Here are Fish Alaska’s 2018 choices for the best tackle for Alaska for a wide variety of fisheries and techniques. Whether you are twitching jigs for steelhead or trolling squid for silvers, Fish Alaska has you covered. Find our selection of tackle for Alaska fishing including spinners, spoons, hooks, swivels, flashers, herring, jigs and more.
BnR Twitching Jigs
www.bnrtackle.com
Coho inhaled these jigs when we twitched them in 2017. We used both the ½- and ⅜-ounce sizes and had great results on the darker colors such as black/purple and blue/black. The jig bodies are made from silicone and they create a big, lively-looking, pulsating profile in the water. Jigs are poured on 3/0 Owner 2x hooks.
Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Colored Octopus Hooks
www.eagleclaw.com
These super-sharp needlepoint octopus hooks are great options for bait anglers, and we put the 1/0 white-and-red version to work when floating roe to hungry coho. We also used the size 4 and size 6 options to target stocked rainbow trout with the lads. We prefer to snell the hook when fishing for trout and tied an egg loop on the larger size for salmon. The thin wire penetrated very efficiently without much pressure and the hooks held up to thrashing coho without bending. A bunch of colors and sizes are available.
P-Line 3.5 inch Sunrise Squids
www.p-line.com
We trolled these colorful squids for silver salmon in 2017 with good success. We also threaded them upside-down on our lines when jigging for halibut, rockfish and lingcod and the extra attraction and pulsating tentacles enticed more strikes. Squids are available in six sizes and many colors.
Mepps Magnum Aglia
www.mepps.com
This lure helped us land some quality king salmon in 2017. The spinner sports a #7 blade, 3/0 treble hook and weighs 1⅛ ounces, making it well-suited for heavy flows and big salmon. We also cast and retrieved it in the Innoko River for trophy northern pike and it worked well. It’s available in a range of blade colors.
Eppinger Cop-E-Cat Spoon
www.eppinger.net
The Cop-E-Cat spoon in blue and pink performed great for our tester in the Iliamna area last summer. The spoon comes in a wide variety of sizes and finishes. Eppinger uses a proprietary painting and finishing process that allows them to guarantee the paint for the life of the spoon which still looked brand new after plenty of use. The shape of the Cop-E-Cat is elongated making it sink quickly and imitate baitfish very effectively. It works well for deeper runs in rivers as well as under the ice.
Acme Kastmaster Rattle Master
www.acmetackle.com
This spoon was very effective on a range of salmon, trout and char in 2017 for Fish Alaska field testers. The model takes the erratic action of the Kastmaster and includes a rattle chamber to create extra noise. We tossed the two larger sizes, but the lure is available in a wide range of sizes and colors to accommodate most anglers’ preferences.
Thomas Lures Special Spinn
www.thomaslures.com
Many nice trout, char and pink salmon came to hand in 2017 thanks to the ¼-ounce version of this lure. Like other Thomas Lures, the components and finishes are high-quality. Blades and beads are brass-mounted on a stainless-steel shaft. The lure’s Indiana-type blade is jewelry-quality plated, in either nickel or gold, and when rotating, produces a highly-reflective, flashy finish that drives predatory fish to strike.
Panther Martin Holographic Holy Hammered Spinners
www.panthermartin.com
Panther Martin added holographic patterns to their Holy Hammered spinners and the coho and pink salmon responded favorably. The hammered brass blades change color and reflect light when retrieved. This lure is available in five colors and six sizes.
Pro-Troll ProFlash Lighted Flashers
www.protroll.com
Want to produce an even larger attraction radius than ordinary flashers can provide, especially in low-light conditions? The ProFlash Lighted Flashers do just that. They feature a water-activated, red, white and green blinking light that enhances flash and visibility. The sealed battery lasts for 80 hours or more and the light can easily be replaced when the battery dies. ProFlash flashers are available in the ProChip 11 series, the ProChip 8 series, and the ProFin 6 series. Our tester used the ProChip 11 Lighted version and it definitely out-produced standard ProChip 11 flashers in low-light conditions.
Point Wilson Dart Herring
www.dartjigs.com
This jig was effective in helping our anglers land salmon and bottomfish in the saltwater. It comes in six sizes and eight colors so fishermen can match the jig to the size of bait present. Our testers used the smaller sizes to land coho and the larger ones to land halibut in the 20- to 50-pound range.
Blue Fox Candyback Vibrax Spinners
www.bluefox.com
These iconic spinners are staples of the Alaska angling scene, and this year’s newest addition are their Candyback models. The bell is accented with metallic flakes while the back of the blade is finished in a contrasting color. These lures really put off a flash in the water, in addition to the vibration emitted from the bell. Candyback models are available in six color options and in sizes 3, 4, 5 and 6.
Hot Spot Anchovy Series 11-inch Flashers
www.hotspotlures.com
We hauled in coho in the saltwater using the Green Moon Jelly Front with full Glow back Anchovy Series flasher in 2017. It was effective with spoons, hootchies and herring. Our tester is impressed with the durability of the finish as well as the quality swivels and snaps.
Fish-Field Lead Jigs
www.fishfield.com
We caught rockfish, lingcod and halibut on several sizes and colors of this lead jig while field testing in 2017. There are a ton of fishy colors and patterns available; an angler can be sure to find a color that fits their situation. It is available in sizes from 2- to 8-ounces and is rigged with an assist hook.
BnR Worm Keeper Jigs
www.bnrtackle.com
These jigs are effective at keeping your worm in place once you’ve rigged it due to a keeper that’s located below the jig head. Jigs are available in two sizes and a range of colors. BnR also sells a selection of worms to accompany the jigs.
