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Tips for a Great Fishing Trip to Alaska
Location, Location, Location
How do you make a Texan cry?
Tell him if you cut Alaska in half, Texas would be the third biggest state.
Alaska is vast and sparsely populated: 586,412 square miles with a 722,718 residents for a
population density of 1.25 people per square mile. The next biggest state, Texas, encompasses
261,231 square miles with a population of 25,674,681and a density of 98 people per square mile.
To put the vastness of Alaska into perspective for people in the eastern U.S, “the great land” is
more than 9 times larger than all six New England states combined. Alaska has more ocean
coastline than the rest of the United States. The total mileage of fishable rivers and streams is
inestimable. The Yukon River alone flows for 2300 miles.
For someone planning a fishing trip, the choices seem nearly as vast as the rivers and coastline.
You can fish for pike in the Yukon River, sheefish on the Kobuk River, arctic char in the Brooks
Range, or any of 5 species of salmon in rivers and salt water throughout the state. You drop 2
pounds of lead down 300 feet for monstrous halibut or delicately cast a dry fly for arctic
grayling. And, that’s just a small sampling.
As for travel, Sitka is little more than a 2 hour jet flight from Seattle with a round trip fare of
roughly $400. Remote destinations to the north and west could easily take a full day of travel
from Seattle, cost over $1000 round trip and include connections with float planes, four wheelers
and/or boats. You can camp out with the bears in the bush or enjoy 5 star comforts including
Internet, cable TV, fine dining, shopping, and cultural events. Planning a trip to Alaska presents
one with a wonderful and dizzying array of options
First Things First
Question number one in planning your Alaska trip is: fresh water, salt water, or a bit of both. If
you are committed to fresh water only or salt water only, you’ve narrowed things down
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substantially. If you’re looking for a bit of both, the choices get a little harder for a few reasons.
First, many of the very best rivers for salmon and trout are in western Alaska and not adjacent to
great salt water opportunities. The best salt
water fishing in Southeast and South-central
Alaska isn’t next to the most productive rivers.
Also, most lodges and guides specialize in
either salt or fresh water. Some do both, but
beware the old saying that the jack of all trades
is master of none. If you want to do both fresh
and salt water, you might consider splitting
your trip between two destinations and seek out
specialists in each.
Angling Unlimited specializes in salt water
fishing. We know based on extensive research
and long experience that the most varied and exciting salt water fishing in the North Pacific lives
right in our backyard - the waters within range of Sitka. We’ve been at this for over 20 years and
know these waters, for lack of a better term, like our own backyard.
Angling Unlimited does offer rewarding fresh water junkets, but we view that as an adjunct to
the great salt water experience – the spice but not the meal. If freshwater is your passion, begin a
specific search on fly fishing, river fishing, and freshwater fishing in Alaska.
Do Your Homework
Fishing spots are not created equal and simply having Alaska on the address doesn’t guarantee
great success. We did our homework before locating Angling Unlimited (AU) in Sitka. Tom
Ohaus, founder of AU, fished salt water salmon from central California to the Bering Sea as part
of his duties as a freelance writer. We also tapped into the data base collected by the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) which provides a very good look at catch data and
fishing results on a port by port basis on their website. It is well worth the effort to peruse that
ADFG website. Begin by landing here:
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishingReports/index.cfm?ADFG=main.home
Once on that page, you can click on ports throughout Alaska and get the most recent in season
information. During the offseason, the reports aren’t current but, very useful comparative data
can be accessed from that page by hitting the link titled, “Harvest/Effort Statistics”. Here you’ll get
week by week average catch rates throughout the season for the past 5 years on a port by port
basis for Chinook (king), coho (silver), chum, and pink salmon. You’ll also get catch data for
halibut.
The metric used by ADFG is “rod hours per fish”. This works well as a comparative measure
between ports, but not as an absolute measure. For instance, Sitka’s 5 year running average
during June is 5 rod hours per king salmon, which is nearly twice as fast as any other port in
Southeast Alaska. This is great comparative information, but Angling Unlimited would be out of
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business if we landed one king
per five rod hours of fishing.
