# alaska halibut and salmon trips



## utarchery (Jun 18, 2013)

im not sure if this is the right place to post this but I was wondering if anyone has had any expierence with fish on Alaska? my dad, grandpa, brother and I are looking to do a guided fishing trip in june for salmon and halibut. any input would be appreciated!!


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Pybus Point seems to post lost of pics with tons of fish. GReat time for halibut but terrible time for salmon. Minimal silvers and Kings are just hard to come by anymore. Most of the places I know are self guided. 
If you are up for it self guided is not as hard as it sounds and it allows you to keep twice the amount of halibut in much of the state. I have done three self guided and it has been great. Obvious advantage is significant savings, but it can take a little more time to catch on, but not much.


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## utarchery (Jun 18, 2013)

we dont have the equipment is the main reason we are wanting to go guided. they have told us we can keep 100lbs of salmon and 100lbs of halibut, both in airplane shipping containers


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

utarchery said:


> we dont have the equipment is the main reason we are wanting to go guided. they have told us we can keep 100lbs of salmon and 100lbs of halibut, both in airplane shipping containers


YOu dont need any equipment, self guided simply means no guide is on teh boat with you ,but they still provide all licenses, tips, suggestions, locations, fishfinders, bait, poles/reels, downriggers, raingear, boots, etc. some will have more or less than that, but you dont have to bring any gear. August is generally a better bet to really get into the silvers and also a good time to get halibut if you can swing it. totally up to you, but look at some of hte most popular being doc warners, silverking lodge, salmon run, those are all owned by Utah folks and have lots of Utahns as employees there.
I had a buddy who went to this place in July and did well, lots of big halibut very few salmon http://www.glacierbayfishing.com/


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

utarchery said:


> im not sure if this is the right place to post this but I was wondering if anyone has had any expierence with fish on Alaska? my dad, grandpa, brother and I are looking to do a guided fishing trip in june for salmon and halibut. any input would be appreciated!!


There are guys that have more experience, but I've been a few times. I can answer a couple of your questions.

1. If you are going in June, it is a good time if you want to try for King salmon, but the silvers and pinks won't really be going yet. Catching a king is a genuine accomplishment, but you won't be having the fast action many think of when fishing Alaska.

2. Halibut can be had through the summer. As Huge mentioned, there are varying regs for different places and they may need to be factored in to your decision making.

3. There are a gazillion different lodges and/or outfitters you could consider and I am sure you can find one that best suits your needs and expectations.
A visit to one of the winter outdoor shows may be helpful.

4. I've had a good experiences by going to a lodge for a week, flying to Anchorage, then driving to Homer and staying in motels, and even going for a half day fishing last year while on a cruise. Alaska is "cool 8)" enough that you can find something that will work for you.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

utarchery said:


> I was wondering if anyone has had any expierence with fish on Alaska?


Been to Alaska 16-17 times now. Its a blast



Huge29 said:


> Pybus Point


Little F'ing cabins are over $17,000 for 4 people... seriously look it up, its F'ing insane. One of the owners there lives a couple blocks from me.

We went up this year, flew into Juneau and went out on a charter boat for 8 hour halibut / coho combo. We limited out the boat on halibut each day, usually in around an hour, caught a ton of other fish too (my son caught a bunch of Pacific Cod, we brought them back... they are better than the halibut lol). Coho weren't there in large numbers yet, but we caught a bunch. Caught a freaking ton of "Jack" King salmon. They were annnoooyiiinnngggg! Kindof like slot cuts at Strawberry. But its still fun to catch +20" 15lb'ers one after an other.

Tons of whales... more than I've ever seen on a trip.

Went out with a all female group and to be frank and honest, they kicked ass. Very hardworking and they did know their stuff. I loved the boat... loved that hull design and the owner had just put new 300HP Merc's on it and it screamed across the water.

https://49thfathom.com/

I'd really like to get back up there again next year and do it all again. You could do a couple weeks of fishing with Captain Shelby for the cost of one of those tiny cabins at Pybus Point.

