Glacier Bear Lodge Ocean Fishing 

The Yakutat Fishery:

          Being Alaska’s greatest untapped resource, back dropped by the largest coastal mountain range in the world, Yakutat’s fishery is summed up in two words: Awe Inspiring. Our fish to people ratio is the highest in Alaska. We are perched on the North Shore of the Pacific Ocean. Yakutat is the northern most community in Southeast Alaska. What sets us apart from the rest of Southeast Alaska is that we are in the I.P.H.C. zone 3-A. We have a limit of two fish per day, with no slot limit. That means more fish for you with less angling time.  Novice to know-it-all, we continue to deliver memories of a lifetime.

          The fishing grounds are at the mouth of Yakutat Bay. The mouth of the bay is about 17 miles wide. We fish close to home. That means more fishing time for you. We fish where the fish are, and are willing to go the extra mile for you. Millennia ago the face of the Hubbard Glacier rested at the mouth of Yakutat Bay, pushing up a moraine. The result was a World Class Trophy fishing reef.  It can be a lot of fun catching huge halibut in very productive holes less than 100 feet deep and so clear you can almost see the bottom.

Your “Office” is a 2008 Custom Built 28’ North River boat, powered by twin Yamaha 225 hp. 4 stroke outboards. With a boat like this, it doesn’t take long to get you fishing. Your “Tools” are combinations of the smoothest lever-drag reels paired with the finest E-Glass fishing rods for ease and integrity of hauling up the fish of a lifetime. Our equipment is meticulously maintained with you, your fish, and your freezer in mind.

Your day will start at 7 am with the boat departure, fishing by 8 am. While fishing the rich waters of Yakutat, we are surrounded by the Wrangell/St. Elias Mountain Range to the West and the Fairweather Range to the East. Under you will be some of the richest waters the Pacific Ocean has to offer. We don’t have “Big” tides which means fishing with a pound of weight is very common, never more than 2. Whales, seals, sea loins, otters and a whole slough of various sea birds are there to entertain you— at no additional charge! Don’t let all of these perks fool you; you are still fishing a World Class fishery, for real trophies.

The Crew:

 

          Your Skipper is Erik Knutsen, a Yakutat resident who has fished and lived outdoors his entire life. Erik grew up in Butte, Montana, fishing and hunting the entire state. He moved to Duluth, Minnesota, finishing high school and attending the University of Minnesota Duluth. Duluth just didn’t have what he was looking for. After spending a few years charter fishing the greatest of all the Great Lakes, Lake Superior, he grew tired of fishing for “Bait”. There were too many people and not enough fish! He packed up on New Years Day and moved to Homer, Alaska..

          Being an avid outdoorsman, most leisure travel includes fishing or some aspect of nature. Christmas in Costa Rica was enjoyed on the Pacific snorkeling and big game fishing. Erik spent weeks on Vancouver Island fishing in the summer, the coast of Oregon and Washington were popular summer vacations that focused on fishing. His high school graduation present wasn’t a car; it was a trip to Sitka for a week of fishing. With experiences like this, it’s no wonder he chose the path he did.

          Erik holds a Merchant Mariner 100 ton Master’s license and a “6 Pac”. He is certified in C.P.R. and First Aid, which makes him more than qualified to run our boat. Erik has intimate knowledge of Yakutat Bay and the surrounding waters to consistently produce trophy catches for your Alaskan Adventure. Erik is easy going with a lot of patience to help you perfect the “Halibut Haul”. Erik loves his work, where, and who he works with.

          Our land based crew will provide you with the utmost support and information. Whether it is about the day to come or questions you had but were afraid to ask, the captain and staff will be there to help you hang and photograph your trophy catch, fish cleaning, professional vacuum packing, boxing and freezing if you so choose.

