Hi All
It’s almost sad as we are nearing the end of our season. That said the last part of August and early September are as good as it get’s here in Barkley Sound
Let’s get to it then!
All of the local hot spots are now producing. From Beale down to Yankee Bay has all been good. Flemming and Kirby have had their “going off ” moments. Go to where you feel confident, drop your gear and wait for mayhem!
For that to happen though you have to present the right gear at the right depths and the right speed. First I would roll anchovies in purple haze or bloody nose teaser heads 6′ behind your favourite flashers. I like to match my flashers with my teaser heads but I am a bit of a fashion guru when it comes to that. Hootchies, especially in white are still taking springs and the coho luv ’em! Trolling some plastic keeps gear in the water as the coho especially have been notorious for slamming gear but not hooking up. Hootchies allow you to keep your gear in the water when that happens, and that’s a good thing. Spoons have still been effective too, especially in the 3.5 inch range.
Depths are still shallow. At Beale (and their have been some very big fish hooked there but the Beale Seal has stolen many a tyee lately!) I’ve been trolling at 38′ and 33′. Flemming and the Wall I’ve been running my gear at 27′ and 33′. Down towards Danvers and Poet Nook I run a little bit deeper at 45′ and 50′.
Keep a relatively quick troll at 2.6 to 2.8 even 3 miles per hour speed over ground. Troll with the tide as much as you can as the fish usually have the snouts pointing into the current and are more apt to see your gear coming at them.
Off shore is still a good bet for numbers but big fish are more likely to be in the sound. Big Bank, the Nose, 12 mile are all producing at times, that is if the seas are calm enough to get out. We haven’t been offshore much for salmon but are still having our best season ever with halibut. Captain Tom has been out 4 times in the last week and limited on halis each time including a gorgeous 6′ blue shark he caught and released on Sunday the 28th. 12 miles to 14 miles from Beale on humps that come up to 200 feet have so very productive. Extra large herring and salmon bellies fished on spreader bars will put you on the flat fish.
The long weekend is almost upon us and that means the Port Alberni Salmon Fest starts Saturday the 3rd and runs till 4:00 pm on Labour Day Monday. First prize for largest salmon is 15k with 5k going to daily winners. 2nd and 3rd place daily winners are taking home 2k and 1k. At only $40 per rod entry it’s a fun deal. You never know with each hit if this could be a derby winning fish. Someone is going to be a winner, might as well be you (hopefully me though!)!
We still have some moorage and a few spots for accommodations left this weekend and into early September. Call now and book as you have to get in on the most exciting fishing time of the year. It will all be over way too soon!
Stop and say hi. Coffee is on. The tackle store is stocked with gear and bait and we will be around for the best weekend of the year!
Coach (aka Jonathan) Aussie John and Tom…