Sportsman's Cove Lodge/ Alaska

EXCITING TRAVEL ISSUE: Alaskan Odyssey

AS SEEN IN SOUTH FLORIDA SPORT FISHING MAGAZINE Nov/Dec 2005 ISSUE


By Jan Stephen Maizler

Tucked away in the remote wilderness lies a spectacular destination offering breathtaking scenery and a world class fishery unlike anything you've ever experienced before.A flotilla of four float planes eased into Ketchikan's open harbor waters. One by one, with crisp efficiency and a safe distance between them, they taxied into the wind, accelerated, and lifted off into the brisk Alaskan air.Ketchikan receded into the distance as each sun-kissed flying machine banked west towards the azure Pacific. The voyage aloft was soon highlighted by vistas of forested mountains, green islets, lakes, fjords, and even a few bears. The sense of awe, anticipation, and excitement amongst the passengers was palpable. I could sense it, because I was one of them.

As this glorious flight eased into twenty minutes length, our pilot, Captain Jerry pointed straight ahead and said, “Look over there.” As we crossed a bright green mountain top, Sportsman's Cove Lodge peeked into view in the distance. The resort sat tucked into the safety and beauty of a small bay on Prince of Wales Island. Our pilot slowly banked our plane, and descended into a silky smooth landing.Our quartet of float planes taxied to the lodge in a straight line. Each was secured to the dock and the plane doors opened. As the new crop of Alaskan anglers emerged, they were greeted like royalty by the lodge's courteous staff, headed by owner and chief-in-command, Captain Larry “Mac” McQuarrie.

My first glance at the facilities mountainside architecture and natural landscaping made me feel as if it was deliberately designed to be in complete harmony with the Alaskan wilderness.As we climbed each tier of the Lodge, there were exciting features that exceeded our group's expectations, including a full-scale marina home to a well equipped fishing fleet and sophisticated smoke house and fish packing plant. A flowered patio and garden led the way to a gift shop and steaming hot tub. Finally, the next set of authentic wooden stairs brought us to the lodge itself, a bold gem of a wood and glass structure housing the offices, dining rooms, sitting room, and guest accommodations. It was clear Sportsman's Cove Lodge spared nothing as a luxurious fishing operation in the Alaskan wilderness- newcomers were very impressed and returning clients smiled as their awaited reunion with Alaska was realized.

The registration process for the thirty anglers was smooth and efficient. During the process, staff circulated with Oysters Rockefeller, shrimp pate and favorite beverages. A very polite team member escorted me to my room which was adorned with my name at the door, comfortable accommodations, a mountain view, and plenty of reading material. When fishermen travel thousands of miles to an angling destination they expect the tastiest food, the best lodging, awesome fishing, and personal treatment. It was clear that Sportsman's Cove Lodge embodied these goals in every aspect of their entire operation.An hour later, we were seated at a gourmet dinner with fresh seafood and mouth watering desserts. Meals like this would prove to be the norm at Sportsman's Cove.

After dinner, Captain Mac facilitated a welcome and introduction process that succeeded in creating a first-name-basis camaraderie amongst the new anglers, the veterans, and the extensive staff.I returned to my room too satisfied to write and fell asleep under the triple influence of first-class treatment, twinkling stars through my window, and excited anticipation of tomorrow's long awaited angling experience.

I'd planned the timing of my trip very carefully, since timing is everything with Alaskan salmon fishing. We settled on July, which would coincide with the inshore and upstream migrations of king, silver and pink salmon. My overall goal was to sample three distinct fisheries. First, was the salmon run in the open waters of the Inside Passage. Second, was the extraordinary bottom fishing for halibut, cod, lingcod, and an array of rockfish in these same waters, which ran from 30 to 200 feet deep. Lastly, was a special trip to the inland stream mouths to sight fish huge groups of schooled salmon in as shallow as 6 inches of water. When all was said and done, all three fisheries produced action that bordered on astonishing for this Florida fisherman.


Off to open water…After a sumptuous breakfast, our group headed down to the Lodge's five immaculate fishing boats. Each vessel was limited to six anglers, which provided an enormous amount of elbow room, surrounding a cabin that sported every comfort. I was on the vessel run by Captain Brad McQuarrie, whose subsequent experience, skills, efficiency, and sense of humor made my Alaskan fishing adventure superb.Our trip to the grounds took less than an hour and was highlighted by breaching whales, diving seals, countless seabirds, leaping salmon, and even a large school of black and white dolphin that rode our wake!Captain Brad stopped the vessel when he marked a large school of bait on his color scope. This spot was right alongside the point of an island surrounded by waters that featured countless numbers of jumping pink salmon. Though we were coached the night before about the style of fishing we'd be doing, Captain Brad quickly reviewed the technique for the group once again.

