2017 Nootka Sound/Esperanza Inlet Reports

OK, so it's more than spotty. I just set a 2017 record for going a day without a fish. Not even one #%*]>|*# bite.

Fish Camel this am then to Burdwood for the morning show. Back to the lodge for the afternoon then back out at 1745 for the evening fish. Started at the blue barrels up to San Carlos, over to Mallards and up to the mouth and nothing.

The other boats fished the Lighthouse and Burdwood in the am and pm fish with 2 fish in total.

I hope this is not a repeat of last year in August after the netters were out. They caught 7000 fish the other night.
 
Same for us. 2/3 on Friday morning. Couple strikes and beat up anchovies Saturday night, otherwise nothing. Saw 2 fish on the entire day on Saturday.

OK, so it's more than spotty. I just set a 2017 record for going a day without a fish. Not even one #%*]>|*# bite.

Fish Camel this am then to Burdwood for the morning show. Back to the lodge for the afternoon then back out at 1745 for the evening fish. Started at the blue barrels up to San Carlos, over to Mallards and up to the mouth and nothing.

The other boats fished the Lighthouse and Burdwood in the am and pm fish with 2 fish in total.

I hope this is not a repeat of last year in August after the netters were out. They caught 7000 fish the other night.
 
Finally getting the chance to participate in this great forum based on our fishing exploits. The wife and I just got back from 5 days in Nootka. I fished with buddies 3 years ago on the buddy's boat but this is the first time in our boat so we obviously had a learning curve as to how to fish Nootka. The wife also had a learning curve with the netting process, the trolling process and the science of figuring out where the fish were in the water column. Wednesday and Thursday, we got into 3 nice 15lb+ fish but unfortunately only 1 got into the boat. Like a said, netting was a challenge. I take responsibility for lifting up the rod tip without really seeing what was going on in front and the wife not experienced on netting. Basically we weren't communicating properly. Then we worked very hard to try to find fish and as others mentioned, it was extremely slow on Friday and Saturday. I'm wondering if that was due to the 7000 fish netted by the commercial boats Thursday night. Then the rain came Saturday afternoon and it poured steadily all through the night. We were pretty discouraged and were about to go home Sunday morning with our tail between our legs but decided to try one more time before leaving to go home on Sunday. It was a beautiful sunny morning and we were hoping that the rain and brought the fish inside.

It sure must have because we had an Epic day on the water. In 3 short hours, we found the secret sauce in terms of the trolling line, the lure, the depth and the length off the clip. It all came together in front of Camel Rock using an Irish Cream Skinny G spoon. We hit on every pass, catching 4 nice springs, the biggest about 17 lbs, 2 cookie cutter 9 pounders and 1 around 11 lb. Besides those, we were catching jacks in all the other passes. We obviously worked out the netting issues and were communicating great. My wife learned a ton about how to fish for springs in traffic. It was definitely the best day I've ever experienced catching chinook. Needless to say, we feel with the experience and knowledge we gained during the week, we're considering coming back next year! What looked like a dismal week of fishing turned into a success in one great morning of fishing.
 
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Yeah! People ***** about the gill netters but at least they are legal......this is flagrant poaching.

If that happened in my town i would have the fish cops there asap!

So that we can put this to bed and not derail the reports thread, it is my understanding that this incident is being investigated by DFO.
 
I'm not saying this is right or wrong BUT hear is the law.

If you take your fish to a processing plant, as in Moutcha Bay or St. Jeans it's the same as if you took your fish home. That means you could get another 2 day possession limit again until you reach your annual limit of 30.

They have to be approved Government sites and not a food saver in the back yard.
 
I'm not saying this is right or wrong BUT hear is the law.

If you take your fish to a processing plant, as in Moutcha Bay or St. Jeans it's the same as if you took your fish home. That means you could get another 2 day possession limit again until you reach your annual limit of 30.

They have to be approved Government sites and not a food saver in the back yard.

Not to get in the right it wrong but I can see why once you drop off fish that it counts as taking home.
I have had to wait a month or more to get fish back from St Jeans that I have dropped off. Normally I drop off on the way to the ferry and pick up at the Vancouver airport location. Would suck if I could not fish from when I dropped off my fish and then recieved it.
 
I'm not saying this is right or wrong BUT hear is the law.

If you take your fish to a processing plant, as in Moutcha Bay or St. Jeans it's the same as if you took your fish home. That means you could get another 2 day possession limit again until you reach your annual limit of 30.

They have to be approved Government sites and not a food saver in the back yard.
Say what? That fish has not been received to their permanent residence just because it was sent to a facility. That was explained to us in detail.

You can't fish until that fish is in your home! To say otherwise is misleading and encouraging greed

Pigs!
 
I'm not saying this is right or wrong BUT hear is the law.

If you take your fish to a processing plant, as in Moutcha Bay or St. Jeans it's the same as if you took your fish home. That means you could get another 2 day possession limit again until you reach your annual limit of 30.

They have to be approved Government sites and not a food saver in the back yard.

This does need its own thread.

Codfather, I am not meaning to sound like an butt but this all seems odd.

So I can spend a month in Tofino and tub out to my annual quota as long as I go to an approved facility? Can you show me evidence of this? Why is Moutcha Bay the only place this is advertised? So on day 3 of my annual mancation when we're tubbed on springs as they are all dead at the processor (approved) you are telling me I have been releasing springs for no good reason? As long as my fish are at a processor....tubbed is really only a daily term? By the logic of what you're saying, I could drop off my morning limit and head out for another one in the afternoon......because it's at the "processor"?

I don't see an exception written here?



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There approved by DFO to process your salmon into edible portions and freeze for the trip home. Least this is what I've been led to believe
 
My understanding was you could drop your legally caught fish at a regulated facility who checks your license then return to your primary residence then go fishing the next day. I can't see how having the fish delivered to your residence as the threshold period to fish again makes any sense at all. Thousands of fisherman take their fish to St Jeans for processing every year. Can you tell me they are all waiting the normal 4-8 weeks for the delivery of fish to their residence before they fish again?
 
Heading out for 3 days of fishing in Nootka on Saturday. Any recent reports on what is working and where at? Thanks in advance
 
I'm taking my two small boys out of Moutcha Bay next week. I haven't fished Nootka before, does anyone have any suggestions for where/how to fish? Would be nice to hammer some coho in calmer waters if thats available.
 
I'm taking my two small boys out of Moutcha Bay next week. I haven't fished Nootka before, does anyone have any suggestions for where/how to fish? Would be nice to hammer some coho in calmer waters if thats available.
I would think Camel Rock/ Wall area will still be producing. Anchovies, white hootchies and green spoons. The fishing was a little spotty this year if you read back through the reports. Good luck!

Mike
 
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