port alberni sockeye

During the fiirst week of July 2011 did very well for sox in the inlet. Also did well out at swale for springs. With this hot weather and low snow pack could be a good year in the inlet. Last year was a real pain running the inlet, with all the seiners and gill neters, but I guess it comes with the fishery. We will give it a go again this year.
 
Preliminary forecast is for 600,000 fish with full limits (4 per day), but there was a very high return of jacks last year and it could be as high as 1.4 million. Snow pack is low, so the river isn't likely to be a factor this season. More likely the fish will stack up where we can get a shot at them. The fish in the river are reported to be fairly large size wise...could be good sign. Still very early and we wont really get a good feel for how the season will shape up until around 3rd week of June.
 
FYI the gillnet opening that happened Tues produced a very good catch of sockeye for this time of the year and these are traveling fish entering the canal not schooled up.The seine testing also on Monday and Tuesday showed the best numbers for this time period over the last 10 years. Pretty good indicators of a potential large run.
 
Smiley, do you have time to give a report on your trip? We are planning a trip next week and want to dial it in.

Anyone else fishing the last few days with a report?

Thanks
 
SOMASS SOCKEYE BULLETIN # 3 – 2015 Date: June 11, 2015
Somass Sockeye Stock Assessment Update
Pre-season forecast:
Somass (Great Central and Sproat) – “Abundant Range” 700,000 -– 1 million
Henderson Lake sockeye outlook ~ 25,000 – 45,000
Escapement to June 9: ~ 15,000
Test Fishery: Seine vessel Nita Maria June 8th-9th (not restricted by seine free zone) Estimated 35,000 outside Ten Mile Point and inside – 40,000 Total 75,000 in the Inlet.
First in-season re-forecast: June 25th
Catch Estimate: ~ 47,700 adults
Somass First Nations – 32,500
Maanulth First Nations Domestic harvest – 200
Area D Gillnet – ~ 12,000
Area B Seine - 0
Recreational – 3,000
NEXT WEEK’S FISHING PLANS:
First Nations
Tsu-ma-uss (Hupacasath & Tseshaht) Gillnets Sunday June 14th 12 pm to Wednesday June 17th 12 pm from Hohm Island to Hook Bay. Hook and Line – 7 days a week from Papermill Dam to Hook Bay except for Papermill Dam Pool.
Tseshaht Communal Drag Seine – Friday June 12th to Sunday June 14th daily from 5 am to 12 am at Papermill Dam Pool.
Hupacasath Communal Gillnet –Friday June 12th to Sunday June 14th daily 8 pm to 6 am, from Hohm Island to Hook Bay. (Limited to designated boats only) Seine Vessel Nita Maria may also be designated for harvest depending on success of gillnet fishery.
Maanulth – 7 days a week. Gillnet and Hook and Line - the harvest plan may include the contracting of designated Area D Gillnet vessels to harvest sockeye. These vessels will be displaying Maa-nulth identification flags.
Commercial
Area D Gillnet – Tuesday June 16th 14 hour opening from 6 am to 8 pm from the Bamfield line to the Pocahontas line.
Area B Seine - First possible fishery in the week of June 22nd depending on escapement levels and catches rates. Will fish to a weekly target or 3 to 4 days of fishing each week, which ever occurs first. Boundaries are from Pocahontas to Polly Point. (Will include a closed area “seine free zone”)
Recreational
May 1 until further notice 4 sockeye per day in Area 23 except for the tidal portions of the Somass River which remain at 2 sockeye per day.
Experimental non tidal river fishery at Somass Park opened May 18th 2 sockeye per day.
For more information please refer to Fisheries Notices or contact the DFO office in Port Alberni at 250 720-4440
 
Back
Top