Halibut and Salmon Fishing Report Ketchikan May
Halibut fishing charters in Ketchikan clearly have been the top rated fishing charter during the early season fishery in Alaska. Certainly it goes without saying that visitors to Ketchikan including our cruise ship guests jump at the opportunity for this bottom fishing adventure. Who doesn’t want to catch halibut, cod, rockfish and sharks? Well, that’s why our five and six hour halibut fishing charter has been so popular. During the month of May we’ve seen great halibut fishing for this time of year along with Pacific cod, rockfish and lingcod.
Halibut Fishing Ketchikan Cruise Ship Shore Excursions
What better way to spend your time in port than hitting the water with your closest family and friends on a true Alaska fishing adventure. This week our cruise ship fishing shore excursions boast a reputation for putting our clients on fish of a lifetime all the while making memories to last. Check out the catches below from cruise ship clients who took part in this bottom fishing adventure. The chicken halibut ranging from 10 to 25 lbs have become more prevalent in the latter weeks of May. Preferring muddy bottoms ranging in depth from 250-300 feet deep is where we’re seeing the best bites take place. Moreover the incoming tide seems to hold the secret sauce this week as this time period has brought in higher numbers of halibut along with some trophy monster fish in the mix.
Halibut Fishing Charters Fishing Report: Pacific Cod
The Pacific cod bite hasn’t wavered at all as the weeks evaporate into the month of May. One of the beauties of the cod fishery in Ketchikan is that they are prevalent in schools and maintain a relaxed regulation by the Alaska Fish and Game Department. For this reason our clients are able to catch high numbers of Pacific cod or “P cod” to have them processed and shipped home in addition to their halibut catches. Jigging with grub tails and Fishbites squid scented chunks has worked the best this week to catch Pacific cod. The flurries of bites come on when we’ve found higher concentrations of bait and the ability to locate the schools of cod and halibut with the baitfish and crustaceans they’re feeding on.
Family Fun Fishing Trips: Ketchikan Cruise Ship Shore Excursions
Rockfish Jigging
Families visiting Ketchikan via cruise ship continue to have an absolute ball on our family oriented fishing charters which specialize in taking families of all ages levels and experience levels. Don’t worry about getting sea sick as we have the remedy to find calm waters in the surrounding areas of Ketchikan. Jigging for rockfish in the shallow rocky ledges led kids and parents to exciting moments as some saw their first ever fish landed, let alone being an Alaskan fish species. Pelagic rockfish such as dusky’ and yellowtails along with non-pelagics like coppers and quailbacks had families reeling in the fun!
Ketchikan Whale Watching and Wildlife Viewing
Since the annual migration of humpback whales has officially begun in Southeast Alaska we’ve seen a consistent uptick in marine mammals visiting local waters. Humpback whales and Orcas infiltrating the nutrient rich waters surrounding Ketchikan bless the clients with amazing scenic sights while whale watching and wildlife viewing. Pods of Orcas corralling king salmon can be seen at the mouth of the Behm Canal on the way to the Misty Fjords. In addition to humpback whales appearing near the Dixon Entrance and outside waters of Clarence Strait.