Alaska Fishing Adventure With Wild Strawberry Lodge

From kings and silvers to lingcod and halibut, Wild Strawberry Lodge offers anglers an amazing fishing experience.
Fishing boats running out for the day
Wild Strawberry Lodge puts anglers on some amazing fishing. Jon Whittle

“It’s incredible,” says Wild Strawberry Lodge co-owner Joshua Badder. “The life that they have…and the life that they give.” Badder is talking about salmon—the kings, silvers and pinks that crowd the creeks, cuts and waterways of Southeast Alaska in late summer as they attempt to return to spawn in the place where they hatched. Badder has a front-row seat to this magic migration. Last February, Badder and his friend and business partner, Justin Karleski, bought Wild Strawberry Lodge, a Sitka staple that has been hosting anglers for more than 30 years. “Did I ever dream of owning a fishing lodge? No. But it’s pretty awesome that it came to fruition,” Karleski says. Last August, Wild Strawberry hosted us for a few days of salmon, halibut and lingcod fishing, plus excursions to some of Badder and Karleski’s favorite spots on Baranof Island.

Angler with large halibut
Once anglers ­limit out on kings and silvers, it’s on to ­halibut. Drop the bait (usually the entrails of a pink) until it hits bottom, then reel up a couple of turns and start jigging. Says Badder: “It’s the elusive fish that might get away, or maybe you’ll catch a state record.” Jon Whittle
Wild Strawberry Lodge fleet of boats
The Wild Strawberry Lodge fleet consists of aluminum pilothouse boats built for the rough-and-tumble waters off Baranof Island, where calm water turns into a roiling washing machine once you hit the mouth of the Pacific. But to the stout angler go the spoils. “Each client is leaving the Sitka airport with 50 to 100 pounds of fish,” ­Badder says. Jon Whittle
King salmon caught in Sitka
King salmon is the prize species. The common tactic is mooching. The rig consists of a two-hook leader, mooching sinker and cut herring. The captain sets up a good drift, marks salmon on the MFD, and directs anglers to drop bait to the target depth and reel up slowly. All the reels have line counters so anglers can dial in their depth. Jon Whittle
Lingcod caught in Sitka
While salmon may be the A-list species at Wild ­Strawberry Lodge, none make for a better photo op than lingcod. A legless dragon with stalagmite-like teeth, lingcod are tough fighters that rival salmon as table fare. Found in a variety of depths, from 1,000 feet to close to shore, lingcod are known to attack when a smaller salmon or rockfish panics at the end of the line. Jon Whittle
Cleaning fish on a trip
For the smart and efficient mate, time spent running from spot to spot is a chance to get some tasks checked off. With each client going home with more than 50 pounds of fish, there’s a lot of gutting, filleting and spraying to be done. Jon Whittle
Baranof ­Island sunrise
The sun rises over the mountain ranges of Baranof ­Island as the Wild Strawberry fleet heads out for the day. Jon Whittle

Read Next: Silver Salmon Fishing in Southeast Alaska

Wild Strawberry Lodge food preparation
Wild Strawberry’s base package is two days of fishing and three nights of lodging for $2,525. It’s an all-­inclusive package that covers airport transfer, tackle, rain gear, processing and shipping your catch, and an impressive daily menu that features two seafood entrees and a non-seafood option, plus a full-size refrigerator to accommodate guests’ snacks and drinks. Jon Whittle
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