Planning Alaska Fishing Trips
Filed Under Alaska Fishing Trips
A wide variety of fish await the sports fisherman in Alaska, but the two biggest draws are salmon, and halibut. As you plan your vacation, you’ll want to give some thought to which of these fish you want to target, since not every charter company specializes in both.
Anglers love to complain, ruefully, that their favorite fishing spot isn’t what it used to be. But in Alaska … oh, let me tell you, Alaska fishing trips are the experience of a lifetime for sports fishermen who want to test their will, strength, and wits against fish in their prime.
Salmon Fishing
Alaska lays claim to some of the finest salmon fishing in the world, and five species of Pacific salmon make it their home. Chief amongst them, the royalty amongst the commoners, is the king salmon. The world-record king salmon, caught on Alaska’s Kenai River in 1985, weighed in at more than 97 lbs and anglers routinely land salmon of thirty, forty, and even fifty pounds.
You may be familiar with trolling for salmon, but here in Alaska we’re able to give you another experience too; mooching. Unlike trolling, where the action of the boat does much of the work for you, mooching is a form of drift fishing with a bait of herring on a single hook, trailing a crescent sinker. The schools here are oft-times so tight that this form of fishing can be very productive, not simply the gentle lazing around for which mooching is best known and loved.
Halibut Fishing
Talking of lazing around, halibut fishing in Alaska is the polar opposite! Pole-bending line-peeling action is more like it … landing a barn-door Alaska halibut will leave you panting for breath, and panting for more.
You need to choose your charter company and guide very carefully if you’re planning on halibut fishing. Their equipment should include top-notch heavy-duty tackle, and a guide who can help you perfect the correct techniques for landing the halibut will make the difference between exhaustion and exhilaration when you finally land that monster
