Alaska fishing lodge options can be found all across Alaska. Comparing them can be a difficult proposition when you consider the wide range of amenities, fisheries and services that encompass the Alaska sportfishing industry in its entirety. Let’s take a mile-high look at some of the considerations you should deliberate when choosing a lodge.
Quality Angling Opportunities
For many, the quality of the angling is a vital component in their choice of an Alaska fishing lodge. Determining what you want to fish for and examining the options for that fishery is a great place to start. Taking it one step further, you might want to fish for a variety of species, and that further complicates the equation. Take a minute to determine the primary, secondary, and tertiary species you want to target and that will help reduce the lodge candidates.
Quality Guides, Gear and Boats
Next, look at the quality of the boats, gear and guide staff. Have guides been working there a long time? What types of boats will you be fishing from and what type of rods, reels and tackle are being used. What techniques are employed to catch fish? If you are diehard salmon moocher and the lodge you are considering only offers trolling, then that’s not the right fit for you. In general, the best lodges use the best gear, have good boats and they employ a veteran guide staff.
Proximity to fishing grounds is another important consideration when choosing an Alaska fishing lodge. How far will you need to travel to get to fish? Long boat rides, particularly on the saltwater, can be challenging for some anglers. In some saltwater ports, boats run 3+ hours each way to get to productive fishing grounds. This limits time spent fishing and also can lead to sea sickness for those that are affected. Determine what’s best for your group and take a close look at how far away you’ll be traveling to get to fish.
Quality Alaska Fishing Lodge Accommodations
Meals and accommodations are two key factors for many anglers booking trips at an Alaska fishing lodge. Some anglers are food driven, and want a gourmet dining experience. Others just want a continental breakfast, brown bag lunch and simple dinner. Determining what you want and asking the lodge about their meal program will uncover any concerns before you book a trip. Same considerations should be addressed for lodging. Will you be sharing bathrooms? How many people stay in each room? Regardless, after a good day of hauling in fish, you should sleep like a baby, but a good mattress will surely make you feel better in the morning.
If you are planning on harvesting fish to take home, then another vital consideration is the lodge’s fish care program. The difference between how the fish tastes on the plate can be directly tracked to the way the fish was cared for. Lodges who use the best fish care practices generally produce the best tasting fillets.
Kodiak Legends Lodge
There are certainly other factors to consider when choosing an Alaska fishing lodge, but these major ones will start you in the right direction. At Kodiak Legends Lodge, we rate highly in each of these categories. Our experienced captains will put you onto a wide range of saltwater species including king and silver salmon, halibut, lingcod and rockfish. Our gear is top shelf and boats are well oiled fishing machines. We have a short ride to the fishing grounds and can always find protected water to fish in. Meals and lodging are details we take seriously, like the rest of our program, and guests comment that both the food and accommodations exceed expectations. And our fish care program is second to none. We take special pride in caring for each fish to show it the respect it deserves and to put forward the very best tasting fillet.
