What would you recommend to anglers fishing in Ketchikan, Alaska for the first time?

If fishing in April, an experienced and knowledgeable captain is a must, as well as patience! Also, if your not used to the cold, wear plenty of layers as it gets cold if it’s windy on the water. I also recommend rechargeable hand warmers (or disposable) because our fingers got really cold while reeling in the fish. My boyfriend borrowed mine several times to warm up his hands in between fish and said he will get some of his own next time.

Ketchikan is a great place to fish. There’s a lot of conflicting information on line as to when the best time of year is to go. Best time for King Salmon is June. August was still pretty good fishing, but all the Kings we caught had to go back, too small. The Coho were nice sized.

Chris was AWESOME!!! Great with the kids and really worked hard to make sure we had a good time. It wasn’t a good day for fishing - seas were rough and it was cold and rainy, but he made sure we could catch fish. I really appreciate his professionalism and hard work to make sure we caught fish and that our kids had a good time.

Fishing in Ketchikan AK was absolutely awesome. Lots of different varieties and high rate of success during the June-August months. Lots of other stuff to do in the town too. Find Captain Lukas, he's the best out there.

Variable weather patterns, accordingly, take the advice of your experienced Captain in adjustment during the day. Dress in layers, pack light and wet weather clothing. Motion sickness pills the night before, when you awaken to your alarm, and when leaving for the dock should keep the motion sickness away even in rough seas.

See all 17 plus objective comments from original post. I look forward to your reply before making my post public.

The water was like glass today and warmer weather. Even though it said light rain, we did not get any.

Absolutely When I bought my fishing license online I did not see that non-residents could not catch King salmon after July 7. Wasted money getting that permit. Oh well

Go with an experienced guide like Tony to experience Alaska fishing and its beautiful natural wildlife.

Dress in layers, with hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen (we were lucky to have such a sunny day!) have waterproof ready..it rains a lot here.

Know the nature doesn't care. The captain will do everything to get you on fish bit you can't fight nature, she wins every time.

Alaska weather changes a lot. Good this morning may be great this afternoon or not.

Find a company with experienced people that have fished the area for years that know where to go.

Be prepared for any weather. Dress in layers. Bring closed-toe, non-slip shoes for the boat. You mi

Halibut and Cod catch was great! Only caught 1 salmon too small to keep but it was expected. Only a small area was open to salmon fishing, the full area does not open till later in June.

Don’t do it. It’s too pricey and good chance you will spend the entire time just watching poles.

Listening to the captain or deckhands directions. They know what they’re doing and you’ll have a great time.

Great experience, be sure to layer up and take something for motion sickness as the smaller boat can be tossed around.

We were trolling for salmon, boated ten fish and hooked up with twice that in a four hour trip. Three experienced fishermen.

I know that the haul is usually much greater than we experienced but that's ok. That's how fishing goes. We appreciate that they tried by changing locations and rigs several times.

Bring a coat. The air coming off that water is substantially cooler than the surface air which was already cool.

Get everything in writing. Call the processors and see how big the fish are. Don't take the word of someone who wants a new boat!

Don't use reel alaska fishing charters.If you talk to a person who's name is Scott,hang up immediately.

Expect to have a pleasurable day on the water and share good stories with your guide. It’s not all about filling the boat, it’s about enjoying the experience.

No since we have this trip booked for several months and now have not gotten the cooperation in scheduling our time to fish

Fishing was great but no a lot to do after fishing. Had a fantastic weekend and we will be back!

Pink salmon are in season. Fish were biting every 10 minutes... we had a great haul

Bring rain gear and a positive attitude and you will leave with a great experience

The king salmon were still around, so we're the halibut. The pinks had not started yet.

Plan for any weather. Trust your captain. Fish or not, have fun and enjoy the experience.