We probably average closer to 1
king per rod hour or less in
June.
Accommodations
Catching fish is really important
to a good trip, but so are
accommodations, which vary
greatly from destination to
destination. Coming to a good
decision on what you and your
comrades require to be
comfortable will narrow down your search, particularly when you travel with a group. We
suggest you have a conversation regarding amenities and accommodations before your finalize a
decision. Some people can handle, or even prefer, a rustic tent camp while others require more
civilized accommodations to feel comfortable.
If getting away from it all is a group goal, a remote lodge away from other people and services is
the right pick. If you want to be able to visit a local bar at night, shop, tour museums, take a ride
in a car, etc., you’ll want to stay in or near a town.
Angling Unlimited built our own "waterfront suites" and “water view suites” complete with well
stocked kitchens because our fishing starts early and most guests don't want to wake up even
earlier to wait for service at a hotel or restaurant. We provide cars for our guests who do want to
go into town. For anyone who doesn't want to pay the premium for a drink at a restaurant, bar, or
hotel, you can make a visit to a local store and supply your own refrigerators. This is our
business model and our guests love it.
Fishing Style and Environment
Style
Angling Unlimited specializes in salt water fishing using hands on techniques. Our method for
salmon is called “mooching” (http://anglingunlimited.com/fishing/mooching-fish/). Our guests want
to learn how to present the bait, feel the bite, and hook their own fish. If you’d rather watch the
captain set the gear in a downrigger clip, troll around, then crank in a fish after it hooks itself,
that’s not us. Obviously, if you prefer wading waist deep in a river and casting a fly, that isn’t us
either. We target king salmon and silver salmon in salt water. We use high quality relatively light
tackle. We also focus on halibut, rockfish, and lingcod. We also catch the occasional salmon
shark, black cod, pacific cod, and blue shark.
Environment
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In planning your trip, think about your ideal fishing environment. On salt water the most basic
choice generally is between open ocean or protected water. Our experience in Southeast Alaska
is that open ocean fishing produces better catches on most days, but we also have protected
waters that hold great promise if the ocean is rough or if our customers aren’t comfortable on the
big water.
Boat
The boat you fish from will have a big impact on your comfort and safety. Fresh water boats and
some salt water boats offer little to no weather protection leaving you exposed to the elements all
day. Angling Unlimited designed and built boats with heated cabins that provide a place for you
to warm up and/or dry out when traveling from place to place. The size of the boat, the design,
the ride, and how many anglers are onboard makes a big impact on your experience. Our 28 and
29 foot boats are very soft riding and are very seaworthy and safe. Unless a group requests
fishing 5 or 6 anglers, we never fish more than four along with a deckhand and skipper.
All Angling Unlimited boats are equipped with the highest quality, state of the art electronics
including radar, GPS, plotter, sounder, and VHF radio. Our investment in technology ensures
your safety when underway by providing your captain with pinpoint navigational accuracy,
detailed plot lines to avoid hazards to navigation, and the ability to see other vessels on the
screen even in dense fog. Our electronics also deliver precise location and relocation capabilities
for finding fish and returning to the hot spot. Our big screen fish finders paint a clear picture of
the bottom and fish swimming under the boat. When your captain shouts, “Fish at 90 feet!” and
you use the line counter on your reel to get your bait there – hold on tight – something good is
about to happen.
Take Home Catch
In the planning phase, decide how important take home catch is for your trip. Most salt water
lodges and charters offer the opportunity to bring some of your catch home. Check ahead of time
to find out what the regulations allow:
(http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishregulations.se_sportfish)
Processing
Also look into the cost and quality of fish processing.
