Alaska Master Thread

[Something Fishy]

rainy day activity suggestions?

planning on visiting the last week in August and little worried about the weather.

Nothing stops in Alaska due to rain. Put on a rain coat, rain pants, and a hat and enjoy your day as scheduled.

[whacked1]

Nothing like last minute planning.

I would like to do a trip the week of the 25th. Any good tips for me? Or must dos? I'm taking a 9 year old boy

@TravelMoshe who did you book for bear viewing?

[TravelMoshe]

@TravelMoshe who did you book for bear viewing?

Talon Air in Soldotna. Their trip includes salmon fishing and bear viewing in one trip. You fly out of Soldotna on a seaplane, land in Lake Clark National Park (in Crescent Lake, I think), board a boat and the boat goes around finding bears and salmon fishing.

[Something Fishy]

Would not recommend fishing while bear viewing. It eats up a ton of time and salmon fishing in the lakes aren't very productive.

If you're going bear viewing, go bear viewing.

[Something Fishy]

The exception os Big River Lakes, where bears are a lot rarer. But Katmai and Cresent Lake, definitely not.

[whacked1]

Would not recommend fishing while bear viewing. It eats up a ton of time and salmon fishing in the lakes aren't very productive.

If you're going bear viewing, go bear viewing.

I dont care to go fishing on this trip. Any recommendations for a good bear viewing tour? NGL, trying to plan this 2 weeks before may not have been the best idea. Pretty overwhelming

[Something Fishy]

I dont care to go fishing on this trip. Any recommendations for a good bear viewing tour? NGL, trying to plan this 2 weeks before may not have been the best idea. Pretty overwhelming

I've used Talon multiple times and have been very happy. PM me for a discount .

[shulem92]

I dont care to go fishing on this trip. Any recommendations for a good bear viewing tour? NGL, trying to plan this 2 weeks before may not have been the best idea. Pretty overwhelming

I've used Talon multiple times and have been very happy. PM me for a discount .

+1
I booked with them only one week in advance and they were very accommodating. They just swapped out the plane for a slightly larger one

[Cat18]

The exception os Big River Lakes, where bears are a lot rarer. But Katmai and Cresent Lake, definitely not.

are you saying you dont recommend fishing on crescent lake?

i was looking at Talon Air's Crescent Lake option - https://www.talonair.com/silversalmonfishing

[shulem92]

are you saying you dont recommend fishing on crescent lake?

i was looking at Talon Air's Crescent Lake option - https://www.talonair.com/silversalmonfishing

IIRC it’s fly fishing. You’re not exactly catching big salmon like that…

[Something Fishy]

are you saying you dont recommend fishing on crescent lake?

i was looking at Talon Air's Crescent Lake option - https://www.talonair.com/silversalmonfishing

I said I don't recommend fishing while ostensibly bear watching. Pick one and do it right.

[Cat18]

IIRC it’s fly fishing. You’re not exactly catching big salmon like that…

What do you suggest for salmon fishing? I'm going with kids and not want them to spend the entire trip nauseous, as happened to us when did deep sea fishing off the big island/HI.
@shulem92

[TravelMoshe]

Would not recommend fishing while bear viewing. It eats up a ton of time and salmon fishing in the lakes aren't very productive.

If you're going bear viewing, go bear viewing.

I actually spoke to 2 families that did this exact trip last summer as a fishing/bear viewing combo and said they had a blast. They saw tons of bears and caught a bunch of salmon.
Having said that, you do not have to do any salmon fishing at all with them. You can tell them you only want to do bear viewing and they're perfectly okay with that. I spoke to them about it and they said so specifically.
Btw, I was also told by a park ranger that works in Katmai that August is a slow time for bears at Brooks Falls and you might have bad luck and not even see one bear there. Not for sure but possible. They said that Lake Clark National Park is the better place to go in August. You can go on Alaska.org and view a number of different options of bear viewing tours to Lake Clark..

[TravelMoshe]

What do you suggest for salmon fishing? I'm going with kids and not want them to spend the entire trip nauseous, as happened to us when did deep sea fishing off the big island/HI.

@Cat18:
Here are 2 fishing options that a friend told me about. He did both of these last year (he's an avid fishing guy) and said they were both very different experiences but both were great.
1) Hope Fishing Charters www.hopealaskafishingcharters.net (907) 854-5608
2) Kenai Fishing Company www.kenaifishingcompany.com (907) 912-0114
Also remember, that anyone over 16 going fishing in Alaska needs to get a fishing license

[shulem92]

@Cat18:
Here are 2 fishing options that a friend told me about. He did both of these last year (he's an avid fishing guy) and said they were both very different experiences but both were great.
1) Hope Fishing Charters www.hopealaskafishingcharters.net (907) 854-5608
2) Kenai Fishing Company www.kenaifishingcompany.com (907) 912-0114
Also remember, that anyone over 16 going fishing in Alaska needs to get a fishing license

most fishing outfits have the forms for you to fill out for a license on the spot

[shulem92]

What do you suggest for salmon fishing? I'm going with kids and not want them to spend the entire trip nauseous, as happened to us when did deep sea fishing off the big island/HI.
@shulem92

we went in Valdez and chartered a boat with a private operator. Great experience, not nauseating at all as it was in prince william sound and wasn’t open ocean

[Cat18]

IIRC it’s fly fishing. You’re not exactly catching big salmon like that…

per Talon Air, when doing fly fishing expect to catch 3-5lb salmon.

[g8trgr8t]

What do you suggest for salmon fishing? I'm going with kids and not want them to spend the entire trip nauseous, as happened to us when did deep sea fishing off the big island/HI.
@shulem92

entirely dependent on when and where you will be. salmon runs vary so if you provide dates you will be where, I can answer your question better. You can go offshore for halibut all summer out of several locations. Always take Dramamine an hour before you get on the boat or use sea bands to stop motion sickness. Odd that a wrist band with a bead would stop motion sickness but they work. I have a boat and am on the water about 40 -50 days a year but I still take a Dramamine before heading offshore. Better safe than sorry.

https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Band-Wristband-Anti-Nausea-Acupressure-Sickness/dp/B001F731N0

highly recommend these guys for shore fishing in the Kenai if the salmon runs are going on

https://www.kenaicowboys.com/

this site is good location to look to see fish counts in different rivers to get an idea as to the strength of the runs on which river and when

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/FishCounts/

here is a trip report with itinerary from our trip last year. Not sure what it takes to get it attached so will just post it here for quick reference. We visit family in Wasilla every summer sand cover from the Kenai up to Fairbanks so if you have any questions, feel free to ask

https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=133797.0