Silverking Lodge

Guests of the lodge receive a short orientation that includes boat operation, and fishing techniques for the local waterways. The waters around Grant Island are calm, and the island is perfectly situated to create ocean corridors that the Salmon use to find their spawning rivers. What that means for fishermen is the waters around the island are rich with Salmon.

There is a relationship between Alaska and the Salmon. Many ecosystems are driven by the salmon cycle. For saltwater fishing that means that when the salmon are preparing to head upstream, the Halibut are closer to shore and hunting. Since this is a self-guided fishing adventure, it becomes important to understand how the fish her behave. One of the key points is that when the salmon are about to head into freshwater they school. So you find them all over the place and not just in the hot spots. You also want to look for areas with underwater structures because that is where the salmon like to rest. Follow the tides, because Rock Fish and Salmon will be resting behind an object facing the flow of water. That is where the water is the calmest, and they spend the least amount of energy.

A lot of fishermen focus on King Salmon, which begin to group in early May. Kings are fun because they can be huge. The Alaskan record for King Salmon is 126 pounds. The only thing that dwarfs King Salmon is the Pacific Halibut. The record for a sports caught Halibut is just shy of 500 pounds. Most Halibut are in the 30-150 pound range, but there is a good chance of battling a 200-300-pound fish.

The Silver Salmon are also a popular target because they are insane when you set the hook. If you get one to the surface, they will breach and twist as they put on an acrobatic display. Once you battle a Silver Salmon, you may be tainted as everything else may seem boring. Expect Silvers up to 20 pounds, which seems small next to the bigger Kings and the giant Halibut, but a better battle you will not find in either bigger species.