-DallanC


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

PS: June is pretty early for good fishing. What are type of salmon you planning to target?


-DallanC


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

DallanC said:


> PS: June is pretty early for good fishing. What are type of salmon you planning to target?
> 
> -DallanC


That is entirely dependent on where in the state you are fishing. Keep in mind that there's nearly 600 miles straight line distance distance between Juneau and Anchorage. The run timing is very different depending on which region of Alaska you are looking at.

June is typically excellent timing for South Central Alaska for kings (except kind fishing has been mostly terrible for the last decade) and the first runs of sockeye. Usually can be good saltwater salmon fishing too off the K-pen in June too.

There's a whole lot of questions as far as what the OP is looking for in terms of experience, budget, species, etc.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I'd contact Lee Robbins in Kodiak. He owns a B&B in Kodiak and also runs an awesome fishing charter. He stays in constant contact with us at Kitoi Bay Salmon Hatchery to find out the salmon fishing conditions. He often brings his clients here for tours of our hatchery. He knows what he's doing with halibut too. Here's his number 907-539-8866. Tell him Chuck Jorgensen sent you. And if he asks, I have no idea who put bear crap in his boat or his bush plane.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

We went with Silver Fox Charters and went in July (the 6th to be exact) out of Homer. Not sure if they are still running or not, but had zero problems catching halibut. We were in between salmon runs so did not chase any. Did catch some ling cod as well.

Between fishing AL and the Gulf (of Mexico), I prefer AL. You can always put extra clothes on, but only so much you can take off!!! 8)


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

High Desert Elk said:


> We went with Silver Fox Charters and went in July (the 6th to be exact) out of Homer. Not sure if they are still running or not, but had zero problems catching halibut. We were in between salmon runs so did not chase any. Did catch some ling cod as well.


I've been out with Silver Fox from Homer too... we did well, but its been a really long time though.

-DallanC


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

johnnycake said:


> There's a whole lot of questions as far as what the OP is looking for in terms of experience, budget, species, etc.


This is really key to be able to guide the OP. Especially budget and expectations.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

DallanC said:


> I'd really like to get back up there again next year and do it all again. You could do a couple weeks of fishing with Captain Shelby for the cost of one of those tiny cabins at Pybus Point.


This is an intriguing option. I assume you just stayed in a motel there in town? If you don't mind, could you share what that cost? PM if that would be preferred.


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Catherder said:


> This is an intriguing option. I assume you just stayed in a motel there in town? If you don't mind, could you share what that cost? PM if that would be preferred.


I've have to dig it up, I dont remember off hand. We did stay at https://frontiersuites.com/ in Juneau. Overall I liked the suite. It has a full kitchen so making some cheap meals is a breeze.

The other nice thing is they have large fridge w/ freezer in the room so we'd just bring a garbage bag full of fish back, "sneak" it into the room and we'd fillet and pack the fish right there. That saves a ton of money vs the people who have it done and their fish shipped. FrontierSuites does have a large walk-in freezer you can stick your fish in as well for free. We didnt have so much we had to use that service. We packed the room freezer to the max though LOLs.

One amusing thing, I was sneaking out a huge garbage bag of fish guts / carcases and I got caught by the guy working there. He wandered over in a really nice suit and asked "whatcha doin?". LOL he patiently explained the actual dumpster we were using wasnt theirs. He said give me the bag, I'll go put it in the right one. I said "Dude, you are in nice clothes", he responded "its ok, I'm from Hoonah" I didnt say anything other than "Thank you" but I was thinking "well crap, Hoonah... that explains it". My sister in law once accurately observed "Hoonah is the armpit of Alaska" after a week there. :mrgreen:

Oh yea, you can buy styrofoam fish boxes in either Sportsmans Warehouse there, or the worlds biggest Fred Myer (seriously, that place is unbelievably big), then just check the boxes in as luggage on the flight home.

Overall we've done these trips enough we can pull it off pretty cheap.