The Boat/ Gear:

          In 2008, we contracted North River Boats in Roseburg, Oregon, to build us the most fish catching machine in all of Alaska. We got a 28’ welded aluminum boat powered by twin 225 horse power Yamaha four stroke outboards. We christened her the “F/V Aero Fish”. Aero Fish has a 9’6” beam, which means there is plenty of room for 6 people to comfortably fish. The combination of boat and those motors really scoots across the water ensuring we’re not wasting a lot of time getting there. She is very comfortable and stable; we don’t bounce around or get slammed by waves. The inside is filled with the finest electronics:: a Furuno “fish-finder” sonar, the Garmin 4208 chart plotter/ GPS with Radar overlay, a great stereo/ CD player and Sirius radio to enjoy your favorite tunes. The cabin is heated to take the chill off on cool mornings. Our communications include 2 VHF radios, a CB, and a hand held VHF all to ensure your safety and up to the moment reports. Aero Fish is voluntarily inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard and exceeds their standards. We hope you can count on us to exceed your standards as well.

          We will supply you with top of the line fishing equipment. We have Penn Mariner standup rods for halibut and bottom fishing. They are topped with Penn 15 KG Graph Lite two speed, lever drag reels, filled with 100# Power Pro Spectra line. They are light and easy to operate, but strong enough to bring in the fish of your dreams. Our “Salmon” rods are 7’ medium action Ugly Stik Tiger Stiks, paired with Shimano 2000 Charter Special lever drag reels, spooled by 40# Maxima. We have landed many Halibut over 100# on our “Salmon Rods”, yet they are light enough to make Silver Salmon fishing a blast! We chose Scotty downriggers to get the baits to the fish’s level when we are on the hunt for any of the 5 salmon species Alaska has to offer. Trolling with downriggers is a super effective way to target big salmon and fill the fish box quickly. They make fighting the fish a lot more fun, without needing to fight the weight of a sinker.

 

          We will be providing all of the fishing gear and bait. You are more than welcome to bring along anything you would like to try. We can arrange sack lunches for you.

You provide: your lunch and snacks, beverages of choice, rain gear, warm clothes, sun glasses, camera, sun screen, water proof shoes are advised, gloves/ hat, fishing license/ King Salmon Stamp, and a winning attitude!

Fish we Target:

Halibut, Salmon, Lings and other things are what we will be after. Yakutat fishing is kind of an insider’s club; we have our own corner of the state with not much fishing pressure. A lot of the time it feels like we have the whole ocean all to ourselves. The fishing here is “Off the Hook”. If you want a shot at a real trophy, fish here!

Primarily we target Halibut, probably because there are a lot of BIG ones here! We have a fish weight average that is about 3 times the state’s average. We fish from 30 feet to 300 feet for the barn doors you are after.  A lot of it will be in 100 feet or less. While hunting halibut, we’ll catch Ling Cod, and a variety of Rockfish; to give you a true taste of Alaska.

The Salmon fishing for Kings in the spring and early summer can be red hot. Fishing the islands north of town is a great way to see Alaska’s grandeur. The waters are very protected so even the queasiest mariner can experience the thrills of the wildest fishing in the salt. August marks the beginning of the Silver Season. These salmon can be almost overwhelming with three or four on at a time. Averaging ten to twelve pounds, they put up a great fight, with acrobatic thrills, for anglers of all ages.  These fish are guaranteed to have sea-lice, for the freshest quality at your table.
 

Ophiodon Elongatus is the most veracious creature we really have fun catching. The Ling Cod is so aggressive limits are the rule. Mid May is the usual opener for these eating machines; there is a slot limit, but it is not tough to find the right fish. 6 oz Dart type jigs work well, drifted over under water hills. They will be striking out of territorial aggression.  Rockfish, being one of the Ling’s favorite foods will be the by-catch. We see Tigers, Dusky, Yellow-Eye, Black, China, Quill-Back, and Copper Rockfish commonly. All of these species combined will provide a level of excitement that will last a lifetime. It’s a great way to end a day of halibut fishing. 
               

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P.O. Box 303
Yakutat, Alaska 99689
phone (907) 784-3202
toll free 1-866-425-6343

email address:

info@glacierbearlodge.com

You can call us toll free at
1-866-425-6343 and inquire on availability at Glacier Bear Lodge. Please visit our book your adventure page
for more information.

Fresh Seafood Dinners served daily at Glacier Bear Lodge!