At Angling Unlimited, there is no addition charge for processing. When you land a fish aboard
one of our boats, it is immediately bled. Following bleeding, we remove the guts and gills from
salmon and meticulously pack them on shaved ice. We filet halibut on the way in, rinse the filets
thoroughly, and lay them out to drain. We process your fish at our facility, right on our dock. We
cut the fish to your specifications and into manageable portions before freezing in order to
provide excellent eating for months after you get home.
Some quality take home salmon, halibut, rockfish, and lingcod forms an important part of the
value of the trip for many anglers for good reason. Most species caught in Alaska have a very
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high table value and provide healthful meals. That said, although Alaska is huge but not
limitless. Most people’s eyes are bigger than their freezers. Some restraint is advised in order to
preserve these resources for future generations.
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Selecting a Lodge or Guide
The sheer number of guides, outfitters, and lodges that pop up on an Internet search proves pretty
daunting. We all know that anyone can put a good website up with good photos and strong
claims. You might feel like you get to know someone a bit better if you meet them at their booth
at a sportsman show. Our experience at Angling Unlimited is that we’re in a word of mouth
business. A good word from a satisfied customer to a friend and we’ve got a booking. A bad
word and we’re out of the running. If you don’t have friends to tap for information, where do you
begin?
Business Experience
Start with experience – how many years has your prospective lodge or guide been in business.
It’s pretty hard for people to survive this industry for 20 years doing a bad job, particularly if the
business has shown growth during that time. If someone has been in business a long time, they
should be able to provide plenty of references and testimonials. AU has been in the charter
business for 25 years and the lodge/charter business in Sitka for 20 years. We’ve grown from 2
boats to 8 boats in that time. We’ve done it nearly 100% by word of mouth and repeat bookings.
We’re happy to share references with anyone who calls.
Guide/Captain Experience
Nothing affects your days on the water more than your guide/captain. Some lodges have a lot of
turnover in the guide department, others remain very steady. The average number of seasons our
captains have been with AU is 14. This means you’ll be fishing with a captain who knows his
way around the waters and comes up through the culture of our business and isn’t a just a
freelancer looking for the next place to hang his hat.
Our guides are service oriented, instructive, friendly and professional. They genuinely care about
the outcome of each day for the people aboard their boat.
Deckhands
We recommend that you consider the impacts of a deckhand when planning your trip. The
deckhand takes care of a lot of little things that make the big difference to your day on the water
like making sure you have a bait the moment you need a new one, netting fish, releasing, fish,
coaching the inexperienced anglers aboard, serving coffee, cookies, sandwiches, and making
sure your fish are bled, gutted, and iced as they are landed. The deckhand also frees up the
captain to concentrate on finding fish and locating the fastest action.
Equipment
The quality of equipment provided says a lot about a lodge. Angling Unlimited uses G. Loomis
rods for salmon and Shimano Tekota reels. The reels are maintained to a high standard with fresh
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line, well lubricated mechanical systems, and smooth drags. If you find anything even slightly
amiss with your reel, just tell us and we’ll get another one in your hands right away and fix the
one you rejected. Generally speaking, our captains are a lot more fussy about the gear than the
customers. We also provide Islander single action mooching reels for those that like them. We
use hand tied leaders with the sharpest Gamagatsu hooks. We don’t cut corners because our
guests have travelled a long way to hook and, hopefully, land the fish of a lifetime. We get that.
Demand
Another way to gauge a lodge or guide is how early they book up. The better places tend to fill
up early. The exception to that rule is during a down economy like we’ve had since the end of
2008. Generally speaking, however, you want to plan far in advance to book the most reputable,
experience lodges in order to get the best dates and the time slots that fit your schedule.
References
In the end, will you believe we’re really good at what we do just because we say so? Probably
not, which gets us right back to word of mouth referrals and references.
Other Considerations
Eco-Tours
You and your group will want to decide what activities
are hoped for in addition to fishing. It’s our experience
that most people want to see the wildlife while in
Alaska. It’s also our experience that after three days of
fishing, you’ll have seen an awful lot of it. Common
sights on our trips include: bald eagles, sea lions, seals,
sea otters, humpback whales, puffins, murres, marbled murrelets, Sitka black tail deer, and
albatross to name a few. Less common, but always possible sightings include orcas, minke
whales, brown bear, and Dalls porpoise.
