A Sample Fishing Day with Alaska Premier Charters

Sitka, Alaska — It’s 4:25 a.m. and the sun is rising over the mountains. I’m wide awake, excited about my upcoming day; I’ve been up for almost an hour already in anticipation. I’ve heard all about the World Class Fishing in Sitka—now I’m about to find out for myself why it’s so thrilling…

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Catching a 404 Pound Halibut

Every once in awhile, something so spectacular happens out on the fishing grounds that it is the buzz of the lodge for the rest of the season. Usually the event revolves around big fish. The 60 pound king salmon caught on June 18 was one such exciting story. Just under a month later, on July…

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Music on the Front Lawn

Fishing. It’s what brings us all together, how we meet new people, and renew old friendships. Every group of clients we have here is different. Some are long-time anglers and have been coming to Alaska fishing for twenty years. They know all the ins and outs of mooching for salmon and soaking for halibut. They…

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Fireworks and Sitka Silver Salmon

Friday was rainy and cool, and we wondered if our fourth of July fireworks might once again be postponed. But things cleared up as evening approached, and although everything was wet, the sky was clear and the night was calm, so the fireworks continued as scheduled…

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Fourth of July Celebrations in Sitka

The fourth of July has come and gone, and, like all over the U.S., Sitka celebrated our nation’s independence. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating for the three-day celebration. It was cold, wet and rainy, but it didn’t hamper anyone’s enthusiasm. The whole town had a carnival atmosphere…

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Fishing For Halibut

Halibut are another exciting fish to catch in Sitka, Alaska. Of all flat fish, halibut are the largest, averaging about 25 to 35 pounds, but growing up to over 400 pounds. They are typically found on the bottom of the ocean in depths from 50 feet to over 600 feet…

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Mooching for Salmon

Many people who fish at our lodge for the first time have never “mooched” before, for salmon. “Mooching,” (not to be confused with smooching), is a style of fishing developed by the Japanese in Seattle’s Elliott Bay in the 1920’s. In essence, the purpose of mooching is to get the bait (a cut plug herring)…

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BIG King Salmon in Sitka

“I was reeling up my line, and at 10 feet below the surface, I got a bite. Something took the bait straight out from the boat, and I wondered if a sea lion had gotten a hold of it, line was peeling out so fast. Then it breached, and I saw this monster king salmon…

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Photography on the Ocean

I like taking pictures. The problem is, as a deckhand I rarely have time to pull out my camera while on the boat. I’m usually very busy, making sure our clients are having a good day on the water, including keeping their baits fresh, and serving up cookies. Not only that, when there is a…

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Dressing for the Weather, Fishing with the Elderly

Typical weather out on the ocean is a mix of sunshine, clouds, maybe a few sprinkles, and a breeze blowing the ocean into a mild chop. From what I’ve seen (I’m in my 2nd season), the days are predominantly sunny, though rain can appear on any given day. The day may start off in a…

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Take Your Kids Fishing

I like it when families with young kids come fishing with us. It brings back the excitement of fishing to see their eyes light up in awe, no matter what size or kind of fish they catch. The other day we took a family of four out for a half day of fishing. The two…

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King Salmon Frenzy

Summer has come to Sitka, at least for the time being. The last few days have been beautiful, bright, and sunny, with highs in the 70’s. Shorts and t-shirt weather, even out on the ocean! It feels HOT, compared to our usual marine temperate weather with highs in the upper 50’s. We’re not that used…

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Sitka Area Fun

A lot of the staff have been taking advantage of Sitka’s natural charms lately. It seems like every day, somebody else is talking about their plans for hiking, kayaking, or biking. Any time off is appreciated and enjoyed to the fullest, as all of us know that when the season really gets going, we won’t…

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New Lodge Carpeting, Staff Fishing Trips

We took on a major project this week: replacing the old, well used lodge carpeting with a fresh, new layer of carpet. Theresa had been talking to a local carpet contractor, evaluating styles, colors and designs for the new carpeting she wanted to install. She also coordinated the perfect time for the contractor to do…

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Fish Processing and Eagle Feeding Habits

Good news on the fishing front here in Sitka. Our boats have been bringing in a lot of very nice fish the past few days. There have been some full coolers hauled onto the dock and up to the processing room full of ocean bright king salmon (which have been showing good numbers this spring),…

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