Alaska
The Last Frontier
So Many Options
Species?
Most people I know travel to Alaska to fish for salmon. A large number also go to fish for halibut. And no one argues against either choice. But there are so many other species that can be caught in Alaska. Lake trout, arctic char, rockfish, northern pike, dolly varden, steelhead, various cod and lingcod(not a cod) are all fish worth traveling to Alaska to fish for.
Where?
Homer, Juneau, Sitka, Valdez, Seward, Bristol Bay, Ketchikan, Kodiak Islands, Ninilchik and Shipcreek are all popular destinations. But they aren't the only places in Alaska that can claim to have great fishing. Plus Alaska is so rugged and remote that almost anywhere you go will have wildlife. Moose, bear, eagles, otters, sea lions and so much more.
Rivers-Ocean-Lakes
One of the best things about fishing in Alaska is the different types of fishing that can be done. Of course you can fish the ocean. But don't sleep on the lakes or especially the rivers. Trolling for salmon in the ocean is fun, but one could argue that hooking a big salmon in a river is more fun.
Target specific species or try multi species?
Just salmon? Think about a multi species trip.
Sometimes its nice to go somewhere and target a specific fish. But in Alaska, one of the best things to do is to fish for multiple species. One of my favorite fish to catch in Alaska are rockfish. Drop your line a couple hundred feet down and wait to see what bites. If you are over a rock pile or structure you are likely to catch a rock fish. But what type? Alaska boasts over 25 species of rockfish. You never know what you will pull up. Quillback? Yellow eye?-maybe. Tiger, dusky, black, yellow tail, china, silvergray, copper or another type? Who knows. And they all taste good. Most charters that do multi species will fish for rockfish for a couple hours along with targeting a couple other species. They’re fun and tasty.
Salmon Fishing, stream or ocean?
Few fish are as legendary as catching a big salmon. While Kings get most of the accolades, there are other species of salmon in Alaska that are just as amazing. Pinks, Chum, Coho and Sockeyes, along with the Chinook(King) all spawn in streams along the Alaskan coast. Charter a boat and troll for giant kings or cohos(silvers) as the salmon move along coastal waters. Or you can hike to a river and cast into schools of salmon swimming upstream. No matter what you choose you won’t be disappointed.
Personally I prefer stream fishing over trolling, but we’ve been successful at both. For stream fishing you simply find a stream where the salmon are heading upstream to spawn and while keeping an eye out for bears, catch the salmon as they swim upstream. I’m not a big fan of “snagging” so I like to fish for the spawning salmon at the mouth of the river where they are eating their last meal and work to have them actually bite my hook.