The Sportsman's Cove fleet utilizes the “mooching” method of fishing. In contrast to deep trolling with downriggers, this tactic involves drop-fishing rigged baits to create a bait-ball effect. Our weapons were 30-pound conventional outfits with level-wind reels mounted on long, fiberglass rods. Terminal gear was comprised of a large yellow drail sinker and long leader with two ultra-sharp claw-style hooks. Our bait would be fresh sardine plugs which made for well scented presentations. Captain Brad cut the engines amidst the diving birds and leaping pinks. Down went our rigs in 60 feet of water and within seconds, we were all hooked up. The drop and jigging of collective baits were driving fish wild! As the day unfolded, it became clear mooching was not only lethal on salmon, but also on the vast assortment of bottom fish. Captain Brad would idle over the shallow shelves in 40 feet of water where it was a tossup whether we'd hook a pink salmon or one of a myriad of rockfish. As we got too shallow, he'd bump the vessel into gear and head for deeper water- during these short moves any baits remaining in the water were subjected to a trolling effect and would quickly be pounced on by hungry pink salmon.One quickly learns that each salmon species had its own size range and depth preference. The king salmon (chinook) ran to almost thirty pounds- my best two were well over twenty. Kings would hold quite close to the bottom, not far from the huge numbers of halibut and cod. The silver salmon (coho) ran ten to sixteen pounds and seemed to inhabit the middle portion of the water column. It was not unusual to start a mooching drop in 150 feet, only to have your spool stop revolving after just a few revolutions. This obviously signaled a strike, and a quick response would leave you hooked up with a thrashing coho.Pound for pound pink salmon were the most aggressive. While they ran smaller in size -from about eight to twelve pounds- their sheer numbers and gameness make them an Alaskan favorite. These fish were so aggressive; they'd strike the yellow sinkers and pounce on baits right at the surface!

Trying to describe all the different bottom fish we encountered would be like…well, practically impossible. Suffice it to say the bottom action was basically nonstop. I did succeed in landing enough cod and halibut to be thoroughly satisfied, and quickly lost count of the shear number of assorted rockfish I released. One particular highlight of my stay was the capture of a 150-pound halibut on one of the lodge's other vessels. This one fish produced more than enough cheek meat for fleet captain, Dan Anderson, to prepare a tasty sashimi appetizer served prior to the night's dinner.

Fishing the shallow stream mouths…
Captain Brad was eager for me to experience some of the fishing in the shallows. He explained that because this was a low tide fishery, this kind of angling does not provide the nonstop action or variety that lodge guests have become accustomed to. Hence, it is not a regular lodge offering. I made it clear I was a shallow water fanatic and would gladly have my day cut by a couple hours in return for great sight fishing.We shoved off early the next day in Sportsman's Cove aluminum center console skiff and arrived at the stream mouth within fifteen minutes. As he eased off the throttle, Captain Brad pointed to hundreds of salmon tailing along the shallows, waiting for the rising tide to provide adequate depth to swim upstream and spawn. I rigged a green and silver Pixee spoon on my 6-pound spinning outfit and thirty pound fluorocarbon leader. Again, I hooked a large coho or pink salmon on almost every cast. I was able to avoid snagging many fish by retrieving parallel to the general flow of the tailing and cruising fish.

The Sportman's Cove Lodge-I was able to chat with owner and founder Captain Larry “Mac” McQuarrie. His personal history was quite interesting and certainly provided the qualifications to head up and administer an angling destination with such outstanding credentials and performance. He grew up in coastal Canada, and gained experience working in the commercial fishing industry during his teen years. He was trained in the Canadian Naval Academy as a pilot on an aircraft carrier. His subsequent experience is impressive: helicopter bush pilot, charter fishing fleet owner and administrator, and a 34 year career as a United Airlines DC-10 pilot. In the later part of the 1980's, he founded the Sportsman's Cove Lodge.When Captain Mac said, “We don't plan on getting any bigger, but we always plan on getting better”, it was clear that his mission statement pervaded the service of this destination. When I commented on the incredible ratio of return guests and their obvious satisfaction, he said, “We're committed to creating a feeling of family amongst our staff and our guests.” In discussing the market profile of this remote retreat, Captain Mac sees Sportsman's Cove Lodge as a luxurious 6-person per/boat lodge that caters to fantastic light tackle saltwater fishing for salmon and halibut.Captain Mac is insistent on quality control through careful staff recruitment and thorough training. In addition, he personally sees to it that every guest is provided a feedback form to fill out at the end of their stay. Captain Mac and his entire staff review the information in great detail to insure their guests are totally satisfied with the services provided.It bears repeating that the lodge's fleet of well equipped fishing vessels were immaculate and offered all the shelter, comforts, and amenities that any visiting angler could ask for. I was particularly pleased to find that the vessel I fished on was replete with mouth watering snacks and a variety of hot beverages. Sportsman's Cove Lodge also has a large vessel of over sixty feet for supply runs as well as for guest “turnarounds” to Ketchikan in the event weather is too poor for float planes. The facility will also prepare your frozen fillets and smoked fish for shipping anywhere FedEx can reach. Each taste of your brought-home catch will bring back fond memories of your amazing Alaskan adventure. Alaska, is awesome!


WHEN YOU GO…Owner; Captain “Mac” McQuarrieLodge Marketing; Hope “Hopester” FindleySportman's Cove LodgeKetchikan, Alaska 99901Reservations: 1-800-962-7889Business: 1-907-247-7252Fax: 1-907-247-7255Email:TheHopester@AlaskasBestLodge.comWebsite:www.AlaskasBestLodge.com


TRANSPORTATION ARRANGEMENTS…Your transportation can be simple and straightforward, no matter where your city of origin. I flew from Miami to Los Angeles on American Airlines. Then from Los Angeles to Ketchikan on Alaska Airlines. A short twenty minute flight on a float plane (Pacific Airways) completes the trip.