2016 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Fishing Reports

[xavier]

Back last night. Fished Thursday night bite through Monday am. Great for those who went to fish offshore. Inshore was a grind, though you could scrape them up. Some did great, some regulars were getting skunked. Each morning got slightly better with yesterday from 0500 to 0545 being the first real sustained bite I saw inside. Also heard it was even better today of course. Looks good for those going up this week.

My tip, which is hardly a tip for Nootka unless you are a first timer...be on the water with lines in as early as you possibly can. Night bite was more of a grind than usual for us. Looks good for those still heading up there, but they are either late or not quite the numbers predicted. Still worth it of course!

Fished hoochies but wound up running large spoons, no flasher at the end. Green seemed to be the ticket for spoons and flashers. White glow hoochies as well. Bait was working too. The fish were cartwheeling on the surface like crazy for us, so we switched to something with larger hooks and we had better success getting them to the boat. They all sulked on me last year, go figure...

Jelly fish were everywhere. Dejellying (is that a term?) large spoons was much easier than the amount of jelly fish the flashers were wrapping themselves in.

Biggest surprise...the Lighthouse, Wash Rock and Beano were dead for us, I mean absolutely dead. They are traditionally very fishy right now. Though I did hear Beano was great the day before we went out...of course.

I wouldn't go quite so far to call them the daily hot spots, but the best spots inside moved. The Wall, Camel Rock, Hoiss and San Carlos each had their day while I was there.

Final thought as it is getting really busy, we all need to pay attention to the boats around us. Saw too many fish get broken off by oblivious people in a crowd. If someone passionately shouts at you because their fish is heading straight for your boat, don't just stand there in awe mouth breathing and shrug your shoulders. Turn out and/or go hit the green button on your rigger! It takes little time to get your lines back down. A broken off fish is heartbreaking for those waiting hours between strikes. Nootka is also not a good place to ride peoples you know whats. Springs that hit shallow will run like crazy.

 

[dmurph]

Good advice on the getting up early. I was new and took me a day or 2 before hitting the first light bite. Had the rods in the water one morning by 645 7 thinking it was gonna be on, only to hear the bite hit strong between 545 and 7 that morn lol.

We had a boat hook up in front of us one morning and I immediately turned out and wife started raising her rigger. Rigger snags something and breaks off losing all our gear on that side. Strange as we were in 140 ft of water fishing 45 deep. I notice my rod and rigger are hooked on something and ****, the person's fish is on my side and they were far away when I turned out. I stop the boat, bring my gear up, just before the ball get a hand on their line when the wife sees the fish jump way off beyond their boat. I feel the fish on the line and yell at the people your fish is on I still feel it. They had given up rod tip down no reeling. I tell them to start reeling and free up the line. They landed a mid 20s fish. Don't ever give up until you see the flash and lure. Lol

 

[codfather]

Was able to get offshore and battled the 6 foot swell and 25 mph wind and did ok. That's the last day for a few as its getting worse now. There were lots of fish at the Can but we only made one pass downhill to get those salmon.

The inside is finally starting to turn on. Not full on yet but it is showing signs of fish turning on for a bit of a bite, the nothing for hours. Yesterday Hoiss, Camel, and San Carlos turned on for a morning bite that last for 30 min then nothing.

 

[Reel Obsession]

Off shore salmon fishing remains excellent. There are lots of springs around 6 mile and 12 mile. The bigger fish have been at the 6 mile reef. The 12 mile fish are on the bite all day, where as the 6 mile fish can be a little more tide sensitive. Fishing the flood and slack times on 6 mile will produce these bigger fish. Glow green/silver and glow purple/silver flashers have been working well. Hoochies and spoons are both working. I have been fishing a 6 inch g-force no bananas spoon with a dummie flasher on one side with good success. UV white terds, gator back hoochies and silver blue coyotes have all been catching.

Lots of big Coho have shown up on the outside waters as well. Some days almost half of them are hatchery clipped fish allowing us to harvest them. On the inside waters you may retain wild or hatchery. We have had fish up to 12 pounds on the dock with larger wild ones being released.



Halibut fishing has slowed down a bit. We are still limiting out all guests, but having to put our time in. I released another fish 3 days ago around 120lbs, and was able to harvest 3 fish in the 40-60 pound range. Salmon bellies and mackerel have been top baits.

 

[hambone]

Now that's a good guide report

 

[scott craven]

And a great hatchery Spring !

 

[Bonker43]

Good advice on the getting up early. I was new and took me a day or 2 before hitting the first light bite. Had the rods in the water one morning by 645 7 thinking it was gonna be on, only to hear the bite hit strong between 545 and 7 that morn lol.

We had a boat hook up in front of us one morning and I immediately turned out and wife started raising her rigger. Rigger snags something and breaks off losing all our gear on that side. Strange as we were in 140 ft of water fishing 45 deep. I notice my rod and rigger are hooked on something and ****, the person's fish is on my side and they were far away when I turned out. I stop the boat, bring my gear up, just before the ball get a hand on their line when the wife sees the fish jump way off beyond their boat. I feel the fish on the line and yell at the people your fish is on I still feel it. They had given up rod tip down no reeling. I tell them to start reeling and free up the line. They landed a mid 20s fish. Don't ever give up until you see the flash and lure. Lol

Hi dmurph,

That was my wife and I in our Trophy you helped out. The fish screamed out 200 feet of line and swam under your boat before we even got the rod out of the holder. We really appreciate you pulling up your gear and untangling the lines. The fish weighed in at 25 pounds. We got the fish only because of you, your wife, and your little guy's consideration to other fishers out there. Thanks again.

