Hi All
This has been the most difficult summer in recent memory, with fires, power and internet outages along with other stuff we have been dealing with at the Lodge. Yet at least one thing has remained constant: the fishing has been and still is awesome. I mean flat out awesome! I am talking some of the best fishing I have ever experienced. Get your boat up here now. If not a boat then a kayak or heck, even a canoe. It’s that good folks.
To give you an idea, the other day I decided to skip fishing on the troll with downriggers. I took two guests out to some very quiet flat water and jigged. We started out jigging at 15, 20 and 25 pulls with three rods and some 2.5 oz L’il Nib jigs. It wasn’t crazy at first. Early on we managed to boat 2 lovely coho. As the day wore on we found a spot tight to the rocks in about 60 feet of water. It was then that things took a turn for the chaotic. It was spring after spring. Nothing smaller than 23 lbs or so and many of them pushing 25. We had numerous double headers and 1 triple header. These were hard fighting angry chinook.
Sunny weather, flat water, hardly any other boats in sight. We lost count after landing our 23rd! Absolute craziness and so much fun. After we boated our take home fish it was easy to keep the fish in the water, no pic taking whatsoever which lead to easy and fast releases. I am telling you folks, Bamfield and Barkley Sound are pumping right now.
I am hoping it lasts through this weekend’s Port Alberni Salmon festival. Both the municipality of Port Alberni and the town of Bamfield need some good things to happen for them this weekend. It really marks the last big weekend of the summer. Someone is going to walk away with 15k for boating the largest spring salmon this weekend, might as well be you! but.. you gotta be here.
Ok here are the details you need to know.
Hoochies, especially glow white ones and small spoons are still effective trolled behind your fav flashers. But bait is really our go to at this time of the year.
Anchovies rolled in glow teaser heads 6 to 7 feet behind your flashers is a can’t miss!
If you fish the following spots you aren’t going to go wrong:
Scott’s Bay and Aguilar Point (just to the left of the harbour mouth), Kirby Point and Ohiat, Sandford, Fleming, Harbour entrance, Swale, the Wall and the whole coast line from the ewall down to Poet Nook. I have found the fish to be slightly deeper this August.
Try starting at 45 to 55 feet on the riggers and perhaps even into the 60s as the day wears on. Keep to all the “usuals”. Fish the early morning bite and fish through all the tide changes for your best chances.
Coho and are showing up in numbers now. They seem to be happily biting on the same gear that you are targeting springs with.
Offshore is still productive for hali and sable fish. Halibut are still around but a bit harder to work for than in June and July. Humps that come up to 200 or so feet on the banks are your best bets. Salmon bellies, herring and paddle tail jigs are all very effective hali entiders. For sable fish, I use a 9 oz jig tipped with a square inch of salmon belly. I find them in 300 feet of water close by to drop offs and shelves.
My last weekend will be Labour Day. I am going to so very much miss my early morning jaunts on the water with guests. Barkley Sound is such a special place. So happy it will be there waiting for me next spring! In the meantime it’s back to teaching and coaching.
I have got to defend a Sr. Boys Provincial Basketball Championship this school year. I had so much fun winning it last year, I figure what the heck, let’s try it again!
Have a great last weekend of summer on the water folks.
Coach is out!