-DallanC


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

BTW, I just looked at the Pybus Point lodge rates for the new year: $5,750 per person for the deluxe room.

The little 4 man cabin is $5,000 per person so $20,000 for a group of 4. 

IDK how rich someone has to be to book that place, but dayum its out of my price range.


-DallanC


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## utarchery (Jun 18, 2013)

Thanks for all the input and experience. We will have to do some thinking. Thanks again!


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Wow, I guess I have to defend Pybus Point. I have been there twice, when the price was cheaper. It was far and away the best Alaska fishing experience I have ever had- both times. I have fished Alaska a bit and have other experiences to compare to Pybus. 

Tiny cabins? Not sure where this info came from but their private cabins used to be very accommodating. Now they have built new cabins and lodges (I imagine this played into the price increase), which are nicer than the good ones they had before. Their boats were excellent and they allowed a guy to fish DIY after their guided day. They filleted and vacuum packed all the fish for you. They served high quality food cooked by an amazing chef. 

They took us shrimping. We set and pulled crab pots. We ate the shrimp and crab that were 2 hours out of the water. Some of the best dinners I have ever eaten. 

We caught over 300 fish A DAY on our boat of 4 people. Halibut, salmon, cod, ling, yellow-eye, rock fish, etc... More whales than I have ever seen on a previous trip. 

You get to fly in a float plane- which is part of the experience. I even took one day and went deer hunting and shot a blacktail buck. 

Now the prices have increased by $2000 per person since I went, so I doubt I will afford to go back. If the OP has the funds then look into Pybus Point. If each person is paying their own way then you are around $6k each with air. 

Of course you can DIY cheaper. Both are fun. Both are different.


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## Catherder (Aug 2, 2008)

DallanC said:


> I've have to dig it up, I dont remember off hand. We did stay at https://frontiersuites.com/ in Juneau. Overall I liked the suite. It has a full kitchen so making some cheap meals is a breeze.
> 
> Overall we've done these trips enough we can pull it off pretty cheap.
> 
> -DallanC


Good info, I was wondering also about total cost per person for the entire trip.


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## utarchery (Jun 18, 2013)

I should add that we had originally found a guide that was 1350 a person for 5 days with lodging and 100lbs of fish packaged. They are out of kenai. How does this sound price wise?


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

It really depends on what is being offered. 5 Days is 3 days fishing? Kenai you will be fishing the river, maybe a day out of Deep Cr or Homer for halibut. We did Kenai 3 or so trips in Aug. It was fun, especially if you've never been to AK. Honestly, not sure how it would be in June- Kings are in, but the run has been way down as Johnny said. Reds are tailing off mid-late June. The cheap price is a little scary to me. I'd rather throw another $500ish per person on it and do something like Dallan suggested.


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

1350/person for 5 days sounds way too low to be true. Must not have any boats involved, river only. Silver king is the cheapest thing I've ever seen at 2100 person for 5 days and terrible little skiffs, but we did pretty well. They all have great food and take care of filleting, boxing, freezing, etc. May consider the alaska air6credit card, makes it much cheaper on flights.


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## utarchery (Jun 18, 2013)

That's why I asked if anyone is familiar with the guide service.

https://www.alaskafishon.com/


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

I have used these guys a couple of times, will use them again. https://www.gonefishinlodge.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjtm-s_uA5wIVR_7jBx0RJA3IEAAYAiAAEgIr5vD_BwE

Ralph is from the Salt Lake area.

They will let you custom the packages. First trip cost me about $3500 total, flights, rental car and bringing the fish home in 50lb boxes as luggage. The second I chose to custom the package a little by choosing to drop king fishing and do another fly out so it was about $4000.


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## torowy (Jun 19, 2008)

I used to work here: http://www.caldermountainlodge.com/ It is a good outfit. Self guided and you can do some fully guided days. Mostly Ocean fishing with potential of some stream fishing.

I also know the people here: https://eaglelodgealaska.com/ It is a little more rustic than the one above, but cheaper. Also better stream fishing.