After Fishing
The town of Sitka provides a number of non-fishing activities like museums, parks, shopping,
restaurants, the Raptor Center, bars, a music festival, and hiking. You can also drive a car to the
end of the road and cast flies at pink salmon from mid to late July through September. In Sitka,
you fish in a salt water wilderness all day and come back to an interesting town each afternoon
and evening.
Travel Time and Cost
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By minimizing travel time, you get more fishing time and take less vacation time to make your
trip. Sitka has an airport served by Alaska Airlines, making it less expensive and faster to get to
than many destinations. You take a short two hour nonstop flight from Seattle. The more remote
you go in Alaska, the more cost and time that goes into getting there. For the most part, you
don’t gain on the salt water fishing front by going farther afield. Regarding freshwater fishing,
remote is often better.
Total Package
When adding up the cost of your trip, be sure to know what’s included and what isn’t. At
Angling Unlimited your package includes fishing, lodging, bait, tackle, fish processing, breakfast
fixings in your room, lunch aboard the boat, transportation to and from the airport, rain gear, a
CD with photos from your trip, and a car for exploring Sitka. You can get all the details of what
is and isn’t included at http://anglingunlimited.com/rates-reservations/season-rates/
Fit and Feel
There are lots of ways to deliver these services. Some of the greatest fish catching guides in the
world are nearly unbearable to fish with. Conversely, the nicest guide on earth will wear thin on
your patience if he can’t lead you to the catch.
The final decision of who you book a trip with comes down to fit and feel. You want to make
sure all the specifics you’re looking for are addressed, but you’ve got to have a good feel for who
you plan to spend your time and money with. You’re going to be with your guide for a number
of days. The hostesses and land crew will determine your comforts when you return from
fishing. It’s important to like who you’re dealing with, so take your time in planning. Spend time
on the phone with people. Line up your questions and make sure you get them answered.
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Climate
Despite the vast territory of Alaska, some common denominators exist in the weather.

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It tends to rain fairly often.
It will feel anywhere from cool to cold much of the time to anglers travelling up from the
lower 48.
A warm wind is a rare treat in coastal Alaska.
In Sitka, where Angling Unlimited operates, you’ll find a maritime climate, meaning it’s heavily
influenced by thousands of miles of ocean that moderates the temperatures and brings ample
precipitation. It’s rare for the weather to be either very hot or very cold. Those of you arriving
from warm summer climates may find it a bit chilly. You can expect temperatures in the mid40's to low-50's in the morning and upper-50's to low-70's during the day. The sun may shine
during your entire trip or it may rain much of the time. A mix of sun, rain, and clouds is most
common for a multi-day visit.
Here are some interesting facts about Sitka weather which typifies what you can expect in most
of coastal Alaska:
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The high temperature exceeds 70 degrees only 5 days each year on average.
The high temperature is below freezing only 13 days each year on average.
Annual average precipitation is 86.1 inches.
Annual average number of days with precipitation is 232 of which 19 are days with snow.
Month
May
June
July
August September
Average High Temperature
53.2
57.7
61
62.1
58.2
Average Low Temperature
41.7
47.1
51.5
52.2
47.8
Monthly Average Precipitation (inches) 4.38
3.28
3.85
6.3
11.16
Record High
82
85
88
84
77
Record Low
29
35
42
40
31
Hours of Daylight
15.32 17.27 17.48 16.16
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What to Wear & What To Bring
Dress in layers and bring at least one more layer than you think you need. The thermometer may
say 60 degrees, but the combination of marine moisture and a light breeze will make it feel
cooler, especially for people travelling in from warm summer weather in the lower 48. Synthetic
fleece fabrics provide better warmth and comfort in wet weather than cotton clothes. Gloves are
optional depending on how easily your hands get cold.
