The Alaska Travel Blog

After an hour of at the terminus of the Holgate Glacier I relished in a jaw dropping display of glacial calving. As I looked through the images of glaciers and fjords I had recently captured on my camera the captain announced that we would soon be approaching our destination. As we crossed the calm waters of Aialik Bay, views of the Pederson Glacier dominated the landscape; it would become the focal point of my stay at the Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge for the next two days.

All eyes looked into the clear water with shock. Several bystanders helplessly watched the fish glide underwater away from the dock and boat. Someone yelled, "Get Alex, hurry!"
Alex Cosmakos, from San Clemente California, is a resort fishing guide and avid free diver. Alex came running with fins, mask and swim trunks in hand. At the bottom of the dock ramp Cosmakos yelled out, "I'm getting naked, turn around." He stripped off his clothes and slid into his swim trunks in about three seconds flat. He then jumped onto the docked boat, put on his fins and mask and jumped feet first into the water. He took two deep breathes, bent into a pike position and kicked hard toward bottom. Cosmakos stayed underwater quite a while, searching for the fish and then spotting it 40 feet from the boat in 50 feet of water. His head broke the surface; he gasped for air and yelled that he found the king. Several deep breathes and another quick downward pike left his fins kicking the air and then water as he propelled himself to the bottom. With the sun setting, he did not have long before it would be to dark to find the king. If he could not find and grab the king now it would be lost forever.

Alaska fishing vacations are perhaps the most popular kinds of vacations taken in the state. Every angler dreams of putting down all other responsibilities and taking off for the Alaskan wilderness to fish. Literally thousands of streams, rivers and lakes dot the massive state of Alaska. Plus, saltwater fishing is readily available with miles of coastline at your disposal. There are many options for fishing in Alaska, some of which are taking an ocean chart boat, heading up the river in a jet boat, or flying by plane to a remote area of Alaska to fish for huge species of salmon and halibut.

The Yukon River's king salmon run is definitely late, and it remains to be seen if its size will be sub-par for the third year in a row. King salmon started showing up in the Yukon River late last week, but state and federal managers said it's too early to tell how this year's chinook run will size up.

Alaskan halibut belong to a family of flounders called Pleuronectidae. They're among the largest fishes in the world with reported lengths up to 2.7 meters. Alaskan halibut have flat, diamond-shaped bodies and are able to migrate long distances.

One of my favorite outdoor activities is fishing, and nowhere have I found the access great fishing and diversity of nature than in Alaska. An Alaska fishing vacation ranks high among anglers because of the legendary salmon and halibut fishing. Salmon fishing in Alaska attracts more anglers than any other species. Salmon run from May through September. King Salmon are the largest and most prized of all. Weighing up to 75 lbs, a trophy King Salmon is reigns as the ultimate sport-fishing target species. Coho or silver Salmon are a close second. Averaging 10-15 pounds, silver salmon are pound for pound one of Alaska's fighting species. Coho will often become airborne and perform amazing acrobatics once hooked.

Our Southeast Alaska lodge is located on the outskirts of Craig Alaska on the west coast of Prince of Wales Island, and offers one of the shortest flights from Seattle to Alaska. Guests of our Southeast Alaska fishing lodge can reach us in a matter of hours. This means travel and your ten-hour fishing days do not overlap, making for a far more relaxed and productive trip.

Going halibut fishing in Alaska can be the highlight of any avid fisherman’s trip. These fish will give anyone a challenge to first bait them and then bring them onboard. You will find them in rich abundance along the coastal plains of the state. Charter boat captains can take you to sweet spots from the Aleutian chain east towards Ketchikan. Maybe you want to try different locations to see what will hook your line.

Jamaican dog musher Newton Marshall arrived in Alaska on Sunday to begin a kind of three-month Iditarod boot camp with reigning champ Lance Mackey.

Mackey, who plans to lend Marshall his lead dog from last year's winning team, is a blunt-talking cancer survivor who's won the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race three years in a row. Marshall took up the sport on a Caribbean island where it never snows. Singer Jimmy Buffett is his main sponsor. In other words, Hollywood might as well start casting the movie now.

Do you want something different than the typical salmon and halibut? Alaska fishing vacations can give you any mixture you want. Most of the major rivers and streams have trout just waiting to take your challenge. The southern coast of Alaska proper will give you the pike and whitefish challenge. The depths of the ocean will give you an even wider variation of possibilities. Does the western part of the state draw you? Expect to hook a burbot, pike or grayling when you cast your line.