Winter Harbour Report

[Captain PartyMarty]

Two weeks ago there where a bunch of guy's staying at the Outpost with homemade pontoon boats. Literately two blow up pontoons, a sheet of plywood and some garden chairs. Seeing them out off lippy was so wrong, kind of wish the coast guard was around it could have gone bad quickly.

 

[Captain PartyMarty]

We also saw a bunch of people clearly fishing and jigging in the rca above lippy, some people just don't care

 

[searun]

Spring....That tourist was right next to me, at the west end of Cliff, in a 15 foot Whaler, first time in there, doubled up, and one was a 41# spring. We did not have a fish close to that in a full week of pounding it inside and out. No justice there!

You can call DFO and report them. Just provide them with all the vehicle identification, dates and what you observed. They do spot checks at the BC Ferry dock where these guys are sitting ducks - especially IF someone reports them!! There is good reason the transport letters are no longer going to be accepted and if you are coming out with more than your 2 day possession limit you will be charged after this season. Its crap like what you described above that ruins things for everyone else who are legitimately transporting their catch caught legally etc.

 

[spring fever]

The Spring Fever Flying circus and gong show will be off Kain island by 1400 this fri thru sunday at 1400. Monitoring ch6- I share info. Green and white Orca. Will report early mon morning. Tight lines

 

[Redfisher]

Back from another 5 days last night. Salmon fishing is somewhat spotty with the full moon. Some coho showing up on certain tides but not steady everywhere. Cliff has not turned on yet, Kains poor. Springs have been good out in the deep on the highway (180-220) particularly down at Brooks if you want to run that far. We had some nice springs along the beach towards Lawn Point on big spoons and herring the last few days along with some nice lings. Weather was the best it has been in weeks, flat calm

 

[spring fever]

Up on fri after noon back sunday night. Don't remember better weather-ever-also the poorest salmon fishing I have seen for these dates in the 20 years I have been going and keeping records. Not as if we weren't warned-talked to 4 separate fishermen on the way in and they were all disappointed and had few if any salmon. We got salmon-but had to use a lot of gas and cover a lot of ground. Cliffe and Kain were dead-circumnavigated Kain for 31/2 hours until dark in ideal water conditions without a salmon touch. Out to the anvil-hi corner of the RCA and out to 450ft-odd coho-down 200 ft- a little Spring action in Grants bay-bite lasted 1/2 hour-take a photo at your peril. Most of our fish were very deep and sporadic-when we got one we set up an expanding square and hit the same depths-nothing!! From the radio chatter other than the Bitchin about no salmon I would suggest that south maybe the bet-even farther south than Lawn point!! I can't see the future and yes I realise we had a full moon but I have to say this does not look good for this time of year. Best lures anchovy,602 Yamashita hootchy, Irish cream and cop car coyote. We had great bottom fish in the hour we did it with x-tra large jugheads and salmon belly-see jughead new thread.

 

[Busterbrown]

I also just returned from 4 days at Winter Harbour and echo Springs comments..slowest I have ever seen it there. The good news was the water was as flat as it could get for 4 days. I fished everywhere from Top Knot to south of Solander island. I did manage to find some springs very close to shore at Solander..100 ft of water and 75 feet deep...lots of coho in there as well..nothing for me at Kains, Lippy or in Grants bay. Lawn pt down to Brooks was decent but certainly not good . I had one day where I did not get a salmon!!! Did manage to limit on lings, yelloe eye and hali I hope it picks up soon

 

[spring fever]

Any updates?? I need a fix!!

 

[jiggerjim]

X2 Hey Sf looking at the long range forecast does not bode well iregardless of how good/bad the fishing is. In the best of both worlds we both would like good weather/good fishing. Time (running out) will tell...rgds j.j.

 

[spring fever]

X2 Hey Sf looking at the long range forecast does not bode well iregardless of how good/bad the fishing is. In the best of both worlds we both would like good weather/good fishing. Time (running out) will tell...rgds j.j.

Right there Jim-knowing what the last trip was like-getting outside is imperative!!!! (love that word) and there is no sign of that what-so-ever. Back to my needlepoint and throw myself on FA's tender mercy's. LOL

 

[Capt. Red]

Got back from a week up there last Thursday. Echo the comments above, it was way slower than last year! Between 2 boats, and 11 fishermen, fishing for 6 days, we scratched out about 30 springs, with the largest being 25#s. To the north/west was deader than a doorknob for springs ( glad I wasted one of the 2 days of calm water straining the water up there for nothing). The vast majority of our springs came on cut-plug herring, with 4 coming on Nog's IronNeedles. I would have used the "Needles" even more, but fishing them at 200'-280' on the wire, at the speed recommended, was difficult at best. The Coho were not quite the issue they were last year, but they seemed to us to be running a little larger, and being able to keep one native per person/day offshore was a nice bonus.

Bottom fishing was great, as always.

 

[Almar22]

Got back home on Sunday, but been trying to dig myself out at work! I also echo the previous comments. We were there from the 9th - 16th and had some of the hardest days in 10 years. Never got skunked but had a single fish day on Tuesday! Yikes it was a humbling experience. Also ended up getting a big zero on Halibut, for 8 anglers and 2 boats, trying three different mornings. That hasn't happened in about 20 years (we are blaming the "super moon"). Started out on Saturday fishing Kains for 3 hours in the evening, both inside and out with not a touch. Bait, spoons, hootchies, etc. Monday up to the corner of the closure for just a few coho, Tuesday straight south to about the 300' level, ended at the 500' level for the one coho day. Wednesday got a little better, down closer to Lawn point, Then Thursday finally got good, with limits of springs and lots of coho. Friday both boats limited out by 10:30 including our hatchery coho. Biggest spring of the week was only 25 lbs but we were really glad to get it! Green and glow coyotes, herring in helmets or cut were working the best. Most fish were at about 225' depth.

Weird thing was that almost all the fish in the early part of the week didn't have anything in their stomachs! Wish I was still up there!

 

[Sharphooks]

Yo, Almar

just curious---when you say ..."Most fish were at about 225' depth...."

Are you saying they were hooked on the bottom in 225' of water or were you fishing in 225' of water and they were hooked somewhere in the column at that depth?

thanks for details

 

[Heavyc]

Any news from Cliffe Pt, McAllister or the Lighthouse? I'm hoping to do a 3 dayer out of Coal Harbour 25-27th. We don't quite have the range on our open 19ft er to go outside and return without fuel issues.

 

[spring fever]

The Spring Fever II will be off kain Island by 1400 on sunday thru tues evening. I listen on ch 6 and share info if asked. Last outing was not stellar by WH standards and from what I understand wasn't great for sometime after we left. (I can understand that LOL). Any recent info would be greatly appreciated-good or bad-will report back wed. evening. Tight Lines!!

 

[Almar22]

Hey Sharphooks,
225' cable in around 350-400' of water. Good luck all, wish I was still up there! Work really gets in the way of good times.

 

[Sharphooks]

Hot tip--- thanks for that Almar!

 

[spring fever]

Heading up tomorrow-my sources at Winter harbour confirm 225 to 250 ft on the riggers in 300 to 400 feet of water st out from Lawn point. Guess we'll find out tomorrow if it's true!!! LOL

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Have a safe trip Mike .

 

[captmike]

Just back from WH. Very slow at Kains and Cliff. We managed our limits of springs and coho for 3 guys but took us 3 days-3 at 24 lb, a few coho at 12 lb. Slow at Topknot-got most of our fish out from Kains in 420-440 ft and 220-260 on DR ,did our best trolling with the wind,haul up and run back-lg white hootchie LED was the best.