Veteran support · Alaska expeditions

Fish Alaska.
Fund the home front.

Honey Badger takes veterans chasing king salmon through some of the wildest water in North America — and every seat on the boat raises money for the fight back home.

Join a Trip The King Salmon Derby
Honey Badger Classic 2027 — Alaska
Powered by Joe
0Veterans per expedition
0Days on wild water
0Of proceeds to veterans
0Crowned Derby champion
Two veterans fly fishing together in an Alaskan river at dusk
Two rods, one river, zero rank.

The Mission

Some fights don't end when the uniform comes off.

Honey Badger exists for the veterans still carrying weight. We run guided fishing expeditions deep into Alaska — no ranks, no reports, just cold water, big fish, and people who understand.

Every trip is a fundraiser. Seats bought by the public, sponsors like Joe, and derby entry fees all flow back into veteran support: getting vets on the water, and funding the programs that look after them when they get home.

“The honey badger doesn't quit. Neither do we — not on the river, and not on each other.”

The Competition

The King Salmon Derby

Every expedition ends the same way: at the weigh-in dock. Land the biggest king salmon of the trip and you don't just get bragging rights — you take home the prize.

A chrome-bright king salmon lifted from a glacial river

How the crown is won

  • One fish, one shot. Each angler enters their single largest king salmon of the trip.
  • Certified scales. Every entry is weighed at the dock on the derby's certified hanging scale.
  • Heaviest wins. Biggest weight takes the title — ties broken by length.
  • Everyone eats. Win or lose, the catch is processed, packed, and flown home with you.
Derby prize The Champion's Haul — title, trophy, and a prize package from Joe
A king salmon on the weigh-in dock next to the derby scale
The dock decides everything.

The Location

Fireweed Lodge

Fireweed Lodge on the water in Alaska — boats at the dock, American and Alaska state flags flying
Home base — boats at the dock, flags up, kings out front.

Fly out from Ketchikan · Southeast Alaska · All-inclusive

Every expedition starts the same way: a floatplane out of Ketchikan, skimming the Inside Passage until Fireweed Lodge appears on the shoreline. From there it's boats at the dock, gear that's ready, and king salmon water minutes away.

This is the derby's home water — where every entry is landed, weighed at the dock, and crowned. Days on the water, nights at the lodge swapping stories.

Fish Fireweed Lodge

From Signup to Scale

How a trip runs

  1. 01

    Claim a seat

    Sign up below. Veterans ride funded; public seats and sponsors bankroll the mission.

  2. 02

    Get issued gear

    Rods, waders, layers, and licenses are handled. Bring yourself — we cover the rest.

  3. 03

    Fish the run

    Guides put you on kings all week. Every cast counts toward your derby entry.

  4. 04

    Face the scale

    Final weigh-in at the dock. Heaviest king takes the crown and the prize.