Charter Fishing Alaska

Your fishing day starts at 7:00 AM after a hearty breakfast at your Alaska Fishing Lodge. No need to rise at the crack of dawn, there are plenty of fish, and besides - the crack of dawn occurs around 3:00 AM in the early summer.

At Black Rock Charters, the premier Alaskan Fishing Company, each day will be planned considering each guests desires, the fish in season, along with the tides/weather for the best possible fishing trip. All the best tackle and bait will be prepared and ready to go on the boat, so all you need to do is show up, hop on the boat and we are off for the best Alaska fishing in Southeast Alaska. Your day of fishing ends at about 4:00 PM; this allows you time to freshen up and relax a bit before your delicious evening dinner of Fresh Alaskan Salmon or Halibut.

We primarily fish the inside passage of the Icy Straights of Alaska, just outside the mouth of Glacier Bay National Park. Look here for a map of the Alaskan Fishing Grounds if you want to see in more detail some of our favorite places.

Alaska Halibut Fishing

When fishing for Alaskan Halibut we will often set anchor in 100-300 feet of water, then jig the bottom. Halibut are primarily bottom dwelling fish and require getting the bait down to them. We usually fish with 80 lb test, and 2-3 pounds of weight to get our bait to the bottom. Bait is a mixture of fresh and frozen herring, fresh polluck, squid, cod and salmon strips, with the occasional artificial jig depending on what is working.

Alaska Salmon Fishing

Fishing for Alaskan Salmon occurs in numerous places depending on the type of Salmon in season, their breeding habits and grounds, along with the daily weather/tides. We primarily fish for 4 types of Salmon, King, Silver, Pinks and Chum, we occasionally get Sockeye, but for the most part we can only catch them river fishing. Fishing for Salmon is typically done in two ways, the first and primary is trolling for them, we fish anywhere from the surface down to 180 ft, depending on the type of Salmon and how they are schooling. Trolling for Salmon is done with cut plug herring, artificial lures and flashers. The other method is mooching with a cut plug herring and a small weight to get your line down deep.  Mooching for salmon is a technique of jigging your bait up and down at various depths while drifting in your boat.  Its a very fun and interactive way to fish for salmon.

Alaskan Rockfish

There are numerous other types of Alaskan Rockfish that can be caught on any given day. Some of the more popular fish are Ling Cod, Red Snapper, China Rockfish, Quill backs, Black Sea bass, Sand Sharks and Alaskan Cod.

Most of these fish are caught while Halibut fishing, they tend to find your bait on the bottom, or as it descends to the murky depths of the halibut. Sand Shark are also bottom feeders so they will come across your bait down there. However, Ling Cod are opportunist, they can be caught at numerous depths and with all different types of bait, including other fish.

One of the Best Alaskan Fish stories comes from the Quick Silver and Captain/Owner Josh Cozby, when one of his guest caught 3 fish on one line and one hook. Here is a link to the True Alaskan Ling Cod Story.

 

Alaskan Salmon Sharks

Alaskan Salmon Sharks are not new to Southeast Alaska, but they do seem to be far more prevalent the last few years. Salmon Sharks typically troll waters a little further north than Gustavus Alaska, but now they have come further south. Fishing for Alaskan Salmon Sharks is not for the faint of heart. Salmon Sharks are descendants of the Great White Shark, meaning they are big, mean and ready for action. When we hook into a Salmon Shark you had better be ready for a fight, because getting one of these on board is no easy task.

Salmon Shark meat has been called the steak of the ocean (click to see more Salmon Shark Photos). It is a very tender meat, it is much heartier than traditional white flaky meat of Halibut. Salmon sharks are traditionally fished on the surface when they are hunting Salmon. Bait is usually herring or large pieces of salmon. The fishing line and gear for Salmon Shark fishing is exclusive to that fish. You must have a leader on the tip of your line so the shark cannot chew through it.

If you are interested in Salmon Shark fishing you must get your reservation in early so that you can be around when they are in season. It is a short season, and they are not always available. Be sure to mention your desire to Salmon Shark fish when you are talking to the reservation department.

What should I Bring Fishing?

First of all you should bring lots of warm clothes, long underwear is always a plus, our Alaskan Boat Captains wear it everyday. If you have any rubber boots or waterproof shoes of any sort, that helps a lot, it’s nice to have dry feet. Our captains all wear Xtratuf Waterproof Work Boots, and have done so for generations. Even though each boat has an enclosed cabin, if you have rain gear, I suggest bringing it. Hopefully you won’t need it, but if you do, it’s nice to have. Gloves and Stocking hats are good, waterproof, or wool are nice if it’s wet or cold out. Just to be clear... we don’t always have cold and rainy weather when fishing, we actually have guests go home with a nice tan and even sunburns after their Alaska Charter Fishing Trip. So, bring sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat with a visor. T-shirts, and shorts are also recommended, but I can’t promise you that you will get to use them but, hopefully you will! To make it easy you can download a complete list of supplies on What to bring to Alaska Fishing.

If you like music, bring along your favorite CD’s or Ipod, each boat is equipped to handle your music needs. If you like to munch on food throughout the day, you might want to bring along some extra snacks. Lunches and drinks are provided by your Alaskan Fishing Lodge, but most people have additional preferences they enjoy. Something about that ocean air and vacation makes most people pretty hungry.