Tips for Tackling King Salmon on Your Alaskan Fishing Expedition

When you’re gunning for the biggest and best prize on an Alaskan fishing expedition, you have to set your sights on the King Salmon. These beasts are the cream of the crop when it comes to reeling in a keeper and when you find one at the end of your line, you’re certainly going to have to work for it if you want to land your catch!

Even experienced fishermen can come into an Alaskan fishing expedition unequipped to deal with reeling in a King Salmon—after all, we’re not talking about your run of the mill bluegill here! We here at Phantom Tri-River Charters want you to get the most out of your fishing experience with us, which is why we’re put together a comprehensive set of tips and tricks that you should keep in mind when fighting with a King. Take a look:

• Make sure your gear is appropriate for fighting a fish that ranges anywhere from 10 to 70 pounds. While it’s very highly unlikely that you’ll real in anything that’s 70 pounds, the extra tensile strength of your equipment will serve to make fighting anything less than that a bit easier.
• Try to use spinning gear, as it’s quicker to cast and easier to reel. Also, make sure that you’re letting out enough line to properly cast, but not so much as to let your fish take off! King Salmon are known to go on long runs with all of the open space that’s available to them, so be sure to watch out for that.
• Spoons, spinners and crankbaits are going to be your best bet for attracting a King Salmon. These monsters will often attack bait quickly, making it essential that your baits are secured and your attention is always on your line, so that you have the first chance to snag your catch.

With these tips in mind, you should have some great success landing a King Salmon that’s impressive enough to take home. But, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to really prepping for your Alaskan fishing expedition—take a look at a couple of smart ways to get that monster onto the boat after you’ve got it on your line:

• If you can get your King close enough to the boat, a friend can net it to bring it aboard. If you’re a fishing purist who insists on reeling the entire time, be sure that you’re using monofilament, so that the weight of your fish doesn’t cripple your line.
• Never cast downstream—if you happen to hook a King, it’ll be gone before you know it—along with your line after you have to cut it.
• Don’t be afraid to cut your line if you’re losing out. Kings are some of the toughest fish to reel in and there’s no shame in taking the fight to a more suited opponent.

If you think you’re up to the task of bringing in a King Salmon and want to put your skills to the test, now is the time to schedule your Alaskan fishing expedition!

Categorised in: Fishing Technique, Fishing Tours