You’ll want raingear to keep you dry and as a windbreaker. Angling Unlimited provides raingear
and boots for all our guests.
How much clothing you bring depends on your length of stay and your accommodations.
Angling Unlimited provides laundry facilities so you can dry your clothes at the end of a wet day
or do wash so you can pack lighter.
Alaska Airlines and most others charge a fee for checked baggage, so pack your clothes in a
carry-on bag. That way you can use your checked baggage allowance for your boxed fish on
your return flight. You are allowed one carry-on bag plus one personal item, such as a purse,
briefcase or laptop computer. Alaska For more information go to:
http://www.alaskaair.com/www2/help/faqs/AdviceAdvisories.asp
Bring a hat with a wide brim to keep the sun and/or rain off your face.
Essential Items
Sunscreen
Despite the rainy reputation, there are plenty of days of bright sunshine in Alaska. On a cloudless
day in June or July the sun will beat on you from the time you start fishing until you finish. It
will reflect off the water and the boat. You want to cover up with sunscreen, protective clothing
and a hat.
Camera/Video
You will want to document your trip - so bring a digital camera and plenty of storage. Nowadays
most digital cameras take video, too. Angling Unlimited’s captain and deckhand carry a camera
and will be documenting your trip it unfolds. We’ll assemble your photos into a nice package on
a thumb drive and you can share the good times with friend back home. It’s part of your package.
Tackle
The tackle needs vary depending on your destination. Most fly fishermen travelling to western
Alaska bring their own rods and reels. What you bring to a salt water destination depends on
what your plan to fish for and the quality of the gear provided by your guide or lodge. Angling
Unlimited furnishes the finest quality tackle from G.Loomis, Shimano, and Penn, specifically
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designed for our style of fishing. We have left-handed reels, Islander Canadian-style singleaction reels, and a few fly rods - you don’t need to bring a thing tackle-wise and you’ll be fishing
with the finest. If you do have a favorite rod, reel, or combo, bring it along and we’ll help you
get it all set up for catching.
Bait
You can expect almost all lodges and guides to provide bait. At Angling Unlimited your bait,
tackle, hooks, line, and sinker are part of the package.
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Your Day
Early Rise
Fishing is a sport that generally requires an early rise. This seems especially true of the salt water
destinations. From the beginning of our season through mid-August, your daily schedule at
Angling Unlimited begins with a 4:15 a.m. wake-up call. At 4:50 a.m., you’ll board our van and
take a short ride to our boats. After mid-August, the time table moves to a 5:15 AM wake-up and
5:50 AM departure because to account for the later sunrise.
Arrival at Dock
A well run operation should have everything ready to roll upon the arrival of clients. When you
arrive at Angling Unlimited’s dock, the boats will be warmed up and ready to depart. Your
snacks, beverages, and lunches will be aboard. Running time varies from day to day and port to
port. We typically run 30 to 90 minute trip to the best fishing grounds. Our trip to the fishing
grounds is typically through calm protected waters. Other destinations make equally long runs,
but it might feel even longer if it’s on a rough ocean.
On Board
Your degree of comfort depends both on sea conditions and on the set-up of the boat your fish
aboard. Angling Unlimited’s heated cabins provide plenty of room for everyone to sit
comfortably and warm while underway. The cabins provide a dry and a secure place to store
extra clothes, cameras, and video equipment. The boats cruise at about 22 to 24 knots and have
private toilet facilities. Lunch, snacks, coffee and soft drinks are all provided.
Full Day
There are two basic models for fishing on the North Pacific. One is limit out and head home your time on the water is determined by how quickly you fill the hold. The second model is full
day, multi-species sport fishing. Angling Unlimited boats fish a full day. Our goal is not an early
ride home. Your can choose to catch and release fish and your day will typically be a mix of
salmon, halibut, and bottom fishing. You’ve come a long way for one purpose: fishing. Why cut
it short?
