DIY Saltwater Fishing Trip to Prince of Wales Island

[DaltonL]

Hi everyone,

I recently booked a boat and cabin for a week in late July 2025 on Prince of Wales Island. I'm looking for a little insight on traveling with gear and hopefully fish boxes on the return trip. I am planning on renting a truck on the island as well.

Does anyone have experience with transporting fish/luggage/gear between the interisland ferry and the airport ferry? Any advice on making that easier with potentially a couple fish boxes per person plus gear and luggage (4 people going).

Also, any fishing tips are appreciated. Want to fish for a little of everything but main focus will be on silvers and halibut.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[LostArra]

I've fished POW many times. I didn't use the ferry (Island Air out of Klawock-Ketchikan).
Fish boxes work fine but can be cumbersome to handle in airports. Rent a cart.
I moved to Polar Bear 48 soft side coolers. They hold exactly the same as the fish box but much easier to handle and the added insulation can't hurt on the flight connections home.

My adult daughters and I fished DIY but the first day of the first trip on the island we went with a guide who was great. He knew we were there to learn and he gave us the Salmon-Halibut 101 course. Later in the week he even had us follow him in our boat to a hot spot that required navigating some rocky areas at low tide.

One day we limited on silvers by 8:30 am and weather was moving in so we fished some streams on the island. We didn't have much luck but saw lots of deer and some bears.

I'm no Alaska expert and I've probably made all the mistakes except fatal ones so ask away if you have specific questions.
Be aware of the huge tide swings, current and wind. I would even suggest never anchoring your boat. Things can go sideways quickly.

Edit: I just saw you live in Washington so you won't have the multiple airline connections but the Polar Bears are still nice to use.

 

[kbarnes]

What part of POW island are you planning to go to? I'm fairly familiar with the east side

 

[Johnny Tyndall]

There's a water taxi that'll take you straight from the AMHS to the airport dock. If you ask around you should be able to find carts at either end. Any regular taxi can pick you up at the ferry terminal and then take you all the way to the terminal at the airport. That's probably the least humping stuff around option. You going to freeze it on POW?

If you have it packed to travel - tight, reasonable size and weight - it shouldn't be much of a problem. Everyone up there does it all the time, Alaska Air is used to dealing with frozen goods. At some point it's just a 50 lb box.

 

[DaltonL]

I've fished POW many times. I didn't use the ferry (Island Air out of Klawock-Ketchikan).
Fish boxes work fine but can be cumbersome to handle in airports. Rent a cart.
I moved to Polar Bear 48 soft side coolers. They hold exactly the same as the fish box but much easier to handle and the added insulation can't hurt on the flight connections home.

My adult daughters and I fished DIY but the first day of the first trip on the island we went with a guide who was great. He knew we were there to learn and he gave us the Salmon-Halibut 101 course. Later in the week he even had us follow him in our boat to a hot spot that required navigating some rocky areas at low tide.

One day we limited on silvers by 8:30 am and weather was moving in so we fished some streams on the island. We didn't have much luck but saw lots of deer and some bears.

I'm no Alaska expert and I've probably made all the mistakes except fatal ones so ask away if you have specific questions.
Be aware of the huge tide swings, current and wind. I would even suggest never anchoring your boat. Things can go sideways quickly.

Edit: I just saw you live in Washington so you won't have the multiple airline connections but the Polar Bears are still nice to use.

Thanks LostArra, that's some great information and I appreciate the tips. I was told to check the tide charts before booking so I did that and got a week when the tides have the smallest change. I don't have any plans on anchoring but did book a 22ft Hewescraft.

 

[DaltonL]

There's a water taxi that'll take you straight from the AMHS to the airport dock. If you ask around you should be able to find carts at either end. Any regular taxi can pick you up at the ferry terminal and then take you all the way to the terminal at the airport. That's probably the least humping stuff around option. You going to freeze it on POW?

If you have it packed to travel - tight, reasonable size and weight - it shouldn't be much of a problem. Everyone up there does it all the time, Alaska Air is used to dealing with frozen goods. At some point it's just a 50 lb box.

Thanks Johnny, this is what I was looking for. We have a deep freezer at the place we are staying so everything should be frozen solid by the time we leave. We should be pretty light when we arrive, but hopefully we will have a couple hundred pounds or more of fish by the time we leave (4 people).

 

[DaltonL]

What part of POW island are you planning to go to? I'm fairly familiar with the east side

Kbarnes, we will be fishing out of Coffman Cove with J&J Charters. We booked a cabin and a 22' Hewescraft. The owner has quite a few youtube videos up (The Alaskan Savage) but I wouldn't mind some additional information on the salmon/halibut fishing. I fish for Fall Chinook in the Snake River using 11 inch flashers, cannonballs, and either brads superbaits with tuna or a spinner and shrimp. Is it safe to assume the same techniques and baits/lures will work there? Is there anything better to use? I am planning on tying up a bunch of stuff before the trip.

I've been reading a fair amount about mooching as well which is something I've never done.

Also, are you familiar with any more affordable halibut rigs? I was told we will be provided some fishing supplies but just the basics so I want to bring some additional lures, jigs, etc.

