For some families, a trip to Sportsman's Cove is a tradition. For others, it's their first time fishing in Alaska. We could tell you all about what makes Sportsman's Cove special, but our guests say it better.

If you've never held a rod in your life and you're staring down your first charter trip, take a breath: you're in good company. Booking your first fishing charter is exciting and if you've never fished before, it's normal to have a few questions. Here's what you need to know to get ready, from the basics every beginner should pack, to the details specific to fishing Southeast Alaska's waters.

This Species Bucket List covers anything and everything you can catch in Southeast Alaskan Waters. We'll explore the trophy catches, the best table fare, the oddballs, and the ones we ask you to say a quick "see you later" to. Consider this your preseason cheat sheet to all Southeast Alaska has to offer.

You walk down to the dock, coffee in hand, ready to fish. What you don't see is everything that happened before you got there. By the time you step aboard, our crew's already been at it, cleaning, loading, rigging, brewing, so all you have to do is show up and start fishing. In this entry we'll take you behind the scenes and walk through how our boats are prepped for the day.

At Sportsman's Cove Lodge, we love introducing guests to the variety of fish that call these waters home. Each species has its own personality, its own challenge, and its own reward. Let's take a closer look at what you might catch and what makes each one so memorable.