Return to the Dock
Again, this is something that varies a great deal from operation to operation. At Angling
Unlimited, you’ll generally be back at the dock around 3 p.m. That said, if there you’re amidst a
red hot bite after a slow morning, we put in the extra time.
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At the Dock
Some charters operate off private docks, others leave from big marinas. At Angling Unlimited,
you’ll land in a private marina where you’ll find our fish processing facility. We’ll be happy to
unload your fish for photos at the dock and hang any large fish for a much deserved glory shot.
Our crew will immediately go to work filleting your fish to your specifications. We follow that
by thoroughly rinsing the fish, vacuum sealing and flash freezing. You can return to your lodging
immediately or stay to watch the fish processing.
Dinner
At Angling Unlimited, you can select from a variety of restaurants in town (some deliver) or you
can cook your own catch-of-the-day using your fully equipped kitchen and barbecue grill on the
deck.
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Mal de Mer (a nice name for Sea Sickness)
Note: This section may seem overly long and daunting. We include this because seasickness
unnecessarily keeps many people from enjoying ocean fishing. It’s our experience at Angling
Unlimited that with proper preparation and medication, the overwhelming majority of people can
enjoy even a rough day on the water without feeling sick. The key words here are preparation
and medication.
The cause
Seasickness results from a conflict between sensory information being sent to your brain from
your eyes, body position, and inner ear. This conflict does not occur on good old stable land
where all inputs agree. However, when a boat begins rising, falling, and pitching on swell and
chop, the inputs begin to vary. Next thing you know a headache comes on, you don’t feel good,
and, if it goes to conclusion, you experience nausea.
The Cure
We’ve been guiding on the North Pacific for 25 years and cannot suggest too strongly that if you
are prone to seasickness, go to your doctor and get medication. If you aren't sure if you're prone,
get medication. Seasickness can ruin your trip, but it’s highly curable. Most over-the-counter
medications have marginal value. Prescription medication is far more effective. Here are our top
five cures in order of effectiveness. The first four are available only by prescription and you
should visit your doctor before taking them to make sure there are no contraindications. Angling
Unlimited is sharing our experience here, but we by no means claim to know what a safe cure is
for any given individual. See your doctor:
Zofran
A few guests have started showing up with this drug that is used to control nausea for
chemotherapy patients. The reviews so far are that it’s the best cure available – no noticeable
side effects, great results in preventing seasickness, and it even reverses the symptoms of
seasickness after onset.
Promethazine (25mg) and ephedrine (25 mg)
Better known as the “Coast Guard Cocktail” because that’s what’s given aboard their vessels.
It’s highly effective, but ephedrine has become very hard to get. The general assumption is that
ephedrine only serves to offset the drowsiness brought on by the promethazine and you can
simply drink coffee or take No-Doze for the same effect. This is not our experience. Something
about the combination of the two works best. We’ve seen drowsy people on promethazine alone
that are also seasick. Very few people get sick when they take both. This will also reverse
symptoms of seasickness when taken on the water, if you can hold it down for a half hour.
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Scopace
This is oral scopolamine, the same drug found in “the patch”. The difference is that you can take
this pill an hour before fishing, then again later in the morning, and then stop until the next
morning. You don’t have to wear a patch for three days and have the medication in your system
all afternoon and evening. In many cases, Scopace appears to be more effective than the patch.
Transderm Scope (the patch)
This is the most common cure prescribed for seasickness. Though not as bullet proof as
promethazine and ephedrine or Zofran (according to the few people we talked with) or Scopace,
this cure has made going to sea a lot more comfortable for millions of people. If you’ve tried it
and it works - stick with it (no pun intended).
Over the Counter Meds
Dramamine and Bonine are widely used and provide relief for some sufferers of seasickness. If
you have just a wee bit of difficulty with mal de mer, these over-the-counter meds may work. If
you’re a serious sufferer of seasickness, talk to your doctor and get a prescription cure.
Prevention
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Don’t drink heavily the night before. A hangover will have you at least half way to
seasickness before you leave the dock.
