I was initially hesitant to book a fishing trip online without any personal recommendations. While I had used Fishing Booker before with references, this time I had none—but after reading the reviews, I decided to go with the Black Pearl. I’m so glad I did!
Even before we arrived in Homer, AK, Captain Forrest reached out with a warm introduction and encouraged me to ask any questions about our trip. We exchanged several emails, and he was incredibly helpful in guiding us through the planning process. It was reassuring to know we could bring our own coolers, food, and snacks, which made the day even more comfortable.
The boat was very clean, well-kept, and equipped with great gear — and yes, it has a bathroom!
Captain Forrest and his first mate, Ben, went above and beyond to ensure everything ran smoothly. I honestly think they enjoy seeing their guests catch fish just as much as they enjoy fishing themselves. Their knowledge of the area and where to go made all the difference — we caught our limit of halibut along with rockfish, cod, and even some salmon!
The atmosphere on board was relaxed, professional, and fun. My family and I had an unforgettable experience fishing on the Black Pearl with Captain Forrest Luking and his first mate, Ben.
Highly recommend booking with Black Pearl if you’re looking for a productive, stress-free, and all-around fantastic fishing adventure!

Forest was knowledgeable, boat was very clean and well kept, equipment was in great shape. He went out of his way to make sure we caught the fish!! They kept our lines baited, working and so we could reel them in. If a spot slowed down we moved spots. If we wanted to try for a bigger fish we kept trying. He was so encouraging and fun! 8 hours sounded like a long time but did not feel like it. We didn’t have long periods of time when nothing was biting. I would highly recommend Black Pearl with Forest! Unless you don’t really want to have fun and catch fish!

We had an awesome time with Forrest and Ben! Caught many and HUGE fish and got our limits and had a blast! Both Forrest and Ben were so helpful and positive with great attitudes and Jody fun to spend time with catching so many big halibut! Our largest was estimated to be 100 pounds! We stopped the boat and they hit like crazy! Two and three at a time and was just over the top action and fun! The Black Pearl is a roomy boat and clean and was comfortable to spend time on. Will definitely recommend to others and we will use this guide again!

Forest and his assistant, Ben, provided excellent service!  We went fishing three days.  Caught our limit of halibut along with other great fish each day.  Forest would frequently stop the boat and allow us to take pictures of otters and whales.  Ben did an amazing job of filleting the fish.  By the time we returned to the dock, Ben had the fish already filleted and ready to transport.  It was an amazing trip with awesome memories!!!!!

We had an incredible halibut fishing trip! The captain and deckhand were top-notch—knowledgeable, friendly, and worked hard the entire day. Our group had a blast and ended up limiting out on halibut and rockfish,  landed cod and salmon. The whole experience was well-organized, and you could tell they really knew the waters. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a solid day on the ocean with a crew that knows what they’re doing.