The Bait Shack

One of the places to rent fishing gear. 90 dollars per day which does not include baits. The bait is salmon eggs. The ship creek where fishing is carried out is next to the shop. In high tide there are a lot of fish swimming around. The bank to the creek is muddy swamp. There is no parking in the area as it belongs to the establishment adjacent. The staff has boys which work for tips. They fillet the caught fish and vaccum bag them.

The most fun I’ve had in Anchorage and I didn’t even catch anything! I stayed at the Wingate Hotel right next to the creek and saw everyone fishing because it coincided with the start of the King Salmon run. The locals suggested this place for rentals and I filled all the extra hours I had in Anchorage before a flight home to NC fishing (well, trying to). Everyone is really friendly and gives all sorts of advice. The shack has everything you will need and people are coming and going getting bait and such. Dustin gave us Ship Creek virgins a bunch of tips before we set out. To maximize the rentals, fish in the evening and then again in the early morning. Awesome place, very convenient. Hope to be back!

Dustin, the owner who is a military veteran, is absolutely amazing. He always goes above and beyond to help others and the community. Their shop offers rentals in case you don't have a rod/reel. Of course, they offer the best bait in town! You won't regret stopping by the bait shack.

I am in anchorage for work, did some research and brought a travel rod and other gear to try my hand at some Silvers. My first day I talked to a guy on the river (later learned his name was Deven and he worked at the bait shack). He recommended a spot for me to try the spinner I had tied on. That afternoon I caught 4 nice keepers and missed quite a few more. On my way out I ran into Deven again. He mentioned he worked for the bait shack and they would filet and vacuum seal my catch for tips. Ended up doing that multiple days and will be leaving with a full cooler. The guys at the bait shack were all super friendly, knowledgeable, and made this out of towner feel welcome. While I didnt rent gear through them, I would recommend stopping by for their services. Can't beat catching salmon steps from downtown anchorage. Thanks guys

Ice Fishing was my favorite part of our trip. We did a lot of fun things on our trip to Alaska and ice fishing was by far my favorite. My husband may disagree but that's only because I caught more fish than him... Dustin is the shop owner and an all-around cool guy. He had a great set up for us before we even got to the location - a heated shelter, cameras so we could see below the ice, and rods all ready to go. We enjoyed chatting with him about his experiences fishing all over the world (he won't brag...but he's kind of famous). We're always looking to support Veteran-owned businesses and we're glad to have found The Bait Shack! Don't worry, all of the big Char went back into the water to swim another day. But man was it fun! It was so exhilarating to watch these fish come up from the ice. Dustin also made sure they were handled gently and watched for any signs of distress from the fish as we were sending them home. We're fully committed to a summer trip so we can fish out a few Kings with Dustin and his crew. If you're looking for a fishing adventure near Anchorage, call The Bait Shack!

We didn't end up fishing, but we had been in contact with them leaving up to the trip. They were honest about the creek starting to run dry. I fully appreciate the honesty and they left the decision ultimately up to us. Thank you!

We loved it so much we went twice! The first time we fished with bait and the second time we fished by flossing and caught 3! We had to let 2 go because they were pink salmon but the other one was a silver and Haines filleted, and vacuum sealed it for us really nicely. It was such a memorable experience and honestly time flies because it’s just so much fun. An amazing experience for our family and for any family.

Had a great day fishing for silver salmon. Dustin and Dillon from the bait shack were terrific guides and everyone caught fish. I asked a few questions about fishing on Ship Creek and they had answers. After fishing, they filleted my limit of 3 and vacuum bagged the fish and prepared it for the trip to California. I am definitely returning for a day of Ship Creek salmon fishing with the crew from The Bait Shack.