Fishing in Ketchikan

[debwats]

My husband and I are cruising Alaska in May, and are interested in fishing in Ketchikan. Any tour recommendations? How much (ballpark figure, because I can’t find any information) does it cost to process and ship your catch?

 

 

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[GameHog]

In June of 2016 it cost us $260 for processing and shipping on 5 kings from Ketchican.

[Budget Queen]

You'll be investing hundreds of dollars for fishing and at least another $100+++++ for shipping and processing.

 

But, you are out of season, and being I have sailed most every May for over 20 years, you don't hear of much "catching" going on. IF you are ok with "fishing" and not catching, sure go ahead with this touring.

 

But, don't expect to be successful.

[wolfie11]

Are you looking for salmon? There are sea run king salmon in Ketchikan in May, but it is unlikely you’d catch enough to make it worthwhile to ship home. Bottom fishing for halibut and other species is good, but again, in a short trip on a port call you won’t catch a lot of fish. My favorite in Ketchikan is the fishing and wilderness dining where you catch fish and go to a camp on the beach where they cook everything up into a delicious meal.

 

If your goal is to catch fish for the freezer, you should plan on a couple of days in season doing nothing but fishing.

[bottom-dragger]

This is where reality walks in uninvited, sits in your favorite chair, and puts his muddy red rubbers up on your just cleaned table.

 

The escapement (number of fish needed to return to the spawning grounds to maintain a sustainable return [required by state law]) is seriously down. Scarily down. Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg, and Wrangell have canceled or modified their May king salmon derbies for 2018 out of concern for the king return. If there are emergency closures, non-residents will be the first and most affected.

 

Reality just drank the last of your coffee and didn't make the next pot.

 

A poll from 10 years ago of persons fishing for kings was 35 hours invested per king landed. King fishing is a lot about the experience. Know any steelhead fishermen. Today they're wading in the river by my house trying to avoid the ice and trick a fish that they can't keep. It's the experience, not for filling a cooler..

 

I don't see fishing for kings in may '18 as a good investment.

 

Reality gets up and does your dishes. Well, kind of does your dishes. Nothing got broken.

 

If you really want to fish it'll be fresh water, streams and lakes. The dolly varden (this week it's a char, next week it'll be a trout again) and cutthroat trout will be getting active as the water warms and .......!!!......... you could still pickup a steelhead with a lure that looks like his ex-girlfriend's eggs that someone did a poor job of covering with gravel. Protein is protein.

 

I'd contact the fishing counter at Tongass Trading CO in Ketchikan to start asking about who/what is available. Also the KTN Visitor's Center though they may tend to favor their members/ contributors. I'm fine with that, someone has to pay the bills. But Quint from JAWS was not a member of the chamber of commerce.

 

If filling a cooler is most important, target the cohos during august/september.

Edited March 28, 2018 by bottom-dragger

[laughing husky]

My husband and I are cruising Alaska in May, and are interested in fishing in Ketchikan. Any tour recommendations? How much (ballpark figure, because I can’t find any information) does it cost to process and ship your catch?

 

 

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If you are coming through Anchorage....May is a great time to go to Ship Creek in Downtown Anchorage. They have a King Salmon run in May. You can rent equip. and get a license at the Bait shop right near there. It is quite close to the RR station.

[bottom-dragger]

Sport fishing for kings in most of inside of southeast alaska is closed beginning April 1.

 

https://www.kfsk.org/2018/03/29/king-salmon-sport-fishing-shut-down-on-southeasts-inside-waters/

 

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=Region.R1&Year=2018