MEET THE CAPTAINS
If you've been waiting for the opportunity to experience wild Alaskan fishing, wait no longer — our seasoned skippers are ready to guide your journey!
CAPTAIN JUSTIN
Take one look at the childhood photo beside his bio, and it's crystal clear: Captain Justin Hess was born to be on the water. Now 30 years old, Justin has been casting lines since he was 2 years old and running boats since he was 12. As a proud third-generation fisherman, maritime heritage is in his blood, and the ocean has always been his true home.
Justin's deep passion for angling eventually drew him to the wild, legendary waters of Alaska. For him, there is no greater place on earth than Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay, and there's absolutely nowhere he'd rather be than at the helm of the Early Riser, helping guests hook into the catch of a lifetime.
Combining nearly three decades of hands-on experience with an infectious, high-energy enthusiasm, Captain Justin is dedicated to showing every single guest a world-class time. When you step aboard with Justin, you're not just booking a fishing trip—you're sharing a boat with a lifetime of authentic family tradition and wild Alaskan passion.
Live Booking Calendar
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CAPTAIN JORDAN
From Atlanta, Georgia, is our Bait Ball Captain. Always an outdoor enthusiast, he chased the adventurous life all the way to Homer, Alaska. Jordan started as a fish-hauler for Buttwhackers in 2012 bringing barrels of fish up the ramp no matter how low the tide was. At the end of the season, he was asked to fill in as a deckhand where he more than willingly obliged.
Jordan realized how much he loved teaching clients how to fish and the challenging side to different fishing conditions daily. For the following summers, he worked as a deckhand for several charters on the Spit gaining a wealth of experience and in 2015, he acquired his captains' credentials.
Since then, he has worked primarily as a charter guide, but has used his license for water taxis and wildlife tours as well. His energetic enthusiasm and appreciation for Kachemak Bay is infectious. There is so much history and beauty in this part of the world, and he's happy when he shares the excitement and curiosity with clients!
You can find Jordan on the deck sharing jokes, awful facts about otters, and eating your snacks.
Meet our Fleet
Want to see the custom aluminum vessels these captains operate?
CAPTAIN CHUCK
Our California Golden Boy, Charlie (Chuck) Winston, was born and raised in Compton. His earliest fishing memories are sneaking out of the house with a fishing rod and a skateboard, riding the metro to Bellmont Pier, and spending all day fishing/gathering knowledge from the salty locals.
Chuck made his way to Homer in the summer of 2019 and spent his first season working as a deckhand. He fell in love with Alaska, the addictive grind of charter fishing, and has planted his roots here ever since.
Chuck continued work as a deckhand for several of the long-standing Homer charter companies over the next few years. Then in 2022 after acquiring his captain's license, Chuck began running his own trips, and boy does he love chasing "Big Butts!"
You may never meet a captain quite like Chuck, with the memory of an elephant; he is sure to keep you entertained with his one-liners, stories, and jokes. But rest assured, attention to the smallest details is one of his strengths, along with his ultimate goal of giving you the fishing experience of a lifetime!
TAI RISER
Tai Riser came to Alaska in the fall of 1993 on a basketball scholarship with the University of Alaska Anchorage, bringing along his new bride. He immediately fell in love with the beauty of the state as well as the fishing. After bringing his wife and children back for a summer vacation in 2017, Tai vowed to spend more time here. His family enjoyed Alaska so much, they purchased property and began spending their summers here.
GUEST REVIEWS
"My family and I had an absolute blast, both days on the water, with Captain Josh, Captain Jordan, and Deckhand Cody. They made our trip extremely entertaining with their boating stories and Alaska wildlife knowledge. We will be returning to Big Butt, when we run out of 280 lbs of halibut."
"Before our trip, Captain Josh answered all our online questions faster than we expected. His boat, Early Riser, was very comfortable and very clean. Even the bathroom was better than we've experienced on previous fishing trips. We enjoyed the halibut fishing immensely. It was obvious that Josh has over a decade of experience. Even with five of us, he was calm and collected. A great day of fishing."
"Had an amazing trip fishing for halibut with Big Butt Charters! Captain Josh got us into big fish right off the bat and got us our limit for the day. We had to buy a new freezer!! Good times were had by all and we will be back for more."
"Great day out of Homer, AK for halibut and salmon. Caught our limit of halibut early and trolled for salmon the rest of the day. Saw lots of wildlife also. Jordan was an excellent captain - polite, knowledgeable and informative. Cody did a super job as mate and had all our fish cleaned before we returned to port. We'll definitely look them up when we're in the area again."
"This was the best fishing charter that I have ever gone out on. The boat was comfortable. The crew was knowledgeable and very helpful. They took time to demonstrate the technique for hooking a halibut. Definitely the friendliest crew that I have ever met. Everything was set up so professionally. We watched the crew filet the fish and they had a local fish packing company available when the boat arrived back in port to collect the fish if you wished to have them prepared for shipping. I highly recommend Big Butt charters and Captain Jordan Cox."
