Somehow I'd missed the last messages in this post. Awesome that you drove to Homer. That's the big item in my bucket list. I want to drive up and take the Ferry back - stopping to explore various ports along the Inside Passage on the way.
We've always had great experiences at the Salty Dog. It used to be owned by the Hillstrands (who are originally from Indiana) from Deadliest Catch.
Also, Captain Paddies is a restaurant in Homer that will cook up your catch for you at the end of the day. Nothing better than to take in a mess of halibut and/or lingcod that you caught during the day for dinner in the evening....and, believe me, they know how to cook it.
