Moving to AK

I am a kayak angler based out of Lake Tahoe, CA, and I will be moving to Sterling, AK this June to work as a deckhand/river guide. I am looking forward to meeting some other yakers in AK to meet up with on my one day off per week. Please get in touch if you are in the homer/kenai area!

Tyler AKA Beachmaster90

I am a kayak angler based out of Lake Tahoe, CA, and I will be moving to Sterling, AK this June to work as a deckhand/river guide. I am looking forward to meeting some other yakers in AK to meet up with on my one day off per week. Please get in touch if you are in the homer/kenai area!

Tyler AKA Beachmaster90

Welcome!

Grew up in Kenai, currently live in Anchorage.  Definitely a few diehard kayak fisherman.  Are you guiding on the Kenai River? When are you coming up?

90% of fishing for me is done on the Kenai Peninsula.  No shortage of fish there.  Though Sterling tends to be landlocked, You are close to Seward and a lot closer to Homer than I am.   

I have a modest website up describing some of the fishing we do here.  I think its completely untapped, a lot more discovering left to do.  But if you like take a look at: http://AlaskaKayakFisher.com

Let's fish!!

Hey,

Thanks for the response! I was in the middle of looking at your website - it's awesome!

I will be moving to either Sterling or Seward this May. I have to decide (today!) between a deckhand job in Seward on a 10 passenger boat, or to work at an all-inclusive lodge on the Kenai in Sterling where I would spend my first summer as a deckhand/river trainee and then guide on the river (powerboat and drift) starting the next summer.

Do you fish the lakes around Sterling at all? Is there any good launching and fishing from Kenai into the ocean?

I definitely look forward to meeting you! I just need to figure out what gear to bring. Right now I only have a Jackson Big Tuna, which can be used solo but I think I would be better off selling it and getting an Outback or Revo (if I can afford it).

I was given a dry suit recently - I will have to see if it fits!

Tyler

Cool Cool. 

Seward or Sterling.  I would choose Seward but that's only because I love the saltwater.  Sterling is just sort of out there in the middle of nowhere.  its definitely ON the beaten path but rarely do folks stop there.  But if you pick Seward, prepare yourself for rain!!!

Once you get here, you will see that Cook Inlet has what is called a "silt line" 1 inch of visibility North of about Clam gulch which would be an hour or so from Sterling South.  Clear water to the South.  There will be a moving but visible line you can see around Clam Gulch. 

Resurrection Bay and that side of the Peninsula is beautiful Clear water.

The fishing on the Kenai River has been tough.  The money is made on the King Salmon and that fishery is not going to be back for a few years I am afraid.  Having said that, the middle Kenai River and the Upper is Beautiful with some world class fisheries left. 

I don't fish lakes much, but you will be right on the Swanson River Road area which has dozens of lakes and some pretty good fishing.  very peaceful.  But having said that, the trout in the Kenai are huge so its hard for me to fish the lakes when the river is right there as well.

Which outfit in Seward and Sterling?  The Sterling opportunity sounds great because its a path up to do your own thing a lot sooner I would think.  Either way I am jealous!!!

Stay on the board and stay in touch!  We fish all year off the kayaks!!!

Thanks for the warm welcome! I will definitely be prepared for rain wherever I end up in AK. That's what I am coming for!

The Kenai river would be Angler's Lodge. The Seward boat is called ProFish-n-sea. Both have owners/captains that are extremely nice so it is very hard to decide.

You are right about the river guiding being more of my own thing sooner, but with 4 clients on the boat I am guessing the long term pay would be better moving into the business where you have 10 clients per boat in Seward.

Thanks for the info on the silt line - it makes sense with the river being right there. So you just fish south of Clam Gulch then?

Tyler

You are right about the river guiding being more of my own thing sooner, but with 4 clients on the boat I am guessing the long term pay would be better moving into the business where you have 10 clients per boat in Seward.

Don't forget to factor in the fact that a boat big enough to hold ten people will take you a lot longer to pay off.  We're talking a $35K boat for the river vs a $235K boat for the salt for that many people.

Hit me up if you wanna fish.  I'm in Kenai.  I fish some lakes around the area as well as Cook Inlet/Kachemak Bay a lot and Seward some.

Rudy is a freezer filling maniac, so he doesn't always go for the small stuff on the Kenai like lakes.  Some very productive fishing if you're just looking for fun places to check out and kayak.  Something else you want to do is check out a book called 50 Hikes on the Kenai Peninsula and the Alaska Highway Anglers guide.  Both will have some insight on nice places to check out and possibly fish

Thanks for the input. Unfortunately I don't think I will ever be buying a boat. I plan on working for other companies while I am young. I hope to captain a boat in a few summers but do not plan on buying my own. That is a good point though... if I do become hooked and want to start a business, I may want to invest in learning the one that is more affordable.

I will definitely check out those books and hit you up when I get there! I definitely enjoy lake fishing even though the fish might not be huge - I am bringing my trout pole!

Tyler

Thanks for the input. Unfortunately I don't think I will ever be buying a boat. I plan on working for other companies while I am young. I hope to captain a boat in a few summers but do not plan on buying my own. That is a good point though... if I do become hooked and want to start a business, I may want to invest in learning the one that is more affordable.

I will definitely check out those books and hit you up when I get there! I definitely enjoy lake fishing even though the fish might not be huge - I am bringing my trout pole!

Tyler

If you like trout fishing lakes, you will be in heaven in Sterling. The Swanson River system is just one area.  Too bad you will be busy during the summer but late fall is probably the very best time to hit these lakes.

You will quickly see the fishing most people want to do when they come to Alaska can be comabt fishing even on big charter boats out of Seward.  But like Kenai Guy said, there is a TON of solitude for anyone willing to hike more than half mile, hit the lakes, or get a kayak!  I personally think the latter option is the best.  During the summers, if you aren't just sick and tired of fishing, even the Kenai River calms down in the late evenings and weekdays during the non peak times.

Yah, I'm a halibut and salmon guy almost exclusively.  There are TONS of other opportunities out there!

 
http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aktrails/ats/ken/swanson.htm
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?oe=UTF8&gl=us&t=h&hq&ie=UTF8&msa=0&hnear=Swan+Lake+Rd,+Kenai-Cook+Inlet,+Kenai+Peninsula,+Alaska&mid=zwG5a2M9PaJE.kFNUZyigFuuU 

Starting to think Sterling is the place to be for me. I do love me some trout fishing!

  Welcome to NWKA Tyler,

 I used to live in Soldotna and have fished quite a few places on the Kenai Peninsula. Sterling is a nice hub to fish either Kachameck Bay, Cook Inlet, or the Seward area. If you do choose Sterling-- you'll want to head north on the Swanson River Rd. and fish for silvers in late summer on the Swanson River. If you don't take a kayak with you they can be rented from Alaska Canoe and Kayak right in Sterling. If I remember right it's about $50 for 24 hours. Max is the owners name and he can turn you onto all things fishing on the Kenai.
 Good luck whichever path you choose. Alaska is an awesome place that I miss (during the summer). Not so much in winter.