Alaska King Salmon Fishing Will be One of Your Most Memorable Experiences

Because the Alaska King Salmon is the largest of the Pacific salmon species, getting one on your hook ?and landing it successfully ?can be one of the most memorable experiences of your life. Read on to find more about Alaska King Salmon Fishing.

Because the Alaska King Salmon is the largest of the Pacific salmon species, getting one on your hook ?and landing it successfully ?can be one of the most memorable experiences of your life. The average size of this king of all Alaska salmons is 10 to 15 pounds, but it抯 not all that unusual to find one that tips the scales at 50 pounds or even more. The current Alaska sport fishing record is held by a 97-pound King Salmon, although specimens weighing as much as 135 pounds have been seen.

The wide size range of King Salmon is due primarily to the variable nature of its life cycle. They live in fresh water streams and rivers for their first year or two, but then they migrate to the Gulf of Alaska, where they live and mature in saltwater for anywhere between two and five years. Naturally, the longer they stay in the ocean before migrating to their upstream spawning grounds, the larger they are going to be when they make that trip.

There is a reason the Alaska King Salmon (which is also called the Chinook Salmon) has been designated as the State Fish of Alaska: anglers from throughout the world come to Alaska between early May and August to try to fulfill their dream of landing one of these powerful fish. The sport fishing is excellent whether you抮e in the saltwater of the Gulf of Alaska or the fresh water of one of Alaska抯 many spawning beds.

Unless you抮e a highly experienced salmon fisher who is familiar with the local spawning streams, the best way to make your experience as memorable as possible involves hiring a licensed professional guide. Qualified King Salmon fishing guides are easy to find because many of them are associated with Alaskan fishing lodges. Your guide will be able to take you to the spots where the fish are known to be taking the lure, advise you on techniques that have proven to be successful, and ensure that you抮e using the right tackle and gear.

A good guide can make your salmon fishing trip much more exciting by helping you hook and land an Alaska King Salmon from your boat or the banks of a spawning stream. You抣l be able to find a guide at your Alaskan fishing lodge. Just make sure you抮e ready to hang on while the King Salmon you hook is making his run!