SE Alaska self-guided fishing lodge, need some help

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Wapiti1

WKR
Joined
Sep 18, 2017
Location
Indiana
Looking to set up a trip with my parents at one of the self-guided lodges. 4 people, two older, one has a bad back. The bad back is why we are looking at self-guided so we are on our schedule. 10 hours on a boat won't work for my dad and guided boats usually have 6 on board, so not conducive to running back in.

Besides, I am plenty familiar with boats, salmon, and halibut. It's a trip for my parents more than my wife and I. Looking for all inclusive airport to dock, but not guided.

Anyone do this? Suggestions on good options?

Thanks folks.

Jeremy
 
Good luck. I am not aware of any self guided operations that have boats big enough to comfortably fish four. Most charter boats in SE AK run 4, and you guys would have exclusive use of the boat. A good guide could probably give you a top notch day in less than 10 hours, and will have seating on the back deck too.
 
DJ at hollis adventure rentals on POW can rent you a boat , truck and housing. He was super accomadating for us
 
I've been to Doc Warners 4 times and can't wait to go back, I always come back with lots of fish (100 to 130lbs). Anybody can do Doc's, hardcore fisherman or not, it works in each direction. I've seen some old folks and real young kids having a great time. Good equipment as well, if something isn't right they make it right, all you gotta do is say something.20170823_154454.jpg.
 
I stayed at Adventure Alaska on POW twice, though quite a few years ago. It was awesome, the accommodations were great and i think they have options to rent larger boats if you're so inclined. I'll be going back when time and funds allow for my next trip to SE Alaska.

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Wapiti1 said:
Looking to set up a trip with my parents at one of the self-guided lodges. 4 people, two older, one has a bad back. The bad back is why we are looking at self-guided so we are on our schedule. 10 hours on a boat won't work for my dad and guided boats usually have 6 on board, so not conducive to running back in.

Besides, I am plenty familiar with boats, salmon, and halibut. It's a trip for my parents more than my wife and I. Looking for all inclusive airport to dock, but not guided.

Anyone do this? Suggestions on good options?

Thanks folks.

Jeremy
Click to expand...

I went here probably 5 years ago. Fishing was great. Boats were great and the rods and reels were good. I would recommend bringing extra bait and better tackle, circle hooks and weights etc.

Sleeping arrangements were good.

The only thing lacking was the food. And some of the deck hands were 18 year old newbies who didn't really know what they were doing. At the time, the guy that owned it was a real dick. No one in our group liked him at all. But we didn't fish with him, we did our own thing. He said he was going to sell it. Don't know if he did.

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Great suggestion, guys. Thank you. I'll shoot some PMs out and do some digging on the leads.

The boating and fishing parts I know well. I've been salmon fishing Lake Michigan for 20 years on my boat.

Just want a good fit for my folks. We don't have a lot of trips left in our lives, so I want to make sure they are good ones.

Thanks again.

Jeremy
 
PNWGATOR said:
Anybody fished with Waters Edge in Elfin Cove?
Click to expand...
We are looking at that outfit. I'll post what I find out.

So far the main ones we have looked at are Big Salmon Lodge in Sitka, Sea Otter Sound, Waters Edge in Elfin Cove, and Coffman Cove Adventures. These all had options for larger boats.

I'm adding Doc Warners and Adventure Alaska.

Part of this is also who still has availability. Peak season is mostly booked in August from what I have seen so far. We're flexible, and July usually offers better weather even though we may miss the best of the silvers.

Jeremy
 
Yakutat! Several places that offer this type of service. The numbers show Yakutat is the holy grail of halibut in AK and I would agree based on my experiences there. There are swarms of coho starting in late July. Plus you can rent a boat and drift the Situk. I LOVE that river!
 
Wapiti1 said:
We are looking at that outfit. I'll post what I find out.

So far the main ones we have looked at are Big Salmon Lodge in Sitka, Sea Otter Sound, Waters Edge in Elfin Cove, and Coffman Cove Adventures. These all had options for larger boats.

I'm adding Doc Warners and Adventure Alaska.

Part of this is also who still has availability. Peak season is mostly booked in August from what I have seen so far. We're flexible, and July usually offers better weather even though we may miss the best of the silvers.

Jeremy
Click to expand...
I have fished wi
Wapiti1 said:
We are looking at that outfit. I'll post what I find out.

So far the main ones we have looked at are Big Salmon Lodge in Sitka, Sea Otter Sound, Waters Edge in Elfin Cove, and Coffman Cove Adventures. These all had options for larger boats.

I'm adding Doc Warners and Adventure Alaska.

Part of this is also who still has availability. Peak season is mostly booked in August from what I have seen so far. We're flexible, and July usually offers better weather even though we may miss the best of the silvers.

