Posts: 7
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2014
Reputation:
0
Hello,
My wife and I are trying to plan a trip to Alaska next year. Our general idea is about a four week long trip. We plan on spending 5 days driving there and 5 days driving home, thats leaves us two weeks in Alaska plus some more if needed. We would like to do some sight seeing but catching salmon is my main reason for going. I would prefer to fish for kings; however, I would like to catch a lot of fish. So I would be fine fishing for any salmon species and halibut. Any information on planning this trip would be helpful. Information needed, sights to see while in alaska, any cool camp ground ideas (planning on taking my cab over unless thats a bad idea?), what rivers to fish (what species can I catch in those rivers, and the best times for each species), what guides or outfitters are worth fishing with. Any information would be helpful.
Thanks,
[signature]
Posts: 55
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2011
Reputation:
0
I've only done AK once and it was an eight night fly-in/float-out down the Kanektok. Trip of a lifetime. Kings peak midsummer, exactly when depends on where along the coast the river is located. You might want to consider what you are going to do with potentially over 100lbs of fish fillets if you are driving and car camping, rather than flying and staying with an outfitter/lodge. Seriously, one big halibut and a couple nice kings and you are looking at a sizable pile of meat in need of a freezer. Anglers staying with lodges can get it frozen solid in vacuum sealed bags, stored and then packed in styrofoam chests with dry ice for the flight back to the lower 48. With the price of seafood these days.....just sayin'!
[signature]
Posts: 200
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2014
Reputation:
0
Alaska has very limited fishing access by vehicle. Prepare to be disappointed... .only two or three rivers and a handful of small streams like bird, Montana and Ship creek in Anchorage. Far better fishing in Skeena drainage in British Columbia. copper kalim Bulkley.skeena kispiox, Kitimat and Babine. best time is right now through sept for steelhead and silvers and last three weeks of July for Kings.
[signature]
Posts: 10
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2013
Reputation:
0
I drove to Anchorage from Spokane WA, and from Anchorage to Mt Home. You can do it in five days, but you will be missing a lot. It took 4 days for me to get there and I was in a rush since my father past away on day two of driving. Make sure you have good tires because the highway will be washed out in several areas and under construction/mud. Carry extra fuel and search the web for fuel stations. I was told to hit every one. I drove a ford escort up and filled up at 3/4 of a tank and barely made it to the next fill up. That was in 2002. I pulled a camper down with me and took an extra 15 gallons of gas, but don't remember using it with my dodge Dakota in 2006. Not sure where you are heading to, but the Homer area is a great place to go out fishing with guides. It is worth going to the docks with cash in hand if the boat is not full some will make a deal to fill the boat up. There was a recent King Salmon problem where they shut it down for a year. I am not sure if it has recovered, if it has, the big Kings come from the Keni. You may want to check on that also. You need to check out the Russian River if you like to catch big trout. 10-20 lb range. It is also great fishing for Red Salmon if you don't mind combat fishing. I would suggest downloading the fishing regulations and taking a GPS along, because some areas of the rivers are closed to fishing. If you get away from people, make sure you have some bear protection. 99% of the time, they won't bother you, but if you have a fish on, he may want to take it from you. I suggest cutting your line and let him have it. The 4 years I spent up there I had a great time fishing and would love to go back Just for the Halibut.
[signature]
Posts: 237
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2010
Reputation:
0
If you are military or retired military, you can fish out of anchorage or Seward using mwr. It was around $150 for a charter, vs the $250 or $300 others wanted. I've talkedto guys who went and they had a great experience.
[signature]
Posts: 816
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2010
Reputation:
0
We did a week middle of august with a self guided lodge ( watersedge at Elfin cove) and what you are going to do with your fish on the trip is a big issue it you have good success. They processed ours and froze them at night. Between 3 of us and having a decent week we brought home just over 350 lbs of silver and halibut. That should be the biggest part of your plans if youre going to keep fish is how you will store them and then get them home.
[signature]
Posts: 84
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2008
Reputation:
0
Lots of info here
[url "http://www.adn.com/article/20140903/plentiful-mat-su-roadside-streams-offer-scenic-stops-rainbow-anglers"]http://www.adn.com/article/20140903/plentiful-mat-su-roadside-streams-offer-scenic-stops-rainbow-anglers[/url]
[signature]
Posts: 3,496
Threads: 25
Joined: Apr 2006
Reputation:
3
If you are going to be traveling up to and around Alaska I would recommend purchasing a copy of a book called the Mile Post I think it cost about $35 online. The wife and I spent two weeks in Alaska several years ago renting a motor home in Anchorage and I purchased a copy after being recommended by a friend. They are updated with the latest maps & road conditions etc. for that year. They list pretty much everything as far as gas stations, places to eat, camp grounds. You may want to go on line and check it out, I know it sure helped us out alot.
