Anybody going on Dawn Princess to Alaska Aug. 29 via San francisco?

Question

want to go fishing in at least 1 port. what would be best

Answer 1

I am not aware of your level of ocean fishing knowledge, so if I am being too elementary, I apologize.

As you may or may not know, salmon come in runs.  The 5 species of salmon (king, dog/chum, sockeye/red, humpy/pink, and coho/silver) all come to an area at distinct times.  The "runs" for each species can overlap with other species.  In different ports in SE Alaska, the runs will hit at different times, even for the same species.

Ketchikan is known for its king salmon fishing.  However, kings tend to run the hardest in late spring/early summer (but they are present to an extent year round).  However, I can not speak too intelligently as to when the salmon runs hit Ketchikan.

I used to live in Juneau.  Around August 29th, you should be seeing the peak of the silver/coho salmon run.  By late August, the silver salmon should be hitting the steams already.  If you book a fishing excursion while you are there, I don't think you'll be disappointed.  The times very from year to year (I've seen the silver run hit its peak in the first few weeks of August and I've also seen it just begin in Juneau at the end of August), but the end of August usually has some tremendous fishing (that is when I used to go up there to fish personally after I left)

If you are looking for a "do-it-yourself" fishing trip, you can go snag salmon off the beach.  There is a fish hatchery under 10 miles from the cruise dock called DIPAC (the website is http://www.dipac.net/ if you are intested).  To snag salmon off the beach, you will need a pole with line (I used 25 pound test monofilament or 35 pound spider wire personally), a license, and weighted treble hooks (here is an example from Bass Pro http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores...  Rubber boots would be highly recommended.  A knife, some extra swivels, and a hook remover of some sort (pliers or a hook out) can be very handy.

If you don't want to carry the stuff with you on the ship, you can buy your stuff from a store called Western Auto that is pretty close to DIPAC (their website is http://www.westernautojuneau.com/ ).  I used to fish from roughly 1 hour after high water on the outgoing tide.  This will give you some room to stand on the beach and the fish will be within casting range.  The downfall to going this route is that you want to keep your fish, you need to find someone to freeze them.  I've never used them, but I have heard of people using the Alaska Seafood Company to preserve and ship your fish.  They will freeze it, can it, or smoke it and ship it to you (their website is http://www.alaskaseafoodcompany.com/  I do not recall where they are located in the city...I would call them, but I believe that they are located in an area known as Lemon Creek...not too far from DIPAC..probably within a few miles).  I have relatives in Juneau, so I preserve my own, but this may be a good route to go if you choose the DIPAC route.  You can also call Taku Smokery ( http://takustore.com/ ).  They may also ship your fish for you as well, but I am not sure.  I know they are located right next to the cruise dock downtown, so they may very well be worth checking out.

If you go the DIPAC route, make sure to get the number for the cab companies in town first.  They do not frequent DIPAC too often.  There are other places to go snagging, but DIPAC is just outside the city (between the city and the valley as the locals call it).  It is right across from the newspaper building and close to the hospital, so it is very close to civilization.  It will cost you much less in cab fare to go there and Western Auto than to go other places

If you want the real ocean experience, then by all means, book a charter and let the captain to all the work for you.  There is some beautiful wildlife to be seen.  In reality, the prices aren't too bad if you book your own.

Good Luck to you!  Enjoy your trip!