All the shared boats leave from central Tromsø and hand out a thermal or insulated suit, so those details rarely decide. What does: how many rods are in the water, how many people share them, and what the crew does with the fish. Our verdict rests on those points, as the product pages and guest reviews describe them.
What happens to the catch
On Hermes II the crew prepares what you land and serves it with butter and flatbread, next to a fish cake from Dragøy that everyone gets. The Polar Adventures fishing cruise cooks the catch into a fish soup for lunch, and on the two-hour trip on Capella there is a cooked meal only if fish are caught. No trip promises a catch, which is why a meal that comes either way counts. Fjord fishing trips compared.
Rods and the size of the group
Hermes II has up to five rods in the water at once, so in a full boat you take turns, and you may bring your own rod. Reviewers of the Polar Adventures cruise mention too few rods for a larger group. Only the two-hour trip and the private boats give everyone a rod for the whole time. On any shared trip, fishing time is shorter than the trip: one guest on Hermes II counted a little over an hour on the water with a line out. What to expect on board.
Taking fish home
On the shared boats the catch is eaten on board. Tromso Explorer is a registered tourist fishing business and includes the export papers on both private trips: four hours on an open boat with pickup, or five hours on a cabin boat from Skattøra Marina. Norwegian Customs allows 15 kg of fish per person in 2026, up to twice per calendar year, and 10 kg from 1 January 2027. Fishing rules for visitors.
The season decides the format
The fjord boats fish in winter and in summer. Ice fishing needs frozen water: Skadi Adventures runs on the sea fjord in Ullsfjord from 5 January to 31 March, and GuideGunnar on a lake on Ringvassøya from February to April. From about 19 May to 27 July the sun does not set, and the evening trip on Hermes II can bring the midnight sun, weather permitting. Ice fishing from Tromsø and fishing under the midnight sun.
King crab instead of a rod
A king crab tour is not rod fishing. Tourists may not take part directly in catching king crab, so the crew owns and sets the pots, you help haul them, and the crab is eaten on board. Senjafjell takes up to ten guests and usually brings up one pot; it does not take children under six or under 20 kg. Arctic Sea Adventures takes six at most and has a heated cabin. King crab tours compared.
