Looking for a family salmon fishing trip

[jlong17]

My wife and I are looking to fill the freezer with some fish. We have been fortunate enough to raise our little girl on deer and elk that I have killed, but we still have to buy chicken and fish from the store. Our ultimate goal is to eat only meat that we have taken. The next practical step is to figure out a fishing trip that we could do annually together as a family.
Does anyone have recommendations on fishing lodges that provide the best bang for your buck? Being that I’d like the family to enjoy it and have fun, I don’t mind spending a little extra money to have the comforts that I don’t usually care about. I’m imagining a salmon fishing lodge in Alaska, but I’m unsure of other options that might make more sense. Washington? Oregon? Canada? River lodge? Beach lodge? What are your thoughts and suggestions?
Thanks in advance HT’ers
Jake

 

[undercover]

Great Lakes has Kings and coho, along with lake trout(char) and steelhead. Big lake charters half day and full day. Both Wisconsin and Michigan side of Lake Michigan. September starts the migratory run of kings in the river, then coho, then steelhead. Later in the fall the salmon flesh turns white, not the most edible. Need a name or two for a big lake charter feel free to ask. Also Lake erie has a great walleye fishery with liberal limits. Typically with the lake charters you won’t find that “lodge” type atmosphere. Plenty of ABNB’s around

 

[Bambistew]

In AK at a lodge, you'll looking at a min of $1500pp per day for maybe 6 fish/day. Plus a charter to the lodge. $3-400pp. You could fly to Kenai and buy reds for $6 a pound or less. One fish will net you 3-4 lbs of fish average That's $60-80+ a pound.

There is no best bang for your buck fishing lodges.

We dip net on the Copper, we get 50-70fish for $200 in gas or another 200 to get dropped off. It's residents only though.

You could go to Valdez and snag pinks. I think it's 6 or 9 a day. That's cheap but the fish are not the best.

We eat more fish than the average guy, about 50-60 salmon a year and maybe 75lbs of halibut. I eat fish 3-4 times a week to eat through it all in a year. I usually give some to elders/family as well.

The best meat run is camping in your car and fishing the Kenai the end of July. Novices do ok some days, others are slow or catch very few.

Seriously there is no cheap fish for a NR. Way, way cheaper to buy it. I do get the premise, but nothing here is cheap.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

+1 on Lake Michigan Kings and Coho's plus opportunity for steelhead and brown trout. There are really two excellent times of the year to fish; May to early June and end of July for best shot at Kings. April-early May is coho time close to shore. The Kings have been impressive in both size and quantity last couple years. Ports to consider in Michigan are St. Joseph, Ludington, Frankfort that have good charters. This was 32 1/2 lbs and kick ass fighting them!

 

[Salmonchaser]

If its all about return on investment, it’s pretty hard to not just buy your fish and meat at Costco. I do have a soft spot for Great Lake Salmon. Never fished for them but my dad was the EPA director of marine and fresh water ecology, wrote the final approval for transplanting the fish.
The northern Oregon coast fished very well this last season. It may not have produced limits every day for people but I know a number of folks that did well at the mouth of the Columbia. Kings and Silvers.
I just finished guiding in Alaska, 20 years. South east still has kings but from the copper river north they are in trouble. ADFG will likely reduce limits on most if not all rivers and when early returns don’t match up they’ll have to shut it down. Sockeyes (Reds) are doing very well, master the techniques and you can do very well with a fly rod. My home river had a five fish limit to start and at the end of the season it was raised to 10. Best eating in my opinion and the least amount of waste on the BBQ. Silvers (coho) are doing pretty good but the returns are more variable than sockeye.
Timing is everything with Salmon. The Bristol bay region is not the same as the Kenai and neither matches up with the Columbia. Your trip timing will dictate what and where you can fish.
While there are plenty of expensive lodges in the Bristol Bay Region there are more affordable options. If you go to Alaska I would suggest you get off the road system, spend five days in Bristol Bay in August. Spend a day at Brooks Falls looking at park bears, fish the Brooks River for pucker factor, Fish the Naknek for your silvers and do a day or two more of flying to remote streams to fish for Rainbow, char and Grayling and silvers. The bears there will not be park bears.
Your family will remember the trip forever.

