Kodiak, Alaska

benp

benp

Well-known member
Afternoon everyone,

I have a work trip coming up, as long as nothing changes again, to work on some Coast Guard C-130 in Kodiak, Alaska in August through September. I have some buddies up there in the coast guard so will be talking to them on going fishing and stuff.
Is there anyone that has been there and recommends any activities or destinations? And if you used a guide service for anything what was it and how was it?

Also has anyone shipped fish back home from there and the details on that. I'd love to catch some halibut and salmon if they are running and ship back home to the family but want to see what others have done.
 
Never been to Kodiak. A lot of shipping opportunities, but expensive. Halibut and salmon are hard to come by locally, so that helps ease the pain.
 
We leave for the Kenai river in 10 days.... 3rd time!

The cheapest way to bring fish home is as luggage on your flight. Buy the fish boxes with the silver insulation, and you can ship 50# per box. An extra box is like $35-50.

We pack all our clothes and gear as carry-on, and have been known to wear old clothes there and pitch anything that doesn't fit on the return flight. Shipping gear home is WAY cheaper then shipping fish too because you don't have to overnight it. USPS has those flat rate boxes as well. We've used them for heavy stuff like sinkers, etc.

Have fun! I'm jealous!
 
There is a military fishing camp in Seward. My buddy uses it 3-4 times a year. I think they had a military head boat there? Limits have been raised because of the abundance of fish there.
Check with your buddies.
 
Thanks for the replies. I'll have to look into this fishing camp, and I had read where people did carry on for their fish I just don't know if I trust it since I have to get all the back to the Carolina coast and might have layovers. Will check more on it though.

Another thing, after looking st regulations and licenses, I think I might try some hunting too. Anyone hunted up there? How was it and what did you hunt?
I think I might try for some hares and possible a deer. The wife might let me go for a caribou but that's more pricey.
 
Have a really good cooler as one of your checked bags. Make sure the fish is frozen and the cooler plenty cold when it is loaded up with the fish and any icepacks you might want to put in there and I think you will be just fine getting your fish home. Might have to pay an overweight fee on your cooler but it will be much cheaper than shipping it.
 
benp said:
Also has anyone shipped fish back home from there and the details on that. I'd love to catch some halibut and salmon if they are running and ship back home to the family but want to see what others have done.
Click to expand...

I have shipped fish back and yes, it was expensive. There are several fish processers which can handle as much or as little of the process as you desire. If you have them do everything, the cost will go up, but you on the other hand are relieved of all the associated hassle. That in itself has some value.

If you have military buddies, you might check to see if they can ship overnight with a commercial carrier yet get a government or commercial rate, by going thru their work channels. I know when I was still working, I could ship items from my work location, thru my employers account for about 1/3 the cost.

In short, given what you indicate as your trip being wrapped around a work schedule, I'd lean towards using a processor to cut, package, freeze and ship. But that's just my opinion. [smile]
 

We are going in about 10 days for our annual trip to the Kenai fishing reds, the fish boxes are the way to go on the plane home. Frozen fish in insulated box has 24 plus hours before it even has any appreciable thawing. Trick of the trade some of the airlines charge X for the extra bag, but they sometimes will not charge for that bag being overweight so you can imagine how much a 50# fish box weighs LOL (keep it under 90#) I set a limit of two boxes of fish to take home unless the halibut and ling cod get carried away, then I will bring home 3, but a box of white fish and box of salmon is enough. Multi piece rods in tubes will slide thru the carry on line most days too.

To have fish overnighted was pushing a $200 for a 50# box a while ago we have not went that way for years, we had a friend with a really good Fed Ex account one year but it still was not nearly as cheap as throwing it on the plane.

Have fun and load the boxes, those going to Kenai it looks like the Reds are coming home on schedule this year.
 
Hope you have fun when you get there. It has to be one of the most beautiful spots in Alaska/North America. I spent 63 days in and out of a sleeping bag one summer in 1969 working for Fish and Game. Don't forget your camera.
Al
 
Didn?t you say you?re wo king 👑 n some C-130?s? Don?t have hey need a test flight before going back in service? Problem solved on shipping fish.

Mark
 
Mark I had thought about seeing if one of the coasties would bring it back but I work under a contract business so I don't have much pull on getting it to come back that way or when to know when one will fly back to NC base.

Thanks for the advice guys. I look forward to get out there and see something different than this flat land
 
I wouldn't worry about layovers that much. I'm flying to PA with a layover in Chicago. If you get those fish boxes you should have at least 24 hours. Just make sure the boxes are completely full and that everything is completely frozen. When you get home if a few are partially thawed you can refreeze them. I usually make sure they're on top of the freezer and mark them "eat first". If anything is completely thawed it will still be cold, just fire up the grill!

And definitely buy the fish boxes instead of using a cooler. With a cooler you're paying to ship maybe 20# of container. The fish boxes weigh around 5# and work just as well.
 
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