Salmo Chubby Darter Review - Salmo Lures
“It is hard to believe a lure that has only been sold for six years can become a classic, but the Chubby Darter has become a “must have” among ice fisherman. The unique action of the Chubby Darter is primarily for vertical fishing where the bait quivers and darts as the angler pulls upward on the rod tip. Trout, perch, crappie, walleye and pike all fall for the Chubby Darter.“
Our Review: We like ‘em. (especially the perch color) Many anglers don’t like to fish vertical over deep water, but they are really missing out. Use your electronics to find some deep water structure where fish are located, then drop this lure down to the bottom and start jigging it up and then let it fall. Repeat the process until you’ve reached your limit. A good lure for catching crappie, especially slab crappie, perch, white bass, yellow bass, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye, pike and trout.
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Creme Lure Swimbaits Review
Spoiler Shad Swimbaits
“These popular soft-body swim baits have a weight and hook molded in. The holographic shimmer that runs through the body sends light in every direction and serves as an attractant for fish. The paddle-tail gives this lure action and vibration to make fish take notice.” From Creme Lures
Lit’l Fishie Swimbaits
Our Review: All of the swimbaits listed above will catch fish. The smaller lures are best for crappie, bass and trout, while the bigger lures tend to work on bass and pike. We like the spoiler shad swimbaits (which are listed at the top of this post) better than the lil’ fishie swimbaits, but all of these swimbaits catch fish.
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Down Deep Husky Jerk Review - Rapala
“A deep-diving version of the Husky Jerk, the Down Deep Husky Jerk, via its oversized lip, reaches depths of nearly 20 feet when trolled and will run as deep as 10-plus feet when cast or retrieved. Perfect for anglers who want a lure that can run straight and true, even when running fast and deep. The Glass Minnow patterns available in this Down Deep series are an effective weapon in the depths.” From Rapala
Our Review: Another great lure by rapala. Probably gets more good reviews for trolling than many of the other trolling lures we’ve used. You’re going to catch fish with this lure whether you troll it or cast it. A stop and go retrieve can be very effective for suspended bass 8 to 12 feet down over deeper water. It will catch bass, pike, walleye, salmon and trout.
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CountDown Minnow Review - Rapala
“Consistently reach suspended fish at any depth with the CountDown method. The controlled depth technique was introduced to the world with this lure, and to this day is the standard by which all others are measured. Whether the fish are suspending at certain depths near the weed tops or on bottom structure, the CountDown can get you to them over and over. The CD01 size is specifically designed for smaller fish, such as trout and panfish.” From Rapala
Our Review: Rapala’s countdown minnow has always been a good lure, especially for suspended fish. This lure has tons of color options to go along with many different sizes. The bigger lures work great for bass, walleye and even pike, but they’re smaller 1 to 2 inch countdown minnows can do some damage on the trout, rock bass, crappie, perch and even bluegill. Definitely a must have if you like to fish countdown lures.
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Trolls-To Minnow Review - Rapala
“The concept is simple. And so is fishing them. Engineered to troll at specific, high-percentage target zones. Simply let out 100 feet of 10lb. Sufix mono and the baits obediently dive to their depth and hold. Flat sides create a fast-working action. Using Sufix 10/4 Superline will achieve a 25% increase in depth. Available in Shad and Minnow profiles with rattle that attracts fish in open water like no other.”
Our Review: Another great lure by rapala. This lure is made for trolling deeper water in the 15 to 20 foot depths. The lure has some great action with great colors and Rapala tells you exactly what you have to do to get it to run to the proper depths. 100 feet of 10 pound mono line will put you down to the 15 to 20 foot depths when trolling. Will work for a variety of species: bass, pike, walleye, muskie, salmon, trout.
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Prince William Sound Fishing
Photo from alaskan4starcharters.com
Fishing the Prince William Sound of Alaska can be very exciting. The towns of Cordova, Whittier and Valdez are prime fishing grounds for 5 types of salmon, halibut, sharks and more.
Cordova has plenty of charter boats available to take you saltwater fishing for salmon, halibut and sharks. You also have the option of fishing the Copper River for king salmon, coho salmon, sockeye salmon and a variety of trout species.
Valdez offers a unique experience for a variety of salmon, halibut and other bottom saltwater species. This area is known for the pink salmon fishing runs because millions of pink salmon return on even-numbered years.
Whittier is a small town that offers excellent saltwater fishing for 5 types of salmon, halibut, ling cod and rockfish.
For more information on the types of lodging and the available fishing charters, take a look at our tourism links below.
