Alaska Salmon Fishing

Salmon fishing in Alaska is an experience few every enjoy, but the few who do tell stories for a lifetime.  Below are some of the best kept secrets about Alaskan Salmon Fishing, we will discuss the differences between the types of Alaskan salmon, how to tell them apart, types of bait to use, seasons, when the fish are running and the various techniques to catching them with Black Rock Charters. 

Types of Alaska Salmon

King Salmon also known as Chinook Salmon have an average weight between 20 – 30 lbs.  King Salmon are identified by having a black gum line, large pointed teeth, shiny silver tail with spots, and large black spots on their back. 

Coho Salmon also known as Silver Salmon have an average weight of 8 – 12 lbs.  Coho Salmon are identified by a shiny silver tail with no spots.  They have a grey gum line in their mouth.  They also have distinct hash mark markings on their backs. Once in the rivers for spawning the males will develop a large hook nose and they will turn pink and red along their sides.  Females stay bright and silver much longer than the males.  

Pink Salmon also known as Humpy Salmon for their large hump on their back when they reach the fresh water streams for spawning.  Ping Salmon have an average weight of 3-6 lbs.  Like the other salmon in the rivers, the males also get the hooked nose with lots of color change as well.  The silver shiny sides turn brown and white.  They are identified by large spots on the back and tail.  They are also the only Alaskan salmon with small sea scales.  The scales are less than half the size of a regular salmon scale.  

Chum Salmon also known as Dog Salmon have an average weight is 8 – 12 lbs.  They are very similar looking to the coho salmon while in the ocean, one small difference is they have large eyes, bigger than any other salmon.  Once in the rivers for spawning they turn a multiple of colors, striping them vertically in greens and browns. 

Sockeye Salmon also known as Red Salmon have an average weight is 4 – 8 lbs.  Identified with a bluish back and silver tail.  Long slender face and nose.  Once in the rivers for spawning they will turn bright red with green heads.  

Alaska Salmon Fishing Season

Alaskan Salmon are in season during the summer months, starting in early May and ending late August.  

• King salmon are in season from May through end of June. 
• The Pink salmon start running late June all the way through August. 
• The Cohos start to showing up in the ocean late June and make their way inside late July and through August. 
• The Chum Salmon run June and July
• Sockeye Salmon run in June and hit the rivers the first week of July. 

Salmon Fishing Bait 

Whole herring or cut plug herring both work very well for slow trolling for King Salmon and Cohos.  Artificial baits can be very effective as well, we often use a large Hot Spot flasher with a 3 ft. leader to a 4 in. artificial squid and a single hook. The hook hides in the skirt of the squid.  Different colors are key to different days of fishing.  One of my favorite colors to use is the glow in the dark green, especially on dark cloudy days.  Chartreuse greens, purple, white and even mixed ones with black are all very effective colors to use for your squid.  Black and white flashers, green, blue, red and even purple flashers work very on brighter days. 

When river fishing for Salmon artificial bait is key to a successful trip.  We often fish with different color pixies, but pink has proven the most effective over time, with green following closely behind.

Salmon Fishing Gear

• Rods: We use Fenwick 8’6” rods 15 – 20 weight. 
• Reels: Shimano level wind reels are used for salmon fishing.  We spool them with 20 lb. main line.
• Leaders: Different leaders are needed depending on what and where we are fishing.  Inside waters with bait, often requires a fluorocarbon 40lb leader.  When fishing with artificial bait, lean towards the heavier 100 lb leader for with squid baits.  The stiffer leader line actually improves the action of the squid as it rotates behind the flasher while trolling.
• Hooks: Mustad hooks are the choice hooks, mainly because they are stainless steel and don’t corrode or rust.  Gamakatsu are good as well, but the salt water chews them up pretty bad and you end up changing them out very often.

