Best guide on the Kenai river for king salmon and reds. Very informative and a true local…read morefisherman. I highly suggest that if you go to soldatna alaska book this guide you will not be dissapointed www.jimruskfishing.com

Jim is the top guide on the Kenai. He has lived there his whole life and knows where to go and…read morewhat to do. I fished with my son and we both had the time of our lives on the river with Jim. When I head back to Alaska, I will fish with Jim again. I'm hoping to plan a trip to Fort Myers, FL to fish with Jim as well. You can't ask for a more knowledgeable guide on the river!

After being skunked for almost a week of fishing this was my last chance to catch anything before…read moregoing back home. High Adventure Air was able to accommodate putting me on a fly out sockeye salmon charter within a day...it was such last minute on my part but I had to go and every other company was completely booked! I wouldn't even look for another company to go out with, this is your place to go. It's in Soldotna right on the water, they have planes flying in and out all day! My guide was Drew and he was awesome! Our pilot was Ben who did an awesome job navigating us to and from our fishing spot! There were four people in the group headed out on an awesome Beaver seaplane. The flight was about 30 minutes from the office which wasn't bad at all especially with the beautiful scenery along the way. When we arrived (with the smoothest landing ever) we hopped in a small boat and immediately Drew made sure we understood the rules and safety for the trip, along with our daily itinerary. He was able to answer all of our questions and share his knowledge about the land and fishing. His stories were really cool to hear! Once we anchored down at our fishing spot Drew was sure to brief us on how the reels worked, how to cast correctly, and how we could be successful at catching fish. Wouldn't you know within the first 5 minutes two of the guys on the boat caught fish. It took me a little longer than everyone else but Drew was patient and helped everyone else. We all hit our limit catching sockeye (red) salmon in less than an hour! Afterwards Drew drove us around and showed us different spots on the water and we even saw some bears! He took us to a cool waterfall spot to have our pictures taken with our fish too! Then he filleted our salmon and divided it up amongst us evenly and gave it to us in individual bags so it was easy to take home. He surprised us by bringing some cooking supplies and he cooked us some salmon right there! It was the freshest tasting salmon ever and it had a great homemade seasoning that he makes! Then he drove us around some more to show us another spot where we may see bears, but also where salmon jump up a creek bed to spawn. Unfortunately we didn't see any jumping up the creek but we did see them flopping out of the water in that area. The plane came back to pick us up right on time, and Ben (the pilot) took us on a surprise detour to see a glacier before flying back! This entire day was awesome and I would definitely recommend! The price is totally worth it and it's not even as expensive as other fly out companies. If I am ever back in Anchorage I will definitely come on this trip again! **tips** - Bring layers! The day started out with not a cloud in the sky and by the end of our charter it was pouring rain and about 45°. - Bring and wear bug spray/lotion! I promise you there are tons of mosquitos! - Pack some snacks/sandwiches or something to hold you over because it's a long day out there!

We've been all over the world, but this is one of the best adventures we've ever had…read more.. From the moment we arrived at the pontoon plane dock to the moment we got back, it was absolutely phenomenal. Our guide, Derek, was the best ever and the fishing, wildlife viewing, glacier tour and plane ride were remarkable. You don't wanna miss this!

My family and I spent a week here over Fourth of July weekend and had a great time! We've never…read moregone on a fishing excursion before, so we weren't sure what to expect, but Hooksetters made everything easy, comfortable, and enjoyable! We went out on one salt water excursion from Homer and 3 river charters, which were all exceptional. The guides called the night prior to ensure we knew what time to meet them the next day and to confirm the location. There were several changes to our itinerary based on the weather, which were communicated well ahead of time so we could plan appropriately. The guides were personable, professional, and worked incredibly hard to make sure we caught as many fish as possible. They filleted the fish on the river and on the boat back to harbor (ocean), then we were able to drop the fish off at the processors on our way back to the lodge for freezing and packing. Each person is allowed 50 pounds of fish, and we easily filled two boxes with halibut and sockeye salmon. The lodge is equipped with lots of extra equipment for use - waders, rain-gear, fishing poles, coolers, etc. Breakfast is a help yourself situation with cereal, yogurt, fruit, breads, and one cooked item that can be heated like quiche or breakfast burritos. Lunches are packed the night before so you can grab and go. They contain sandwiches, chips, cookies, trail mix, nuts, and bottled water. Hors d'oeuvres were served every night but Thursday, the cook's night off. They usually consisted of a soup, meats, cheeses, and crackers. There were also meatballs and jalapeño poppers. Dinner was varied, with salads each night and bbq ribs, salmon, bacon wrapped filet, bbq brats, and pork loin. There was also dessert, of course! If you're late, the cook wraps up your food so you can heat it up later. All in all, I was very impressed with this location, but the people were what really made it memorable. Everyone was so helpful and friendly, especially for rookies like us. There were several guests who had been here before and were back again, and I can see why. For a great guided fishing experience on the Kenai, check out Russell fishing and stay at Hooksetters!

