting, as well as fun. Your boat is a great fishing vessel and the halibut tastes fantastic! Ivan, as beautiful as Kodiak is, it's people like you that will keep people coming back. I will recommend you to everyone I know who plans on visiting Alaska. I can't thank you enough.  Vince R., Boulder Creek, CA
2. My dad had a great time and so did Nathan. Thanks a million for some awesome fishing and Kodiak Island history! Hope to fish with you again someday.  Paul Morse
3. Ivan, we just want to tell you how much we enjoyed our fishing trip with you. It was the highlight of our trip to Alaska. We will always remember our trip with you and will recommend your trip to anyone coming your way.  Robert and Shauna Killpack

ABNER NELSON with his charter vessel "Kykjla" (translation: "little girls" in Russian)

Abner is a devoted family man with wife Marilyn, four grown children and nine grandchildren. He is native to the Kodiak Archipelago.

Experience/history:

• Commercial fisherman (family business)
• Marine merchant tug boat operator
• Professional charter boat operator/guide (family business)