Jeremy
Click to expand...
I have been to coffman cove adventures and big salmon lodge. And they both are really nice and run by great people. At coffman cove we caught a lot of halibut and only a few silvers fishing within a few miles of the launch. This was over the 4th of july. At big salmon lodge we caught a bunch of silvers and a king but could not find the halibut. Good fishing was a bit further out and the tides and weather could really affect your day. If you want to talk more PM me your number and I will answer any other questions I can.
-Nate
 
I started a thread seeking similar advice 4 or 5 years ago. Ended up at Doc Warner's and we had a fantastic trip! I would highly recommend them.

Edit: here was my thread and it looks like JPD led me there.

Top Alaska Fishing Experiences

Roksliders I need some help and I figured with all the Alaskan outdoorsman on this site it would be a good place to start. My dad introduced me to the outdoors as early as he possibly could and has been my best fishing buddy ever since. As far back as I can remember he has talked about how much...
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Last edited:
Yeah, Doc Warners looks better than I initially thought. My first impression was that the boats were smaller than they are and wouldn't work for four. I've looked at them more and got in contact after JPD's run down of their operation.

My folks are reviewing what I've found so far. It's really their trip, and my wife and I will play captain and deck hand (my wife is the captain, or my mom, no arguing about that).

My dad has talked about a trip like this since I was 7 and we got a bigger boat. He wanted to go to Seattle, then up to Vancouver and fish there. It never worked out for various reasons. Well, now is the time.

Jeremy
 
Wapiti1 said:
Yeah, Doc Warners looks better than I initially thought. My first impression was that the boats were smaller than they are and wouldn't work for four. I've looked at them more and got in contact after JPD's run down of their operation.

My folks are reviewing what I've found so far. It's really their trip, and my wife and I will play captain and deck hand (my wife is the captain, or my mom, no arguing about that).

My dad has talked about a trip like this since I was 7 and we got a bigger boat. He wanted to go to Seattle, then up to Vancouver and fish there. It never worked out for various reasons. Well, now is the time.

Jeremy
Click to expand...

I live a little ways from Warner’s, maybe 10 miles. I’ve been here for 26 years. Also guided fishing here for 12 years. Warner’s is a factory. If that’s the scene you want, then it’s fine. Lots of people, bunkhouse style accommodations and buffet line food. Their local reputation ain’t great but that’s really not a shock. This area is a much better halibut area than salmon (at least the kind you want to take home). Don’t spend money taking home pink and chum salmon, and they will load you up on it if you let them. Expensive cat food. It’s Inside water which means no ocean swell. It can still get pretty rough and Warner’s dock is totally exposed to SW winds.

Waters Edge in Elfin Cove is owned by Warner’s daughter and son-in-law or vice versa. It is ocean fishing. I’m about 20 miles from there too. The salmon fishing historically is better out there. Halibut is good. There used to be more variety but rules change all the time. This year there was no retention of yellow eye, and I think the ling cod rules are weird to. It’s ocean swell, and I assure you someone in your 4-some will get sick. Happens every time.

Both are LDS. I don’t find them to be anything other than good folks but some people have a problem with them. Don’t be shocked if some of their material is lying around.

It’s a good area. Hope you check it out. Hard to beat self guided if that’s your bag. The limits that have been placed on charter fishing make it a lot more attractive to folks who expect to take a lot of fish home.
 
gbflyer said:
I live a little ways from Warner’s, maybe 10 miles. I’ve been here for 26 years. Also guided fishing here for 12 years. Warner’s is a factory. If that’s the scene you want, then it’s fine. Lots of people, bunkhouse style accommodations and buffet line food. Their local reputation ain’t great but that’s really not a shock. This area is a much better halibut area than salmon (at least the kind you want to take home). Don’t spend money taking home pink and chum salmon, and they will load you up on it if you let them. Expensive cat food. It’s Inside water which means no ocean swell. It can still get pretty rough and Warner’s dock is totally exposed to SW winds.

Waters Edge in Elfin Cove is owned by Warner’s daughter and son-in-law or vice versa. It is ocean fishing. I’m about 20 miles from there too. The salmon fishing historically is better out there. Halibut is good. There used to be more variety but rules change all the time. This year there was no retention of yellow eye, and I think the ling cod rules are weird to. It’s ocean swell, and I assure you someone in your 4-some will get sick. Happens every time.

Both are LDS. I don’t find them to be anything other than good folks but some people have a problem with them. Don’t be shocked if some of their material is lying around.

It’s a good area. Hope you check it out. Hard to beat self guided if that’s your bag. The limits that have been placed on charter fishing make it a lot more attractive to folks who expect to take a lot of fish home.
Click to expand...
Are you referring to Doc Warner's or Mike Warner at Coffman Cove Adventures? I'm assuming Doc.

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