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Alaska Trip 2025. loooong w/pic.
SITKA, ALASKA FISHING TRIP, August 17-25, 2025 This is a long report about my recent fishing trip to Sitka, Alaska. For those who are not familiar with my travel/fishing reports; I like to include a lot of details that may not have anything to do with catching fish. I know you want to see the pictures first, so be my guest. However, to get the feel of some of my experience, pour yourself your favorite beverage, relax and read the captions. Happy reading. This time I chose CAST ALASKA CHARTERS AND LODGE in Sitka, due to great reviews by other guests. The owner and crew, worked very hard to make sure we (guests) had a great time. I met and fished with a great group of guests, which made the trip very special. I have already put my name down with some guests for the next year in August. "Come as guest, leave as family" is very applicable here. My package included the following: Airport pick-up & drop-off and all necessary transportation, Up to 9-10 hours of ocean fishing per day (dock to dock) or till limits are reached, Hotel stay and booking for your first night, Experienced fishing guides, Raingear, rods, reels, bait & tackle, In house fish processing (no limit on weight) all done by your crew and staff, Fish boxes for you to take your fish home as checked luggage, All housing accommodations (including hotels for one of your nights), Access to our hot tub, Meals by our in-house chef, snacks & appetizers on every fishing day, Room cleaning, Free Starlink Wi-Fi (Turn on Wi-Fi calling for the best service at the lodge), Laundry service if requested, And of course, endless fishing stories. Fishing Packages do not Include: Airfare to/from Sitka, Alaska, Dinner on your first night, Alaska fishing license & King salmon stamp (link in confirmation email, please print before arrival) (3 day fishing license are $30 and king stamp for 3 days is $30, All local/city taxes (listed as separate charge on invoice), Cash gratuities, gratuities via card will be charged an extra 3% processing fee. More details on their website. https://www.castalaska.com/ THE TRIP BEGINS: After waiting for one year and putting a deposit (5) months before the departure date of August 17th, the days were not passing fast enough for me. This would be my fifth time to Alaska, first on a cruise ship. I caught pink salmon in Skagway and Ketchikan, then three times on a fishing lodge package. 1 - Sitka is an Island in Southeast Alaska. Enlarging the picture can help seeing the city names. https://i.postimg.cc/153YkrCf/DSCN6918.jpg Crazy flight pattern for the Alaska Airlines was that on the way to the lodge, I flew north from LAX to Seattle, Washington then to Sitka, Alaska. On my way home, I had to fly north from Sitka to Juneau, then to Anchorage, which took 3 plus hours, before flying south to LAX for five plus hours!!!!! 2 - Having left home at 4:30 AM, I was ready at the gate all excited to get on board the plane heading to Seattle, Washington. There was a last minute issue with receiving an untimely Jury Summons a month before, but it was rescheduled and I was able to make the trip. https://i.postimg.cc/x8VCzPTn/DSCN6678.jpg 3 - I was disappointed to see no monitors, since I had not brought my portable DVD player. https://i.postimg.cc/wMrw23Zq/DSCN6679.jpg Side Note: Following an advice that I read online how the flight attendants appreciate a kind gesture. I took a pound of See's Peanut Brittles for the flight attendants. They loved it, not only I got a free lunch, a very nice flight attendant set my iPhone with free Wi-Fi, so I could watch movies. My seat was entitled to free Wi-Fi and adult beverages. 4 - My next flight was from Seattle, Washington to Sitka, Alaska https://i.postimg.cc/xCtxk6Pb/DSCN6682.jpg 5 - The entrance to the airport in Sitka. https://i.postimg.cc/D00C11Cp/DSCN6683.jpg 6 - While walking the town the after arrival the first night, I saw a Russian souvenir shop. This is called a Samover. Originated in Russia, basically a water heater used all day in Persian households to have hot water for Persian Tea. https://i.postimg.cc/tRvvpmTK/DSCN6684.jpg 7 - This was the Lodge that I stayed in. Lots of fishing, hunting related decorations in the lodge. https://i.postimg.cc/rmFgLSLy/DSCN6688.jpg 8 - The comfortable furniture here were a great place for relaxing, enjoying the beautiful scenery and telling over exaggerated fish stories. https://i.postimg.cc/2S0gL885/DSCN6813.jpg 9 - The interior of the lodge's combination dining, kitchen and living room. https://i.postimg.cc/PqhnYF16/DSCN6779.