Benefits of Alaskan Fishing Expeditions with a Professional Guide

The pristine waters of the Inside Passage in southeastern Alaska is one of the world’s most sought-after fishing destinations. But before you book a trip and head out on a boat in these waters, consider the benefits of going on a professionally-guided fishing trip. Here are five reasons you should go with a pro instead of going it alone.

1: Eliminate the Hassle of Making Plans

Even for the planners of the world, trying to plan your own Alaska fishing trip is a lot of work. You have to figure out:

• Where to stay – accommodations in Alaska range from high-end resorts to basically campsites that might have four walls and a roof overhead (and probably several campsites without the shelter included). You’ll need to determine where you want to fish, and find a place that is a suitable distance to allow you to get to and from your favorite fishing sites each day. You’ll also need a place to anchor your boat if you want to use it more than one day.
• How to get there – once you decide on a place to stay, you’ll also need to make arrangements to get to your destination. It should come as no surprise that the destinations you want to stay in Alaska are remote, so you can’t drive there on regular roads. Most require a seaplane and a pilot who can take you to and from.
• How and where to rent a boat – your fishing trip won’t be possible without a boat, so unless you plan to haul your own fishing boat up to the farthest northern reaches of the United States you will need to rent one.
• How to operate a fishing vesselM – watching the Discovery Channel doesn’t make you qualified to operate your own fishing boat. Your rental boat certainly won’t be as complicated as a commercial fishing boat, but you will need some basic training on how to safely navigate the water and drive your boat and anchor it when you’re ready for fishing. You also need to be prepared for unexpected weather and learn how to navigate when it comes up—the Tongass National Forest, which surrounds the Inside Passage, gets an average of almost 200 inches of precipitation a year.
• What else to bring along – when you’re out on the water for several hours a day you need more than a fishing pole and some bait. If you plan the trip on your own you have to remember all the necessities for you and your boat, like fuel and safety supplies.

All of these things can take away from the magic and excitement of an Alaska fishing vacation. When you go with professional fishing guides, you get the boat and all the necessary training to navigate it around the waters of Alaska as part of the package deal.

2: Find the Right Places to Fish

Finding the right fishing spots in the vast waters off the coast of Alaska is the equivalent of trying to find that proverbial needle in the haystack. Yes, the waters are rich with ocean life, but that doesn’t guarantee that casting a fishing line into the ocean will yield a good catch. You need an experienced guide who can find you the places where fish are most likely to hang out at various times of the year to optimize your chances of catching the fish you want.

3: Get Top-Notch Fishing Gear

Planning your own fishing trip means you need to pack all your gear. If your normal fishing excursions are on a lake where you catch fish that are a few pounds, your personal fishing gear might not be enough to handle the 20, 30, or 40-plus-pound fish that you could find off the coast of Alaska. You also need bait and tools to help you reel in your biggest catches each day and store them safely until you get home.

The best professional fishing guides will always have the latest gear so all you have to do is show up in the morning and expect an amazing day out on the water.

4: Spend Your Days Actually Fishing

When you have to plan your entire fishing vacation and plan to navigate your fishing vessel out on the water, that means you are going to have very little time left to actually do some fishing. Sure, you might be able to relax from time to time, but mostly you will need to make sure your boat is in the right place to catch fish, that it’s not floating aimlessly out to sea, and that you are not in danger of running aground along the edges of the island or a glacier. Plus you want to be aware of all the wildlife around, like orcas and humpback whales so you won’t be at risk of running into one of those either.

Suffice it to say that an amateur fisherman (or woman) won’t really get to spend a lot of time reeling in your catches for the day.

5: Meet All the Licensing Requirements

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game requires that any non-resident age 16 and over must purchase a sport fishing license before catching any fish. These licenses are available in multiple areas, but it’s easier if you don’t have to go through the hassle of remembering to purchase it yourself and finding a place to buy it when you arrive.

When you go with the professionally licensed fishing guides at Pybus Point, we’ll take care of everything so you can legally catch some of the world’s greatest fish.

Book with Pybus Point Lodge

At Pybus Point Lodge we have exceptional fishing guides to take you out to the places where you will find the best fishing in Alaska. We’ll handle the details for everything from accommodations and food to the fishing vessels and the gear. Plus we clean and vacuum-seal your fish to take home at the end of the trip. Book today to experience Alaskan fishing the way it should be.