A nice a cozy Airport. Regular bear sighting flights and fishing tours…read more Pilots are awesome.

I had such high hopes for this trip after reading their website and other testimonials. However,…read morethis was the worst guided nature trip I have ever been on. To call it "guided" would be an understatement. This was just an expensive water taxi ride to a place where bears are known to sometimes feed. Our trip took place September 1, 2024. We went straight to the Silver Salmon Creek Lodge where bears frequently dig for clams during low tide. We immediately found one bear. Unfortunately, it was wearing a large radio collar. I am a professional photographer and no one is going to buy photos of a bear with a large leather collar around its neck. Mel kept telling us that other photographers said it could be removed in photoshop. I do not like to alter my images that drastically. I understand that Captain Mel can't control which bears we will see, however, this was the ONLY bear we saw on the entire trip. After about 20 minutes with this bear, we returned to the boat and travelled no more than 1/4 mile down the beach where Mel had spotted another bear earlier, but it went into the woods. We got out of the boat and waded to shore. Then we sat... for two hours! Mel claims he is the best bear guide on the Katmai Peninsula. He is not a guide at all. He gets bear sighting information from others guides (such as those from the Silver Salmon creek Lodge and pilots that fly people to this same spot). And on days like ours, when no bears were being found easily, he simply waits for one to appear. We waited on that beach for over 2 hours! No other wildlife to see, just listening to Mel talk as if he is a bear expert. Spend some time listening to his backwoods jargon and you will quickly learn he is just a glorified water taxi. After the more than 2 hours were up we boarded the boat and headed home. No attempt was made to find more bears along the coast. His website says, "we meticulously organize every aspect of our Alaskan brown bear tours, guaranteeing that your adventure aligns with your interests, expectations, and comfort level.". This trip did not meet any of the participant's expectations. I photographed with some of them afterwards and they agreed it was a complete waste of time and money. I contacted Mel the next day to let him know the trip fell far short of my expectations. I was hoping he would find a way to make up for such a failed venture. Unfortunately, he wrote back a long letter full of arrogance and excuses claiming you just have to be at the right place at the right time. One final downside of our trip was that the boat got beached sideways. Mel asked the four men in our tour to help push the boat back into the water. Not something I expected from a seasoned captain. At the end, we did not get an apology for only finding one bear. We got, "Great having you on board today". In full disclosure, I won this trip through a contest, so I did not have to pony up the $1400 for myself and my daughter. However, this trip was the main reason why we traveled from New York up to Alaska and it was supposed to be the highlight of our stay. Instead, it turned out to be the worst day we had. I am sure some who go on Mel's trips have a fantastic time (if the bears are feeding and it happens to be low tide), but we were thoroughly disappointed and Mel's guarantee of fulfilled expectations was just an empty promise.

Alaskan Gamefisher is a fishing guide service. Mel Erickson has boats that guide on the famous…read moreKenai River for Salmon. He also has an Ocean boat that goes out for Halibut and other offshore fish. I would highly recommend him as a guide. Prices are very reasonable and lodging is available. He can set you up with both Salmon and Halibut trips. We just returned with a couple of 45 pound King salmon and 130 pounds of Halibut. Great trip, great guide and Alaska is amazingly beautiful.

Beautiful location. Excellent guide. Great meal and atmosphere. Bears. Bears. Bears. Blue, blue,…read morelake

This is one of the spots for the once in a lifetime trip. I took my parents here since they have…read morebeen wanting to go to Alaska. Starting from the pickup from the hotel, water taxi with an Alaskan amphibian bush plane, fine dining within a historical lodge, bear watching, kayaking in Lake Clark at 10pm at night, watching whale migrating from a plane, a helicopter ride with landing on top of a glacier, Salmon fishing and bird watching, the trip stick and mesmerize both me and my parents. Whenever adventure story session come up in my big families, my parents always re-tell our little adventure in this lodge. We spent 3 days 2 nights at redoubt bay lodge. It is truly a trip to remember and a trip that will change you. All the staff member is meticulously prepared for our arrival, meals, trips, helicopter ride and flight back. It is not cheap, If you do have the means, GO FOR IT. You only do it once. You will not regrets!

Very poor communication,does not return phone calls,e-mails or texts.Booked a spoonbill trip was…read moretold to meet at a certain dock at 6 a.m.he changed the meeting place without giving us any type of directions. WE did find the new meeting place at 7a.m.Austin did not arrive .Called at 7:15 said he had a flat tire,would get tire fixed and meet us at the ramp.At 8:20 another guide arrived and we were able to go fishing.Had a great trip with this guide.Austin never did check on us or anything.Very disappointed with Austin,not a dependable person,Before booking with him,I would book at your own risk.WE were at Truman Reservoir very large lake and we did not know our way around.Had to find our way without ant support from autin.