Both places will have a great experience for halibut and salmon.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

utarchery said:


> I should add that we had originally found a guide that was 1350 a person for 5 days with lodging and 100lbs of fish packaged. They are out of kenai. How does this sound price wise?


I have fished about every stream/river/saltwater launch on the Kenai Peninsula guided and unguided more times than I can count over the past 20 years. I have friends that are guides down there, and some of them are more family to me than many members of my actual family! That being said, here's what I expect and spend on my guided trips out of the K-Pen.

First, unless the sockeye are HOT and the limits are raised to 6/day, I would not expect to bring home 100lbs of fish per person in June or July for 5 days of fishing on the Kenai. Sockeye yields for 1st run fish average about 2lbs per fish, standard limit 3/day. More likely than not, king salmon are going to be catch and release in freshwater. Halibut regs in that area allow you to catch 2/day (1 any size and 1 28" length or smaller so ~5lbs yield) and a maximum of 4 halibut per year from a charter boat. Average "any size" halibut on +90% of trips out of the Kenai launches is probably between 30-50lbs live weight (so 10-20lbs yield). There can be decent rockfishing out of Homer, but it is fairly hit and miss depending on what you're targeting. Saltwater salmon you should expect to average 10-15lbs of total fillets per person per day (mix of species/sizes, but usually a "feeder king" in the 10-20lbs live weight range is the biggest you could expect). A more likely expectation of total fish per person for 5 days this time of year on the K-Pen is 50-75lbs. But you might smack a 150lbs halibut one day, or troll up a 50lbs breeder kenai king in the salt where you could kill it if you wanted to. If stacking up salmon for the freezer is a serious part of the equation...consider a late September/early October 5 day silver salmon trip (maybe a day or two chasing winter kings in the salt). Rates for everything will be a lot cheaper, silvers are a RIOT and limits are 3/day with yields averaging 6lbs/fish (live weights 12-18lbs). Fishing is pretty consistent year-to-year in the fall too, and way fewer people. Plus the trout fishing is phenomenal that time of year.

--June-August is "peak" season for both fresh and saltwater out of the K-Pen, so daily rates are higher for everything during this time. I expect to pay about $275pp (plus I then tip 10-15%) for a good in-river king salmon full day. This will usually include cleaning/filleting but not packaging/freezing/storage. Saltwater this time of year on reputable/established 6pack boats (I am not a party-barge fan with 12-30 people "fishing" at a time) runs about $225-250pp for a 4-6 hr salmon trip and $300-450pp for a full day halibut or combo charter.

--I have not ever paid a guide to take me out for sockeye flossing, so I don't really have a good handle on what you might expect for that (and honestly, if you bring waders and want to grab a Walmart special beater salmon rig get in touch with me and assuming I have the time and the sockeye are running in good numbers I would probably be happy to meet you down at the Russian for an evening/middle of the night fishing excursion and show you the ropes of where/what/how).

--Lodging this time of year can be done a number of ways, with a comfy, but basic cabin for 4 not directly on the water going for about $100-150/night and nicer accommodations and ones directly on the water starting around $200/night. You can definitely find cheaper, but that will typically require longer travel times to meet the boat each morning and usually will require you to accept some fairly rough accommodations.

--Fish processing/freezing costs are pretty uniform regardless of the time of year, and on the K-Pen last year most outfits were in the $1.35-1.50/lbs for vacuum sealed and frozen fillets.

--Rental cars are not cheap this time of year and book up fast. I would expect to pay at least $100/day for a car that can reasonably fit 4 people, baggage, and fish. $150-200/day for a midsized SUV that can comfortably fit 4 people plus stuff.

--There are great restaurants pretty much everywhere, but be ready to pay about $20 for a burger, fries, and drink somewhere decent ($10-12 at fast food), and $20-35 for an entree dish. Breakfast places you can usually get a good meal around $10-12. Or you do the grocery store and cook for yourselves (if your cabin has a kitchen) and plan on food costing about 10-20% more on the K-Pen than it does in Utah.


