Our recent fishing excursion on the Kasilof River was an absolute delight, thanks to the wonderful guidance of Mindy Payne. A Soldatna, Alaska native, Mindy not only shared her expertise on salmon fishing but also made the trip a deeply enjoyable experience with her warm personality and fascinating stories of Alaskan life.

Although the timing of our trip (early in season) meant the fishing wasn’t overly productive, Mindy’s engaging presence more than made up for it. Her tales of family adventures, hunting, and the rugged beauty of Alaska brought an added richness to the experience, making it feel like much more than just a fishing trip.

Mindy’s deep knowledge of the river and the surrounding environment was evident, and her passion for the outdoors shone through in every conversation. Whether sharing techniques, discussing local wildlife, or simply chatting about life in Alaska, she made sure our time on the water was informative, fun, and genuinely memorable.

If you’re looking for a fishing guide who brings both skill and personality to the table, Mindy Payne is an excellent choice. She ensures the journey is worthwhile in every way.

This was the first time we fished for halibut.  We booked an 8 hour charter.  I was disappointed that the captain was late, but stuff happens.  We have all been late to something before.  It just kinda sucks, when you get up early and nudge the family along, pack and check out of the hotel.  Arrive to the boat early, only to find that the crew is late.  We left the harbor about two hours late.  There are allot of boats out, it just gets you thinking that some of the better fishing spots may have been taken and the fish may be more active in the early morning.  We stayed on the spit for a couple of days and some of charters bring their catch up near the Coal Point Trading Company for pictures and they had some very large halibuts.  Starting late was the only issue.  The crew was very friendly and knowledgeable.  They baited the hooks with frozen herring, gaffed the halibut and brought it into the boat.  I appreciated the effort in trying to land a large halibut and persistence in getting the limit.  It was beautiful day, could not ask for better weather.  Boat and equipment was in good condition. The crew was very nice and professional.  Good experience!

I spoken with a couple of old timers and they said that even though it was a record year for sockeye at Kenai River, its generally pretty easy to catch sockeye. They called it flossing but it essentially snagging fish.  We fished the day before the charter at the Visitor Center, the gentlemen fishing next to us, walked us through the basics.  Its a pretty simple rig and technique.  We bank fished a few other spots after the charter, wherever you wet a line, you catch a fish.  We paid north of 1k including tip for a eight hour charter that lasted a couple of hours.  We had a short boat ride and fished one spot next to another boat.  I would not recommend booking a charter for sockeye salmon fishing on the Kenai River, unless it happens to be excessively crowded along the public accessible fishing spots or you missed the main run.  Its daylight from 4-5 to 10-11, chances are you will be able to find a spot to bank fish.  You can get decent inexpensive gear from Amazon.  Fly rod, waders, club, collapsible 5 gallon bucket, stringer, floor mat to clean fish, fillet knife, club, and a packable net.  20-30 lb leader, 3/4 weight, and #2-3 hook.  Everybody is catching their limit.  I booked the charter six months in advance, I did not catch the email where they changed the river location until the day before.  When I called, they promptly said it was not an issue and we fished the river we booked.  Captain was nice and he shared some good stories and offered advice.  He netted and cleaned the fish.  He was on time and professional. The drift boat and equipment was good!  Good experience!

This was our first Alaska fishing trip and it was a blast! Our guide, Trevin, was super knowledgeable and made sure that our first Alaska salmon fishing experience was one to remember. I’ll for sure be booking another trip with Alaskan Widespread in the future.

We highly recommend him and Alaska Widespread Fishing — we can’t wait to come back and fish with them again!