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Alaska on a Budget!
By Phil Simonski - Powder River Tackle Company
For those of you that looked at the classy ads for salmon and halibut in outdoor publications, Alaska has always been a far off place that was never going to be a part of your life. You can do it, with some long
range planning, a life long desire can become a reality with out going in debt up to your "gills". Hunters don't despair. Some of the same principles can be used for hunting as well as for fishing. The key
to a reasonable Alaska trip is all in planning and timing.
If you are looking at spending a portion of the summer of 2001 in Alaska forget it. It won't happen, but now is the time to start looking into the summer of 2002.
First you will have to decide what kind of fish? There are many, but the big two are halibut and king salmon. Some of the best times will surprise you. You say you want to catch a barn door halibut. Some of the best
Halibut fishing is in May and early June. Not the most popular times to go to chilly Alaska? Not so, Alaska can be quite comfortable in May and early June. Also some of the best salmon fishing for early Kings is in
May. There seems to be two runs of Kings, May and July. During July the Kenai River is by far the most popular place to fish. Not that they catch many fish, but the ones they do catch are huge by any standard.
Salmon to 60 to 70 pounds are common and there are always those 80 and 90 pounders that show up. Also if you are going to go out with a guide the good ones that know what they are doing are expensive. Kenai Kings
can be caught from the bank, but it is a circus and I recommend that you forget this famous river. There are many others that have good runs of fish and not the crowds. Fish as close to the salt as you can. Alaska
salmon seem to mature quickly in fresh water. Of course there are some charters that specialize in salmon fishing, but again they are expensive.
The best eating salmon and by far the fastest action are sockeye or "reds" as they are called in Alaska. This is the premiere eating fish and the one the commercials concentrate on. Any non-glacier river
that has a lake in its system has reds. Here again the Kenai is a choose river, but that run also coincides with the king run so things can get crowded.
One of the best ways to get and see Alaska and I stress see, is at sport shows. Not only do the big boys come to local shows, but many of the smaller outfitters group together and have "booking agents".
These booking agents have information available to the public on what they have to offer and what kind of fishing is available. Also these smaller outfitters will be able to tell you where to make arrangements for
accommodations, fish freezing and eating establishments. There are many RV parks scattered throughout Alaska. If you drive and have a camper the difference in gas versus the cost of a room may make the difference.
It depends on how long you plan to stay. One number to try for all the information on the Kenai Peninsula is 1 800 479-7357. D&M RV park not only has been around the Kenai Peninsula for over 22 years, but
books charters for several difference outfitters on the peninsula. If you want to get a head start on next year this is a suggestion of where to start.
You have decided to go to Alaska and do some fishing. The least expensive way to go is by car. If you have all the time in the world, but are short on cash the 2500-mile drive to the Kenai Peninsula is an easy
five-day drive. The surprising thing is the price of gas in Canada and Alaska is cheaper than in most locations in the "lower 48". If time is a important factor then of course your only choose is by air.
With planning and some looking around on the Internet you can probably come up with a flight into Anchorage for around $435 to $465 round trip from most destinations in the lower 48 states. Under $500 is easy. Also
if you fly you want to go with at least one other person. Two others would be better. The reason is you are going to want to bring home a bunch of great tasting fish. Your limit on baggage weight is two, 70-pound
containers per person. That means when you go you put all your "old fishing clothes" in one package. Take clothes that you will not want to bring home with you, but are still warm. Mornings are cool and a
good warm jacket or down vest is a must. If you know of someone that has been to Alaska and brought back a plastic/ cardboard fish box buy it from them. Cheapest you can find in Alaska is around $15. The wax
boxes available in Alaska are for one time use. Shipping coolers, as baggage is OK, but you will need a big one, at least 80 quarts and they too are expensive. One other package to consider is a "action
pack". These are made by Rubbermaid" and are quite light and strong. The only problem is they are not insulated and you will have to freeze your processed fish in a block. The plastic/cardboard containers
will keep frozen for up to 48 hours. The action packs will last for 24. Storage at the airport in Anchorage is $12 per box, per day. You will want to check your fish on the plane as baggage when you leave. If you
are driving you will want to plan ahead to stay at locations that have walk in freezers available to the public. Put your container in the freezer every night.