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

wow. I'm impressed. Some of you guys are obviously RICH, RICH, RICH!


I get going to Alaska. It's a destination that everyone should experience. But if you are going for the fish, why not save a few thousand dollars, and go to Canada, eh? It's the same fish. But the cost (of everything) is cheaper.

Just something to consider...


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## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Back in the late 1980s, a neighbor used to trailer his 22ft boat from Utah County, up to Seattle, then load it on the ferry for a ride to Ketchikan. Then they would fish / live on the boat or rent a house for a few weeks and fish fish fish. Then they would return with crazy amounts of fish. 

Always sounded pretty expensive at the time. But that was back when we were making runs to Ketchikan yearly for around $599 a person for a week in a condo, car, DIY boat, tackle... included air fare from Seattle (first year we did that trip it was $499 a person).

As things are getting really expensive in todays age, I need to sit down and run the numbers, it might be viable to pull off if a guy had a boat. Sure you'd have to be careful with weather and ocean conditions in a smaller boat (sub-30ft'er)... but it might be an alternative.

-DallanC


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

A couple things:

A. Keep in mind: daily and possession limits still apply. The only way to remove the possession limit is to have your fish "processed". Which means vacuum sealed, labeled, and frozen. If your catch is not processed, then you will be limited to the amount you can bring home (ie: possession limit). No matter, the daily limit is always in place. You can only keep x number per day, whether you eat it or not.

B. There are 15,000+ miles of Canadian coastline that you have to go past before you reach Alaska. There are numerous Canadian ferry stops. There are also numerous Canadian highways. And lots, and lots, and lots of Canadian streams filled with salmon that are swimming away from all the hungry halibut out in the channels. Believe it or not, there are also lodges and guides in Canada. Best of all -- those Canucks are friendly buggers!


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

PBH said:


> wow. I'm impressed. Some of you guys are obviously RICH, RICH, RICH!
> 
> I get going to Alaska. It's a destination that everyone should experience. But if you are going for the fish, why not save a few thousand dollars, and go to Canada, eh? It's the same fish. But the cost (of everything) is cheaper.
> 
> Just something to consider...


You don't have to be rich to have certain priorities and discipline in your budget. I did a TON of fishing trips to Alaska as a teenager where I had to pay my own way to go with my dad and his buddies. I did trips while in college/law school with a young family. With the right mindset its impressive what you can accomplish even with a pretty limited budget.

Are there cheaper ways to come to Alaska and have a great time fishing? Of course there are, but they require a lot more work and usually less comfort to pull off, with a lower likelihood of success. You can typically find roundtrip flights SLC-ANC for under $600 (sometimes closer to $400). Plan to camp on undeveloped NF, BLM, or state land for free. Eat like a poor college student. Find the cheapest rental car you can legally squeeze your group into. Bring your own gear and hit up the tackle shop for advice and set ups. Maybe rent a boat for a saltwater excursion (usually $600-800 + fuel per day, but split 4 ways cheaper than a guide). Use coolers from home as your luggage and to bring fish back. Buy dry ice and ziplock freezer bags to process your fish and get them frozen in your cooler to meet the "preserved state enough to be fit for consumption after 30 days" to avoid possession limit problems without paying a processor (but seriously, the cryovac flash freezing is worth every penny IMO). Under this type of scheme it is pretty easy for a group of 4 guys to have a great 7-14 day vacation for under $1500 door to door. And maybe even catch some fish.

Another thing to consider, SE Alaska has tightened up halibut regs quite a bit recently and is shut down entirely for nonpelagic rockfish like yelloweye in 2020.


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## High Desert Elk (Aug 21, 2012)

johnnycake said:


> You don't have to be rich to have certain priorities and discipline in your budget. I did a TON of fishing trips to Alaska as a teenager where I had to pay my own way to go with my dad and his buddies. I did trips while in college/law school with a young family. With the right mindset its impressive what you can accomplish even with a pretty limited budget.


But that was back in the 60's when AK had only been a state for a handful of years!

