High-liner (hi'lin'er) n. In the dangerous and ultra-competitive commercial fishing industry, it is the title of respect bestowed upon those top fisherman who through dedication, tenacity, innovation, daring and sometimes luck, bring in the biggest catches. We aspire to be Highliners in bringing you the very best sport-fishing, boats & gear, accommodations and the finest dining in Alaska!
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: Because the Highliner Lodge is located within 10 miles of the Gulf of Alaska (95% of lodges in southeast Alaska are located between 25 and 150 miles from the Ocean-See map), we don't rely on one particular run of salmon that spawn in a particular river system. We are catching king salmon that are destined for local Alaskan rivers as well as Canadian, Washington, Oregon and California river systems. This means we have a good supply of king salmon beginning in May and continuing into September! The further inland a lodge is located (and the further south) the more reliant you are on local fish alone. Those fish bound for a river system down south migrate down the outer coast and very few of them show up in the inner coastal waters of southeast Alaska. Some lodges (located many miles away from the ocean) have a king salmon season (a window of opportunity) lasting only two to three weeks and your timing is critical. If the fish for that system are late a week or two... well, you're out of luck!
Maybe you're thinking, "Well, gee I don't like to fish in the ocean any way...I might even get seasick!" Well, that's understandable. I don't like to be miserable either!
Once again, the mantra: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! The Highliner Lodge is so lucky to be very near the ocean, and yet when we fish in the ocean...we don't have to go 30 or 15 or even 5 miles from protected waters. We usually fish 1/4 (one quarter!) mile from the beach! (see photo at top of page) because...that's where the fish are! Many times we can fish in flat calm inside waters because we are still close enough to the ocean to access a steady supply of fish. Many lodges (especially out of Homer and Seward, and lately Sitka) have to travel 30 to 60 miles and and end up miles off-shore because the local waters have been depleted by their massive local charter fleets. This means many uncomfortable hours traveling to and from the fishing grounds in unprotected waters. These lodges are well established because they have a steady stream of of customers from cruise ships, airlines and the road system connected to population centers. In some ways they (well you, actually) are a victim of their past success.
If you have such a great location, why aren't there more lodges and boats in your area?
Besides not having an airport, cruise chips and a road in and out of our area to supply clients, there is very little infrastructure and almost no land available to support more lodges. We are nearly 100 miles away from a Costco, a lumber yard or an outboard motor mechanic. Lodges fish for clients. They don't go to where the fish are...they go to where the clients are! It's easier to attract clients to known destinations; like Sitka, Seward and Homer... how many people have heard of Pelican, Alaska? The Kenai River is a prime example. That reputation was built 40 years ago. Everyone's heard of the legendary Kenai River. You can drive there, you can fly there. The fish-guiding business has an unlimited number of potential clients. Of-coarse they have to put a positive spin on the grossly overcrowded success they have there...they call it "Combat Fishing" as if that were a good thing! Lodges attract other lodges.
To sum up: we are closest to the fish, and we have very little competition. Yes, someday we'll be more prominent in attracting visitors, but this area will not be overdeveloped IMHO because it is just too inaccessible.
I am NOT an expert on public relations, marketing, networking, back-slapping, or glad handing...(I know...it shows!) but, hey, I'm working on it!
The perennial question: When IS the best fishing?
TIDES: Although fishing is always unpredictable on a daily basis, it is more predictable over the entire season. I've been chasing salmon and halibut as a commercial fishermen since 1976 and although I've heard many times that there is a correlation between the big tides and good salmon fishing... I'd have to say it's been inconclusive (as far as I can tell). However, as a lodge owner and fishing guide, I'm learning to tread lightly on my guest's cherished notions concerning such matters...the only thing about large tide swings (that I know for sure) is that the heavy current associated with them makes it difficult to get your halibut jig or bait down to the bottom of the water column.
Kings salmon really ARE available from May through September at the Highliner Lodge. And Cohos are more abundant too. Every lodge will say this... but most can't get you to where the fish are...they are too far away from the ocean! Take a look at a chart and this will be evident.
FISHING TIMELINE
MAY & JUNE: KING SALMON AND HALIBUT are abundant at this time (and continue to be so through September!) We have the driest and sunniest weather this time of year as well.
JUNE 15: Lingcod Closes
JULY 1: The commercial trolling season opens. Cohos start to show
Early AUGUST: Cohos start to get big!
AUGUST 16: Lingcod re-opens.
SEPTEMBER: Coho numbers peak early...but the fish just keep getting bigger!
SEPTEMBER 15: Steve is commercial fishing on the F/V Pelican with his dude crew!
It takes only 40 minutes, at 25 knots, to reach our favorite fishing on the outer coast of Yakobi Island. See Yakobi Island Chart See Cross Sound to Icy Strait Chart If it’s rough on the outer coast, the inside waters near Pelican provide over a hundred miles of calm coastline to fish and explore. Many king salmon, like Jill’s in this photo, are caught in the inlet near the Highliner Lodge!
