Fishing in Ketchikan

[momthecruisedirector]

We've gone back and forth on what to do in Ketchikan. We had booked a fishing excursion through Princess then cancelled deciding it was more then we wanted to spend but the guys still wanted to fish. The Lumberjack show doesn't rent poles anymore. So...I just called the Tongass Sporting Good Store and they sell poles/rods for a reasonable price and they open at 7:00 a.m. You can order your fishing permit on line along with a salmon tag and print them out to take with you ($10 each). If you catch anything you can take it to Silver Lining and they will process and mail it for you. We will donate our fishing pole when we are done.

 

I don't know if this information helps anyone else but it did give us an opportunity to 'do' Ketchikan for a reasonable price.

[Coocoo4Cruises]

We were also wondering - where's the best deal for fishing in Ketchikan. Where are you planning to fish?

[momthecruisedirector]

We're going to fish right off Creek Street. Personally, I don't mind if they don't catch anything but I am glad they are getting the opportunity. I have heard that at that time of year (July) the fish are thick through the creek so catching one is a real possibility.

[CaribbeanBlue]

There is a pole renting booth right across from the Creek Street bridge with all of the supplies you will need.

 

CaribbeanBlue

 

http://www.*****.org

[momthecruisedirector]

According to the Visitor's Center there are no companies renting poles this year - they aren't sure why.

[lmmn]

How about bringing a fishing pole from home? Has anyone done this? What kind of pole and set up would you need for fishing off the bridge? Is live bait available close by?

[wheretocruise]

Momthecruisedirector, thanks for the great information. My husband loves to fish and did some research on boards on the options. He really doesn't like sportfishing, but pier/shoreline fishing. We are planning on bringing a portable pole that he bought years back ago. Not very expensive - think it was under $25 at Walmart or Sportmart. If I recall correctly, it is in 3-4 pieces that can be assembled. Would you be willing to report back on your luck? Not sure when you are cruising but we will be on the Diamond Princess in mid-September.

 

Thanks again!

[momthecruisedirector]

I will be sure to post a review when we get back - I love reading them so I will leave one for others. We leave July 2nd on the Diamond.

[lmmn]

I just inquired about renting fishing poles, and received this email:

 

Yes we do rent fishing poles. They rent for $15/hr, $25 for 2 hrs, or $40 for 3 hrs. When are you coming in? This will determine whether or not reservations are needed. How many poles do you need? Yes, I sell bait and fishing licenses. You can go to our website at http://www.frontier-gemsandjewelry.com and click on "Location" for a map of Ketchikan and directions to our store.

 

Happy Fishing!!!

[bburns]

Did they say how much for bait and a license?

[momthecruisedirector]

Unless they charge a service fee the fishing license is $10 (one day) and the salmon tag is $10 also.

[wheretocruise]

Momthecruisedirector, you must be getting excited with your trip this weekend. Enjoy and look forward to reading your review. Hope you catch a fish. I feel the same way you do that it is ok if we don't catch anything. My husband would be disappointed but the high cost of shipping home doesn't make it very attractive. Have fun!

[AK*Angel]

They can't charge a service fee on the licenses, and bait shouldn't be too much if anything....use of live bait is illegal in Alaska.

[momthecruisedirector]

Well, I just called the Frontier gem and jewelry store (woman who answered was floored that she was on cruisecritic!). We put two poles on hold, she said the fish were jumping, I think SHE thought that was a good thing - ha-ha! We are only 3 days away from leaving, I am so excited.

 

AK Angel, so do they snag the fish to catch them if you are fishing off Creek Street?

 

I hope everyone has enjoyed their planning for their vacation as much as I have - hope the vacation lives up to the anticipation! I'll let you know how everything was for us when we get back.

[Poodlesnoot]

I just came from there...as you walked from the dock to the Creek Bridge, there was a shop on the left acroos the street just before the bridge that had a sign in the window renting poles for $10...there were no fish there now.

[vihogfan]

We just got back to Hawaii from our AK cruise! HOW EXCITING! The best part of the trip was when my 10 yr. old daughter caught a 20 lb. king salmon in Ketchikan. We found fishing pole rental at Frontier Gems / Creek St. Trading Co. Their websit is www.frontier-gemsandjewelry.com where you can see a picture of us.

 

GREAT FUN!!!!

[momthecruisedirector]

Where did you fish from? Was it on Creek Street? Do you mind sharing your method? Congratulations to your daughter!!

[Landlubber54]

GREAT picture of you and your daughter (nice catch too)!

Oh, and mom...looking forward to your report when you return. Have a great time.

[alwalaska]

Unless they charge a service fee the fishing license is $10 (one day) and the salmon tag is $10 also.

 

From what I understand, the salmon tag is only for King Salmon, is that what is in Ketchikan? Also, the salmon tag says it is not necessary for kids under 16, but I could not find anywhere that stated whether or not kids need a license to fish. Does anyone know?

 

Thanks.

[lmmn]

We just got back to Hawaii from our AK cruise! HOW EXCITING! The best part of the trip was when my 10 yr. old daughter caught a 20 lb. king salmon in Ketchikan. We found fishing pole rental at Frontier Gems / Creek St. Trading Co. Their websit is www.frontier-gemsandjewelry.com where you can see a picture of us.

