Fishing in Alaskan Waters

When someone typically thinks of fishing, generally one thinks of a local pier or jetty or perhaps going down to the stream and casting out a plug or a minnow under the shade tree and up comes a generic bass or a catfish---in the 1 to 3 pound range.

Plus this event in the lower 48 is limited to hours and hours of fishing. Not in Alaskan waters.

In Alaska fishing for “big game” type fish creates a different type of recreation - fun, thrilling, and incredibly delicious. Healthy fish, including king salmon weighing between 25 to 80 pounds, halibut from chickens at 15 lbs to a barn door halibut exceeding 250 lbs—which takes two, struggling, full grown men to wrestle into the boat. A 250-pound halibut dresses out to 175 pounds of edible fish. At almost $10.00 per pound in the lower 48 that adds up to $1,750 worth of fish from one line.

What is important, in Alaskan waters, is the tide change. The average tide in Alaska is over 15 feet per tide change. When that much water flows in or out, the current increases in narrow spots up to 8 knots (almost 10mph). Fish do not like to chase food in that much current. So an hour before slack tide to and hour and a half after slack tide is one of the best times to fish. During minimum current, the fish can go after needlefish, herring, and other baitfish which are so abundant in the cold Alaskan waters.

Knowledgeable captains take adventure-seeking fishermen about three miles off shore in the Pacific Ocean. For good reason, this location harbors the best eating salmon. When the salmon get close to fresh water (where they spawn and eventually die), they begin to derogate and literally rot to death. It is not a pretty sight and the meat quality drops severely depending on how long they have been in fresh water.

After catching a silver or king salmon your guide will bleed the fish so the blood does not affect the quality of the final product you will be eating and puts the salmon in the hold with 45-degree water and ice. Once back on Caledonia all the fish are filleted and cut into eating proportions and vacuumed packed and frozen to 10 degrees below zero for shipping.

It is a real treat to come back to the mothership and have our 5 star chef prepare freshly caught salmon for dinner. There is no “fishy taste” to fish this fresh and not many folks get to experience really fresh fish - it truly is a real treat.

We look forward to showing you how to catch salmon in Alaska---so come join us aboard the Caledonia and Alaskanwcharters.com for an experience of a lifetime.