As a life-long commercial fisherman I have lived and fished like a seafaring cowboy in these waters for over 32 years. Two of my sons, and many of my friends and neighbors carry on that tradition and lifestyle. My work at the Highliner Lodge bridges that past and our future. Above: our son Ryan deck-handing on the Highliner.
What sets us apart from other Lodges?
- Location: We are strategically located very near the ocean...no wasted time traveling long distances to fish. "Closest to the Fish!" NOT..."Closest to the Clients!
- Location: We fish very close to shore when we are in the ocean where we have considerable protection from wind and sea. We also may fish in calm inside waters very near the ocean.
- Location: We are far from Juneau and Sitka and their cruise ships and hundreds of competing charter boats. Our fishing grounds are uncrowded and unexploited!
- Scale of operation: six to eight guests in the Lodge at a time (although we can accommodate groups up to 32).
- We maintain a four guest limit per boat insuring you
the best fishing opportunity.
- We offer an authentic Alaskan environment, far from the beaten path, taking you back to Alaska’s pioneering days.
- Professional care of your fish: stunning, bleeding, cleaning, icing, vacuum packing and blast freezing for optimum quality.
- Three ways to fish: Guided day boat, unguided day boat, and multi-day overnight excursions.
- We are family owned and operated.
If you're after the fish, you won't be disappointed! For objective reasons, location and competition being paramount, you are in the right place... but, you might be missing the point. It's not always reaching the goal that's important, but enjoying the process. Breath deep, live in the present...there is nowhere you'd rather be!
NOTES:
Between 1982 and 2001, the number of charter fishing boats in southeast Alaska increased from 139 to 1,343! (ADF&G 2000a)
Largest Halibut
During 2007, the waters around the Gustavus/Elfin Cove area continued to produce the largest charter harvested halibut on average (31.6 lb net weight, Table 6), followed by Petersburg/Wrangell (22.0 lb), Sitka (18.5 lb), Ketchikan (15.5 lb), Juneau (12.1 lb), and Craig/Klawock (10.0 lb). The Gustavus/Elfin Cove area non-charter anglers in 2007 also harvested the largest halibut on average (25.6 lb, Table 6), followed byPetersburg/Wrangell (17.0 lb), Ketchikan (15.7 lb), Sitka (15.2 lb), Juneau (12.5 lb), and Craig (10.7 lb).
Gustavus/Elfin Cove charter anglers also harvested the largest halibut, with 49% of the halibut sampled being larger than 95 cm. In the Petersburg/Wrangell area, 64% of the halibut harvested by charter anglers were in the 75-104 cm range. In Ketchikan, 85% of the charter halibut harvests were in the 65-104 range, while most of the halibut harvested by charter anglers in Sitka (67%) and Juneau (79%) were in the 65-94 cm range. Craig/Klawock area charter anglers harvested the smallest halibut, with 85% falling in the 55-84 cm range (Table 7)
Area specific comparisons of harvests between 2005 and 2006 indicate decreased harvests in Juneau (43%), Glacier Bay (29%), Ketchikan (8%), Prince of Wales (7%) and Sitka (7%). The only increase was in the two areas, Petersburg/Wrangell and Haines/Skagway, which have the lowest estimated harvests of halibut. The Petersburg/Wrangell area harvest increased 19% from 2005 and was 156% of the historic average. The Haines/Skagway area increased by 19% from 2005, but was 26% below the historic average. In 2005 and 2006, harvests from the three outer coast areas (Sitka, Prince of Wales Island, and Glacier Bay)accounted for 67% of the overall sport harvest in IPHC Area 2C (Figure 2). Since 1991, the combined halibut harvest has continued to be greater in the outer coast areas. Combined sport harvest totals from these outer coastal areas reached a record of 108,518 halibut in 2005. Although 12% below the 2005 harvest, the 2006 harvest of 95,104 in the outer coast areas was the second highest harvest from 1977-2006, remaining 10% above the recent 5-year average. From 1980-1987, outer coast harvests had remained at approximately 10,000 fish per year. The great increases in the harvest from the outer coastal areas since 1987 can be attributed to increased effort by charter anglers. The inner coastal areas consist of Juneau, Ketchikan, Petersburg/Wrangell, and Haines/Skagway. Historically, the halibut harvests in the inner coastal area have increased only slightly since 1987, ranging from 30,700 to 46,400 halibut per year. However, in 2004 and 2005, the harvest increased 13% and 17%, respectively over the previous record harvest in 1997. In 2006, the inner coast harvest of 45,887 decreased by 15% from the 2005 harvest, but was 8% higher than the 2001-2005 average
LINKS:
Current Weather Forcast
Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game
Buy Alaska Fishing Licenses from ADF&G
Alaska Airlines
Google Maps-Highliner Lodge-Pelican, Alaska