Salmon Fishing Tips and Techniques 

King Salmon, Cohos, and Pink salmon primarily feed on small fish such as herring, needle fish, and squid.  While the Chum salmon primarily feed on jelly fish and Sockeye Salmon mostly feed on crustaceans such as shrimp and krill. 

When your river fishing for Salmon you can either fly fish for them, or use various styles of spoons and spinners.  Some areas at certain times of the season will allow you to use bait such as eggs or shrimp to drift through holes where the salmon are laying.  When fishing in the ocean the technique of choice is trolling for the salmon using cut plug herring, whole herring or artificial squid and flashers.  Using down riggers to get the gear to the exact depths you are trying to fish.  Often running a flat line on the surface for shallow feeding fish, which tends to be more successful on brighter days.  Sometimes if there are a lot of salmon in the area, you can try drifting and mooch for salmon.  Mooching is a technique where you rig up your lines with cut plug herring and a 2 or 3 ounce sinker.  Then drop the lines down at different depths and jig the bait up and down while drifting through different areas. This technique works really well with lots of fish around.  Trolling is effective if the fish are scattered and in larger areas forcing you to cover lots of ground. 

Salmon Fishing Lodges

There are hundreds of Salmon Fishing Lodges in Alaska to choose from, how do you find the right one.  Do you want a big city just like the lower 48 with bars, night clubs, big hotels, and stop lights?  If so pick a lodge in Anchorage, Juneau or Fairbanks, for that matter just go to New York and order fish at a restaurant.  If instead, you are looking to get away from the madness of daily life, and want to retreat to a town that is designed and built for charter fishing in Alaska.  You should come to Gustavus, and select one of the Salmon Fishing Lodges, it is a decision you will not regret.

Salmon Fishing Stories

(When Captain/Owner of Black Rock Charters, Josh Cozby was asked for a salmon fishing story he provided this one...if you are lucky enough to be on his boat this is only one of many you will hear)

One of the best memories I have fishing for salmon took place about 8 years ago on the Outer Coast of the Icy Straights fishing for King Salmon.  I had a group of four clients on board the Quicksilver and the weather was perfect for a trip to the Outer Coast.  We had our sights set on limiting out on Alaskan King Salmon.  The trip is about an hour and a half out to Deer Harbor, a well known location in our area for amazing king salmon fishing.  The salmon will consistently gather along this stretch of rocky and jagged shoreline, where ample amounts of feed hold the salmon day after day. 

The Ocean was perfect, maybe a small two foot swell with no wind, the birds were working the feed on the surface and Deer Harbor just had a feeling to it this day that said it was going to be a special day.  The clients were excited with anticipation after the boat ride, and I was anxious to get the gear in the water.  The limit at that time was two King Salmon per day per person.  King Salmon have to be at least 28” in length or longer to keep.  If it’s a slow day we will keep fish near the 28” mark, but generally we release the smaller keepers and continue fishing for larger 36" or higher King Salmon. 

As we pulled up to the fishing grounds, I slowed the boat and told the guests that I was going to get the gear out and to figure out your order of who’s taking the rod on the first fish.  Sometimes the bite can go quick so you got to be ready.  I got the boat slowed down to trolling speed and heading the right direction, I got the down riggers out and the rods were rigged up and ready to be dropped. 

I sent the first rod down to 110 feet, put the rod in the holder and went to grab another rod to send down.  As soon as I clipped in the second rod on the other down rigger I heard the first rod pop out.  I turned to yell “Fish On” and it was already screaming line out of the reel. 

One of the clients went to grab the rod while I continued to get the second rod down.  I sent that one down to 100 feet, locked it in and went to tend the fish we had on.  I grabbed the net so that I was ready to go when it was near and by that time I heard the other rod already screaming out the reel.  “Fish On” rang out again and we now had a double.  Let’s see, we had been fishing for about 2 min and we already have 2 on. 

