Top 6 Mistakes Made when Fishing Alaska

The Alaska fishing trip you have been waiting all year for is finally on the horizon and we want you to make the most out of it!  You are going to catch plenty of fish, we promise, but we also see a lot of mistakes made when people are fishing up here.  Below are the 6 most common mistakes we see made by guests who are great fisherman, but that just don’t have a lot of experience fishing Alaska.

1. You are fishing too slow.  Fish in Alaska have a short growing season and therefore are typically very aggressive.  Cover water efficiently, but quickly.  If a fish is in a spot and is going to eat, odds are he will eat in the first few drifts. If something isn’t happening in one area, don’t beat that spot repeatedly, simply move up or down stream.
2. You only focus on 1 species.  Diversity is the spice of life and in Alaska, we are lucky to have numerous target species.  If you have a specific goal, like to catch a King on the swing, you have to put your time in to make that happen.  But don’t ignore the other species that also call the fishery home.  We have all 5 species of Pacific Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Dolly Varden, Grayling and even Pike at our fingertips.  Try to not get tunnel vision over one target.
3. You fight the fish with the rod tip and not the butt.  When fishing Alaska, we really want to fight the fish hard!  Don’t treat it like you are fishing light line or delicate tippet and flies. Lay the wood to the fish!  We like good side pressure as opposed to fighting the fish just with your rod tip.
4. You waded too deep.  I feel like this is a problem in freshwater fisheries everywhere.  People start standing where they should be fishing!  Fish love shallow water transition zones and drop offs.  Don’t be too quick to try and cast to the far side of the river.  Fish the close stuff first before moving out.
5. You didn’t pack the right clothes.  We experience a range of weather conditions in Alaska.  We do have some nice, t-shirt weather type days.  But we also have some cold and wet ones.  These are also the days the fish seem to be the happiest!  So bring plenty of layers and rain gear so that you are comfortable on the water.
6. You forgot the DEET!  Alaska does get a little buggy at times.  You are fishing your best when you are comfortable, not swatting away bugs from your face.  Bring some bug spray and make sure it has DEET in it! 

More Alaska Fishing Advice:

• How to Get the Salmon Grand Slam
• 6 Ways to Catch More Silvers
• Catch More Alaskan Rainbows