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/SKrFr7rm/DSCN6781.jpg 10 - Every night the dining table was dressed beautifully in different colors. Notice the fishing reels on the table as d?cor. https://i.postimg.cc/LsSNNcC1/DSCN6687.jpg 11 - The lady master chef which was in charge of the meals and the diner decorations. I know she has written at least one cook book. https://i.postimg.cc/hGh6LWf1/DSCN6815.jpg 12 - This was my room, with lots of fishing related decorations. https://i.postimg.cc/ZR7HYCT8/DSCN6691.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/3wZ96tVb/DSCN6689.jpg THE ACTUAL FISHING ADVENTURE BEGINS: 13 - "Hunter" the captain's assistant on the first boat at the first day of fishing. All of the captains and especially the crew (deckhand) worked very hard. https://i.postimg.cc/DwkgzVKM/DSCN6695.jpg 14 - Some scenery of the islands and such. Pictures do not do it justice. You have to experience it in person. https://i.postimg.cc/DfSHJKtv/DSCN6703.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/BQDzpBSR/DSCN6704.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/yNrH14gW/DSCN6733.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/KjtSD19g/DSCN6755.jpg You may wonder why I chose the month of August to go to Alaska. The reason is the fishing regulations, (which can change without notice) were such for this year. King Salmon (Chinook)----Over 27 inches, one per year/angler. Best time to fish for them==May/June. Plus, purchase of daily stamp is required before fishing. Coho (silver) Salmon----Over 16 inches, six (6) per day/per angler. Best time to fish for them==July/August/September. No stamp required. Thus, I rather catch six (6), 16 inches or bigger Coho per day free, than one 27 inches minimum King Salmon per year!!!!!!! More on fishing regulations later. 15 - Captain took us to a popular place for Coho (silver) salmon. Lots of boats already there fishing. https://i.postimg.cc/mgYSzdL2/DSCN6696.jpg We used a method called ?Mooching? technic for fishing for salmon. Many YouTube videos to show how. Bait was frozen herring hooked a special way to make sure it rotates while reeled in. Every reel had a counter on it. The crew would tell us to what depth drop the bait and reel up. Constant reeling of the fishing line would make the bait rotate and get the attention of the salmon as live bait. As oppose to trolling, which anglers took turn to fight the fish, with Mooching every angler has a rod in their hand and fights the fish. At times tiring for older anglers like yours truly. An electric reel is in plan for the next year's trip. The same also rig was used, but with a different technic for halibut and rockfish. In this case, the bait was frozen herring, pieces of fresh caught pink salmon with herring oil added as scent. It would be dropped to the bottom and then after a minute or so, slowly would be reeled up. On one boat, the captain dropped a herring scent tube to attract the halibut before we dropped our lines. 16 - Seems one rod has a fish on it. https://i.postimg.cc/cHH7z0Qr/DSCN6697.jpg 17 - First catches of the day (trip). Coho (silver) salmon. https://i.postimg.cc/RhJ7Mdpm/DSCN6699.jpg 18 - The caught salmon was put in the buckets to bleed before gut and gills were removed. Then stored in a cooler containing saltwater and ice during the outing. Halibut and other fish were gill cut, then stored in the haul of the boat. Later they were expertly long filleted on board during return to marina by the deckhands. In marina the fillets were further cut to size, boned and put in bags with ID. At the lodge, the bags were vacuum sealed with industrial machines. Then stored in a walk-in freezer in travel boxes with each anglers' name until it was time to go the airport. https://i.postimg.cc/qBWY25T8/DSCN6700.jpg 19 - One of many Coho (silver) salmon that I caught. No king salmon for me. Due to lateness of the season for the kings, only two were caught on the three different boats that I was on. https://i.postimg.cc/Sxkgr0tz/DSCN6707.jpg 20 - The first captain and crew that I fished with on the first two days, holding a lingcod. https://i.postimg.cc/m2QdCZVs/DSCN6708.jpg 21 - More scenery. Note how high the tide rises from the different color (wet) water edge and crustacean buildup. https://i.postimg.cc/VvXFq4qR/DSCN6712.