Charter fishing in Alaska is an adventure of a lifetime. Halibut will reach up to 450 lbs, ling cod will reach well over 60 lbs, and the record for a King Salmon is 126 lbs! Local knowledge is the key to any successful fishing trip in Alaska. Fishing guides and charter captains not only know the best time to fish for a certain species, but know the methods and gear used to catch these fish. When planning a charter trip be up front with what you want but remember to be reasonable: No one can guarantee you will catch fish.

Questions to ask when looking for a charter operator:

• Inquire into the experience of the captain, i.e., how long have they been working in the area, how long have they been a captain, what other areas have they fished?

• What type of licenses and affiliations do they hold? Are they CPR certified?

• What type of gear do they supply and what do you need to bring for yourself?

• If this is an all day trip, do you bring your own lunch? The basic level of any guide service should include fishing gear, refreshments, and some help on processing your fish.

• What type of boat will you be on? Charters range from Boston Whalers with Alaska cabins to luxury cabin cruisers.

• Find out if the package includes room/board and fishing licenses.

• Costs for a charter will range anywhere from $100 a day to $5,000 a week. When choosing between charters, find out why one is more expensive then the other.

It is important to keep in mind that just because a charter is cheaper doesn’t mean that the service is of lesser quality or that they offer less. For example, the lower cost charters in Homer stay out of the deep, rougher waters where there are really big fish, instead they take you into hidden quiet bays closer to home. Often times these fishing trips are more exciting because they use lighter tackle, letting the angler feel more of the fight.

Directory of Fishing Guides and Charters

Alaska Fishing Guides

Experience 10 pound Arctic Char, 12 year old cutthroat trout, and 22 inch Dolly Varden on one of many wild rivers in Alaska. Hiring a fishing guide comes highly recommended for any angler visiting Alaska. A majority of the land in Alaska is either federally or state owned, while a portion of it is privately owned. Each of these regions requires the angler to know the designated rules and regulations for fishing an area, which is often supercede with emergency orders when salmon numbers decline. Also, the traveling angler should be well versed and proficient in backcountry survival skills. Most of Alaska is still remote and it is possible to not see another angler for hundred of miles. By hiring a fishing guide that is medically certified and intimate with the area, your fishing trip should be safe and exciting.

There are fishing guide services who offer both ocean fishing and river fishing as one package. Remember when choosing a fishing guide, keep in mind these factors: services offered, reputation of the guide, level of amenities, and length of the fishing trips.

• What species will you be fishing for?

• When and where can these fish be found?

• Experience of the guide

• What type of gear is provided and what do you need to bring?

Directory of Fishing Guides and Charters

Don't plan on driving to remote areas. There are no roads across the hundreds of miles of mountains and glaciers and wetlands. It is possible to drive to within a few miles of the Arctic Ocean, on the unpaved Dalton Highway, but in general the highway road system only connects communities within Alaska's major population areas, southcentral and Interior Alaska. The road system connects to southeast Alaska ferry service at Haines and Skagway through a part of the Alaska Highway in Canada. Similarly, railroad service exists only in a narrow corridor from Seward to Fairbanks.

Alaskans rely heavily on air and boat transportation to get around. Jet air service is available to major rural regional centers. You may need floatplane service to get into some areas.

Public bus transportation exists but is limited in Alaska. Tour buses are one way to reach major attractions for those travelers without their own vehicle.

Make your fishing trips a low impact experience. Learn, enjoy, and help preserve the natural environment so that generations can experience the wildness of Alaska as it was 1000 years ago.