“Big Dave” Manners has been a salmon and steelhead fishing fanatic since he first set foot on the bank of a rushing river as a youngster growing up in the Pacific Northwest. Manners fell in love with the art of salmon and steelhead fishing and made the pursuit of these elusive fish his life’s work. There was something so rewarding about uncovering these fish’s subtle and ever-changing nuances that Big Dave took the next step and completely immersed himself chasing them.

At 23, Manners took the step most people only dream of when he started his own salmon fishing lodge in the Lake Creek area of Alaska. Since then, he’s owned and operated multiple lodges the last 12 years in Alaska until he found Alaska’s Shangri-la and planted his steaks.

Today,  Manners runs Big Dave’s Fishing Adventures on the Kichatna River in the Upper Yentna River headwaters, which is widely considered one of Alaska’s premier freshwater king and coho fishing destinations.  There are tackle busting king salmon and the ravenous coho swarming the waters surrounding the camp, opening up an endless supply of fertile waters for guests to explore while they look for the fish of a lifetime. For the more adventurous angler looking to cross as many experiences off their bucket list as possible in a single trip, he has lit the way for the journey. Trophy rainbow trout, chum, sockeye and pink salmon, as well as arctic grayling, and even northern pike, are available within a boat ride from the camp when the seasons are right. If there was a place with more remote access to a more exhilarating and once-in-a-lifetime experience, it hasn’t been discovered yet.

Manning’s success and infectious personality catapulted him into the limelight where he’s been featured in Fish Alaska Magazine, Salmon Trout and Steelheader, Salmon and Steelhead Journal and others. Meanwhile,  he’s also a regular on the Northwest’s hit TV show Hawg Quest hosted by long time friend Glenn Hall. Nonetheless, it’s always been about the sport to Big Dave and he’s done what he can to protect it by donating dozens of trips to multiple pro-fishing organizations.

When Big Dave isn’t up in Alaska, he and his beautiful wife Leslie and toddler son Max, reside in Oceanside, Oregon near Tillamook where he spends October through April floating the Wilson, Kilchis and Trask rivers in Oregon for fall chinook and winter steelhead.

For more information, visit bigdavesfishing.com.