Stop whatever it is you’re doing. Get out of the office as fast as you can! Load up the boat or call your best friend who has a boat and get your butt to Bamfield. It’s on! The fish have shown up and they are in a right foul mood, that is if you happen to be lucky enough to annoy them with a single barbless hook in the lip!
Just in time too! It was tough slugging during the last week of July. North westerlies kept most of us inshore and the Sound was pretty dry. Things started to show promise during the Long Weekend and the Bamfield Fireman’s Derby. Fish were around but it was an all day kind of thing to have 3 or 4 hits and hopefully a couple of decent fish in the box. Harbourside was well represented at the Derby. Dave Lucas weighed in a 24.5 lber which held up for 3rd place. Dave’s Dad, our very own Captain Tom hit a walk off homer with a 26.5 lber weighed in with less than an hour on the derby clock. Tom’s fish held the leader board for 1st place!
My last crew, Rob from South Surrey and Michael from Kelowna managed some great fish during their 3 day stay including Michael’s first ever Tyee at 32 lbs. Rob boated 25 and 26 lb beauties, add some 20s and a couple of teenagers and they went home very happy.
So now that you have rushed out of the house, started the car and are in a mad dash to get here, lets talk about where you should fish and what to drag once you arrive.
Here’s the deal… Bait is usually the right call in August as our locals arrive and I have been ready dragging chovies in teaser heads as I should be. I have, however, kept a skinny g on one side of the boat as well. I have caught a few on bait but the skinny g has out fished the bait by far. I’ve had the best success using the Bon Chovy skinny g. Irish Cream should be effective as would No Bananas but for some reason the Bon Chovy really lit it up for me.
As for where and how deep? Little Beale has been solid but the water can be bumpy with a heavy north westerly and an outgoing tide. Depths on the rigger should range form 30′ to 40′. 37′ and 40′ has been best for me.
Kirby has been a tough go as there are so many shakers to get through. Whittlestone has been hit or miss but lights up when it’s on. Scott’s Bay, Brady’s Beach and the Wall can all have their moments. Austin and Cree have also been a tough go as to the crazy amount of shakers one has to get through but if you can wade through them there are decent fish to be found. Gibralta and Swale are beginning to turn on and it’s a great safe troll over there when it blow northwest.
So… Bring bait and you should be good but don’t put the spoons away just yet. Try bait on one side and a spoon on the other. Pick a winner and go from there.
Hali fishing is still fantastic if you get out. 7 mile out to 12 mile and then the rat’s Nose at Big Bank have all produced great fish. Find the humps that come up to 200′ and fish around them. Spreader bars and salmon bellies have been money.
If you are in the vicinity of Harbourside please stop in and say hi. I’d be happy to indulge in some fishin’ chat!
In the mean time and in between time, see you on the water…
Coach… aka Jonathan.