8)


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

High Desert Elk said:


> But that was back in the 60's when AK had only been a state for a handful of years!
> 
> 8)


Ha! (I'm 31  )


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from going to Alaska. Like I said, it's a place everyone needs to go see - and not only to fish. Heck, I could be happy going up there and not fishing (but it might drive me crazy!).

For those who have been to Alaska fishing, especially those who have done it multiple times, or for those who are on a budget that can't make Alaska work -- there is a really big alternative that won't cost as much as Alaska:


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

johnnycake said:


> I have fished about every stream/river/saltwater launch on the Kenai Peninsula guided and unguided more times than I can count over the past 20 years. I have friends that are guides down there, and some of them are more family to me than many members of my actual family! That being said, here's what I expect and spend on my guided trips out of the K-Pen.
> 
> First, unless the sockeye are HOT and the limits are raised to 6/day, I would not expect to bring home 100lbs of fish per person in June or July for 5 days of fishing on the Kenai. Sockeye yields for 1st run fish average about 2lbs per fish, standard limit 3/day. More likely than not, king salmon are going to be catch and release in freshwater. Halibut regs in that area allow you to catch 2/day (1 any size and 1 28" length or smaller so ~5lbs yield) and a maximum of 4 halibut per year from a charter boat. Average "any size" halibut on +90% of trips out of the Kenai launches is probably between 30-50lbs live weight (so 10-20lbs yield). There can be decent rockfishing out of Homer, but it is fairly hit and miss depending on what you're targeting. Saltwater salmon you should expect to average 10-15lbs of total fillets per person per day (mix of species/sizes, but usually a "feeder king" in the 10-20lbs live weight range is the biggest you could expect). A more likely expectation of total fish per person for 5 days this time of year on the K-Pen is 50-75lbs. But you might smack a 150lbs halibut one day, or troll up a 50lbs breeder kenai king in the salt where you could kill it if you wanted to. If stacking up salmon for the freezer is a serious part of the equation...consider a late September/early October 5 day silver salmon trip (maybe a day or two chasing winter kings in the salt). Rates for everything will be a lot cheaper, silvers are a RIOT and limits are 3/day with yields averaging 6lbs/fish (live weights 12-18lbs). Fishing is pretty consistent year-to-year in the fall too, and way fewer people. Plus the trout fishing is phenomenal that time of year.
> 
> ...


That is really informative johnnycake, I may have to take you up on the Kenai / Russian trip when I come up. We still have a standing lunch appointment that we need to catch up on.

When I first saw the combat fishing up there I thought that it was crazy but the guide talked me into trying it out on my first day there, he gave us some poles and showed us how to do it in the lodge parking lot and sent us on our way. Talk about a kick in the pants fun time that I thought I would hate. But even if you don't like it I agree with what my guide told me: "you have to experience it at least once".


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## turkinator (May 25, 2008)

One way to save a little money on your airfare is to apply for an Alaskan Airlines credit card. The sign-up bonus is usually enough to get you a mostly free round trip ticket to Alaska. You still have to pay the annual fee on the credit card and a few fees on the ticket, but it is much cheaper than paying full price.

Johnny, I'll be up there the last week of July with my Dad and Bro. Do you have any flossing lesson openings that week?


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Also about the cost of guides, I could probably do it for about half the cost now but like johnnycake said I like the convenience of the guide service and also taking 50 to 100 lbs of fish home is just icing on the cake of the experience of being in Alaska. I don't know if I have had more fun in a weeks time.

The experience of coming back to the lodge with fresh halibut fillets or walking down the steps from the deck of the lodge to the Kenai, catching a red salmon, filleting it on the river, walking back to the lodge and cooking the fresh catch on the grill on the deck is awesome.Some of the best eating I have done.