I had one more rod ready to go for trolling but I did not have any room to get it down, so I quickly switched out the flasher and squid, and put a 6 oz. jig on what we call a Dart.  I had one of the other fisherman drop that down around 80 feet or so and jig it up and down while we battled the other two fish.  While he was letting it down, another King Salmon grabs the jig and takes off.  I told him to lock up the reel and set the hook...FISH ON...we now we have three Alaskan King Salmon hooked and headed to the boat. 

We landed all three fish, took a couple photos and then quickly got the gear back in the water and started trolling again.  We quickly got the first rod in the water, as soon as I stopped the down rigger at 100 feet it popped off again with another fish.  I hand off the rod and work on getting another one down.  The second rod popped off while I was lowering it down, so I lock it up and set the hook.  Within seconds the fish came off, so I reel it back up to reset it.  As I’m reeling it back up I get another bite and hook up with another fish. 

When the first fish comes up that we hooked while reeling in, I was on the swim step getting ready to net it when I looked into the water and see a school of about a dozen King Salmon all swimming and schooling around the one we have hooked.  Everyone is ecstatic and reeling in fish faster than we can even get the rods into the water.  Within no time at all we had our limit of eight King Salmon on board all weighing between around 25 pounds.  I looked at my watch and realized we had only been fishing for 37 minutes. 

We took a 90 minute boat ride and caught our limit of eight King Salmon in 37 minutes.  It was the fastest we have every limited out on Kings to this day.  We finished the day off with some bottom fishing for Ling Cod, and other rock fish.  It was truly an exciting and amazing day on the Outer Coast fishing for Alaska’s King Salmon.

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Salmon Recipe

My Favorite Salmon recipe is to take a fillet of Alaskan Salmon with the skin on, and marinate it for 2- 3 hours in Yoshida's gourmet sauce with a couple table spoons of granulated garlic, and a couple table spoons of brown sugar.  Place that on your barbeque skin side down, and cook on med to low heat for 20 – 30 min depending on temperature of your grill.  Keep the lid down and don’t flip or turn the fish.  Cook it skin side down until its done, you will notice a thin white paste coming from the top of the salmon when it is done.  Once you try Fresh Alaskan Salmon this you will have a hard time eating it any other way.

How to Fillet a Salmon

Filleting a Salmon is a very quick and simple process.  It just takes a few fish to get the feel for the angle of your knife.  First you gut and gill the salmon after you catch them, this ensures great quality of your salmon for taking home.  To do this place your knife in the fishes belly directly in front of the anal fin, then run your knife along the belly up to the gills, cut around the gills.  Once you are done cutting, reach your hand in and pull out all the organs, and gills.  Scrape out the large blood line along the spine, this blood line acts as the kidney for the fish.  Rinse the fish and place it in your live well or on ice until you are ready to fillet it later in the day.

Once you arrive at the dock and your ready to fillet your Alaskan Salmon, get them out of the live well or cooler, place then on  a flat surface.  Note: Having a sharp knife is key to any fish filleting.  You want to use a fillet knife with at least an 8” blade or longer.  Place the fish in front of you with the top of the fish facing you.  Hold the fish by its head with your left hand while cutting the top fillet just behind the pectoral fin and gills.  Cut just down to the back bone, but not through the back bone.  Then change the angle of your knife so that it will run down the spine of the fish and start cutting it towards the tail.  Run the knife all the way down the length of the fish until you have run out of fillet and you have reached the tail.  Your knife should just cut off the end of the fillet at the tail which will then have your entire fillet free of the fish.  This is one smooth movement, not a sawing motion.

Remove the fillet and flip over the fish, repeat the first two cuts that we described and you will have your second fillet off the fish and ready to be taken to the vacuum packer for fish packaging.  That’s all there is to it.  Come Salmon fishing with Black Rock Charters and you can watch us in person clean your trophy Salmon before your very eyes.

Salmon Photos

Click to view our complete Alaskan Salmon Photo Gallery