Pacific Cod | Alaska Fishing

Pacific cod (gadus macrocephalus), also known as grey cod, are the wallflowers of the Alaska saltwater sport fishery. Known locally as "P-cod", they're often passed over in the pursuit of more glamorous species, they are frequently tossed over the side, cursed as an inconvenience, or used as bait for other species. Even Alaska's saltwater fishing regulations fail to dignify them with a mention or even a bag limit, relegating them to the "other fish" category. But cod have a couple of things going for them that anglers should note. First, they are good table fare that can be prepared in a variety of delicious ways, and second, they are readily available, often in schools numbering in the thousands. As a testimony to their food value, they are a tightly regulated and valued commercial fishery.

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Rockfish | Alaska Fishing

There are nearly three dozen rockfish species in Alaska, but only about 1/3 of those are commonly pursued by anglers. Of these, the most common by far are black rockfish (sebastes melanops). Another popular species, the yelloweye (sebastes ruberrimus), is very susceptible to overfishing, and in recent years has seen protective measures installed in order to ensure the health of the species. Interestingly, both fish have been misnamed by anglers. Black rockfish are often mistakenly referred to as "black bass" (there are no seabass in Alaska) and yelloweye are commonly called "red snapper" (there are no red snapper in Alaska). If you're new to rockfishing, using the proper terminology on the charter boat will at least make folks think you know what you're doing!

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Grayling | Alaska Fishing

Grayling

Called by some "the sailfish of the north", Alaska's grayling are the fish of pristine mountain lakes and slower rivers. For many anglers, they represent all that is wild about Alaska. Though they are indeed found in remote wildernesses, they also inhabit lakes near the heart of both Anchorage and Fairbanks.

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Lake Trout | Alaska Fishing

Lake Trout

For many Alaska anglers, the lake trout remains shrouded in mystery. A denizen of deepwater lakes, he defies most traditional angling techniques and remains unavailable to most sportsmen who simply cannot figure out how to catch him. He dwarfs other trout by his sheer size, he fights like a bull, and when at last he arrives on the surface after a long battle, his colors leave an angler breathless with awe. They are beautiful fish.

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Northern Pike | Alaska Fishing

It's been said that you can choose your friends, but you're stuck with your relatives. Nowhere does this association come with such mixed connotations as it does with the northern pike family. The pike family includes the muskellunge, which grows to a larger size than the northern pike, and the redfin pickerel (which rarely exceeds ten or twelve inches in length).

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