Also the convenience and peace of mind, of walking into the lodge and them handing you a paper with directions and time to be at a location to meet your guide for the next day, the guide providing everything needed, knowing the current regulations for the day and filleting your catch is worth the extra money.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

turkinator said:


> One way to save a little money on your airfare is to apply for an Alaskan Airlines credit card. The sign-up bonus is usually enough to get you a mostly free round trip ticket to Alaska. You still have to pay the annual fee on the credit card and a few fees on the ticket, but it is much cheaper than paying full price.
> 
> Johnny, I'll be up there the last week of July with my Dad and Bro. Do you have any flossing lesson openings that week?


Probably not this year. Right now I've got a major hearing scheduled for 7/27-8/14 and an still trying to figure out how my I'm going to be able to support my wife running our dog in her hunting test 8/2-4!

But you never know, stay in touch and I might need to run down there to just blow off steam, sleep be damned.

Either way, the #1 best place to start learning how to floss is the little creek above the bridge in Hope, Alaska on the Kenai peninsula. There should be a bajillion pinks in there from mid July to mid August, with the occasional chum or silver mixed in. It's a clear water creek that is 1/3 the size of the Russian and it is a lot easier to learn how to sight cast for running salmon with the crazy target density in Hope. And really, despite what most Alaskans will say, as long as the pink is still very firm and silvery, they are fine eating--a lot like a 3-6lbs trout really. Once you master the pink rodeo you are way better prepared to try the sockeye game on the Russian or Kenai.


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## scott_rn (Sep 11, 2007)

I'll give you my unsolicited 2 cents. Fish on has good reviews on 2/3 sites. I couldn't read the negative Yelp reviews because you have to download the app. 

King fishing is hit or miss. You might book a bunch of days and the whole road system might be closed to king fishing. I've been in alaska 10 years and seen a lot of closures. Also, hours fished per king is usually pretty high. The best king fishing would probably be in Bristol Bay. 

Halibut fishing is like going for catfish. You're soaking bait on the bottom. They usually don't run, they're just heavy. It's fun because your on the ocean, but river fishing is far more fun. 

Sockeye fishing is just strategic snagging, that's why Johnny wants to teach you the technique. Silvers, pinks and chums will actually take flies, lures or bait more readily.


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## scott_rn (Sep 11, 2007)

PBH, do you guys bring back fish? How are the logistics of transporting from Canada? Do you ever fish the ocean while you're there?


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## PBH (Nov 7, 2007)

Scott -- yes, we bring back fish. However, we have to comply with the possession limits. This means we are usually able to bring home 1 chum, 1 silver, and maybe a couple pinks. We don't typically target chinook, and it is usually closed to possession by the time we get there - but we have landed a few 40#+ chinook. We will sometimes take a day to go floss for sockeye -- but it isn't exactly what we're looking for.

We eat quite a bit of fish while we are there (1 week). We try to keep fish to take home towards the end of the trip. The hard part is getting the fish frozen. We stay at a campground that has a freezer available on a first-come-first-serve basis. It can fill up. Timing "bright" salmon from the river, your departure day, and space in the freezer to get your fish frozen can be a trick!

Also -- Canadians have no clue what "dry ice" is. They'll think you're nuts trying to explain it. You simply can't get it.

We do not make this trip under the assumption that we will be bringing hundreds of pounds of fish home with us. To be honest, that's a loophole that I wish Alaska would fix. Our halibut fisheries are hurting due to this...(my rant)

You very well may have to show border agents your catch, licenses, etc. when crossing the border.

I have not fished the ocean while on our trips -- but some members of our party have. The bay is less than a mile from where we camp and float, so it is VERY doable - either DIY or using a guide. In fact, I would guess that the majority of the people in the camp ground are fishing the ocean vs. floating the river. Salmon, halibut, and probably rockfish would be available, along with crab! The ocean is very calm in this area, and many small boats go out on the ocean here. It's like a big pretty lake.

We float the river. There is a take out ramp at the campground (less than a mile from the ocean). At the end of the day there are usually people hanging around the take out ramp waiting for salmon fishermen. They want your salmon carcasses to use as bait. If you provide the bait, often times you will be rewarded the next day with fresh crab!


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