- Cordova Fishing Charters
- Cordova Lodging
- Valdez Fishing Charters
- Valdez Lodging
- Whittier Fishing Charters
- Whittier Lodging
Fishing Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula
Photo from www.alaskariveradventures.com
Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula attracts anglers from all over the country to experience some of the excellent salmon, trout and halibut fishing. Some of the towns that are fishermen call their home base for a week or so on their vacation are Seward, Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, Ninilchik, Cooper Landing, Moose Pass and Hope, Alaska.
Seward is located at the head of Resurrection Bay and the saltwater fishing is excellent here for salmon and halibut, but anglers can also catch ling cod and rockfish here. Seward is about an hour and a half to 2 and a half hours away from the Kenai river depending on which part you decide to fish. From Seward, you can experience some of the great saltwater fishing and still enjoy a day on the Kenai river if you choose to make a drive.
Kenai is where the Kenai river ends and all the adventure begins for the annual salmon run up this river. You will have to deal with the crowds in this area, but there are plenty of fish to catch. Anglers can also fish the Cook Inlet if they want to catch salmon or big halibut.
Soldotna is a very popular town that attracts thousands of fishermen that are looking to catch huge salmon and trout out of the Kenai river. Expect the crowds if you are coming to Soldotna.
Homer, Alaska offers some excellent saltwater fishing in Kachemak Bay. Numerous fishing charters are available and they target salmon and halibut. This area is very popular and there is really no reason to leave this area while you’re on your trip because the fishing is that good here, but a drive to the Kenai river is doable for a day trip.
Ninilchik has 3 main areas that fishermen flock to: the Cook Inlet, Ninilchik River and Deep Creek. The Cook Inlet provides excellent salmon and halibut fishing opportunities while the Ninilchik River and Deep Creek give you an opportunity to catch summer run salmon.
Cooper Landing is known for its premier salmon and trout fishing on the Upper Kenai River and on the Kasilof River. King salmon, silver salmon, red salmon, rainbow trout and dolly varden are available in this area. The town is small, but it’s a popular fishing vacation destination in Alaska.
Moose Pass offers some lakes to fish in town, but most people aren’t coming here for that. Fishermen will stay in Moose Pass, but they will head just west to fish the Kenai and Kasilof rivers for salmon and trout.
Hope is a small town located just south of Anchorage. The fishing can be very good here on Twentymile River, Resurrection Creek and Six Mile Creek. Salmon and trout are what people come here to catch and there are plenty of fish to catch in this area.
To find more information on all of these areas, take a look at our tourism links below. There are plenty of places to stay and numerous fishing guides and charters in the area, which gives you plenty of options for planning your trip to Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula.
- Seward Fishing Guides - Charters
- Seward Lodging
- Kenai Fishing Guides - Charters
- Kenai Lodging
- Soldotna Fishing Guides - Charters
- Soldotna Lodging
- Homer Fishing Guides - Charters
- Homer Lodging
- Ninilchik Fishing Guides - Charters
- Ninilchik Lodging
- Cooper Landing Fishing Guides - Charters
- Cooper Landing Lodging
- Moose Pass Fishing Guides - Charters
- Moose Pass Lodging
- Hope Fishing Guides - Charters
- Hope Lodging
South Central Alaska Fishing - Anchorage, Copper River Valley, Mat-Su Valley
Photo from www.fish4salmon.com
The areas of south central Alaska that cover Anchorage, the Copper River Valley and the Mat-Su Valley attract tons of fishermen every year because of the excellent salmon and trout fishing. Anchorage is more of a starting point for most anglers. People fly into Anchorage, then take off to their destination for their fishing vacation, however, there are some places to catch salmon in Anchorage and there are some fishing guides that do guide out of the Anchorage area.
For the fishermen that are heading over to the Copper River Valley part of Alaska, the Gulkana, Klutina and Copper rivers are where they will most likely end up. Numerous guides target these rivers for salmon and trout. The towns are small in this area, but there are still plenty of places to stay and the fishing can be outstanding. You can also find quite a few places where there is excellent fishing away from the crowds.
The Mat-Su Valley area is located just north of Anchorage and some of the top areas to fish in this area are Clear Creek, Fish Creek, the Yentna River Drainage and the Little Susitna River. These rivers and streams will fill with 5 species of Pacific salmon and the runs get started in July and runs through August.
You can also catch rainbow trout, dolly varden and grayling in some of the rivers. If you want to take a break from the salmon and trout, there are very big northern pike that can be caught in some of the surrounding lakes.
To find more information on these areas, take a look at our tourism links below.
