Non Kayak related: Alaskan Fishing Trip from Cruise

[dbarnett66]

Hi guys,

We are headed up to Alaska on a cruise next summer at the end of June. From what I read, Ketchikan Alaska offers better fishing than other ports that the cruise ship will visit.

A few questions.

1. We are limited to a 4-6 hour trip because we have to get back before the cruise ship leaves. Should we go for Halibut or King Salmon? Does one have a better chance to send fish home by choosing one over the other?

2. Any recommendations on boats/or companies? Looking for a good experience.

3. How does shipping the catch work?

Thanks in advance. I am told that I need to book sooner than later as the boats can fill fast. I appreciate the information.

[buddha]

Call Howard McKim.

He is a kayak fishing guide in Ketchikan.

http://www.ketchikankayakco.com/About_Us.html

[alanw]

I've never done this but I've read a bit about it in the past. You need to have your catch cleaned/fileted, packaged, frozen, and shipped.

I would think that you need to call and make reservations with a charter/guide service that will do the packaging for you after you leave. It's going to be tough with such a tight schedule. I don't have any company recommendations but good luck. I'd love to have an Alaskan trip someday.

[RockyRaab]

Our cruise was in late June, also. The folks who booked Ketchikan fishing excursions said that kings were hard to come by. Don't recall hearing about halibut.

Shore excursions booked through the cruise line are set up to coincide with arrival/departure times. The guides do this every single day - you aren't going to miss the ship. They also ship catches home all the time. Pay the fee and don't worry.

We cruise on Norwegian (the best, IMO) and there were literally pages of shore excursion listings. Booking that way (and in advance) might possibly cost a bit more, but is certain to be less risky.

[dbarnett66]

Thanks for the replies, it helps.

[ronbo613]

I don't live in Alaska, but I'm closer than you are and I do a fair bit of salmon fishing from my kayak. First off, 4-6 hours seems like a pretty narrow window if you include all the logistics. Salmon fishing sucess is dependent on if the fish are running or not. At the peak of a salmon run, the fishing can be pretty darn good, at the beginning and end, not so hot. Even when salmon are running, they may not feel like biting, lots of long days on the water and you feel very lucky to catch one fish. As much as I like kayak fishing, with such a short time window, you might want to consider a charter on a power boat so you can cover more water; on large water, trolling and drifting are the most common ways to fish for salmon.
As far as shipping fish home, I'm sure you can find somebody to do that for you, depending on how much you want to pay for a piece of frozen salmon. If I caught a salmon there, I would probably clean it, cook it and eat it straightaway; nothing like fresh salmon. For the price of shipping salmon home, you could probably get a fresh salmon dinner at the best restaurant in town.

http://watermanatwork.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/KayakFishingForSalmon.jpg

I don't want to discourage you because salmon are some of the hardest fighting fish you will ever catch and Chinook(King) salmon get pretty darn big. Fishing in Alaska, even in the middle of the summer, is a lot different than fishing in SoCal, you have to take that into consideration.

http://watermanatwork.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/KlickitatChinook11-1-13.jpg

Check fishing reports for the time of year you'll be taking your cruise and see if it's worth trying for a salmon or two, otherwise, I know the halibut up there get pretty huge.