DIY in Alaska???

This is great info folks!...I'll be reading over this thread again and again for months to come ....and when we do go ill be sure to let ya know

   Hey E-48,
 A couple of years ago,Jammer came up to Alaska,south-central to be specific,and fished for eds from a kayak with kardinal-84 and I.We'd drift down to a likely spot,beach our boats and flip for reds.Didd pretty good too.Then a day or so later I took Micheal down the upper Kenai River in my mini-drifter.Though we didn't catch a whole lot of fish,he said it was one of the high-lights of his trip to Alaska.Mainly because of the sow grizzly and 2 cubs we ran into.It was a great day.
 Point is---------get some local assistance.ie: kenaiguys offer is very generous and he will know what's hot or not.Make it happen.And have an awesome time.

According to several of you......I guess I live right in the middle of "The Zoo".  And yes, it can get pretty crowded in late July, but if you do some research and are willing to get off the cattle trails....you can find some really good fishing without having to smell the diet off the guy next to you.

Ill tell you what I tell the rest of my visitors.  Fly to anchorage, then either rent a car or fly to Kenai and rent a car.  Starting off in Kenai kinda puts you right in the middle of the action during the summer.  You can catch kings, reds, pinks, silvers, dolly's, rainbow, and halibut....just to name a few.  All of that depends on run timing and location. 

Now, what to do once you get here.
-fish the Kenai for kings, reds, and rainbows.  At least 2-3 days worth
- go to homer and fish for buts.  Skip deep creek, because the views are much nicer in kachemak bay....oh and don't forget the aroma of hippies around town.  2-3 days depending on your goals
- go to Seward.  There, you can go on some cool tours of glaciers, and oh wait...more fishing.  Halibuts, lings, rockfish, and silvers.  And if you drive from Kenai to Seward,you will officially have been o one of the top 10 scenic drives in the US. Another day or 2
- still want more.... Bring some hiking boots and check out some lakes near Cooper Landing.  Rainbows, grayling, bears, and burning calves could be in your future.

Those are my opinions on what to do and where to go.

Now for the budget.

If you want to stretch you dollar as far as possible, here are some things to think about.
-buy a really cheap car off craigslist or alaskaslist
-bring camping gear and avoid hotels
-go on the 2 limit charters for halibut
-buy good fishing gear prior to getting here.  Leave your tackle at home and buy it locally, but buy your higher priced items where you live.

If you want to spend a little more money...look up guides and hotels online, but don't forget to check out a few issues of Fish Alaska magazine.  Sure it has good articles, but that sucker is loaded with info for the traveling angler.

Oh...don't forget to contact some of us that live here.  At least for me, I might be persuaded to help out on an adventure.

Happy fishing.....And remember, you can sleep when you go home.  Fish till you pass out, nap and repeat.

Damn man!  This post rocketed right into my top 5 favorite posts list.

Awesome info.  as usual.  Thanks!

Love that Alaska spirit -- this has been lot of fun to read through. Can you tell that we're all just itching to get back on our favorite waters?  Next month, guys!

wow I had no idea this would become so informative!!..thank you all a ton and no worries when we do get the wheels in motion on this trip I will certianly let you know.... and If any of you come down here I'll be sure to return the favor  ....THANKS AGAIN!!!!