 

GREAT FUN!!!!

 

If we have 2 hours, realistically will that be enough time to rent pole, get license, and fish?

[momthecruisedirector]

We got back today and had a wonderful time. I just posted a review of the entire cruise (painfully long) on the Princess section.

 

"Thursday morning – we ‘slept in’ until 6:15 then hustled to get ready so we could disembark (like every other day there is no line to get off the ship). We headed out straight to find Frontier Gems and Jewelry on Stedman Street (we asked one of the excursion hawkers and they pointed us in the right direction). We knew they wouldn’t be open until 8:00 so we used our 50 minutes to look around. We got to Dolly’s house as they were opening and took the $5.00 tour, actually kind of interesting though the other ‘whore houses’ had a younger staff!! Looking over Creek Street you could see so many king salmon and they were huge. We picked up our fishing pole ($15 for an hour, $25 for two hours) and Danny and Jim fished for two hours – the fish were jumping all over the place and if we had more time I am sure they would have caught something. You can fish off the piers and there is a restroom at the Yaucht Club that you can use. (I had forced them to High Tea on board so returned the favor by being cheerleader while they fished!) The weather was what we expected – cloudy, drizzly, a little windy, some sun. There were eagles flying directly overhead – like 10 feet overhead!! We went to the Ketchikan Harley shop (our third in as many ports) and looked around. The shopping we did was at Barnaby’s, one of the few Alaskan owned stores (not cruise ship owned). Got a fleece pullover for $12.99 and a couple t-shirts for $5.00 for souvenirs before heading back for the only line we have had this trip – getting back on board. The time is so limited in Ketchikan and we forced ourselves to get back by 11:30."

 

FYI:

 

We had been told to go to Silver Lining to process our fish (if we had caught any). We asked where it was out of curiousity because I couldn't find it - was told they were two miles away. If you are going I'd call the chamber of commerce and get a recommendation. I told Danny he could only fish until 10:30 because if he did catch something we had to allow for time for the processing. The closer it got to 10:30 the more nervous I would get - went from crossing my fingers he would catch something to crossing my fingers that he wouldn't!

 

We will probably book a 3 or 4 day fishing excursion next year (for the GUYS) as they had a really good time and would like to fish there again. They have been talking about this for years but this trip really pushed them to do it.

 

If you have questions I'll try to answer.

 

Pam

[wheretocruise]

Pam, thanks for the info and the great lengthy review. I spend an hour reading it earlier tonight and love it when people give great detail. Was wondering where you ended up fishing. I thought I remembered that you were going to try somewhere by Creek Street. I saw some pictures of people fishing behind the lumberjack show with some success in catching fish a year ago.

 

Also, what type of lures or bait did your husband and son use?

 

Welcome home and thanks in advance.

[momthecruisedirector]

I knew I'd forget details

 

When you leave the ship you walk straight out to Stedman Street. The city is very small so it's amazingly easy to find. They supply the spinner lure, no bait, single hook. It is already outfitted for you when you rent the pole. Jim said he would bring a chartruese (I have no idea how to spell that!) squid lure for an overcast day. The store is literally on the Creek. You could only fish on the marina side of the bridge because the salmon were spawning. You can fish directly off the bridge or go off one of the docks on each side of the river. There are signs posted. You don't have to worry about snags because there is not a lot of debris in the water. We saw an older gentleman (local) catch and release a salmon while we were there - he said it was too small for him to bother with, was probably 7 - 10 pounder. He was like some old man sending back cold soup in a deli - we thought he was crazy! The fish in the creek were probably up to 40 pounds- just jumping all over the place. Grab a cup of coffee, rent your poles and fish. It really was fun for my son and husband. I froze my booty but watching them laugh and beg the fish to bite was great. Everything is in about a 6 block radius. We had a great day and spent $23 on souveniers (I got a fleece pullover, Jim got two tshirts and we bought a couple little goofy things), $25 on the pole (they decided to just get one, Jim would cast and Danny would reel until he felt comfortable casting) and $3.00 on coffee. It was a great day!

[wheretocruise]

Hi Pam, thanks for the info. I was wondering if you were in contact with Silver Lining lately? It seems the main website www.silverliningseafoods.com no longer shows fish processing and I read online that they were going to discontinue it earlier this year and restart late in the spring. Although it is into the summer, I'm wondering if you may have spoken to them. Also, based on your "timing" do you know if they process it while you are there or do they take a few days and ship it. I've emailed the chamber of commerce to see if there are any options in the downtown area and will call if I do not hear back.

 

I'm now debating if I should send my husband on a fishing trip rather than fishing on the pier. It may work out to be a more smooth processing experience if he happens to catch something.

 

Thanks for answering all of the questions.

[momthecruisedirector]

While our experience was fun for our son, I think your husband would prefer to charter a boat. I haven't talked to Silver Lining for more than a month so not sure what we would have done had he caught something as I was sure they were closer to the pier. I can't remember when you are going but right now the fish are thick as thieves.