Eppinger Red Eye Spoons
www.eppinger.net
A distinctive wiggle action sets these spoons apart from others, and it puts predator fish in a striking, slashing mood. A premium finish also ensures these spoons will last you many seasons, a definite plus in Alaska’s harsh angling environments.
Silver Horde Two Face Coho Killer
www.silverhorde.com
As predicted, the coho inhaled these lures when we trolled them in the saltwater of southeast Alaska in 2017. This upgraded version of the Coho Killer has paint, eyes and scales on both sides of the lure, making it look more realistic on the underside. We caught salmon on all three UV versions we tested: black, purple and green. This is one of our favorite lures to troll for coho.
Sampo Steelheart Leader
www.samposwivels.com
We tried the 309SP, which is 9 inches long and is rated at 30-pound-test. These leaders are stainless-steel wire with a nylon coating, with a Sampo ball-bearing swivel on one end and a stainless-steel lock snap at the other. It allowed us to throw both topwater and sub-surface lures and catch pike like the one shown.
Mepps Trophy Series
www.mepps.com
These spinners were designed with Alaska in mind! Available in sizes #4 and #5, these brass spinners are available in most salmon and steelhead anglers’ favorite colors. Painted blades and bodies boast epoxy finishes that are chip- and fade-resistant, good qualities when angry coho and Chinook salmon munch down with a vengeance. We like that these spinners are available with either a single- or treble-hook option.
Luhr Jensen Kwikfish Dual Dot Finishes
www.luhrjensen.com
Luhr Jensen added some new Dual Dot finishes to the extensive lineup of Kwikfish and we caught salmon on the 14X Black/Chartreuse model while testing in 2017. We think these high-contrast finishes help salmon locate the lure when visibility is low. And of course, the irresistible action of the iconic Kwikfish drives salmon to strike. If we plan on back-trolling for salmon, we never leave home without a box of Kwikfish.
Umpqua Insta Set Indicators
www.umpqua.com
We used these effectively in stillwater when fishing a suspended chironomid. The indicator rides high in the water, and the red and yellow colors are easy to see. The fluorescent tags below the indicator give even more visual cues when a light strike occurs. We’ve yet to use them in moving water, but we imagine they will work well. They are light, easy to rig and come in a variety of sizes.
Macks Lure Cripplure
www.mackslure.com
We caught some dandy trout and a bunch of pink salmon on this lure in 2017. We strictly cast and retrieved the lure and will try it soon on the troll. It comes in original, glow and UV models. The action of the lure imitates a wounded baitfish and the ring chamber within the lure emits a fish-attracting low-frequency vibration.
Dutch Fork Custom Lures Turtle Shell Blades, size 4 and 5
www.dutchforkcustomlures.com
Dutch Fork spinner blades are made of a high-impact polymer. As such, they are extremely tough, light and perhaps more versatile than metal spinner blades. They spin easily at speeds as low as .4 miles per hour. Our tester used them to build in-line spinners for use behind 360 flashers. He rigged them both on spinner wire and directly on monofilament leader material. The light blade material allowed use of bigger spinner blades—with 360 flashers a metal blade larger than size 3.5 is too heavy and doesn’t produce the desired action. With the Dutch Fork blades, our tester used sizes 4 and 5 blades behind Pro-Troll ProChip 11-inch flashers and caught many Chinook. Undoubtedly, the lighter blade might be a better choice when fishing spinners on anchor, and also for back-trolling applications. These lighter blades produce different sound and vibration than metal blades, and that could result in more attention from the fish in heavily pressured fisheries. The finish on Dutch Fork blades does not chip or flake off, even after much use and many fish.
Salamander Sinkers Single Loop Sinker
www.salamandersinkers.com
We really enjoyed drift-fishing with these sinkers in 2017. They slide over rocks and limbs in the water better than lead or slinky sinkers, and we experienced less snags because of it. They are available in ¼-, ⅜- and ½-ounce sizes.
Dutch Fork Custom Lures Metal “No Loss” Quick Change Clevis
www.dutchforkcustomlures.com
There have been several spinner clevises designed over the years to allow you to change the blade of a spinner. The Dutch Fork “No Loss” clevis is easy to use, and our tester experienced zero blade loss while landing several kings using this clevis. The “No Loss” clevis comes in a metal version for rigging on spinner wire and a plastic version for rigging on monofilament. Single versions allow for the use of one blade, while the tandem clevis allows for the use of two blades.
Eppinger Dardevle Salmon Kit
www.eppinger.net
This kit is a great place to start if you are a conventional tackle angler looking to target chum, pink, coho and Chinook salmon in Alaska. The colors, models and sizes chosen offer the angler a wide range of presentations in a variety of water and light conditions. Anglers can customize the color selection as long as they stay with the same model of spoon in the kit. We used this kit to catch pinks and silvers in 2017 in several different rivers. They also worked to attract rainbow trout and Dolly Varden in the Iliamna area.
Luhr Jensen Hydro Vibe Extreme Spinner
www.luhrjensen.com
We downtrolled the 045 size spinner in 2017 and chromer Chinook slammed it with a vengeance. The blade has a pass-through hole for water, which allows the blade to spin at slower speeds and creates more vibration. We like the Nickel Chartreuse Green Dot model, but there are many colors available. There is also a longer, heavier 006 size lure if you are fishing heavier flows.
Candy Bar Lures
www.candybarlures.com
The Candy Bar lure by Squidco is a truly effective weapon for catching halibut. Our tester reported that the 7-ounce chrome model with treble hook, used with bait or without, produced great fish on all of their trips. On one trip in particular they put five halibut in the boat with the lure, the largest being 118 pounds, the others in the 40- to 80-pound range. On another trip to the same area, the Candy Bar out-fished the other halibut lures being used and produced all the halibut caught that day.