Winter Harbour Report

Just got back from winter harbor, the weather for the past few days kept most of the guys around the lighthouse, there are springs around and some coho. The fishing was not fast and furious, but if you put your time in there are some fish there. The wind was the big factor, mostly out of the south.
 
Fishing has been, for the most part, dictated by the weather. Have had a few unusual SE systems come in, with one coming in tonight for a couple of days. There are a good number of springs out on the highway, good morning bite at the cable and heli-pad at the lighthouse as well. Mostly in the mid to upper teens with a few in the 20's in the last couple of days. Largest so far on our dock was 29lbs (have only been fishing since Saturday). When you get offshore, bottom fishing is pretty good as well, always dependent on tides and weather for those. Coho are here, not of any great size yet (4-5lbs), but still here:). Will try and give weekly updates as the season progresses. Take care and see you on the dock:)

Regards,

Fishyboy
 
Fishing has been, for the most part, dictated by the weather. Have had a few unusual SE systems come in, with one coming in tonight for a couple of days. There are a good number of springs out on the highway, good morning bite at the cable and heli-pad at the lighthouse as well. Mostly in the mid to upper teens with a few in the 20's in the last couple of days. Largest so far on our dock was 29lbs (have only been fishing since Saturday). When you get offshore, bottom fishing is pretty good as well, always dependent on tides and weather for those. Coho are here, not of any great size yet (4-5lbs), but still here:). Will try and give weekly updates as the season progresses. Take care and see you on the dock:)

Regards,

Fishyboy

Fishyboy,
Thanks for the offer to try to post weekly. It will be August before we come up to Winter Harbour, but reading your reports will the dope that keeps this addict afloat until we do!!

Capt. Red
 
I was up at WH last week for a few days. We fished both off shore and at the lighthouse. Lighthouse was good action for springs up to 20 lbs and coho. The hottest lures in our boat was green - army truck, green/white and Irish Cream all produced. Best depths were 25 for ho's and 50 for springs.

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Thanks 99.....i am not familiar with the 'heli pad' or the 'cable'......can you give me some insight on where those areas are? thanks, heading up there today!
 
Heading to WH for Jul 18-19-20. Reports much appreciated.
 
Headed up to Winter Harbour, Sunday 6th July to the 10th, just power washing the boat and getting gear ready for an epic trip. Will post up what we find, hope the weather lets us get around a bit.
 
Fished on Wednesday afternoon hit 1 small spring on coal harbour side of narrows which we released ..then headed out to see what was going on at Cains..wow not nice weather so we stayed just in around corner from Cliff with 6 or so other's...only one small (12lb?) spring for us which again we released..looked very slow for others as well..pulled crab traps on way back into coal harbour with only 2 keepers, big crab mind you.. but only 2..so off to Scotia Bay it was.. was a good move for us as I heard it was nasty again yesterday (Thursday)...
 
Fishing has definitely picked up for springs, especially in the last 4-5 days, feels like the coho days in years past. Lots of catch and release to get to the 20lb+ fish, had a 27lb and 25lb in yesterday morning, about 6-9 in the lower 20's this morning so far (even with the crappy weather), still have 3 boats out around the light and down at Cliff point, they do have fish on board, but I don't know the sizes of them yet. Seems like the bite is more productive at the lighthouse first thing (dawn to 7am), with fish hitting again on the change. Offshore fishing for springs have showed up in quantity as well and is definitely way better than fishing in the sound, although we have been inside fishing since yesterday afternoon due to the SE storm that is happening. The springs are on both sides of the entrance to Quatsino Sound, right from the RCA closure down to Grants Bay and out in the 300ft mark off of Lawn Point to Brooks Bay. Coho has opened up to one wild and one hatchery outside the surf line, but they still haven't showed up in any great numbers, more way more springs than coho, but the ones that are being caught are good sized, 7-9lbs with a couple up to 11lbs on our dock. Few Pinks being caught out in the deep, had a chum come in yesterday as well.

Weather has been a issue from yesterday afternoon until probably mid afternoon tomorrow (Sunday), SE storm force is rolling though, should pass tonight and back to NW winds by Monday morning, hope we have seen the last of the SE winds until the fall:). Haven't done any bottom fishing in the last 3 days, weather was an issue today and the previous groups had done their bottom fishing last Tuesday and Wednesday, had some flat calm waters offshore on those days:).

Harbour is surprising slow for the 'bring your own boat' crowd, have not had any boats on the government wharf since Thursday, and with this weather, probably not until Monday or Tuesday. A couple of guys have pm'd me about ice, we are still selling ice at the lodge and hope to have our small restaurant open next week for lunch.

Take care and will try to do another report before next weekends BYOB crowd shows up:).

Regards,

Fishyboy
 
Will be in Winter Harbor starting July 19 through until August 10th. Just went through a bout of health issues and decided I need an extended period of reel therapy. Will be staying at Winter Harbor Lodge campsite, fishing a 21 Campion Explorer called "Should-Be -Working" (Brother in laws boat, he will be working and I will be fishing) and will be entertaining family and friends for the 3 weeks. Will hang out on 6 on the VHF and believe in sharing information. cheers Steve
 
Just back from WH but still work to be done firing up the vp215, and cleaning the blood off the boat.

Pulling in on Sunday.

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We really lucked out on the weather as the wind came down after blowing hard before we arrived. We were able to get off shore the first two days for Hali and lings, it was hard to pass the salmon guys hitting them at Kains but we wanted to get bottom fish out of the way first.

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Wind was coming back so we stayed inside for springs the next day.

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Thought we better go for a hike and found this.

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Last day morning fish the springs wet still there, double header in the gap first thing.

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Can't believe it's over so fast.

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