Alaska fishing has become a very popular destination for the modern angler. The state of Alaska says it has 500,000 fishermen and women who visit their state each year in search of the precious bounty of Alaska’s rivers and oceans. These fishermen come from all over the United States and even from all over the world. No matter where they come from, they all have one thing on their mind…the great sport that comes from catching Alaskan fish.

Most come looking for salmon and halibut, but there are also many who have found a favorite in some of Alaska’s “lesser known” species.

Alaska boasts a record number of salmon caught. There are five main species of salmon found and caught in Alaska. They are:

King or Chinook salmon

Silver or coho salmon

sockeye or sockeye salmon

pink or humpback salmon

chum or dog salmon

These fish provide a great thrill for any angler. They also provide a great healthy meal for everyone who can fill their cooler or freezer with this tasty meat.

Alaska halibut fishing is also quite a feat to master. There is a great thrill in setting the line on one of these monsters of the deep. It really is a lot of work to bring one of these “barndodoor” monsters from 400 feet down only to have it run out, overheat your reel and cause you to start over. One must have big muscles in the arms and back to get one of these prizes. Imagine a fish that weighs as much as you, hooked in its own backyard and fighting you on its own turf.

There are fewer people who know about some of the lesser known species, but some of which are just as fun to catch and just as good to eat. Pollock is a major export from Alaska. It is quickly becoming one of the most widely used fish in many processed seafood products, but it can also be a great treat battered and fried in your favorite beer batter and served alongside French fries or coleslaw. There are many anglers who go to Alaska in search of the black rockfish and yellow-eyed rockfish that lurk in the depths of the Alaskan oceans. They, too, are a real treat added to any menu. Lingcod is another species that anglers catch quite often. In the past, most of them were caught by accident by anglers looking for halibut, but more and more, ocean anglers are targeting these tasty treats. It seems that if you catch one, you can land back in the same spot and catch several more. They fight quite well and make a very tasty steak in your cooler.

We’ve all seen episodes of deadly catch on Discovery Channel, so we all know that Alaska is the place to be for crabbing, but also because of the TV show, we may get the idea that we will never be able to catch these crabs ourselves. In fact, the TV show is about the commercial crab, which has very different rules and needs than the average sportsman’s variety of crabs. You and I are not trying to fill a boat with crabs, we just want a few. Crabs are caught in crab pots, small cages with bait inside. The crab trap is dropped to the bottom with a rope and buoy to mark its location. It is usually left overnight and then brought to the surface by the fisherman the next day. The crabs are then removed. Similarly, shrimp and prawns are caught in a pot with bait. I am in awe of the size of the shellfish I have seen brought to the surface in these little pots. You’ve never eaten better shrimp than these little hand-sized bites cooked fresh.

There are many species in the trout family, including rainbow trout, rainbow trout, etc. which are also commonly fished in Alaskan waters. They are all great fighters and they are all good eaters.

This is just a taste of what Alaska has to offer. It’s worth taking a tour to try it out. Visit www.fishingtriptoalaska.com for ideas and tips on planning your next trip to Alaska.