Avoid greasy and heavy foods.
While aboard, avoid cramped spaces, engine fumes (our boats don’t produce noticeable
fumes), and strong odors.
Focus long, look at distant objects like mountains or the horizon. Avoid close focus like
untying a knot or tangle. Don’t look through binoculars or eye-pieces in cameras or
videos. Don’t read.
Sit or stand facing forward when the boat is travelling so you can anticipate the motion.
Get plenty of fresh air and avoid the bow for extended periods of time when fishing in
order to minimize movement.
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Arrival and Departure
The degree of service you get on arrival and departure is highly variable depending on the type
of trip you book and who you book with. Make sure you get the details before booking.
Angling Unlimited’s guests typically arrive the day before their fishing starts and depart the day
after fishing ends. An evening flight out of Sitka will get folks as far as Seattle just before
midnight after a full day of fishing. When our arriving guests get off the Alaska Airlines jet in
Sitka, they will find one of our smiling hostesses holding an Angling Unlimited sign. Our crew
helps you claim your baggage and load it in our van. We then take you ton 15 minute ride to our
lodging and get you checked in. After checking in, we issue fishing licenses, as well as boots and
rain gear. We’ll give you a detailed itinerary of your entire stay with us, including the fishing
day. You’ll also get the keys to your car for touring around Sitka.
On the day you leave, your fish will be boxed and ready for shipping on the airlines. We'll return
you to the airport in our van. We’ll stand by, help load your fish boxes and baggage, and make
sure you’re checked in and ready for your flight home.
Gratuities
Tipping is optional, but most guests choose to reward those who gave their best to make your trip
fun, productive, and memorable - your captain, deckhand, processor, and land personnel So bring
a little extra cash. What is an appropriate tip? That depends on your level of satisfaction and your
own comfort level with tipping. If you’re looking for a ballpark figure – think in the
neighborhood of 10% of the charge for your trip. All good operators, Angling Unlimited
included understand that gratuities are a personal choice – not a requirement. We take equally
good care of all guests regardless of their tipping history.
Bag Limits 2012
( http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fishregulations.se_sportfish)
Bear in mind that regulations can change during the season. The State of Alaska can liberalize or
tighten regulations without notice. This happens infrequently but isn’t out of the question.
Angling Unlimited, Inc. is not responsible for changes in regulations and cannot refund money as
a result of changed bag limits. Please feel free to call at anytime to be updated on what’s
happening with bag limits. We will know more on regulations, especially kings, by mid-April.
Salmon
Kings: (Best guess as of mid-February – official bag limit will be announced in April.)
Abundance up limits same as 2011. Daily bag limit: 2 kings per day in May. One king per day
June 1 through end of season. Annual Limit: 5
Silvers: Resource stable and strong. Daily bag limit: 6. Annual limit: none
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© 2012 Angling Unlimited
Pink Salmon: Solid run forecast. Daily Bag limit: 6. Annual limit: none
Chum salmon: Resource stable and strong. Daily Bag limit: 6. Annual limit: none
Bottomfish:
Halibut: Resource still in the rebuilding mode for 2012. Daily limit: 1. Reverse slot limit:
Halibut must be either under 45 inches or over 68 inches to be retained. Annual limit: none
Lingcod: Daily bag limit: 1. Slot limit of 30 to 35 inches. Annual limit: 1 per season
Season: May 16 – June 30, August 1 – end of season
Pelagic Rockfish (sea bass): Resource stable. Daily bag limit: 5 Annual limit: none
Demersal Shelf Rockfish (yelloweye, quillback, copper, etc.): Resource fragile. Daily bag
limit: 2 per day, only one of which can be yelloweye. Annual limit: 1 yelloweye per year, no
annual limit on other species.
Blackcod (sablefish – not to be confused with black rockfish): Resource stable. Daily bag
limit: 4. Annual limit: 8
www.AnglingUnlimited.com
© 2012 Angling Unlimited