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/nhbyfwSH/DSCN6786.jpg 22 - Fish porn! https://i.postimg.cc/02dfrW25/DSCN6713.jpg 23 - Happy angler with his catch. https://i.postimg.cc/CLYCyGC3/DSCN6718.jpg 24 - On the way home, we stopped to tow to marina an another boat of the lodge. Later it was fixed and I fished on that boat the last three days of the trip. https://i.postimg.cc/6QDRMn51/DSCN6721.jpg 25 - The meals were included in the package. Continental breakfast [coffee, orange juice, serial, English muffins, fruit, etc.] https://i.postimg.cc/L8Vgzwr5/DSCN6874.jpg 26 - For lunch we had tasty cold cut sandwiches made on the boat by the captains. Lots of snacks, cold drinks and my favorite; hot coffee was available too. https://i.postimg.cc/hG7QQvb8/DSCN6735.jpg 27 - Every night a new dinner menu was written on the board by the master chef. https://i.postimg.cc/XqW5bW5f/DSCN6725.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/KYKB7JFM/DSCN6723.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/cCcn1z7V/DSCN6728.jpg 28 - Scenery continue. Sunrise on the way to the fishing grounds. https://i.postimg.cc/zBrvLjf5/DSCN6747.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Kc7L5KXJ/DSCN6729.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/NFQKn4hb/DSCN6738.jpg More on fishing regulations: The fishing limits regulations could change yearly in Alaska. Every year that I was there it was different. 29 - There is a limit of one halibut under 37? and over 80? (called slot limit) per day/angler. No fishing for halibut on Tuesdays!!! https://i.postimg.cc/rF380Jhb/DSCN6765.jpg Should an angler catch a halibut, in the slot limit (37?- 80?) it could be kept providing a fee called GAF (Guide Assisted Fish) is paid. This fee goes to commercial fisherman who supposedly lost the chance to catch that fish, the fee changes based on where it was caught. The salmon, halibut, black bass is divided between the anglers on the boat. The King salmon, lingcod, and Yelloweye fillets were given to the angler. 30 - This was the first 48? halibut that I caught very fast. No waiting. https://i.postimg.cc/2y1sCpf5/DSCN6783.jpg I used the boat provided electric reel and dropped my own special rig with fresh pink salmon pieces, a couple of herring and added herring oil. As soon as it hit the bottom and I reeled up a few cranks, the fish hit. I waited and slowly reeled in the line via the electric motor. The rod got bent more and shook more. Easy, pyzy the fish came up until the preset stop of the reel about 15 feet below the surface. Once at the surface the fish went crazy. I decided to keep it and the deckhand brought it over the railing. Later that day, I lost my special rig to a possible shark. I also had to change the electric reel, since the shark made it smoke. 31 - This first 48? halibut of this trip cost me $500.00 GAF fee to keep. https://i.postimg.cc/28fsPKKC/DSCN6812.jpg I think, the tail is cut to designate that a single angler gets all the fillets of that catch. So far I have paid $400.00 and $500.00 as GAF fees on different trips. 32 - My first GAF fish caught in 2021 at a different lodge, a different city in Alaska. https://i.postimg.cc/2y2J9hyW/DSCN3156.jpg 33 - Other anglers on my boat caught several blue sharks. One was estimated 7 foot plus, that broke the line. https://i.postimg.cc/qRvfZhby/DSCN6782.jpg 34 - This pesky bird called Shearwater would go after our herring on the surface and to the depth of 30 feet (I was told). We hooked and released many. Captain would move us to get away, yet if one found us, more would come soon to the new location. https://i.postimg.cc/LXtqvWWn/DSCN6737.jpg Once more I setup a boat provided (this time) new electric reel, but this time with their bait rig. Same bait as before and as soon as it hit the bottom and I reeled in a few feet a hit and hook up. Another approximately 48? halibut was brought up to the surface. This one was released in the water. It would have cost me another $500.00 GAF fee to keep plus $150.00 for luggage fee. No room in freezer either. 