This is the stuff your dreams are made of. A lake or river glittering in the Alaska sun. Pristine vistas of mountains, wooded slopes and hanging glaciers. You are on a boat and the salmon are willing. May to September is the time to take your salmon fishing trip. Fishing from a boat is one way to go after salmon and Alaskan charter companies offer nearly limitless options.
Boat Choices
Charters are available that carry two people and a guide or lots of people who don't even know each other. Charter a boat you pilot yourself or let the charter company do the driving. You may want a small drift boat to fish still waters in a river tributary or a substantial craft with a crew for ocean fishing. Begin with choosing your destinations and deciding what style of fishing you want to do. Is it combat fishing or floating on a placid lake? Next, research the charters available for that destination and make a few preliminary picks to narrow down your choices.
The Salmon
Five species of salmon are found in Alaska: king, also known as chinook; silver, or coho; pink; red, or sockeye; and chum. They can weigh a pound or two or as much as 100 pounds. Millions of them swim up Alaska's rivers to return to their spawning grounds each summer. King salmon are the largest and red salmon have the richest meat. To find a fighting fish, look for the silver salmon. Chum salmon are not the best quality and pink salmon are the least desirable. Most fishing from boats for salmon is for king, silver or red salmon.
Saltwater Destinations
Saltwater salmon fishing boats can be chartered in many areas, usually with a guide or, on a large boat, guides and crew. One place to enjoy fishing on the open ocean is Sitka on the west coast of Baranof Island. Cruise ships stop here and a popular shore excursion is to take a four-hour charter on the sea. The targets are king and silver salmon. The tours cost around $180 per person with a minimum of three or four fishermen. The charter operators fit their schedules to accommodate the cruise ships.
Freshwater Destinations
Fresh water fishing for salmon can be done from drift boats or power boats of many sizes on rivers and lakes. The Kenai River is a good place for this kind of salmon fishing from a boat. There you can work the waters seeking the world's largest salmon. All five species are found here. The river is close to Anchorage and charter launches from Cooper Landing can be reached by driving.
Considerations
If you are on a guided charter, sometimes part of the cost is having your catch filleted, frozen and shipped to your home. Gear is usually part of the rental on charters and the guides can tell you how to best use it. When chartering a boat you will pilot yourself, you may still wish to take a guide along to help you make the best of your boat trip. Charter rates vary. Look for a company that has been around for awhile and is locally based.
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