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 Overall, September is one of our favourite months for local fishing. The weather is typically very calm with warm sunny days ... and the largest Chinook of the season are prevalent in local waters ... like this beauty in the photo above caught by Phil! We also have returning Coho, Pink, and Sockeye salmon. So you never know what species of salmon will strike the line next!  This September was a bit unusual compared to prior years though. It was somewhat inconsistent. We had days where the fishing was on fire with multiple hookups of large chinook followed by days where it was hard to get a bite. Usually the fish arrive and hold for several days to a week or more prior to heading into our local river systems. But we had a few early rains that seemed to move the fish into rivers more quickly. That said, we still had some fantastic days on the water in September while boating some monster Chinook!    Each August we take a few days to fish Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The scenery is stunning and the fishing never disappoints! We typically fish bait for these returning Chinook but artificial lures can be productive on certain days. The continuous action kept us busy with aggressive hits and line ripping runs!   Fishing has continued to be productive as more fish arrive in our local waters on a daily basis. We’ve been focusing on targeting Coho recently and have been consistently getting into multiple fish per trip. Guests can currently retain two hatchery marked Coho (clipped adipose fin) per person. Coho fishing will continue to be strong into September. Most of the fish have been hitting bait (anchovies) but we’re still hitting a few fish on artificial gear as well. With warm weather and calm seas, it’s a great time to be on the water. With travel restrictions in place, now is a great time to check out our local waters to experience the amazing scenery and great fishing we have in our back yard!     Coho salmon continue to be prevalent in local waters. We have consistently hooked into 10+ fish on each trip. That said, we’ve done this by moving between several locations until we find the fish. Just because an area was productive on one day, does not mean the fish will still be there the following day. A willingness to pick up the gear and head for another spot has been the key to our success this season. On a few trips, the westerly winds hampered our ability to safely access areas where the larger concentrations of fish have been holding, but we always have a few options available to tuck in out of the wind when those situations occur. The fish are feeding on small to medium size herring currently and hitting aggressively. Coho are a surface fighting fish and often catapult out of the water shortly after hitting the lines. This is where keeping a tight line to the fish is key otherwise they quickly throw the hook leaving only a memory of the one that got away! Guests can retain up to 2 hatchery marked Coho per fishing license with a salmon stamp.  We’re now in the off season for Crabs and Prawns. Upon request, we will still drop some traps on the way to the salmon grounds for guests that would like to experience this fishery but the success rate has dropped significantly. The peak season for Prawns is generally December - May and for crabs is December - June. Chinook salmon retention is now open in a few areas with additional openings coming August 1st. Give us a call for more details and to book your charter today!   Fishing has continued to be excellent with multiple hookups per trip. In the past week we’ve had trips where we’ve hooked into more than 20 fish during 8hr charters! The average size of Chinook salmon has increased to the 10-12 lb range including two fish breaking the 20lb mark this month already.  The fish are feeding on herring currently and are putting on significant weight each week.  We are happy to report that the Coho have arrived in local waters and are increasing in numbers every day! Guests can retain up to 2 hatchery marked Coho per license to take home. A guest on our last trip took two nice hatchery Coho salmon home for the barbecue along with some fresh Dungeness crab! Coho frequent the upper areas of the water column typically from the surface down to about 60’. They are voracious feeders this time of year and put on an acrobatic display when hooked, jumping around in every direction.  Contact us today to schedule your trip to experience the amazing scenery and the adrenalin rush of battling a pacific salmon!     With COVID-19 restrictions easing, we are pleased to announce the resumption of charter services as of June 1, 2020! Although we were not taking guests during the lockdown period of COVID-19, we were on the water regularly including participating in DNA sampling to assist in tracking the migratory activities of our prized Chinook salmon. In addition to providing key information for the ongoing preservation of stocks, it also means we know where the fish are and what they are feeding on. Overall the fishing has been excellent. We've been hooking into multiple Chinook salmon on every trip and it has been common to be into double digits by the time the day is over. The majority of fish have been in the 8lb to 10lb range but we're seeing an increasing number of fish in the mid teens as well. These fish are aggressively feeding this time of year so they are hitting the gear hard making for some exciting battles. We are mostly trolling spoons to imitate the bait these fish are feeding on. As we head into June, we will start including bait presentations (anchovy & herring) in our deployed gear as well. It's hard for any salmon to resist a properly presented anchovy or herring! Coho salmon will be arriving soon in our local waters. We usually see the Coho appear around the last week of May into the first week of June. They are aggressive feeders as well and provide for chaotic surface battles as they jump and race around in every direction. We are currently in the 'catch and release' phase of our fishery for Chinook salmon but guests can retain up to two hatchery marked Coho salmon per license. This season, we are also providing the opportunity for guests to participate in DNA sampling efforts for Chinook. We bring the fish on board briefly to collect a sample, record its length, and take a quick photo before safely releasing the fish to fight another day. Retention of Chinook is currently slated to start July 15th, as it did last season, but there is a possibility it will start earlier this year. We are anticipating an updated announcement from the Department of Fisheries & Oceans before June 15. Crabbing and prawning has been excellent. We will be dropping crab traps on all our charters through to the end of June with prawning being offered on our longer duration charters (8hr & 10hr charters) through until mid June. Contact us today to secure your day on the water!   |
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