Probably the most expensive item you will have to deal with is food. If you take any of the suggested containers with you use the space to pack some food.
What about equipment? If you are going for halibut leave everything but the heaviest sturgeon boat rod at home. All the halibut charters supply equipment with the costs of the trip. Costs range from as low as $50 per
1/2 day for kids under 12 to $150 for full day trips. Here again do some shopping around and ask for references. Take the time to check these guides out. If the price is cheap question the guide how far he runs?
Does he limit every day? Almost a must for halibut, and what kind of boat does he use? Six people per trip seem to be the maximum number of fishermen on any halibut boat.
If you're going to fish for any other species of fish there seems to be little saltwater surf casting as we know it in the "lower 48". The most popular fishing is for salmon near the mouths of streams. The
tackle ranges here from fly rods to heavy-duty salmon rods. Nine-foot heavy action steelhead/salmon rods will whip any salmon that's swims if you have the proper reel and line to match the fish. Also if you are
going to target the smaller species such as reds and pinks, heavy actions bass tackle will provide you with the equipment to have fun.
here is the "Fish Pond" on the Homer spit, that is a kick, if not to many people are there. It is a manmade, open to the ocean, pond of several acres where Alaska Fish and Game climatizies both Chinook and
Coho. It is a popular place during the day and several large fish are caught every hour or so. Nothing compared to the number of fish that are snagged and have to be released. For some reason Blue Fox spinners seem
to be the favorite lure, but the guys that where getting the most hookups where the fly rodders. These guys where using small size 6 and 4 steelhead flies and just slaughtering the "jacks".
Every once in a while they would hook into a mature 20 to 30 pound King and for the next hour they just played the fish. Most everyone "cleared the bank" as the salmon made their run, but eventually the fairly wand won the battle. Also light tackle guys with six and eight-pound test casting crappie jigs and small roadrunners put more than their fair share of fish on the bank. Again tackle that was well matched and on the small, light side seemed to have the advantage in at least hooking fish. Skill in handling that tackle made the difference if the fish was landed or not.
Other things to do in Alaska besides hike (look out for bears) take pictures and just gook at the beautiful landscapes is dig clams. For those of us that have dug razor clams, Alaska is heaven. There are some
really low tides during May and June. Minus five footers on a few days. Six-inch razors are not uncommon. If you are after large razors and are experienced I suggest a place called Deep Creek. The clams in this
location are big.
Five inchers are quite common. BUT, they are deep. The sand, if you want to call it that, has a high degree of mud in it and the clams can move faster than any I've seen anyplace. If the day is warm and you are experienced you can limit out with a minimum of five inchers. The limit is 45 per person. Any other location that has more clams than I've ever seen is called, of course, "Clam Gulch". There is a state park within 300 yards of the beach and limited parking above the high water line. The sand here is quite a bit less muddy than at Deep Creek and the clams are quite close to the surface. If you are used to digging in the surf you can get a few without a shovel. Just gab their necks and hold on. Digging a little with your free hand will quicken the process. Most clams can be dug with one scoop of the shovel and go in from the side. These clams average round four inches, with a few six inchers available. Rental shovels are available at several locate gas stations and tackle shops.
If you have any interest in the above information, start looking now and planning for that trip of a lifetime. It won't cost you your kid's first year college tuition to go and you may be like several folks I met on
my trip. They never have come back from Alaska and now call it home. See you on the water.
Phil Simonski Powder River Tackle Company "Where it costs less to catch more." tm
Powder River Guide Service
http://www.powderrivergs.com
also visit http://www.goosepit.com
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