35 - These fish are called Yelloweye. Limit one per year/angler. Angler keeps the fillet for himself. The one on the left could be about 70 years old. https://i.postimg.cc/wB9n7RdZ/DSCN6789.jpg 36 - The last three days of the trip, I fished with this family from Oregon. This was the catch of one of those days. https://i.postimg.cc/QVLysHb6/DSCN6791.jpg 37 - You know you are possibly in Alaska, where the wall decorations are these. https://i.postimg.cc/MZrwN58T/DSCN6776.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/CLLNBCZj/DSCN6829.jpg 38 - Another night at the lodge and another delicious dinner menu prepared by the master chef. https://i.postimg.cc/m2XPdCmN/DSCN6742.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/dVhLg3XM/DSCN6744.jpg 39 - A beautiful sunset after a short rain. https://i.postimg.cc/LXKDnrfX/DSCN6824.jpg 40 - One of the memories of the trip was meeting this angler. Not only he was born in Tehran like me, he had also attended the same high school as me in Tehran. Only a few years later, being younger. https://i.postimg.cc/3xNn6jYK/DSCN6823.jpg 41 - There even was a big TV to watch games. I got to enjoy Dallas Cowboys win a pre-season game. https://i.postimg.cc/kgCtRqYL/DSCN6872.jpg I was told the fur under the TV are of Martins! Very soft. 42 - The last night of the trip, I dressed up to take a picture with the young and very hard worker owner. https://i.postimg.cc/9MkWdYmr/DSCN6866.jpg 43 - "Captain Rick" the owners' dog is a famous and loved dog. He goes fishing with the owner on the boat. Sadly, he had an accident and had a cast put on his leg. I got to sign it. https://i.postimg.cc/zXKgfV7n/DSCN6870.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/7hqNN0Kr/DSCN6825.jpg 44 - Since I did not need to be at the airport until 5:00 PM on the last day, the owner of the lodge took me to a small river and provided me with fly fishing rig to catch some pink salmon. Catch and release. However, once the salmon are in the river, they do not respond to food or lures, fly, etc. https://i.postimg.cc/4xwnKt9h/DSCN6880.jpg 45 - I did snag one on the fin, and released it. https://i.postimg.cc/m2ygqMV6/DSCN6885.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/zBTrhZcP/DSCN6891.jpg 46 - Lots of salmon in the river and lots of dead ones also. https://i.postimg.cc/GtQnMPrF/DSCN6892.jpg 47 - After the short session of fly fishing, the owner picked me up and drove me and a staff to a very scenic mountain. https://i.postimg.cc/zXt9VGfG/DSCN6900.jpg 48 - Going home is always a sad occasion. Sitka to Juneau, to Anchorage and on a redeye flight to Los Angeles. Arriving at 5:00 AM next day. https://i.postimg.cc/9QDsTH4t/DSCN6903.jpg 49 ? Brought home two boxes of approximately 45 lbs. of various fish fillet each. https://i.postimg.cc/j28kwMtF/DSCN6905.jpg 50 - Expertly prepared various fish fillets. https://i.postimg.cc/43RSKk5S/DSCN6914.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/vTJMN2rx/DSCN6906.jpg Now some wildlife pictures. With a different camera. 51- We saw few bald eagles, hump back whales, Orcas, sea lions. We also saw an otter, puffin and many seabirds, but no pictures of those. Sorry. https://i.postimg.cc/65x7Dzhw/DSC-0029.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/qRthd5YB/DSC-0024.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/JnKT9tfC/DSC-0025.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/Kv7KFL9T/DSC-0039.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/QCGtZx1S/DSC-0048.jpg https://i.postimg.cc/1tzXrjPc/DSCN6850.jpg In conclusion, I seemed to have found a lodge that I feel comfortable to go back and catch some more fish. As I mentioned before, plans are to go back next August. I hope you enjoyed the report. THE END |
Why== ? shows instead of - or "---???????????????????????????????
I had to remove a lot of ? from the post. |
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Readers on this site maybe familiar with this issue, but others may think I do it on purpose.
Also, I have nothing to do with the ---Best vacation packages |
Beautiful
Thanks for sharing the story and photos Hashim :cheers1:
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Enjoyed!
Always enjoy reading about your trips. Maybe one of these days...
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Thank you all for your kind words.
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