 

[dennisb]

Great report, I'm headed up on Saturday for a weeks worth of fishing. Sounds like my timing just may work out. I'm a newbie to the area and just have 1 question. I here guys talk about being at 6 mile and 12 mile??? Am I to assume this means 6 and 12 miles out off shore? seems there's a reef out there but not really sure what to look for on my Navionics.
I'll be camped at Moucha all week and be in a 20' Red Lund. Feel free to say hi.

 

[spring fever]

Great report, I'm headed up on Saturday for a weeks worth of fishing. Sounds like my timing just may work out. I'm a newbie to the area and just have 1 question. I here guys talk about being at 6 mile and 12 mile??? Am I to assume this means 6 and 12 miles out off shore? seems there's a reef out there but not really sure what to look for on my Navionics.
I'll be camped at Moucha all week and be in a 20' Red Lund. Feel free to say hi.

I believe he is referring to off Esperanza-not Nootka. Having said that some of the places off Nootka are a long way from Moutcha bay

 

[dennisb]

I believe he is referring to off Esperanza-not Nootka. Having said that some of the places off Nootka are a long way from Moutcha bay

OK, Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Gordon J]

OK, Thanks for the clarification.

Gordon J coming up to Nootka for Thursday 28th till Monday Aug. 1. Bringing two of my adult children. Will work on staying chill as they say.

 

[dennisb]

Gordon J coming up to Nootka for Thursday 28th till Monday Aug. 1. Bringing two of my adult children. Will work on staying chill as they say.

Can't wait. seems like the longer i wait the more i spend wanting to be over prepared. have you stated at Moocha Bay before? sounds like between them and critters cove should have bait...etc just in case. Ill be up with my wife and kids.

 

[submerged]

Great to hear that the fishing is heating up. We'll be at Tuta August 1st-7th. Hopefully the inside is good by then as we're in an open 16 footer. I'd only venture out in the best of weather conditions. Getting amped reading all the reports, even though it sounds to be a slow year.

 

[Marsman]

Nice reports. On the ferry now heading back. As the others have said it was tough fishing on the inside. With the 16' prince craft we didn't go outside where people had to go to get limits. We worked hard for 3 and a half days. Ended up with 8 springs between 3 of us all inside. As another report the springs were stuffed with little bait fish. Best spot for us was the entrance to Tahsis as the 1st day most of the people didn't know the boundary had moved up the inlet and turned around at the old marker?? We got 3 there yesterday morning. As for camel it was slow except last night we hit a big fish that ripped 100 yards but right into another boats downriggers. I caught up to him and asked if any gear got tangled into his gear and he was very apologetic and I said no worries. Not much could of been done.

Best lures was the chrome coho killers on the purple onion or any blue/purple flasher. Also the small blue chrome coyote spoon was good. Only hit one fish on bait. Lost another nice fish to a new stainless chain swivel that snapped in the middle. Crap. If we had a bit better luck we would of limited. Oh! 37-56' down. Hugged the holes in the little boat early and late.

Cheers, Rob.

 

[Marsman]

Great to hear that the fishing is heating up. We'll be at Tuta August 1st-7th. Hopefully the inside is good by then as we're in an open 16 footer. I'd only venture out in the best of weather conditions. Getting amped reading all the reports, even though it sounds to be a slow year.

It will get good. From what I was told the water on the outside was 58 degrees and as high as 68 on the inside. Fish are stacking up and will be in any day. Just wish it was this week. Lol

 

[Fish on John]

Pictures are put up to support the facts. We are so busy & full it is not important for us to do anything more than report the fact & help guide fisher to where they can SCORE!
Make it a GREAT day!
FOJ

 

[Derby]

Hi John.. Your derby donation was dropped off in Campbell this week.. I'll be bye for fuel next week.. I'll make sure I cover up my favorite flasher this year so u don't see it..

 

[dmurph]

Put together a little photo story of our recent trip to critter cove, documents the voyage from vancouver to the fishing with the wife and 4 year old. The ones of the boy at night were of him catching a live squid. Love the simple entertainment of the ol kelp ball

 

[dmurph]

Here's one of the launch in gold river for any first timers and one of the boy sleeping in the cuddy as we run out to beano one morning lol. This is what can be expected when ya start them young. We can often be in pretty rough conditions only to peek under and see the boy so relaxed. Also for first timers the road in to gold river didn't seem that bad a drive to me and there are lots of wide pull outs

 

[SpringFever552]

Great pics dmurph..
Loved those days when the kids were small..

The worse part of the road is from gold river down to the ramp..the 1st time it's like riding/getting $h!t kicked by a bucking bronco..Lots of frost heaves and road settling on that stretch

Thanks for posting pics