 

[Salmonchaser]

+1 on Lake Michigan Kings and Coho's plus opportunity for steelhead and brown trout. There are really two excellent times of the year to fish; May to early June and end of July for best shot at Kings. April-early May is coho time close to shore. The Kings have been impressive in both size and quantity last couple years. Ports to consider in Michigan are St. Joseph, Ludington, Frankfort that have good charters. This was 32 1/2 lbs and kick ass fighting them!

View attachment 250147

Beautiful king

 

[Addicting]

Growing up on the Great Lakes in MI we have had a amazing fishery, I think it’s down since the 90’s but still good. I will echo what others have said. If you want to do it for the fun, go for it. It will be a trip they will remember for a long time.

However, it is expensive and in no way are you “catching” the fish. When trolling the lake you are reeling in what the boat Captain caught. There is no way you will be able to justify the cost per pound that you could just buy it for. Either way someone else is catching it. You reeling it in doesn’t change the taste.


You can come here and fish the rivers when they run and catch it yourself. You will struggle to fill a cooler to take home with the daily limits.

Fishing is for fun more than it is for substance unless you are doing like Bambistew does.

 

[2rocky]

Depending on where you live, the travel cost to get to and from will be more than the daily boat charter. IT's about combuining the fishing trip with something the rest of the family would like to do.

All along the West coast, every port town has some sort of party boat that hits the Salmon migration every day during the season. I can't speak for the rest of the nation. I think if i was a dedicated fisherman for the freezer, in the Midwest, Walleye would be my staple. Kokanee (Lake Salmon) might be another.

I've done a day trip out of Seward AK for my first and only halibut trip, and it is on my bucket list to get my dad and uncle out on one of those trips... That said I could go out of my local Bay on a boat just 20 minutes drive from my home, but i think I like the "Trip" part of fishing, more than the actual Fishing...

 

[jlong17]

In AK at a lodge, you'll looking at a min of $1500pp per day for maybe 6 fish/day. Plus a charter to the lodge. $3-400pp. You could fly to Kenai and buy reds for $6 a pound or less. One fish will net you 3-4 lbs of fish average That's $60-80+ a pound.

There is no best bang for your buck fishing lodges.

We dip net on the Copper, we get 50-70fish for $200 in gas or another 200 to get dropped off. It's residents only though.

You could go to Valdez and snag pinks. I think it's 6 or 9 a day. That's cheap but the fish are not the best.

We eat more fish than the average guy, about 50-60 salmon a year and maybe 75lbs of halibut. I eat fish 3-4 times a week to eat through it all in a year. I usually give some to elders/family as well.

The best meat run is camping in your car and fishing the Kenai the end of July. Novices do ok some days, others are slow or catch very few.

Seriously there is no cheap fish for a NR. Way, way cheaper to buy it. I do get the premise, but nothing here is cheap.

I totally get that it’s not cheap… neither is non resident elk hunting, but I’m dumb enough to keep doing it anyway. I guess my family is looking at the added bonus of freezer filling to our vacations that we would normally do anyway?

 

[2rocky]

I know you said Salmon.....but let's not overlook the "Chicken of the Sea" . For pounds of fish possible, I like this idea, and warm weather...

San Diego Tuna Fishing - Full Day (12 Hours)

FULL DAY 12 HOUR SIX PACK SPORT FISHING, Long Range Fishing Trip, San Diego When you book a FULL DAY private charter, well... you going deep. Leaving well before dawn, and returning at dusk (or after), you will get your fill of fishing for the day. Bring some friends, and catch some tuna! You

www.sandiegotunafishing.com

 

[Bambistew]

I totally get that it’s not cheap… neither is non resident elk hunting, but I’m dumb enough to keep doing it anyway. I guess my family is looking at the added bonus of freezer filling to our vacations that we would normally do anyway?