We had an amazing experience at Alaska Hooksetter's Lodge and Russell Fishing…read more Glenn and Karen who run the operation are amazing. Carmen and Heather are absolutely amazing with the food. The exceeded our expectations. Wendy helping with all the lunches. The Lodge is beautiful and enjoyed the time around the campfire each night with amazing appetizers and drinks. What made the difference is the people of Hooksetter's and Russell fishing. A completely painless trip where everything was taken care of. The accommodations were top notch outstanding.... Definitely will be coming back..... Oh and the fishing...... 4 of us caught after all the fish were cleaned and processed...... 226 lbs of Halibut, Rock Fish, Ling Cod, Yellow Eye and Salmon.... See pics Thank you again for an awesome experience

Highly recommend Mark and Cindy for your next fishing trip! They planned a custom itinerary for my…read moredad and I which was super flexible for our travel plans and to optimize our catch. They were always readily available and super helpful via phone every single time we reached out. They also processed and packed our fish for us. The entire experience was very personal and felt warm. Regarding the fishing, the highlight was definitely the fly-out trip for sockeyes, bear viewing, and a fly-over glacier experience! We were lucky enough to get Ian as our guide for two days, who is so helpful and skilled.

What a great trip! Previous guide services I've used have left a lot to be desired. But Fishing…read moreWith Mark Glassmaker was the complete opposite! I booked two days of fishing the Kasilof for my son's graduation celebration - needless to say I really wanted to get onto some fish so he could experience true Alaskan Fishing! After our first day out with Clayton, my son was in love with the sport again - we limited in less than an hour! Our following day with Ian wasn't quite as productive, but just as exciting and memorable; We got tons of great fish, photos, laughs, and memories! When my youngest graduates in 2027, I'll definitely be using Mark, Cindy, and their team!

A man of few words here . . . This was the BEST time I've…read moreever had. Typically, I don't bother with reviews, but Doc and Dar's is everything one could hope for and so much more! Thank you for such a memorable experience. To anybody who is reading this, if going salmon fishing is on your bucket list, then this is the place!

We can hardly wait to go again this summer! We have gone with Alaska Fishing Adventures for the…read morelast 5 years, we love it so much! Mark & Julie Burner are awesome people and treat everyone like family! With amazing fishing and a wonderful couple of lodges, and great food, you can't go wrong. If you are looking for amazing salmon fishing, with an experience of a lifetime, contact them. We can't recommend high enough! We'd give them 10 stars if we could. See you in July! Can't wait!!

This was one of the Best vacations Thanks to Alaskan Fishing Adventures! Their guides got us on…read morethe fish every day!!! HIGHLY recommend them from each of us!!! Will Definitely come back here every time!

One of the only places that Alaskan residents can dip net. I personally am not a fan of dip…read morenetting because I see far too much waste and lack of enforcement at fishing locations in recent years. Our state and federal parks will only continue to be a resource for all people.to share if they have adequate park ranger staffing 5o ensure our parks are protected and cared for. People are just leaving fish waste on the beach which is super dangerous and disgusting, and frankly RUDE. This location was the worst I have ever seen. I saw so much remains on the beach, including eggs. It was absolutely shocking. Normally, when its not dipnetting time, this is a beautiful beach, with sandy beaches and clear views of the snowy volcanoes. Its a mixed bag, depending on when you visit.

I was in the Kenai-Soldotna area for the annual Dip netting thing, when I noticed that my net was…read moreshot, and I had to replace it. Now Dip Netting is when you have a a Net with about a 5 foot hoop and a ten foot pole, so you can place it into the rivers, and get your household salmon for the winter...anyrate, my net was shot, so I got another net and tries to replace it...no could do....ran into problems left and right. I remembered seeing this business on the side of the road in Kenai when I was scoping out Dip Net spots, so I cruised in with my busted dip net...I am glad I did. The owner was a cool little guy who looked like he had been around the area forever,,,I showed him everything, and he said he could repair it in better condition than new, and said to come back after lunch...when I returned my dip net was done, with reinforced bolts to handle the shift in tides...the work was great...and as I was there I noticed a Dip Net that he had made that was for sale...it had a rectangular 5 foot net, and a 25 foot Pole!! Man, I could reach for the other side of the river with this I thought to myself...but I thought the price would kill me....it did not...so I bought that net and paid for my repairs on my original net. The net I bought was OUTSTANDING, I nailed 5 reds in a matter of minutes, die to its length...if your in the area, and need some gear repaired, this is the place to go! Prices are very reasonable...