I fished with McClure by accident in '09. I was in AK in June and was jonsing to catch a king…read more The first time I tried to fish with Steve he talked me out of it. I was shocked since it was the morning we were heading out. But Steve explained to me that another guy he knew was having better luck and he hadn't done too well the day before. So, reluctantly, I took Steve's advice and fished with another guide. We all limited! Wow... I called Steve two days later and thanked him. He told me he was on the fish now so I booked another day with him. This time, I fished with three other guys. We were on fish all day. Steve knew the Kenai. We hooked about 8 fish but two of the guys in the boat were not good fisherman and lost several. After these two turkeys were ready to head back early (I hadn't had a bite yet), Steve obliged them. I was sick. Then, Steve offered to take me back out (at like hour no 7 of the day). I jumped on the chance! We motored to a new section of the river and Steve pulled out the secret weapon. We pounded some good water until finally I got the bite I was looking for. I hooked a 42# hen and had a fantastic fight ending in my best king yet! I can't say enough for Steve. He knows his craft as well as anyone I have ever fished with. He's in it for all the right reasons! If you're fishing the Kenai penninsula, you should be so lucky as to fish with McClure!

The BEST! Went to Alaska to fish.....never fished before. Jason took us out the first day and…read morewas so helpful. First day I caught my limit and the three other trips with him! We will be back next year. Thanks Jason, Jeremy and Josh!!

Best guides, closest to the best fishing, great support staff!…read more Having lived near the Kenai River for over 30 years and still avidly fish the river, I know these folks are top notch guides. One of the best things about HiLo is their location. They are located on Beaver Hole on the lower river. A lot of the other lodges on the river either are located much further upriver or meet you somewhere on the lower river. With Hi-Lo, you step off their dock and 10 yards aways is one of the very best fishing spots on the lower Kenai River. If you want to catch fish that are blushed or turning red, then fish upstream. If you want to have the first crack at the first fish coming out of the Ocean and into the river silver bright and in mint shape, then you have to fish with Hi-Lo if you don't want to wait at some launch in the dark hoping the guides show up or start an hour earlier in the morning at 5am so the guide has time to run downriver through a hundred boats in the dark. Eat breakfast, step on the boat, and literally one minute later you are fishing in a premium spot. I have my own boat and base out of a launch several docks from them and ALWAYS use their services to help book my friends trip not only for salmon but halibut charters and any other activities. I fish side by side with their boats often and I ALWAYS get out fished. Very knowledgeable folks. When ever we fish late or we catch too many fish (haha, yes it happens!) I can rely on Melissa and their crew to get my fish processed for my guests. Always comes out perfectly Having fished the Kenai river since 1971, there are only several outfits I can personally give my stamp of approval to and Hi-Lo is one of them!

Nice place to stay. It was very Comfortable. The area is Beautiful. Alaska this is a gem.read more

Immaculate. Cozy…read more Pure relaxation. These are the terms of use to describe my two night stay in the Kenai Cozy Cabins. If there is something I could wish for, it would be more time in the cabins to relax, unwind, and chill. Here is what is included in your stay: 1. A private bedroom with a queen sized bed and a semi-private loft with a queen (or full) and a twin sized bed. Sheets are super comfortable and there are plenty of layers to keep you as toasty as you need. 2. A pristine bathroom complete with some amazingly soft towels and dispensers of soap and shampoo in the shower. 3. A fully stocked kitchen with everything you can imagine. Every cooking tool or small appliance you need. 4. An outdoor fire area complete with chairs and even wood to burn! 5. A grill with grill tools for all your outdoor grilling needs. Did I use the "grill" word enough?? There is a very comfortable chair and couch. There are also stools, a kitchen table with chairs, and a TV with DVD player. Large windows take full advantage of the light and you can park your car right next to the entrance of the cabin. Town is just a few minutes of driving away. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Excellent accomodations. The Cabins have everything you need for an excellent summer stay on the…read moreKenai. The Cabins are fairly new with very nice appliances, a modern bathroom, nice deck and a fire pit. We stayed there last year and plan to stay there every summer as we are avid fishermen. Kevin and his Wife, who own and manage the Cabins are awesome! They make sure that you have everything you need and are Super hosts.

Absolutely beautiful location. Wildlife is amazing. Owners are super friendly and extremely…read morehelpful. Accommodations are exceptional.