My family and I spent a week here over Fourth of July weekend and had a great time! We've never gone 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! read more

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We had an amazing experience at Alaska Hooksetter's Lodge and Russell Fishing. 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 read more

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Just wrapped up a week at Hooksetters. Russell Fishing Co completely took care of my group. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are taken care of. The fishing was absolutely amazing. The guides were professional and helpful. Every day we caught amazing fish, met awesome people, and experienced Alaska like never before. I highly recommend checking out Hooksetters if you are looking for an awesome fishing trip read more

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Cabins are nice and cozy. Coffee makers and refrigerators in the cabins as well. Beds are comfortable and welcomed after a long day of fishing. Service could be a little better. If you need something like new towels or your garbage emptied you may have to ask. Wi-fi is spotty but not really needed if you are here for the fishing. Karen is very nice and Karmyn cooks amazing meals for dinner. Breakfast has several choices but generally consists of cereal, simple breakfast sandwiches that you heat up in the microwave, packaged oatmeal and muffins. Lunch was consistently a sandwich (hamburger bun, a few slices of meat, lettuce and cheese), cookie/brownie and chips. Dinners were delicious. The ribs, salmon, fillet minion and pasta were perfect along with the sides. Appetizers by the fire were usually sweet tea, a soup and two different hors d'oeuvres. They were always delicious. Be careful not to fill up on them before dinner. It's easy to do. Fishing gear is available at the lodge if you want to go out on your own. It's decent gear and will work for what you need. Overall it works but I wasn't overly impressed or disappointed either way (except for the delicious dinners). For the fishing portion, please see Russell Fishing Company's review. read more

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My dad, Kipp, my uncle, David, and I just returned from an amazing trip at Hooksetters with Russell Fishing. Out of 5 stars, I'd give them a 10! They more than exceeded our expectations of our first trip to Alaska fishing. We've done some guided fishing trips before and the guides with Hooksetters are top notch! They're friendly, knowledgeable, and put you right on the fish. We limited out almost every day and even if we didn't, we had an outstanding day fishing and talking with the guides - learning about the local area and ecology. I'd be remiss without talking about the food - oh gosh! I'm a big foodie and I planned on having standard fare for dinner each night. I was so wrong! Every night we had a meal I could have easily spent lots of $$$ on in a high-quality restaurant. Halibut, salmon, seafood linguine, tenderloin - with the best desserts also. Including strawberry-rhubarb crisp, my dad's favorite. The highlight of the evening, though, was sitting around the campfire sharing fishing stories with Glenn and all the other guests. We also saw a lot of animals including an almost nightly walk-through of Moose. I thought this was a once in a lifetime trip - but now we are already planning another visit back to Hooksetters. Once is just not enough! read more

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Took my first trip to AK with daughter for a fishing adventure. I was apprehensive not knowing area and what to expect. Sent out three emails looking for info and availability. Glenn contacted me almost immediately and we secured our adventure. I cannot say enough about our trip. We were not looking for bathrobes, slippers, or massages. We got a great value for our money, loved the setting of the lodge, and the other guests were great, and most were returners which says a lot. Dinners were great and breakfast and lunches were more than enough given the timing on fishing trips. Dustin and Russell Fishing did a great job with our fishing trips and even when a small scheduling problem occurred, they over delivered on the solution. We caught fish and had great guides, including Nick on our fly out with Alaska West Air. We will be back and I don't have to worry about who to work with. Thanks for a great trip!!!!! read more

This was my first fishing trip to Alaska. Glen and staff made the experience memorable. Guides were professional and knowledgeable. Cabins were clean and food was good. The fly in is a must for any package. Enjoyed it so much, I am trying to get some friends to make this annual event. read more