For sure the adventure is worth it, just saying that nothing in AK is cheap. IMO the whole idea of eating what you catch/kill is pretty cool I do the same and always have.

There are a few air charters that will fly you out and back for a day of fishing. During peak times it can be good.

Lots of lodges to choose from in the Bristol/Dillingham area.

I would book some rooms around south central (Valdez to Homer), fish a little here and there on your own, book a few day charters for salmon and halibut ($3-400pp/day) and have fun seeing the area until you figure out what you really want. I'd like to do a lodge based trip one day.

 

[jlong17]

For sure the adventure is worth it, just saying that nothing in AK is cheap. IMO the whole idea of eating what you catch/kill is pretty cool I do the same and always have.

There are a few air charters that will fly you out and back for a day of fishing. During peak times it can be good.

Lots of lodges to choose from in the Bristol/Dillingham area.

I would book some rooms around south central (Valdez to Homer), fish a little here and there on your own, book a few day charters for salmon and halibut ($3-400pp/day) and have fun seeing the area until you figure out what you really want. I'd like to do a lodge based trip one day.

Thanks for the info! This will help kick off my research. I'm getting lost in all of the information as everyone is trying to push their product. Like you said, everything is expensive. It certainly might make more sense to to an AirBnB and just charter a few days of fishing. Thanks again

 

[Dwreckers]

I can’t speak too much on this but I have a buddy who guides out of Neah Bay in WA. Lodging isn’t that expensive near by and you could probably go as much as you wanted. Not sure what you’re looking to spend but I think WA king salmon limit out there is 2 per person a day but when it’s coho it’s more I believe

 

[mdcrossbow]

Great Lakes provide great opportunities. I fished Erie salmon tournaments out of Mexico NY and did well.
Most of the fillet stations would sell you all the salmon you want for $3.00 a fillet back then. The local fisher in the tournaments didn't want the fish and I'd bring home about 50 pounds.
It's a circus type atmosphere during the tournaments.
Fisherman lining the rivers. Contests weigh-ins.

 

[David58]

Thanks for the info! This will help kick off my research. I'm getting lost in all of the information as everyone is trying to push their product. Like you said, everything is expensive. It certainly might make more sense to to an AirBnB and just charter a few days of fishing. Thanks again

Oregon is kind of a sleeper. I have a buddy that guides out of Corvallis, and fishes different rivers and the open water. AirBnB can be tolerable in pricing, and his charters are reasonable (you tote your own rain gear and lunch). Over the years I have had a lot of fun fishing with him, have known him since he was a 20-something using his dad's boat and going snorkeling in the rivers to find out what the fish were doing - that was some 30+ years ago.

David
NM

 

[jlong17]

Oregon is kind of a sleeper. I have a buddy that guides out of Corvallis, and fishes different rivers and the open water. AirBnB can be tolerable in pricing, and his charters are reasonable (you tote your own rain gear and lunch). Over the years I have had a lot of fun fishing with him, have known him since he was a 20-something using his dad's boat and going snorkeling in the rivers to find out what the fish were doing - that was some 30+ years ago.

David
NM

When you get a chance could you send me his info. I’ll look into it! Thanks!

 

[2rocky]

I totally get that it’s not cheap… neither is non resident elk hunting, but I’m dumb enough to keep doing it anyway. I guess my family is looking at the added bonus of freezer filling to our vacations that we would normally do anyway?

Cut & wrap comes out of the Grocery budget, as does food you pack for camp. (gotta eat every day anyway) Travel expenses, Licenses and Taxidermy comes from the Vacation budget.

 

[Letthemgrow]

I go with a guy out of Westport WA every year. He always puts us on fish.
These are from a halibut/ling cod trip.
Had to use a Subaru to haul all that meat home . . .

 

[PNWGator]

Personally, I’d book a trip with Kodiak Combos and never look back. Jeff and his family seem to provide a great service in unbelievable country. Go for it!

 

[Horse]

Several Salmon charters on lake michigan , Wisconsin side offer lodging as part of package. Kinns and Bumper Dans are just 2 popular ones they each have 10+ boat fleets Theres several others also.