 

[LostArra]

Coffman Cove is where I've always gone. Great place and great people. You will have fun.

Only downside is grocery options are almost non-existent. We bought groceries in Klawock.

 

[DaltonL]

Coffman Cove is where I've always gone. Great place and great people. You will have fun.

Only downside is grocery options are almost non-existent. We bought groceries in Klawock.

That sounds great. I've been contemplating bringing a soft cooler full of food (burger, brats, etc.) and picking up a few essentials once we arrive. I'll make sure to stop in Klawock once we get on the island. Are the food prices on POW similar to Ketchikan?

 

[LostArra]

That sounds great. I've been contemplating bringing a soft cooler full of food (burger, brats, etc.) and picking up a few essentials once we arrive. I'll make sure to stop in Klawock once we get on the island. Are the food prices on POW similar to Ketchikan?

I have not purchased groceries in Ketchikan but they are pretty high on POW. If you need just minor things like bread, beer and mustard in Coffman you can probably get it at the Riggin Shack and the liquor store attached to the bar rather than drive to Klawock. Island Air lands us in Klawock so we were already there and bought a weeks worth of groceries.

 

[LostArra]

We trolled with flashers and hoochies for salmon, usually silvers. One year we successfully were casting spinners for silvers and it was great fun.

Halibut was primitive rig that looks like a coat hanger: big jig, hook tipped with squid or something and a big weight using a rod similar in action to a short pool cue. Boring fishing for halibut but they are tasty. Dragging one up from 300'+ can be a chore, but a good chore. 3 novice Okies getting a 100 pounder in the boat was a rodeo that I wish had been on video.

 

[kbarnes]

Looks like there is some good looking halibut grounds right outside the bay. The 30 fathom areas. There should be pinks and chums in the creeks that time of year, the silvers will be showing up in the salt. For halibut a 14/0-20/0 circle hook with however much weight it takes to hold bottom, usually between 1to 3# . For halibut jigs the big curly tail 1# jigs work or big squid jigs tipped with a piece of herring. Save some pink carcasses for halibut bait.

 

[kbarnes]

For salmon trolling with flasher and lure/hootchie or cut plug herring should be effective. Mooching with cut plug also works well if there are good numbers around.

 

[DaltonL]

We trolled with flashers and hoochies for salmon, usually silvers. One year we successfully were casting spinners for silvers and it was great fun.

Halibut was primitive rig that looks like a coat hanger: big jig, hook tipped with squid or something and a big weight using a rod similar in action to a short pool cue. Boring fishing for halibut but they are tasty. Dragging one up from 300'+ can be a chore, but a good chore. 3 novice Okies getting a 100 pounder in the boat was a rodeo that I wish had been on video.

Thanks for the info. I'm sure it was a rodeo! Hopefully we have a similar experience next year.

 

[DaltonL]

For salmon trolling with flasher and lure/hootchie or cut plug herring should be effective. Mooching with cut plug also works well if there are good numbers around.

Awesome, that is some great info!

 

[DaltonL]

When you are using flashers and hoochies, are you using flashers with fins like shortbus or ones without like hot spots? Around me it seems like most people use shortbus or similar flashers with fins but hoochies don't seem to be too popular.

 

[Oregon]

The only thing I can add, and it's not much.
I fished POW in 88,89,90. I literally do not remember much.
A good friend of mine is a guide at waterfall resort.
Mooching. That's all they do for salmon. Not traditional mooching. Plug cut herring 4oz weight. Drop to bottom, reel up. Most the salmon are caught that way.

 

[Braaap]

We went two years ago, my family of four and our friends family of four. Four kids ranged from 4-8 years old. We brought 6 50# boxes of fish back with us between both families. Getting it onto the ferry on POW wasn’t too bad but we had a bit of a rough time once the ferry got to Ketchikan. It was pouring rain and we had to get from the island ferry to the airport ferry and it isn’t too far but we couldn’t find a cab large enough for everyone and all of our fish boxes and luggage. We put the girls in a cab and all the boys walked in the pouring rain. Some local in a pickup felt bad and stopped and gave us a ride to the airport ferry. Once there we were able to get some carts and get all our stuff up the ramp to the terminal. It was kind of a shit show with four kids, 6 50# boxes of fish and all the luggage for a week long trip.

Everyone at the airport is traveling with boxes of fish so they know how to handle it.

We froze our fish and just bought some waxed cardboard boxes in Craig, no insulation. Worked great, fish still frozen when we got home later that day (Ketchikan to Seattle then Seattle to Reno).

POW is amazing. We can’t wait to go back. Fishing was nuts! Have fun!

 

[NateO 77]

Looks like there is some good looking halibut grounds right outside the bay. The 30 fathom areas. There should be pinks and chums in the creeks that time of year, the silvers will be showing up in the salt. For halibut a 14/0-20/0 circle hook with however much weight it takes to hold bottom, usually between 1to 3# . For halibut jigs the big curly tail 1# jigs work or big squid jigs tipped with a piece of herring. Save some pink carcasses for halibut bait.

This is pretty much spot on.

 

[kwackkillncrew]

I heard fishing is so easy in SE even a lower 48er can do it.

The people you rented from are going to know far more then anyone here. Talk with them.

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