[signature]
Posts: 84
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2008
Reputation:
0
[url "http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/forumdisplay.php/105-Alaska-Freshwater-Fishing"]http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/forumdisplay.php/105-Alaska-Freshwater-Fishing[/url]
[signature]
Posts: 2,727
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2005
Reputation:
0
It would be helpful to know when and were you plan to go. Alaska is huge and the timing of runs vary tremendously in various locations. It might be true that roadside fishing will only get you to a small fraction of fishable waters but there is a tremendous amount of good roadside fishing. I've done it in on Prince of Whales Island, Kenai Peninsula, Copper Creek drainage and North of Anchorage to the border of Denali. Outstanding fishing was found in all those areas. I found this book very helpful especially my first time to an area: bookhttp://www.amazon.com/Alaska-Fishing-Ultimate-Anglers-Edition/dp/1929170114/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1410349363&sr=8-1&keywords=fishing+in+alaska
I still refer to it a little on each trip. Here's a helpful link if fishing between Anchorage and Denali as well as the Copper River drainage http://alaskaroadsidefishing.com/Pages/L...sitna.html
I pulled up the Little Su but you can switch to others listed on the left side of the page. I fished most of them by car or RV. They want you to buy their book but I haven't.
If you're camping I liked to be able to pull up on the beach or next to the beach in the State parks on some of the smaller rivers on the Kenai such as Ninilchik and Deep Creek. They have early runs of kings with only certain days open. Don't forget a shovel if you like clams.
[signature]
Posts: 237
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2010
Reputation:
0
If you haven't fished there before, be prepared for frustration. I fished the Russian for reds. First day all I got was tired and aggrivated watching everybody else hook up. Second day I caught and lost 1. Third day after carefully watching others for hours, Ihooked up with 6 fish. There is quite the learning curve..i even had my daughter who lived there trying to teach me how to do it... the year I went it was fairly slow for reds while I was there, but people who knew what they were doing were getting 8 to 10 fish landed..
[signature]
Posts: 84
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2008
Reputation:
0
There is an art to force feeding those reds [fishin]
[signature]
Posts: 2,727
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2005
Reputation:
0
Yes it called mouth snagging! If your used to directing a fly or lure toward a fish while sight fishing it's pretty easy. Instead of waiting for the fish to bite you yank it into their mouth quickly before they turn their head away. I've thought I had a few reds on the Russian actually bite only to realize they were smaller reddish kings after landing them.
[signature]
Posts: 191
Threads: 0
Joined: Jun 2009
Reputation:
0
Called "flossing" for obvious reasons... The fish are swimming up river with their mouths open. The trick is timing and placement of your cast, plus retrieval, that directs your line into an open mouth. The retrieve will eventually guide your hook into the corner of the mouth on either side and hook set - FISH ON!!! Not all shoreline areas are productive. You need to locate those areas where currents, seams, structure, etc. naturally guide the sockeye in along the shoreline.
[signature]
Posts: 2,727
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2005
Reputation:
0
Sure when you can't see them up close you floss- run the line up until you snag them in the mouth. It's legal and sockeye are great to eat but let's not kid anyone it's a form of snagging.
[signature]
Posts: 237
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2010
Reputation:
0
Whatever it is, it is not a piece of cake. I landed about 1 out of every 6 I hooked.
[signature]
Posts: 2,043
Threads: 5
Joined: Nov 2005
Reputation:
0
You say your main reason to go is to catch salmon, and you want to catch a lot of fish. Find yourself a few good rivers with a Silver run, and time the trip for those. They readily eat flies and lures, they are very sporting when hooked, and they taste good if you keep some to eat. They're generally a late-season run, the last of the salmon to ascend the rivers and streams, usually in August and early September. Their numbers are plentiful in many areas. You might also get some late pinks and chums mixed in with them in certain drainages, along with rainbows and char. Halibut are available at the same time in coastal areas. Get on a charter boat and go weightlifting! Homer has the biggest ones.
If it were me, I'd spend my time in the southeast part of Alaska. Its less crowded, has lots of water, and is a shorter drive than Anchorage and points north/west of there. Prince of Wales Island, as Riverdog mentioned, would definitely be on the list. Along the mainland coast north of that you have islands and coastal communities with charter fishing. Ketchikan. Juneau.
[signature]
Posts: 18
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2012
Reputation:
0
To catch kings and silvers go the last two weeks of June. For Kings go down to the Kenai River around Soldotna. For Silvers go up to the Talkeetna or Susitna rivers (an hour or so north of Anchorage. Both accessible by car. Plus, that's the best time for weather as well.
[signature]
|
