August 08th, 2018

We've recently returned from our annual Nootka Sound trip with the boats. Another great visit to an incredibly picturesque part of our province! Fishing on the inside was slower than usual this year but we did get several Chinook near Coopte Point. We had to go quite a bit deeper than prior years to find them on the inside with anchovies being the most productive by far. 

We also spent some time on the outside at the Red Can off Bajo Reef and back toward Beano Creek and Maquinna. Offshore conditions were unbelievable. Lake like conditions every day which is almost unheard of. We eventually found a very hot bite in around Beano where the predators gathered to feast on large schools of tiny (2-3") baitfish. It's always exciting when we find large concentrations of baitfish. The water surface comes alive as everything tries to get in on the feeding frenzy. The salmon and whales push the bait into the shallows while the birds dive into the concentrated bait balls from above - it's tough being toward the bottom of the food chain! We got limits on hatchery coho and released many nice wild fish. The coho were averaging a feisty 9lbs with the occasional beauty pushing 12-15lbs! We had a push of nice chinook move into the area on one night that provided some great action with screaming long runs. Most fish were in the 15-22lb range. A few whales showed up to feast as well and surfaced within 30' of the boat. Always a really cool sight to see! And then we were rewarded with a surprise 46lb halibut while trolling for Chinook in tight near the kelp - what a great fight on light salmon gear!

Now we're back in Vancouver where sockeye fishing is officially open and really beginning to heat up. We're also in prime time for chinook fishing with new waves moving into the area with every flood tide. Combine this with the coho we've had in the area and it's a great time to be out on the water! Our last trip out picked up some really nice sockeye that were averaging about 7lbs. With a large return projected, we're expecting sockeye will be open for a few weeks but it's never a guarantee. So if you want to get into some premium sockeye salmon action, don't wait too long!