Which Fish Should You Go After?
Choosing the right fish to target is one of the most important decisions you will make when planning an Alaska fishing trip. At a top-tier fishing lodge Alaska travelers rely on, the experience can range from battling massive halibut in the open ocean to drifting pristine rivers in search of hard-fighting salmon and trophy trout. Use the guide below to match your fishing goals with the species that best fits your ideal Alaska adventure.
Here’s how to decide:
Want the biggest fish? Go fishing for halibut, Alaska’s ultimate deep water giant.
Want that famous Alaska salmon? Go for king or red salmon, especially popular during salmon fishing Ninilchik AK seasons.
Want a river fishing experience? Go for salmon or trout.
An ocean experience? Go for halibut (or certain salmon).
Want to fine tune your decision? Here’s more detail:
| Fish | Why | Weight | Tackle |
| Halibut | Great tasting fishHuge-a challenge to land | Avg: 20 – 50 lbs.Rare: 200 lbsRecord: 400+ lbs | Heavy duty reel, 70-120 lb test |
| King Salmon (Chinook) | Largest salmonLots of meat | Avg: 20 – 30 lbs.Rare: 60 lbsRecord: 97 lbs | Strong spinning tackle |
| Red Salmon (Sockeye) | Great fighterRichest meat | Avg: 6 – 8 lbs.Rare: 16 lbsRecord: 22 lbs | Fly, spinning |
| Pink Salmon (Humpies) | Small and easy to catchNot uncommon to land dozens | Avg: 3 – 5 lbs.Rare: 9 lbsRecord: 13 lbs | Light tackle, fly or spinning |
| Chum Salmon (Dog Salmon) | Large and strongAttracted to flies; novice fly fisherman’s dreamBut not good eating | Avg: 10 – 15 lbs.Rare: 22 lbsRecord: 33 lbs | Light tackle, fly |
| Silver Salmon (Coho) | AbundantQuality meatGreat fighters & acrobatic | Avg: 8 – 12 lbs.Rare: 18 lbsRecord: 26 lbs | Fly, spinning |
| Rainbow Trout | Strong fighting fishHighly sought-after | Avg: 7 – 22 lbs.Rare: 28 lbsRecord: 42 lbs | Light tackle, fly or spinning |
The link to the original article can be found here: https://www.alaska.org/advice/salmon-or-halibut
